Joe Biden’s domestic violence program recognizes El Paso DA’s Office initiative

El Paso’s District Attorney’s Office has been recognized by Vice President Joe Biden’s 1 is 2 Many report.

The DA’s Office created the 24-Hour Contact Initiative in August 2008 with its goal to move quickly in possible family violence cases.

According to the 1 is 2 Many report, “Within 24 hours of an arrest, an investigator and victim advocate visit a survivor’s home; they assess whether she needs help (e.g., whether injuries have been properly treated, whether she and her children need shelter or counseling); give her contact information for services; and gather more evidence. The team operates on an extended schedule, seven days a week. After the home visits, the team meets with the prosecutor – as well as law enforcement officers, the local shelter, a community mental health agency, and the corrections department – to conduct an in-depth review of the case.”

District Attorney Jaime Esparza then decides what action to take. The action may include prosecution, battering intervention, counseling, or pre-trial diversion.

If a trial is chosen, the goal is to go to trial within a month.

According to the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV), in 2007 there were 189,401 incidents of family violence documented in Texas.

In 2008, the 34th Judicial District Attorney’s Office handled 4,542 family violence cases.

Read the full University of Texas study of El Paso District Attorney’s Office 24 Hour Contact Initiative at http://bit.ly/1xGckVc

Read below for more on the El Paso initiative from the 1 is 2 Many report:

According to a study by the University of Texas, the home visits provide important emotional and other support to victims, and the project has created a “paradigm shift” in how family violence cases are viewed and prosecuted: the crimes are taken more seriously, evidence is gathered more effectively, local stakeholders work more collaboratively, and prosecutions are more successful.

Also, women at the border, both documented and undocumented, have increasingly come forward to report their abuse. One participant in the study said the program has reduced the stigma associated with these crimes: “family violence is no longer a joke in El Paso County.” Said another: “It’s become a respectable complaint, like a civil right.”