The improving criminal justice responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking grant program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 10461-10465 and implemented through regulations at…

The Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court received a $1,000,000 Project Grant award from the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women under the Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program (CFDA 16.590). The grant will be used to improve the county's criminal justice response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by implementing a coordinated community response. Key activities include: 1) developing an action plan to enhance the high-risk domestic violence court, 2) revising domestic violence court policies and procedures, 3) redesigning information sharing processes, 4) conducting regular risk assessments of pre- and post-sentencing offenders, and 5) creating informational materials about the high-risk domestic violence court initiative. The court is partnering with local organizations such as Journey Center, Signature Health, and Case Western Reserve University to deliver these services over the 4-year grant period starting October 1, 2023.

The improving criminal justice responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking grant program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 10461-10465 and implemented through regulations at 28 C.F.R. Part 90, subpart d. The program fosters victim safety and offender accountability in cases of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by encouraging state, local, and tribal governments and courts to work collaboratively with community partners to identify problems and share ideas that will result in effectively responding to these crimes. An integral component of this program is the development, revitalization, or enhancement of a coordinated community response that brings together criminal justice agencies, victim services providers, and community-based organizations that respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The grantee, in collaboration with its project partners, will use this icjr award to improve their jurisdictions criminal justice system response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by implementing activities that focus on victim safety and offender accountability and create sustainable project activities. The project will: 1) identify a project coordinator to lead the project and any additional members of the coordinated community response team; 2) complete community assessments to inform the development of a strategic plan; 3) identify evidence-informed practices or tools that may be implemented at the agency and community level; 4) participate in mandated OVW training and technical assistance, including utilizing OVW culturally specific and underserved TTA providers. Through this new grants to improve the criminal justice response project, judiciary/supreme courts of the state of ohio, in partnership with the journey center for safety and healing, signature health, case western reserve university, and the county of cuyahoga, will implement a project addressing the following purpose areas: 3 and 15. The project will be implemented throughout the county of cuyahoga, primarily the city of cleveland. The project will address the following priority area: 1. Specific activities will include: 1) developing an action plan to enhance the high-risk domestic violence court operations; 2) revising the domestic violence court policies and procedures including improving the pre- and post- sentence case management to expedite case processing and reduce caseload; 3) RE-designing the information sharing process to communicate case information with stakeholders; 4) conducting regular validated risk assessment using the domestic violence risk and needs assessment and ohio risk assessment system of pre- and post-sentencing offenders to develop strategic case management decisions; and 5) creating an informational brochure and video of the projects high-risk domestic violence enhancement initiative.