The Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice has awarded the Joint Center on Violence and Victim Studies (JCVVS) a $550,000 grant Responding to Crime Victims with Disabilities National Conference.

The JCVVS established a partnership with the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR)/National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), and the National Sheriffs Association (NSA) for the planning and implementation of a national conference intended to enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities of providers so they may better serve persons who have a disability and people with disabilities who are victims of crime, and abuse, and neglect.

The National Center for Victims of Crime, (NCVC) also received a grant for $550,000 from OVC for the project and, along with their partners, Temple University Institute on Disabilities, Davis Innovations, and the Crime Victims with Disabilities Resource Guide will be working with the JCVVS on this project.

As a part of the project, there will be a facilitation of partnerships among the fields of victim assistance, advocacy for persons with disabilities, and allied professions for conference participation. This will be done, in part, by encouraging community teams to attend the conference via resource materials and scholarships.

The Washburn University Master of Criminal Justice Degree Program has been certified by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Executive Board as meeting all ACJS Academic Certification Standards, as documented through the ACJS Academic Certification Review process. The Certificate of Certification will be presented to Washburn University representatives by ACJS President Ron Hunter at the annual ACJS Awards Ceremony in Cincinnati.

JCVVS e-newsletter reviews offer a brief synopsis of research and programs relevant to violence and victim studies. Brevity does not allow for comprehensive analysis, rather key points and observations for further review and consideration. Reviews are provided by persons affiliated by the JCVVS and do not necessarily reflect the position of the JCVVS or the affiliate Universities.

Author(s): Visher, Christy A., Adele V. Harrell, and Lisa C. Newmark.

Title: Pretrial Innovations for Domestic Violence Offenders and Victims: Lessons from the Judicial Oversight Demonstration Initiative

Source: National Institute of Justice, NCJ216041 (2007). http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/216041.pdf

Reviewer: Bernadette Muscat

State courts in three different locales (Dorchester, Massachusetts, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Washtenaw County, Michigan) were selected to participate in a Judicial Oversight Demonstration (JOD) project to develop innovative ways to keep victims of interpersonal violence safe while also holding offenders accountable during the time from arrest until case disposition. These goals were achieved by in three ways, (1) increasing judicial involvement in managing cases before trial, (2) restructuring court procedures and offender monitoring, and (3) increasing collaborative networks with the criminal justice system (e.g., law enforcement, district attorney, probation), victim service providers, and community social services. The following outlines how each of the three factors were implemented by the respective courts.

Increasing judicial involvement included having a specific judge who was identified as using progressive court policies/procedures in addressing interpersonal violence before the JOD project began. The judge was then responsible for educating other judges about innovative approaches including promoting a coordinated systemwide approach to addressing interpersonal violence cases. The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) created a 5-day judicial training institute for all participating judges. This training focused on judicial decision making, reviewing cases, graduated sanctions, immigration law, cultural awareness, and the role of the judge beyond the courtroom. Other components of the training institute focused on identifying risk and lethality factors in interpersonal violence cases and the impact that violence has on children. The Dorchester court also encouraged judges to provide peer-to-peer training opportunities for other judges in the court. In Washtenaw, judges decided to address interpersonal violence cases based on six principles, (1) dedicated dockets one day per week, (2) priority processing of cases, (3) compulsory bond conditions, (4) use of designated probation unit, (5) automatic appointment of defense counsel, and (6) early subpoenaing of witnesses. The judges in this jurisdiction also agreed to obtain the offender's criminal background and other pertinent information to be used in making bond determinations. In Wisconsin, the chief judge appointed specific judges to the domestic violence court for a 2-year term and to attend domestic violence training. Judges were rotated to reduce burnout and to provide more judges the opportunity to receive the training and to work with interpersonal violence cases.

In terms of restructuring court processes and procedures, Dorchester placed interpersonal violence cases on a specific docket. Wisconsin went one step further by creating a specific interpersonal violence court. Both Dorchester and Washtenaw used a vertical adjudication model whereby a single prosecutor processes the entire case. The Washtenaw court created a Domestic Violence Probation Unit requiring offenders to see a probation officer within 24 hours after the initial court appearance to review bond conditions. The jurisdiction also required officers of the court to input bond conditions into a statewide law enforcement database allowing for early detection of release violations. Fines and weekend jail were a few of the sanctions used to ensure compliance and accountability.

The final strategy employed by these courts was to increase networking among service providers. This occurred through direct court-based referrals. Both Dorchester and Washtenaw hired a victim advocate who specialized in interpersonal violence cases. Wisconsin provided a safe space within the courtroom for victims and their children, which allowed a safe place for the victim to meet with the advocate about the court process and referrals.

The early findings indicate several lessons learned, (1) judicial involvement and coordination of case procedures enhances consistency, (2) restructuring court processes contributes to better coordination among agencies, (3) procedures to monitor offenders allow for a quick response to violations of no contact orders and bond conditions, and (4) court-based services allows victims to access support services earlier in the process.

email: jcvvs@washburn.edu

phone: 785-670-1399

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