Domestic and Sexual Violence in Virginia - Virginia Attorney General

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Agency Effortsand InitiativesIn 2008, agencies and organizations across theCommonwealth continued their efforts to provideservices to victims of domestic and sexual violence;increase public awareness and educate communitiesabout domestic and sexual violence; and holdoffenders accountable. These agencies and organizationsalso developed new programs and initiatives tosupport the fight against sexual and domestic violence.Office of the Attorney GeneralThe Office of the Attorney General (OAG) promotespublic awareness of domestic and sexual violence issuesin the Commonwealth through the implementationof a number of domestic violence initiatives, training,collaboration, and grant programs. The OAG activelypromotes sound public policy and legislative efforts toenhance victim safety and to hold offenders accountable.The OAG also collaborates with state agencies, nonprofitorganizations, and businesses to address the issuesof domestic and sexual violence in communities acrossthe Commonwealth. Further, the OAG assists withproviding training to prosecutors, law enforcement, andallied professionals, as well as provides resources to victimsof domestic and sexual violence. The OAG employs theStatewide Facilitator for Victims of Domestic Violence,a position created by Virginia Code §2.2-515.1, to assistagencies with the implementation of domestic violenceprograms.Training and Technical AssistanceThrough two grants from the Office on Violence AgainstWomen (OVW), the STOP Violence Against WomenGrant (V-STOP) and the Grant to Encourage ArrestPolicies and Enforcement of Protection Orders (GEAP),the OAG provides training and technical assistance toprosecutors, law enforcement, and allied professionalsin the criminal justice system on domestic and sexualviolence issues.Through funding from the V-STOP grant, the OAGproduces resource materials and provides training forlaw enforcement, prosecutors, victim service providers,and victims. The materials and training includes informationon domestic and sexual violence laws; accessingdomestic violence resources; and working with victimsfrom underserved communities, including victims fromthe elderly, disabled, non-English speaking, tribal, andimmigrant populations.The OAG also participates in the Virginia GEAP Partnership,a collaborative effort of five state agencies and onenonprofit organization. In October 2007, the VirginiaGEAP Partnership was awarded a total of $1,264,542in continuation funding for a two-year grant cycle,ending September 30, 2009. The OAG received $193,904from this amount to fund an Assistant Attorney Generalposition and to provide training and technical assistanceto prosecutors and law enforcement on domestic andsexual violence issues. Currently, the Virginia GEAPPartnership provides training and technical assistanceon domestic violence issues including arrest policies,protective orders, and community collaboration tostakeholders in fourteen Virginia communities.As a joint effort under the V-STOP and GEAP Grants, inAugust and September 2008, the OAG conducted twotraining conferences for 122 prosecutors, law enforcement,and victim-witness assistants entitled “ProsecutingDomestic Violence Cases.” Training topics included anoverview of domestic and sexual violence laws and recentlegislation, evidence-based prosecution of domesticviolence cases, working with elderly and disabled victims,overcoming cultural barriers, and working with forensicnurse examiners in domestic and sexual violence cases.Address Confidentiality ProgramPursuant to Virginia Code §2.2-515.2, the OAG alsoadministers the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP),a voluntary, confidential mail-forwarding service for vic-14
tims of domestic violence who have recently moved to alocation unknown to their abusers. The Program permitsa participant to use a “substitute” mailing address in lieuof his or her home address in an effort to keep the victim’sphysical location confidential. The substitute address is apost office box, maintained by the OAG in Richmond,with no relation to the participant’s actual address. TheOAG serves as each program participant’s legal agentfor receipt of mail and for service of process. The OAGreceives participant mail and is responsible for forwardingthe mail to the participant. When a program participantapplies for government services, state and local governmentagencies must accept the ACP substitute address asthough it is the participant’s actual residential address.The ACP originally was piloted in July 2007, inArlington County. The pilot program provided limiteddata after its first year of operation in a single county.As a result of legislation passed during the 2008 GeneralAssembly Session, effective July 1, 2008, the Program