EGE MORTER
lieves th offender
should b h Id responsibl .
"It i only logi I that t h
crimirt I p y for it," h s id.
"The as sment is viewed as an
obligation t he criminal has."
Barbara K. Hill of Battle
Creek, chairwoman of th Com
pensation Board, agreed.
"Hopefully, it make the p rpe
trators of crime aware they have
THE MOE collect d obligations," sh said.
d opll'.i�uppp)."t Iocal activi- Addi iqnally, Hill aid re-
P!" 1·· tOJ lquiri criminals to n v for vic-
. ims; Righ 'A� Fun- (" ti� righWs'J�··" sljerie'tl · 'he
wood' id. victims.
Examples of these ctivities Ingham Cou nty Probate
include: An explanation by law Judge George Economy agreed.
enforcement agencies of certain "I think it is a step that helped,"
rights within 24 hours after first thejud said. "The victims feel
contact with the victim; an op- that there i ome account-
portunity for victin to consult ability now."
tep Up' cal
regulat
By AP�IL CALC LL
C.plt., '!..� ..§_ervlce
By MAUREEN FERFOUA
Spec I.' to M/�/Il.1) gJ�.n
LAN ING (C pita! N Servic )
-In Michigan, fundin for vic
tim ' rights is b ginning to be
provid d more by criminal
than t xpayers, r por h ad
minis rator of the Crim Vic
tims Compensation Board.
"Ware oing gainst h
tr nd ," Micha I J. ullwood
id. " ur long-term plan is 0
h v taxpayers not h v to p y
for this."
About 50 p r nt of t h
mon y n ed to support vic
tims' rights servi s is acquired
from criminal by st te courts.
s ments includ 40 for
felony, $30 for a serious misd -
m nor or drunken driving and
$20 for a crim cornmitt d by a
ju nil.
Th 0 h r halfi curr ntly ob
tained from taxpay rs, but by
the pring of 1996 may be fully
funded by convicted persons,
said Sen. William Van Regen
morter, R-Jenison, a supporter
of rights for crime victims.
By HEATHER MCEVOY
Capital News Seruice
LAN I G - M· ny women in
the Upper Peninsula and in ru
ral ar a wh re th r r few
docto ,choo midwiv to d -
liv r th.r babies.
But i ola ed trag dies ar
leading some to call for state
r gulation of lay midwives. .
I i a mot her' right to cho
who deliv r h r b by and
wh r th proc dur is done,
aid D ni e S latino of Troy.
alatino used n tural child
birth and a lay midwif to d ,
liv r her firs on in h bath tub
ofh rhome.
midwiv . wp'rp
co tin
servic
J W
month nd provid tuden
with tour of local morgue,
local eourthou and jail. In d
dition, pri on rs are asked to
t I to th stud n about th ir
situations.
"We have had stud nts tell us
that th y defini ly don't want
to li v a life of crim, fter th
tour," Wright id.
However, it i important that
peopl liz that th problem
of crime is not just.a Wayn
County probl m, but a s t
wid on ,Wright id.
Lack of manpower and
money are two reasons why
orne h riff departments have
not st rt more youth crim
pr vention progr m, s id
Cathleen Klintworth, e cutive
director of the Michigan Sher
iffs' Association (MSA).
Crime prevention varies from
county to county, Klin worth
said.
MSA erves 83 sh riff de
partment throughout Mi hi
gan. It is a non-profit
organization that helps train
and educate sheriffs. It also sup
pli s departments with the lat
e t information on legal issues.
However, the organization
does not sponsor any youth
crime prevention programs.
"We support DARE, bu w
do a p ni,"
}G' .
THE DIF ERE E in
communities prevents MSA
from organizing on program
for them all. Yet, MSA still en
courages any efforts for such
programs and give information
to
duty for parents to do th ir
homework regarding natural
childwatch, a midwife's history
and possible delivery complica-
tions. .
"You have to take a lot more
r ponsi ility," Salatino said.
The right of procreation
should b left. to parents, said
Rich rd D. L tts, vet ran m m
r of th Michig n ivil Rights
Commi sion.
"Peopl should b more ind .
p nd n of he sy t m," Let
said.
He said poor I gislativ guid
anc and gov rnment regula
hould hould be r plac
ducation.
"Governm nt in ervention
m s when p ople don't want to
R b responsible. It usually pea
pi looking for a fr ride," sh
aid.
If th stat int rven , lay
midwifery will be' available to
more people at a low cost, Wygo
nik aid.
Salatino said her lay nud-
wiv provided pr nat I care
nd deliv ry ervic for about
1,400. H pita 1 charg up to
5, 0
with-
om ort
• I
VOTER
urnout, a ov r 3 million,
w high it has ev r
b n in gubernatorial I -
tion.
Calo aid the reason pea
pi t th ir ballots was to
change a sy tem they were
we' ry of.
"People wanted change
an that m y have moti
v t them," Calo said,
Ballenger said ther were
no urpris on election day.
Information Is Power.