Upcoming WATCH Webinar Training

Improving Your Court’s Response to Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Cases

Join WATCH on Tuesday, July 26^th at 1pm CST (11am PST, 12pm MST, 2pm EST) for its webinar training on Improving Your Court’s Response to Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Cases.

This webinar will provide an overview on how to monitor misdemeanor domestic violence cases in suburban and rural settings including a review of WATCH’s most recent report, Promoting Victim Safety and Offender Accountability: Improving the Response to Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Cases. This webinar will help you create a framework for examining misdemeanor-level cases including creating a research or monitoring project designed to improve your courts.

Topics include:

• partnering with criminal justice and community stakeholders
• reporting case outcomes
• incorporating best practices
• implementing recommendations

COST: $35 for current National Association of Court Monitoring Program members and $50 for non-members. You may pay with a credit card at www.watchmn.org or send a check to the address listed above.


* If paying by check, please include the name of the webinar you are registering for, as well as a phone number, mailing address, and e-mail contact.

QUESTIONS: Contact Anna Light at alight@watchmn.org or (612)341-2747 x7.

Did Far Away Go Too Far or Not Enough?

"Marsha should have taken a different approach", at least in some circles whether large or small you can hear a overwhelming murmur that agrees or at least willing to argue the point.

Do you agree with what has been stated? What side do you find yourself on? Is your opinion solely based as a music lover? Is it the content of the video or something else entirely?




Anyone who has heard "Far Away" before release of the video (listen above) when and if polled probably had a specific visual creative direction in their head of what the song's concept would be when released.

Here's what I learned from being a vessel of creative spirit and observation.

Me
"Anything, once written and given up for an audience to share is up for interpretation"


Meaning- What lies in the head of every creative person(myself included) if asked, is a storyline that's interchangeable, accessible yet different to those who partake in it.

What is apparent and understood with our eyes and felt in our hearts unfortunately remains the same, hate and violence, especially in the minority community towards a non-heterosexual continues and we as minorities continue to suffer.

Hopefully, this visual tug at the heart can bring understanding and a necessary urgency to STOP.


Far Away- Marsha Ambrosius

Personally, I am happy that someone else (especially in the Music Entertainment world) is willing to showcase black love in it's various forms (Am I gonna get in trouble?) Who cares!

The effect good and /or bad that we can have as community members, neighbors, friends, loved ones, activists, advocates dealing with choices that we make as individuals has to be told.

Silence has never helped anyone. While you prepare to sit quiet we still are being ignored, underrepresented, hurt, beat, raped, outcast, ridiculed, forgotten and dying.

As you see, read, walk, listen or move around today I urge you to try something different, like Marsha Ambrosius did and SPEAK OUT to save a life!

Assurance Offers Free Wireless

Do you know any homeless teens or adults? Do you know any former inmates? Do you have a loved one or a friend who needs a phone but just can't afford one, then mention Assurance Wireless to them which could help create a new sense of normalcy.

Having access to a reliable phone is a great start for some who are low-income or for ones who may be starting over after fleeing domestic violence or assault. It also proves beneficial for communication, employment and survival for families and/or individuals when pay-phones, calling cards and landlines are becoming non-existent almost obsolete in many neighborhoods.

Taken from Website:

Assurance Wireless is FREE to eligible customers. Assurance Wireless offers a FREE phone and 250 FREE minutes of wireless voice service each month. There are no bills, long-term contracts, activation fees, recurring fees, or surcharges for Assurance Wireless customers. Additional upgrades are available for phone

For more information call 1-888-898-4888 for a advisor to assist you in the application process. Or print application online http://assurancewireless.com/Public/CustomerInformation.aspx
(provides application link to each state)

Assurance Wireless comes with a one-year warranty from the original equipment manufacturer. If you experience an equipment malfunction, lost or stolen call at 1-888-321-5880

Assurance Wireless is currently available in these states : Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.

Art Work for Change:Women and Violence

This is an ongoing exhibit coming to a city or country near you. if you are in any of the areas listed below take some time and go see it!

