MIND
Hope for the hopeless Three victim advocates for the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office assist crime victims by providing them with empathy and respect, current and timely information, and ongoing support and assistance. STORY: JAMES COMBS
loody noses. Hurtful words. Controlling behavior. For Jessi Laytart, those are painful reminders of spending four years with an abusive boyfriend. Her rocky relationship came to a head one night in 2016. After a heated argument, Jessi’s boyfriend ran her over with his car, leaving her hospitalized for several weeks. Fortunately for Jessi, someone whom she refers to as an “angel” came to her rescue. That angel was Sharon Howard, who at the time was a victim advocate with the Citrus County Sheriff ’s Office. Sharon helped Jessi get admitted into a shelter for abused women. She stood by Jessi’s side during court proceedings. She helped her cope with the emotional devastation resulting from years of abuse. “She really saved my life,” Jessi says.
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≈ PHOTOS: NICOLE HAMEL
Once she got her life back in order, Jessi paid those good deeds forward. She spent two years as a house manager for a homeless women’s shelter.
“WATCHING THEM AS THEY BUILD RESILIENCE AND STRENGTH MAKES THIS JOB SO REWARDING.” — S H A R O N H OWA R D
“Doing that was very rewarding,” Jessi says. “I taught women how to thrive rather than just survive.” In the aftermath of a violent or criminal offense, victims are forced to cope with physical pain, psychological trauma, financial loss, and a criminal justice system that is confusing and overwhelming. Victim advocates like Sharon help alleviate those burdens. Today, Sharon is victim services manager for the Sumter County Sheriff ’s Office’s victim advocate program. Sharon, along with Ashley Martinez and Susan Cook, who are also victim advocates for the program, provide crisis intervention, emotional support, and information about available resources while also helping crime victims navigate the legal system. Each is passionate about supporting society’s most vulnerable people. And they enjoy providing crime victims with the necessary tools to help them recover.
