April 17, 2002
Saltillo woman honored for crime-victim service
By Theresa Kiely
Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer
The founder of a crime victims support group who is fighting to keep her Tupelo-based office open received a national award Tuesday from the U.S. attorney general and the president of the United States.
Carolyn Clayton of Saltillo, who set up Survival Inc. to help survivors and victims of violent crime after her daughter was raped and killed, was honored for a decade of victims' rights advocacy.
She was one of four individuals to receive the Crime Victim Service Award from U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and President Bush at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington.
"(Victims) need a lot of nurturing, and that's what I do is nurture them within the system," Clayton told Gannett News Service after accepting the honor. "It's (the system's) not real victim-friendly."
The ceremony was part of the 22nd federal observance of the upcoming National Crime Victims' Rights Week held this year from Sunday through April 27. Clayton and two other parents honored had to cope with the murder of their daughters. They each coped by dedicating themselves to supporting crime victims.
After her daughter, Amy, was slain in July 1986, Clayton was angry and frustrated at the criminal justice system's lack of support for victims and their families. She joined with other victims to found Survival Inc. in June 1987, less than a year after her 18-year-old daughter's rape and murder. Amy Clayton's killer was sentenced to life without parole.
One of the mothers' Clayton helped was Jo Anderson, of Okolona, whose married daughter Jo Talley Cooper was raped and strangled in her Oklahoma home in 1987. Cooper, 28, was three months pregnant. Her then 8-month-old son was unharmed. It took 10 years to track down Cooper's killer — a fired cable company worker now on death row.
"People don't know how much this service is worth until something like this happens to them," said Anderson, who met Carolyn through her support group and now volunteers at Survival Inc.
"It was a big help. You don't know the depth of the horror until you go through it yourself."
By July, Survival Inc. needs to raise matching funds for two $20,000 federal grants to stay open.
Clayton said raising money has been difficult since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. She said last week that the group needs to raise $2,000 a month.
Last year, Survival Inc. served 404 people in 23 counties in northeast Mississippi by providing such services as crisis intervention, court advocacy, in-home visits, monthly support group meetings and a 24-hour hot line — 1-888-915-7788.
To make a tax-deductible donation to Survival Inc., send a check to P. O. Box 171 Saltillo, Mississippi 38866 or call (662) 869-7088.
Carolyn's Story
In July of 1986, Carolyn Clayton's daughter, Amy, did not come home from her regular evening run. Amy was found the following morning. She had been raped and stabbed to death.
For the first couple of days, the Clayton's home was filled with law enforcement personnel who were there for one reason and one reason only, to find the answers to the questions, which would hopefully lead them to Amy's killer. Find him they did. Soon after an arrest was made, the Clayton's quickly discovered that the survivors and/or victim's family did not fit into anyone's job description.
The authorities, while polite and friendly, were not able to consistently keep those concerned apprised of the latest developments in the case; therefore, the news media became the most reliable source of information.
The Clayton's frustration grew as they heard much about the accused’s rights and little, if any, about their own. Carolyn took action and wrote to the National Organization of Victim Advocates (NOVA) in Washington, D.C. in an effort to locate the nearest support service to her. Someone sent Carolyn the mailing address of Parents of Murdered Children (POMC) in Cincinnati, Ohio. There was not a single chapter in the state of Mississippi.
With encouragement from the Attorney General in Mississippi, Ed Pittman, and information shared by his office regarding proposed legislation to address the needs of victims in the state, Carolyn and other survivors across the state joined forces to initiate a grass roots organization to address the special needs of this population. This organization was known as: Mississippi Advocates for Crime Victims (MACV).
Empowered by their success in the legislature and the comradelier that developed among the survivors as a result of their experience and united effort, the members found a way to continue their mission to provide support and encouragement to others who knew first hand the tragedy of violent crime.
In the summer of 1987, Survival became a reality and developed into its status as a not-for-profit, 501C-3, Mississippi Corporation. Governed by a board of directors, and led by Carolyn Clayton as Executive Director, Survival, Inc. is dedicated to serving the needs of individuals, loved ones, and families whose lives have been impacted by violent crime. Survival, Inc. is located in Tupelo, Mississippi.