Off the Beaten Path: Violence, Women and Art An International Contemporary Art Exhibition


Thirty-two contemporary artists from 25 countries address violence against women and girls globally and their basic human rights to a safe and secure life.


The beauty of this project is that it combines the highest integrity of art with important social messaging and storytelling to help create awareness, inspiration, and address systems for positive social change and action.


Exhibition curated by Randy Jayne Rosenberg



Remaining Dates:

Museo Universitario del Chopo, Mexico

September 8 – November 7, 2010

Chicago Cultural Center, USA

January 22 – April 10, 2011

Global Health Odyssey Museum,Ctr. for Disease Control, Atlanta, USA

January 25 – May 23, 2012

Program Partners:

Amnesty International, Art for Amnesty, CounterQuo.org, Emergent Media Center at Champlain College,

Family Violence Prevention Fund, Global Fund for Women, International Rescue Committee,

Population Media Center, UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),The Voices and Faces Project

You Can't Tell An Accident to Stop or Pause

You Can't Tell An Accident to Stop or Pause
By: Direct Wisdom

Alone yet free
only way to truly be
at least, that's what she was taught
re-calling lessons of :
don't be afraid to smile
keep your true joy inside
don't share your intentions, dreams, secrets
and even your laughter
learn how to hide
be seen, not heard, kill more bees w/honey, always keep your own money
don't start none won't be none but if you do, you know what to do

if you... if you... if you want to survive
if you... if you... if you want to survive

Silent yet deadly
gaze equaled personality
at least, that's what he thought
re-calling stories of:
everything but the kitchen sink, beaten into and out of sleep
building strength from childhood scars
living less, classic broken home, fridge resembles neighborhood bar
head of household yet only twelve stealing cookies, cakes, soda
afraid of momma but not of jail
learned to lie for safety and convenience
remembered the golden rule don't tell

if you... if you... if you want to survive
if you... if you... if you want to survive

They say opposites attract
polarization happens everyday
the magnetic pull of your destiny lies in wait
so there they are attached to tragedy succumb to false reality attracted to malady
but you can't tell a accident to just stop or pause

She programed to expect less but yearn for more
gratification of self never was covered, besides she learned they will love you when you let them lay inside.
so a pool of yeses, head nods are a birthright and a occasional whisper of at least he better then the last one

He has nothing begins to believe in and subscribe to it,just living for right now
self-love was not only foreign,unattainable but not tolerated besides he rather make it daily so clinic visits, buckets of I'm sorry and when I get out this time, become second nature of the tongue.

They say:
I saw it coming
why didn't she...why would he...
damn he should have...I bet she tried ….
you know y'all quick to do that..heard a unanimous you ain't never lied

everyone calms down starts to agree
recalling there own mishaps, close encounters
shaking their heads in disbelief
feeling lucky nonetheless
and who would've guess it turn this way
you heard them say: man just the other day
they cool then at it again
one stood quiet thinking
were was his so-called ...what happened to her so-called friends

then everyone forgets
shoulda woulda coulda's ain't never saved a life
today would be no different

They say opposites attract
polarization happens everyday
the magnetic pull of your destiny lies in wait
so there they are attached to tragedy succumb to false reality attracted to malady
but you can't tell a accident to just stop or pause
learned to lie for safety and convenience
keep your true joy inside
remembered the golden rule don't tell

if you... if you... if you want to survive
if you... if you... if you want to survive


* This poem touches on themes of gender, stereotypes, traditions, roles, domestic violence, self-esteem, men, women, childhood, abandonment, self-hatred, friendship, gossip, destiny, karma, hardships, containment, anger, survival, secrets, tolerance, history, relationships, silence, values, memory, displacement,unwarranted compromise and belief systems.

Sexual Assault,Domestic Violence & Stalking Conference This April

End Violence Against Women International(EVAW) is having a conference April 19-21, 2010 in Buckhead,Georgia.

