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Nothing has been easy for Shal-Marie since she became a victim survivor. But that hasn't stopped her from pushing through, charting her own course, and being an outspoken advocate for victims. As you read Shal-Marie's, "In Their Own Words," remember that her story is painful and not uncommon. Iowa crime victims have felt pushed aside by our criminal justice system for too long. They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. You can follow along on our Facebook page, to see live posts of our series. This week, we're sharing survivor Shal-Marie's message, and it's in her own words...

Domestic violence affects people every day across the United States. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence states that on average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically assaulted by an intimate partner in the United States. In one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men. Because of the current culture surrounding domestic violence, survivors may face additional challenges in accessing resources, reporting to law enforcement, and generally throughout the legal process. Marsy's Law will help:

We continue with our, "In Their Own Words," series this week. We think it's important that you hear directly from those who have navigated Iowas's criminal justice system. These survivors have navigated the broken system and have heartbreaking stories about where they were let down.  You can follow along on our Facebook page, for specific questions we posed to survivors, and their heartfelt answers. This week, we're sharing survivor Tiffany's message, and it's in her own words...

Survivors of homicide, such as family members, friends, and other loved ones of the victim feel the life changing ramification of the trauma, hardship, and loss that followed the crime. These secondary victims may face additional challenges in accessing resources and generally throughout the legal process. Marsy's Law can help:

No one can help us illustrate the need for change in Iowa better than crime victims who have navigated the justice system. No one chooses to become a victim or a survivor after they've lost a loved one. But members of our victim coalition describe the justice system as a place where they thought they'd be protected, but instead it's where they were revictimized. You can follow along on our Facebook page, for specific questions we posed to survivors, and their heartfelt answers. This week, we're sharing survivor Liz's message, and it's in her own words...