AEquitas

Webinar: Working in Tribal Communities to Protect Victims and Communities from Firearms in DV Cases

Victoria Sweet

May 22, 2017 – 11:00am PT, 12:00pm MT, 1:00pm CT, 2:00pm ET

Tribal communities face a variety of unique obstacles to removing firearms from individuals who are prohibited from having them due to civil protection orders (CPOs) or criminal convictions for domestic violence.  Yet the CPO and criminal processes provide many opportunities for professionals to learn about and respond effectively to abusers’ access to firearms using existing laws.  The NCJFCJ and our partners have gathered examples of strategies from around the country to help Tribal and other communities take full advantage of these intervention opportunities so that they can better protect victims and others from firearms violence. 
NCJFCJ, in partnership with the Office on Violence Against Women, is leading a Firearms Pilot Site Initiative (FPSI) that will provide training and technical assistance on these strategies and practices.  The project is a collaboration with the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC) and other national TA providers (AEquitas, BWJP, CCI, the IACP, and Ujima), as well as expert practitioners from around the country. The FPSI will work with selected sites to assist them in developing interdisciplinary efforts to improve local implementation of firearms prohibitions in civil and criminal domestic violence contexts.
This webinar will discuss challenges and strategies pertinent to Tribal communities that are involved in efforts to effectively implement firearms restrictions in domestic violence cases.  It will also introduce professionals and communities to the FPSI, which soon will be selecting sites for in-depth technical assistance, training, and other support.  The NCJFCJ and its partners will assist selected sites in assessing their implementation efforts and challenges, identifying gaps, and developing partnerships among community stakeholders, including federal partners, to design and implement practices that will enhance victim and community safety.  

Presented by:
Carolina LaPorte, Senior Native Affairs Advisor, National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center
Nancy Hart, JD, Senior Program Attorney, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Darren Mitchell, JD, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Consultant

 

Link to register for webinar: here

Closed Captioning will be provided. The webinar will be 60 minutes long and will be recorded and made available to individuals who cannot participate in the live webinar. If you have further questions regarding this event, please contact Alicia Lord at alord@ncjfcj.org.

Free Prosecutor Training: National Institute on the Prosecution of Sexual Violence in Indian Country

Victoria Sweet
The National Indian Country Training Initiative, in partnership with AEquitas:  The Prosecutor’s Resource on Violence Against Women, an Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) funded Technical Assistance provider, announces the National Institute on the Prosecution of Sexual Violence in Indian Country (NIPSVIC).  The training will be held April 12-15, 2016, at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina.  Travel and lodging accommodations will be paid for by the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Education. There is no tuition charge for this training

The National Institute on the Prosecution of Sexual Violence in Indian Country (NIPSVIC) is a 3 ½ day course designed to challenge participants to reevaluate their approach to prosecuting sexual violence crimes.  The NIPSVIC will explore the complex issues faced by prosecutors in balancing offender accountability and the impact of criminal prosecution on victims.  In addition to practical case evaluation and litigation skills, the curriculum will examine the benefits of developing a coordinated, victim-centered community response; explain common injuries and relevant medical evidence, and offer guidance on the use of medical experts; explore ethical issues confronted by prosecutors; address the development and improvement of culturally-sensitive victim services; and offer prosecutors the ability to redefine outcomes and the very nature of justice in sexual violence cases.The NIPSVIC will offer hypothetical case problems, role-playing exercises, small group discussions, mini-lectures, and faculty demonstrations.  Rather than merely attending a series of legal lectures, participants will examine their current attitudes and practices by employing active case evaluation, preparation, and trial skills to respond to sexual violence in the varied contexts in which it occurs.  The highly interactive format enables prosecutors from different jurisdictions, with varied levels of experience, to learn from one another and engage in “real-life” scenarios that are readily transferable to their everyday work.

 
Nominations are due by Friday, February 5, 2016.
More information and nomination form available here Non-DOJ Announcement.48894 (3)