"COVID-19 slows wheels of justice, victim's right advocates raise concern" article

[NOVA_Danielle]

https://www.ktnv.com/13-investigates/co ... se-concern

This article hit close to home for me, having prior background as a systems based advocate specializing in domestic violence and sexual assault cases. It becomes increasingly difficult to support survivors as our own advocacy concerns grow by the day, but for most of us, that simply means we work and fight harder to find ways to offer the support the survivors we work with and the other advocates fighting along side us!

[ARJones]

This definitely hits home for me as well. I am the Coordinator of a Victim Advocacy Department in Pennsylvania. We have seen the release of non-violent offenders to make room for quarantine areas in the jail. This makes many victims wonder if the offender in their case will also be released. We have also seen a delay and backlog in updating the court system's website due to reduced staffing. So for victims, their court date may have passed without actually happening, and there is not a new date yet scheduled. Our Advocates are doing our best to reassure clients, stay in constant communication with our DA's office and take good care of each other all at the same time.

[ColeenC]

I agree that COVID is adding a layer of anxiety to survivors regarding both their personal safety and the likelihood of justice at all (slowing the already slow moving criminal justice system). In my area (Florida) COVID has really highlighted the need for our State Attorney's Offices to refine their communication and messaging. They are reluctant to use social media (they don't have Twitter, and rarely use Facebook) and have relied on sending media alerts to announce Administrative Orders detailing court changes. This strategy has been ineffective, causing survivors to miss court related appearances, attend court when it has been cancelled, and not know how to engage with new court telephonic appearances. Survivors want easy access to relateable information and systems need to respond to their end users in ways that meet those users needs.