wasexpanded to include eighteen localities: the Counties ofAlbemarle, Arlington, Augusta, Dickenson, Fairfax, Henry,Lee, Rockbridge, Russell, Scott, Washington, and Wise,and the Cities of Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Lexington,Martinsville, Norfolk, and Roanoke.While the ACP cannot provide absolute protection forvictims, it can be an effective element of an overall safetyplan. Victims are encouraged to seek counseling througha local domestic violence program, a sexual assault crisiscenter, or through shelter services for safety planninginformation. Additional information on the ACP can befound at: http://www.vaag.com.Public AwarenessIn 2008, as part of the continuing effort to promote publicawareness of domestic and sexual violence issues acrossthe Commonwealth and in underserved communities, theOAG provided outreach and public awareness materials toattendees at Native American Pow-Wow Conferences inCentral Virginia and worked with the Virginia Sexual andDomestic Violence Action Alliance to provide training toallied professionals on the Eastern Shore of Virginia onworking with underserved populations.In addition, the OAG continued its efforts to raise publicawareness about domestic violence though the Cut OutDomestic Violence Program, an effort designed to providesalon professionals with information on domestic violenceand how to help clients who are victims of abuse. Althoughthe program provides information on domestic violence,it is not designed to train salon professionals to becomedomestic violence counselors; salon professionals are notencouraged or required to report suspected cases of abuse.In 2008, the OAG provided Cut Out Domestic Violenceinformation to cosmetology students at Hermitage TechnicalCenter in Henrico County.The OAG also provides access to resources and printedmaterials, including resources on domestic violence in theworkplace, stalking, and batterer intervention programs,on the OAG website: www.vaag.com.Safe in Our Communities: CommunityRecognition Program for Promising Practicesin Domestic Violence ResponseOn October 3, 2008, the OAG launched “Safe in OurCommunities: Community Recognition Program forPromising Practices in Domestic Violence Response.”This Program was developed in partnership with severalstate agencies and organizations, including the Departmentof Criminal Justice Services, the Department ofHealth, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Office ofthe Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia,the Virginia Poverty Law Center, the Virginia State Police,and the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence ActionAlliance. The Community Recognition Program recognizeslocalities for their innovative practices to combatdomestic violence.The application deadline for localities is January 30, 2009.Localities selected for recognition through the Programwill receive formal recognition from the Attorney Generalin the spring of 2009. Additionally, through its owngenerosity, Verizon Wireless will provide recognizedlocalities with monetary awards from the Verizon WirelessHopeLine Program. The promising and innovative practicesof localities will be highlighted at domestic violenceawareness events throughout 2009.Office of the Executive Secretary,Supreme Court of Virginia 52The Office of the Executive Secretary of the SupremeCourt of Virginia (OES) coordinates programs to improvethe administration of Virginia courts and publishesreference materials for judges, magistrates, and court15
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Page 6 and 7: ExecutiveSummaryOn a daily basis, d
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Page 11 and 12: Table 1: Children Present During Fa
Page 13 and 14: Source: Domestic Violence Services
Page 15 and 16: children and youth and made increas
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Page 25 and 26: developed pursuant to Senate Bill 2
Page 27 and 28: improve the functioning and effecti
Page 29 and 30: Virginia Department of Health,Divis
Page 31 and 32: grant assists homeless families in
Page 33 and 34: To accomplish its mission, VSDVAA r
Page 35 and 36: COLLABORATIVE EFFORTSIn addition to
Page 37 and 38: 2008 LegislativeUpdateDuring the 20
Page 39: FutureRecommendationsAs evidenced i
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Page 48 and 49: Domestic Violenceand Sexual Assault
Page 50 and 51: Carroll CountyFamily Resource Cente
Page 52 and 53: Greene CountySexual Assault Resourc
Page 54 and 55: Mecklenburg CountyMadeline’s Hous
Page 56 and 57: Total Action Against PovertyWomen
Page 58 and 59: Crisis CenterP.O. Box 642Bristol, V
Page 60 and 61: Local FatalityReview TeamsChesterfi
Page 64: The design and printing of this Ann

Domestic and Sexual Violence in Virginia - Virginia Attorney General

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