Assessing Justice System Response to Violence Against Women: A Tool for Law Enforcement, Prosecution and the Courts to Use in Developing Effective Responses

• NCJ Number: 221754
• Author(s): Kristin Littel M.A.; Mary B. Malefyt J.D.; Alexandra Walker; Sarah M. Buel J.D.; Deborah D. Tucker M.P.A.
• Date Published: February 1998
• Length: 69 pages
• Grant Number(s): 95-MU-MU-K020
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women
• Sale Source: Minnesota Ctr Against Violence & Abuse (MINCAVA)
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Technical Assistance
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded March, 5, 2008

Annotation

Following an introduction that reviews the provisions of the Violence Against Women Act, the Promising Practices Initiative, and the unique nature of violent crimes against women, this document presents checklists and program examples that describe the basic roles of law enforcement, prosecution, and the courts in responding to violence against women.

Abstract

They also show where agencies coordinate and collaborate with other justice system agencies and community advocacy programs. Prior to presenting the checklists and specific program components, the document lists shared beliefs about violence against women that should be the foundation for coordinated interagency interventions. The first group of checklists focuses on the law enforcement response to violence against women. They address responsibilities in the dispatcher’s response, the initial officer’s response, the followup investigator’s response, development of a victim-centered approach to services and programs, the supervisor’s response, data collection and communications, and the management response. The programs of 10 police departments are used as examples of how various police agencies have responded to violence against women. The next major section of the document provides checklists and exemplary programs for the prosecution’s response to violence against women. They address the issues of understanding and supporting the concept of advocacy, the appropriate prosecutor response, building organizational capacity, victim/witness specialist response, supervisor’s response, data collection, and management response. Programs of seven prosecutor’s offices throughout the country are described. The document then turns to court response to violence against women. Topics covered by the checklists and programs are the court administrator’s response, removing barriers that face underserved populations, data collection, management response, holding offenders accountable, the judicial response, and the supervisor’s response. The remaining sections of the document describe exemplary programs that have involved the civil justice system’s response to domestic violence and law school initiatives on domestic violence.