Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the City of Columbus, Office of the Columbus City Attorney, to accept and appropriate U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women’s Improving Criminal Justice Reponses (ICJR) program funds via a sub-award contract adjustment from Franklin County Board of Commissioners’ Office of Justice Policy and Programs.
ICJR funding supports the implementation of the evidence-based Blueprint for Safety Inter-agency Domestic Violence Response model in Columbus and Franklin County. Blueprint for Safety applies a collective impact approach to domestic violence (DV) crimes. It build off local successes by linking best practice communication protocols, risk assessments and evidence collection tactics occurring at each criminal justice phase. Through the Blueprint for Safety systems audit process, justice and victim advocacy professionals collaboratively reviewed and updated 911, police, prosecution, advocacy and community control DV response protocols/practices to close system gaps, promote trauma informed response and develop standard methods for communication and information sharing. Response modifications resulting from the safety audit enhance the capacity of the local justice system to tackle large strategic issues AND to better manage individual high-risk cases. The Franklin County Blueprint team meets monthly and members communicate weekly (if not daily). This inner-disciplinary team is finalizing its coordinated DV response policy that includes clear protocols outlining each practitioner’s role and responsibility in effective DV response. The policy will guide the system to respond as a coordinated unit rather than as individual, siloed entities. Successful implementation of the Blueprint policy is supported through ongoing training, data sharing and active communication between and across practitioners.
The initial ICJR sub award contract was granted to the Columbus City Attorney’s Office in January...
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