Join fellow Men and Women in the various field of Sexual Assault from law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, victim advocates, judges, parole and probation officers, rape crisis workers, medical personnel, faith community members, educators and others(taken from site)

**scholarships and continuing education credits are available**(depending on your state and discipline)

There will be many featured speakers including four from Minnesota

Laura Williams, National Technical Assistance Project Director, Sexual Violence Justice Institute (SVJI), Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, St. Paul, MN

Ann Turner, Aging & Disability Specialist, National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life project (NCALL), North Branch, MN

Sara G. Thome, Project Attorney, Sexual Violence Justice Institute, Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, St. Paul, MN

Sgt. Paul Schnell, Saint Paul Police Department, St. Paul, MN


If you would like to attend or need more information about the conference please go to http://www.evawintl.org/conferencedetail.aspx?confid=8

Justice Denied Revisited

This was originally reported on in May 2009 but I thought it was worth revisiting in case you missed it. Not only in New York but around the country shadows of the same issues continue to go on across the U.S.

I want to thank the Voices of Women project for be willing to not only take a vested interest but willing to broadcast it,so we all may benefit from it and hopefully in return, act accordingly.

Jamila

The Voices of Women Organizing Project has released a report titled "Justice Denied: How Family Courts in NYC Endanger Battered Women and Children." The report found that women who have been abused by the father of their children lose custody thirty-seven percent of the time.

It also found that battered women are retraumatized when forced to confront their abusers in court, and that custody is often given to the abuser even when the woman is the primary caregiver. The organization made four recommendations to address these problems: create and fund a court watch project; make sure court decisions are made in the best interest of the children; consider seriously any abuse allegations; and be sure that court proceedings are just.


Research for the report was conducted over two years and consists of approximately 75 interviews with domestic violence survivors, focus groups of battered women and foster care teens, and meetings with court personnel.

The women interviewed for the report had all experienced abuse and had family court cases in 2005 or 2006. Eighty percent said their abusers used the courts to carry out a threat to gain custody of the children and keep them from having contact with their mothers.

Approximately thirty percent of the women said they did not feel safe in the courtroom, and forty percent said they did not feel safe in the waiting areas. In twenty-five percent of the cases women were told, sometimes by lawyers, not to bring up domestic abuse or to challenge custody because it might make the situation worse.

The report concluded that when the mothers appear in court a combination of factors, such as fear of the abuser, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder create a negative image of the mother's capability.

Proclamation by President Obama re: Domestic Violence

10/15/2009


Hello,

it is never too late to get involved and do something for yourself or someone else. As you know, Domestic Violence is highlighted nationally once a year in October so we here at BUILD to BLEND would like to extend our thank you to Individuals,Community Programs, Churches, Businesses, Service Providers, Allies and Advocates for taking time out to recognize, speak out, coordinate and take personal action against Domestic Violence. We would like to encourage you to not stop, we all can do our part everyday to aid in awareness against Sexual Violence, and Domestic Violence.

I love my president, for many reasons and this proclamation excites me, hopefully you can be moved as well by his words and deeds. You can read the entire Proclamation but what we will do is highlight(in Green) a few areas that excited us about what can still be done everyday.

Jamila and everyone here at BUILD to BLEND

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
___________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release October 1, 2009
September 30, 2009
NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH, 2009

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION



Domestic violence touches the lives of Americans of all ages, leaving a devastating impact on women, men, and children of every background and circumstance. A family's home becomes a place of fear, hopelessness, and desperation when a woman is battered by her partner, a child witnesses the abuse of a loved one, or a senior is victimized by family members. Since the 1994 passage of the landmark Violence Against Women Act, championed by then Senator Joe Biden, our Nation has strengthened its response to this crime and increased services for victims. Still, far too many women and families in this country and around the world are affected by domestic violence. During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we recommit ourselves to ending violence within our homes, our communities, and our country.



To effectively respond to domestic violence, we must provide assistance and support that meets the immediate needs of victims. Facing social isolation, victims can find it difficult to protect themselves and their children. They require safe shelter and housing, medical care, access to justice, culturally specific services, and economic opportunity. The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act supports emergency shelters, crisis intervention programs, and community education about domestic violence.


