Published by admin on 06 Mar 2008 at 12:17 pm
First Criminal Justice System Response Training
On February 27, the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) Support to Service Providers (SSP) team facilitated the first Criminal Justice System Response Training (CJSRT) of 2008. The CJSR Training was held in partnership with the Family Crisis Center in Bastrop.
CJSRTs are designed to facilitate collaboration among community systems, such as law enforcement, prosecution, the courts, domestic violence service providers and other human service providers. CJSR Training has as one of its major goals to enhance local coordination and bring about a more consistent response to domestic violence.
Funded through the Criminal Justice Division of the Governor’s Office, eight CJSRTs will be offered in 2008. Ms. Molly Woodard and Ms. Amy Byrd, with the TCFV/SSP team, will travel across the state to facilitate and coordinate the training in cooperation with eight domestic violence programs. Nine different modules are available, three of which are provided at each training. The host service provider is given the opportunity to select the three modules they believe are most beneficial to their respective communities.
The Family Crisis Center in Bastrop opted to focus on Texas domestic violence laws, law enforcement issues, and immigration law. Ms. Kelly Knight presented a fact-filled module on “Texas Laws Affecting Victims of Domestic Violence.” In a very interactive presentation, she shared information on assault, gun laws, dual arrests, protective orders, and other relevant topics.
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The Family Crisis Center provided lunch and attendees joined TCFV staff in the cutting of a cake in recognition of TCFV’s 30th Anniversary. Chief Harold Thomas of the Hutto Police Department focused his presentation on “Law Enforcement Strategies for Successful Prosecution.” Chief Thomas discussed law enforcement responses to domestic violence, partnerships between law enforcement and other sectors of the community, and shared several specific accounts of law enforcement involvement in domestic violence cases.
The final module of the day, “Immigration Law and Domestic Violence”, was presented by Ms. Edna Yang from the Political Asylum Project of Austin. She discussed the rights of immigrants in courts, barriers faced by the immigrant community, type of relief available to immigrants, and how to respond to calls from the immigrant community.
In addition to the 73 local service providers, law enforcement, and social workers in attendance, TCFV staff members Fred Guerra, Stephanie Jordan, and Lisa Woodcock also participated in the training.
The next CJSRT is scheduled for March 12th in Nacogdoches, providing workshops on protective orders, law enforcement strategies on successful prosecution and immigration law and domestic violence.