The OVW domestic violence mentor court technical assistance initiative (mentor courtinitiative) recognizes well-established specialized courts and enables them to guide novice or developing courts and…

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded a $150,000 Cooperative Agreement under the OVW Special Projects program (CFDA 16.029) to the Judiciary Courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Supreme Court Division. The funding supports the OVW Domestic Violence Mentor Court Technical Assistance Initiative, which enables five well-established domestic violence courts to serve as national models and provide mentorship and support to other jurisdictions seeking to establish or enhance their own domestic violence court programs. Key activities under the award include: 1) assisting in selecting jurisdictions to receive mentorship; 2) developing mentoring relationships with selected courts; 3) hosting 6-9 site visits for mentee jurisdictions; 4) providing on-site technical assistance; 5) sharing court forms, procedures, and protocols; and 6) participating in OVW-sponsored forums and collaborative meetings. This initiative aims to help novice or developing courts improve their response to domestic violence cases and ensure victim safety and offender accountability.

The OVW domestic violence mentor court technical assistance initiative (mentor courtinitiative) recognizes well-established specialized courts and enables them to guide novice or developing courts and court-based programs that wish to significantly improve their responses to domestic violence cases and ensure victim safety and offender accountability. These well-established courts serve as national models and share their expertise by hosting site visits, linking courts with peers facing similar challenges, and assisting other domestic violence courts to implement best practices to respond effectively to these difficult cases. Five courts were competitively selected to serve as mentor court sites. Each site will: 1) assist in selecting jurisdictions to receive mentorship; 2) develop and maintain a mentoring relationship with selected jurisdictions planning domestic violence courts; 3) plan and host 6-9 site visits for selected jurisdictions to assist them in planning a domestic violence docket or court; 4) travel 2-3 times to selected jurisdictions to provide on-site technical assistance on developing a domestic violence courtor docket; 5) share domestic violence related court forms, procedures, and protocols; 6) send members of the recipients mentor court team to 1-2 mentor court all sites meetings; 7) participate in the OVW judicial engagement network summit; 8) develop and participate in OVW-sponsored judicial forums and roundtable meetings; 9) respond to technical assistance inquiries from courts other than mentee courts; 10) host mentor court open house events for jurisdictions interested in planning domestic violence courts other than the selected mentee courts; and 11) collaborate with OVW technical assistance providers. Thepulaski county juvenile and domestic relations district court, located in pulaski, virginia, is one of the five selected courts.