Local Support
Additional Support Resources
Providing legal representation and counseling
National Hate Crime Hotline: 1-800-225-5324
The People's Law Library (PLL) is a legal information and self-help website maintained by the Thurgood Marshall State Law Library, a court-related agency of the Maryland Judiciary, and supported by Maryland's non-profit legal services providers, Maryland pro bono attorneys, and the legal academic community.
You may also contact a local religious institution or community-based organization, which can offer support and services. The important thing is to get help and support. Don’t go through this on your own!
A comprehensive response to hate crimes requires the entire village: law enforcement; prosecutors; residents; schools; religious institutions; and civil rights and community-based organizations. This collaboration is critical both before and after a crisis occurs.
The following are critical areas where stakeholders can work to enhance hate crimes response practices:
- Increasing community collaborations with law enforcement and the community to address hate crimes, to include partnerships with civil rights and community organizations
- Enhancing training and education for law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, and community members about hate crimes/incidents
- Strengthening data collection, reporting, and analysis of hate crimes/incidents
- Improving policies and responses for law enforcement concerning hate incident and crime management
- Role of prosecutors: early and ongoing communication with law enforcement, proactive engagement with community, development of hate crimes expertise