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In September,
National Center staff met with Diane Stuart, Director of the Office on
Violence Against Women, to discuss the use of the 5-percent set-aside
for the courts from the STOP Violence Against Women block grant
program. Lynn Levey, NCSC court research associate, has summarized the
conversation with Director Stuart below. It notes areas of advancement
and remaining challenges for the courts in addressing violence against
women.
LL: What areas do you
feel have improved substantially since VAWA passed?
DS: Well there are so
many. The coordinated community response really represents the spirit
of what VAWA intended. More people are being trained to understand the
issues. It has improved the resources available for both victims and
others within the justice system. This has reduced the
re-victimization of victims. In fact, new statistics show a decline in
rape and an increase in its reporting.
LL: What areas would
you like to see more emphasis on?
DS:
- Sexual assault, stalking and the
issues surrounding these crimes.
- Educating
those in leadership positions like judges.
- Recommendations
by communities as to how to achieve sustainability of newer
initiatives.
- Greater
public education of the population as a whole to improve overall
knowledge of issues related to violence against women.
LL: What new
directions seem promising for court-based programs?
DS: Some court
systems have focused on improving their technology. As many know, too
often courts are unable to access accurate information about involved
parties or to provide information. Many parties may have multiple
cases pending in multiple courts. Improving the record system by using
technology enhances their ability to hold batterers accountable and
improve victim safety. We have seen promising practices emerge from
our Judicial Oversight Demonstration Initiative sites in
Massachusetts, Michigan and Wisconsin. Some communities have used
their 5% set aside for courts monies to do this. Coordination with
state court administrators about these efforts allows a greater number
of people to rely upon that information. Courts must be a part
of the coordinated community response. The six Greenbook sites (CA,
CO, MO, NH, OR) also embrace the CCR concept more broadly. Specialized
courts and/or dockets all contribute to this effort too.
LL: What steps can
court administrators and judges take to improve court processes
related to violence against women?
DS:
- Education and training for all court
personnel
- Participation in demonstration
projects
- Improving
coordination with community partners like police, advocates and
health professionals
LL: What are the
greatest problems for victims of violence that still need to be
addressed?
DS: Access to courts
and their resources continues to be an ongoing problem. This concept
means different things around the country. Additional recommendations
for courts include the need to create separate waiting for victims to
encourage participation in the court process and to reduce
opportunities for the abuser to intimidate her. Separate waiting areas
and staggering arrivals and departures of victim and abuser will
insure greater safety for all in the courthouse. Victims need greater
advocacy on their behalf, particularly in the court setting.
Enforcement of protection orders continues to vary widely.
Confidentiality issues are always problematic, especially, it seems,
in rural areas where there is less overall anonymity. There also needs
to be greater consequences for breaking laws. I really believe that
the more people (within the court community) understand about these
issues, the better job they will be able to do.
LL: What didn’t I
ask you that you want people to know more about?
DS: If everybody
within the system and the community does their job to respond
appropriately to these cases, we will continue to close gaps and
increase safety and accountability overall. If we don’t close these
gaps, there will continue to be a revolving door and more people will
be hurt. The spirit of VAWA is really to adopt and sustain
improvements within the system’s response.
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