Task forces play an important role with regard to courts - advocating for services and accessibility, collaborating on improvements, holding courts accountable and acknowledging when the court systems work. Projects range from advocating for Westfield District Court to remain open and for court advocacy positions to be filled, to working with the District Courts to ensure judges adhere to 209A regulations (including referring offenders to Intimate Partner Abuse Education Programs (IPAEPS) and treat survivors with respect, to issuing a 17-page fatality review after the murder of a rural victim. The fatality review led to changes in court and district attorney practices including new policies requiring that district attorney’s request dangerousness hearings when certain red flags are present. Currently, the RNEDV has an online survey regarding court experiences to better assess survivor. The Ware River Valley DV Task Force has created a ‘tip sheet’ for survivors on how to write an effective affidavit when requesting a restraining order.

Sample Projects