Hope’s Wings Domestic Violence Program and the City of Richmond have received a grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women to implement a Blueprint for Safety: An Interagency Response to Battering and Crimes of Domestic Violence.
The Blueprint for Safety is a framework for preventing deaths and reducing the harm caused by battering. The Blueprint coordinates agency responses across the criminal legal system and outlines each practitioner’s role and responsibilities. This unified, strategic response to domestic violence is designed to increase safety for victims and ensure justice.
Hope’s Wings was selected as one of five grantees nationwide to receive a 36-month award. The project will be a collaborative effort of criminal justice agencies, including 911, Richmond Police Department, Berea Police Department, Eastern Kentucky University Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the Madison County Attorney’s Office and the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, Pretrial Services, Madison County Detention Center, and Probation and Parole.
This is a fantastic opportunity to team-up with local agencies that want to prevent, prosecute offenders, and protect victims of domestic violence. Our goal is to keep Madison County residents safe and we have just made another great stride to secure that goal.
The Blueprint for Safety was created by the City of St. Paul, Minnesota in 2010, with leadership by the St. Paul Police Department, the St. Paul Intervention Project and Praxis International. The Office on Violence Against Women funded a national adaptation demonstration initiative to test the adaptability of the model in three distinct jurisdictions, and in October 2015 announced awards to five new communities to implement the innovative approach to reducing domestic violence crimes.
More information on the national Blueprint for Safety can be found here: http://praxisinternational.org/bp_home.aspx
Why is the Blueprint Different
The Blueprint for Safety is a different approach to addressing domestic violence. It emphasizes system collaborations and continuous practice assessment. Also, it:
- It is more than a coordinated community response (CCR). It is a fully formed and actualized approach to organize the entire criminal legal system around the Blueprint principles and the experiences of victims of violence.
- Grounded in the experiences of victims of violence and an understanding of how the intervention of the criminal legal system affects their lives.
- Uses an interagency group, the Coordinated Community Response Team (CCRT), that meets regularly to address the community response to domestic violence.
- CCRT identifies gaps in the community response, reviews cases, develops coordinated policy, assesses training needs, and reviews and monitors the results of policies implemented.
- Agencies agree to use the Blueprint Essential Elements and templates to revise, adapt, or develop policies, protocols, or other documents.
Who does the Blueprint connect?
The Blueprint ensures that each agency and practitioner is on the same page. Instead of isolated policies and a fragmented response, interveners build upon and share essential information about risk and danger.
- 911 Emergency Communications
- Law Enforcement Patrol and Investigations
- Jail Booking and Release
- Advocacy
- Prosecution
- Courts
- Probation
Does Research Prove this works?
Definitely!
The Praxis International has provided many examples of research and evidence that supports the Blueprint for Safety model and approach and how it impacts survivors.
See the following link Research Supports the Intervention Strategies of the Blueprint for Safety
Research supports…
- Coordinated work across and within agencies increases protection
- Outcomes improve when the system treats a domestic violence case as part of ongoing pattern of criminal activity vs. a single event
- Clear and consistent messages of offender accountability and victim safety can reduce violence
- Sure and swift consequences for offenders reduce recidivism and the severity of future abuse
How can I be involved?
Be a community volunteer! At certain times, we look for community volunteers to observe different agencies, help do case assessments, and participate in focus groups.
