VOTE AUGUST 4th
I’m passionate about improving public education. I will fight for the interest of our children they deserve a quality Pre-school thru K-12 education and also the opportunity to attend a affordable College or University. I will work on legislation advocating for students getting the tools and resources needed to excel and thrive in school and at home. I will advocate for funding to be restored to 2011 levels across the board prior to the Synder administration cuts in education.
Everyone deserves to feel protected. Seniors need to feel safe in their homes. Additional funding is needed to recruit and retain police officers and first responders raising their pay will provide the needed services and police presence to stabilize the neighborhoods. More funding is needed for improvements in infrastructure, which is imperative to environmental safety within the community and additional funding for water and led paint testing, and water run-off.
Everyone who wants to work should be able to find a good paying job, and make a fair living wage. Create an environment for job growth while providing opportunities for education and apprenticeship skilled trades training. Provide an environment to foster small business entrepreneurship and growth through grants, funding for first time business owners and community benefits agreement. Create incentives to attract new corporations to the state.
I’m a servant leader who cares and is passionate about the needs of my community. I’ve served my community and constituents of District 7 as a precinct delegate, and also in Lansing through my role as Community Liaison for State Representative LaTanya Garrett. I have listened to the needs of the community and made sure citizens were informed by providing legislative updates while working with state, county and city officials to assure the delivery of services. I’ve helped to resolve problems within the district and have learned how to negotiate to get things done.
Through my roles as the D7 Community Liaison and with Southeast Michigan Jobs with Justice (SEMJwJ) I’ve built strong relationships, and can identify multiple stakeholders through labor, community, student and faith based organizations that I can access to assist with needs within the community. I will represent you in Lansing with a voice of integrity, dedication and commitment. While always being accessible to you and providing the leadership that the district needs.
Role and Responsibilities of a Michigan State Representative:
The primary role of a State Representative is to be a lawmaker determining the need for new legislation through listening to the needs and problems of the district and the state. Introducing and creating new laws and initiating research through staff and committees and requesting preparations of bills and amendments in addition to modifying and updating old laws and voting on bills that benefit their district.
As your Wayne County Prosecutor for the past 16 years, my administration has been committed to being smart on crime, and not blindly “tough on crime,” which sells well, but overlooks those inescapable factors which can contribute to a one time involvement with the criminal justice system- youth, mental illness, and desperation, to name a few.
Nonetheless my entire staff, community partners, and I will always aggressively protect the interests of victims of crime, and will fight tirelessly to hold those inexcusably culpable accountable for their actions.
I first gained national attention as a prosecutor for charging two police officers with second degree murder after beating an unarmed black man, Malice Green, to death in 1992. I pledge to continue holding law enforcement officers accountable and improving relations between law enforcement and our community moving forward.
Aiming to better the criminal justice system by preventing and rectifying wrongful convictions, I launched the first Conviction Integrity Unit in the state of Michigan. This Unit ensures that new claims of innocence are investigated and defendants that are wrongly convicted are exonerated and appropriately compensated.
More than 73,000 older adults in Michigan are victims of elder abuse. That?s why I created Wayne County’s first Elder Abuse Unit to help protect one of our state’s most vulnerable populations. This Unit is solely devoted to prosecuting crimes targeting elderly persons, such as crimes in nursing homes or adult foster care facilities.
Long before it was fashionable, at a time when it was often subject to criticism, I developed and advanced alternatives to charging and rehabilitative programs. Over the years our Diversion programs have successfully provided thousands of adults and juveniles an opportunity to obtain a fair and sensible alternative to a felony record.
Mental illness is a condition affecting nearly every family in Wayne County. Because they have this condition through no fault of their own, I have been a tireless longtime advocate for treating, rather than incarcerating a person, adult or juvenile. To this end, my office has partnered with various courts, the Wayne County Jail, and community agencies to develop mental health diversion programs. We are currently supporting jail mental health treatment release initiatives for misdemeanor offenders, and continue to support mental health and other treatment courts.
Today, our systems, protocols, and procedures are copied by prosecutors across the state and country.
Two of the proudest moments of my life were the induction to the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame and being featured in the Emmy Award-winning HBO documentary, I Am Evidence, that highlighted the work of my office in locating and testing the 11,341 sexual assault kits we found abandoned in a Detroit Police Department warehouse. I would be even prouder to have your endorsement and support.
In addition to running one of the busiest Prosecutor’s Offices in the country, I serve on the board of the Joyful Heart Foundation which was instrumental in providing private, donated, funding to test the sexual assault kits as well as the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, while serving as Chair of the Michigan Chapter of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. I am also a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys whose membership helps advance the urban agenda of the progressive prosecutor.
During these difficult, stressful, and unprecedented times, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office needs continued, proven, bold, and fearless leadership – and a leader who has never been afraid to collaborate and innovate.
You can read here about many of our other innovative programs that we are very proud of as well as information about our Conviction Integrity Unit, Fair Michigan Project, and other units in our office. You can also visit my campaign Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Let’s continue moving forward together.
In Gratitude,
Kym L. Worthy
Your Wayne County Prosecutor
If you’d like to volunteer your time, I’d love to have you onboard! Please use the form to provide your contact information, select what you’d like to volunteer with, and leave us a message if you’d like. We’ll get back with you right away, and very much appreciate your support!
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I’m concerned about our community and understand that we are all fearful of what is happening during these uncertain times. The COVID-19 virus has impacted all of our lives, likely with the loss of friends, family and loved ones. To ensure we stop the further spread of the virus we must all do our part by continuing to practice safe hygiene by thoroughly washing our hands and also following Governor Whitmer’s current “Stay at Home Order”. For those who must leave the house it is imperative to practice safe social distancing measures by wearing a mask and gloves while in public to help protect each other in addition to our essential front line workers in the community.
For years I’ve advocated and fought for my community around social justice issues regarding a fair living wage for workers, environmental and water rights, and equitable pay and rights for women. Now, during this crisis we must all be social justice advocates for each other, our families, children and seniors. We will get through this pandemic together and it’s my belief that when we do we will ultimately be stronger, more compassionate of each other’s needs and more dedicated to community. Until the quarantine is lifted lets all stay safe and healthy.
-Praying for our community
Helena