The
Chattanooga Family Justice Alliance
NEWS CONFERENCE -
Thursday, August 19, 2004
The Chattanooga Family Justice Alliance partners will
hold a news conference on Thursday, August 5, 2004 at 1:30 P.M. at the
Partnership for Families, Children & Adults, 300 East 8th Street.
Contact:
Charlotte Boatwright, 423-875-0120
Farrell Cooper,
423-755-2808
Representatives of the eight initial partnering agencies will initiate the Chattanooga Family Justice Alliance by signing their collaborative agreement at the news conference. They will explain the roles their agencies will play in the project and answer questions. Other community partners will join the alliance as the project evolves.
The mission of the alliance is to reduce domestic violence
and its effects in Chattanooga and Hamilton County. The partnership currently includes:
The 11th Judicial District (Hamilton County) District
Attorney's Office
Chattanooga Police Department
Hamilton County Sheriff's Department.
The Coalition Against Domestic & Community Violence
of Greater Chattanooga, Inc.
The Partnership for Families, Children & Adults.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of
Criminal Justice
Southeast Tennessee Legal Services
Legal Aid of East Tennessee
In the initial phase,
● Law enforcement officers will be placed
in the Partnership's Crisis Intervention Center at 300 East 8th Street as a
first step in forming a one-stop-shop for victims of domestic violence and
their children.
● Law enforcement will work closely with
other victim services at the Partnership to enhance victim access to needed
services and support.
● The University of Tennessee at
Chattanooga Department of Criminal Justice will lend its expertise to the
process of monitoring and evaluation of the unit through data collection and
analysis.
● Free legal services to victims of abuse
and their children will be provided by Southeast Tennessee Legal Services and
Legal Aid of East Tennessee.
● The coalition will continue to promote
addition of partners, provide education and increase awareness across multiple
disciplines in regard to the impact of abuse on the community.
In 2003, 38 percent of
Chattanooga's homicides were domestic violence related, far above the national
average of 26 percent. Other communities have been very successful in reducing
domestic violence through similar efforts. Alliance partners believe that Chattanooga can reduce
domestic violence through coordination of services and support for victims with
efforts to make complex systems more accessible and user-friendly.
Domestic violence is an
ongoing pattern of physical, emotional, psychological, sexual and economic
abuse that crosses over into all categories of violent crimes. Domestic violence is often the basis
for assault and battery, rape, juvenile crimes, child and elder abuse, property
crimes, burglary, theft, kidnapping, hostage taking, arson and murder.
The Memorandum of
Understanding forged by the initial partners is available for your perusal upon
request. Please do not hesitate to
call for further information.
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The Chattanooga
Family Justice Alliance
Media Brief
A. Mission Statement:
The Family Justice Alliance seeks to reduce the incidence of family violence in the community.
B. Project Goals:
The primary goals of the project are to ensure safety and seamless access to services for victims and their children in an efficient and effective manner. Bridging existing gaps to improve accessibility will make reporting domestic violence much less overwhelming. This collaboration will dramatically improve the quality of police investigations, increase convictions of perpetrators, and provide greater support for victims through improved case management and a more fluid exchange of information and resources. Increased conviction rates will increase the number of perpetrators who complete a mandatory certified Batterer's Intervention Program, giving them an opportunity to change lifelong abusive behavior. Domestic violence homicides and suicides will be dramatically reduced along with the human suffering that accompanies these problems. By impacting domestic violence, Chattanooga will reduce juvenile arrests and violent crime.
The Family Justice Alliance is closely aligned with the PresidentÕs Family Justice Center Initiative. This project will establish law enforcement officers, onsite at the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults with other victim services to create a one-stop-shop to address the needs of victims of violent crimes, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. ChattanoogaÕs long-term goals include plans to incorporate services and interventions on site and off site to assist victims and offenders in breaking the cycle of violence and in developing healthier relationships. A death review team and a safety audit will be implemented. A data collection system will provide information that has not previously been available for use to explore strategies for improvement of justice system and community response. A research component will provide tools for monitoring and evaluation underscore the value of the alliance to the community and document the need for grants and funding.
An advisory committee for the alliance (Alliance Advisory Committee) will monitor law enforcement services and social services, launch new initiatives, fortify working relationships throughout the service network, monitor and evaluate progress and change as necessary. Development of a Family Court with vertical prosecution of family violence cases may be considered in a later phase of this project. Consolidation with services for child and elder abuse is a future possibility. Within five years, The Family Justice Alliance will incorporate other services to include comprehensive coordination of investigation and other victimsÕ services such as medical and legal services, links to Juvenile and Criminal courts, child protective services, probation and parole and services for immigrants.
The Alliance Advisory Committee will develop a plan for moving into the facility, for coordination of activities between investigators and victim services. The committee will make recommendations for timelines for the next phases in the long-term plan.