Pearl Crisis Center

During this year we were fortunate to receive a new DV Court Judge who presides over cases from post-arraignment through sentencing and compliance. This practice improves decision-making and ensures consistent and efficient case handling. She is fully committed to making the DV Court successful by educating herself through training opportunities. The judge and the director of victim services now co-chair the Family Violence Coordinating Council. This ensures the judge understands victim centered approaches when new strategies are introduced. Advocates also meet regularly with the judge to educate her on best practices and safety concerns when ruling from the bench.

Another instrumental component of our project is our DV Court Surveillance Officer who provides surveillance to the offenders enrolled in the court as well as assuring the safety of victims. Intensive judicial supervision of these cases enables the court to hold offenders accountable by promoting compliance with orders of protection and other court mandates, such as program attendance, and to swiftly respond to violations. Through his skilled knowledge of domestic violence, he can mentor other officers who may not fully understand the dynamics of domestic violence.

Lastly, our coordinated community response, known as the Mille Lacs County Family Violence Coordinating Council (MLCFVCC) has grown in attendance to 70 members. Our coordinated community response, the MLCFVCC involves increased information sharing, communication and coordination among criminal justice agencies and community-based social services; a consistent and collaborative response to domestic violence; and more opportunities for continued education and training on domestic violence and the courts. Historically relationships between several members of this council has been adversarial but through this project trust has begun to grow as well as a unified understanding of the complexities of domestic violence.