In the best of economic times, victims worry about finding a job and housing, and providing for their children; these problems only intensify during periods of financial stress. That is why the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides $325 million for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). This funding will supplement the Federal VAWA and VOCA dollars that flow to communities every year, and enable States, local governments, tribes, and victim service providers to retain and hire personnel that can serve victims and hold offenders accountable. These funds will also bring relief to victims seeking a safe place to live for themselves and their children.

Victims of violence often suffer in silence, not knowing where to turn, with little or no guidance and support. Sadly, this tragedy does not just affect adults. Even when children are not directly injured by violence, exposure to violence in the home can contribute to behavioral, social, and emotional problems. High school students who report having experienced physical violence in a dating relationship are more likely to use drugs and alcohol, are at greater risk of suicide, and may carry patterns of abuse into future relationships. Our efforts to address domestic violence must include these young victims.

During this month, . By providing young people with education about healthy relationships, and by changing attitudes that support violence, we recognize that domestic violence can be prevented. We must build the capacity of our Nation's victim service providers to reach and serve those in need. We urge community leaders to raise awareness and bring attention to this quiet crisis. And across America, we encourage victims and their families to call the National Domestic Violence Hot line at 1-800-799-SAFE. Together, we must ensure that, in America, no victim of domestic violence ever struggles alone.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2009, as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I ask all Americans to do their part to end domestic violence in this country by supporting their communities' efforts to assist victims in finding the help and healing they need.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.



BARACK OBAMA



BUILD to BLEND wants to help you stay involved and abreast of issues,rights,details,advocacy and services surrounding Sexual and Domestic Violence

Click the links:


http://idvaac.org/

http://womenofcolornetwork.org/

http://buildtoblend.org/

http://www.vowbwrc.org/

http://www.ncdsv.org/

http://www.domesticabuseproject.org/

http://breakthecycle.org/

Former Deputy Pleads Guilty to Reduced Charges

Allen Schaeffer




Former St. John Parish deputy charged with rape pleads guilty to reduced charges



Quick Facts:

• Schaeffer pleads guilty to 2nd degree Battery and Malfeasance only
  
  


• 5 years probation on each count but NO jail time




• state recused itself but was replaced after decline in rapport with the complaining Victims




• Muntz, former victim made victim impact statement,feels judge too lenient as well




• fired from the Sheriff's Office in October 2008 after a State Police investigation




• Sentence: complete anger management and sensitivity counseling, plus domestic violence counseling,submit to random drug and alcohol screenings at his own expense and to pay fines and court costs totalling $4,718.50.




• proof of compliance hearing for August 5, 2009

My question to the judge is a simple one , Why? W hat questions or concerns do you have ?

Do you feel he gets a pass or got a pass because he was on the police force so many years?



if you are wondering if he is listed under any registry or if he even had to, the answer would be no.

For link on this story please click here:

http://www.icrimewatch.net/index.php?AgencyID=54510

Healing through Creativity helps to end the need for silence, the feelings of abandonment and the undeserved guilt often felt by survivors. The event recognizes organizations that educate, serve and protect the community

HTC are seeking artists, volunteers, participants, performers and presenters for the survivor art event in October. This conference helps survivors of domestic violence, rape, sexual abuse, disability, war trauma, disease, disability, eating disorders, cancer, grief and loss display their heart felt art works, attend workshops and connect with other survivors. The conference is slated for October 2009. People can participate in Charleston WV, Bluefield VA, Roanoke VA or even online.

Volunteers are needed for long or short term at the live event or online. You can participate anonymously and you don’t need to be situated in the US to help. Survivor supporters are welcome to share their thoughts, creativity (art, writing poetry, drawing, painting, sculpting, jewelry making, etc) at the Healing through Creativity message board at

www.healingthroughcreativity.org/forum

For more info on HTC please check their website http://www.healingthroughcreativity.org/ and while your on the Web, join them on MySpace
www.myspace.com/healingthroughcreativity