Meeting Information

Oversight_Panel

JUSTICE AND COURAGE
OVERSIGHT PANEL MEETING
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
City Hall, Room 416
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

MINUTES

Members Present: Barbara Brooten Job, Commissioner Dorka Keehn, Dr. Emily Murase, Ken Theisen, Beverly Upton; Members Absent and Excused: Denise Castaneda, Supervisor Fiona Ma, Manuel Vasquez; Department Staff Present: Richard Eijima, Aparna Reddi

1.  Call to Order and Roll Call
Co-Chair Dorka Keehn called the meeting to order at 9:05 am.

2.  Adoption of Agenda
The agenda for June 20, 2005 was adopted. m/s/a Upton/Brooten-Job/Unanimous

3.  Approval of Minutes
Draft minutes of the April 20, 2005 were amended as follows:
Page 3, Media Update, Ken Theisen did not report the facts as indicated;
Page 6, Item 6B.1 - Letter to the Sheriff's Department was clarified and language deleted.
Draft minutes of the April 20, 2005 were approved as amended. m/s/a: Murase/Upton/Unanimous

4. Old Business

A. Safety Audit Update
Dr. Emily Murase reported that after submitting a concept paper to the National Institute of Justice in January, the Department was invited to submit a full grant proposal by an April deadline. The proposal requested roughly $600,000 to fund a "Safety and Accountability Audit" to evaluate the efficacy of domestic violence reforms in San Francisco. Trish Erwin, who has had substantive experience with this evaluation methodology and developed the proposal for the Department, reported that there are two funding tracks including research on violence against women and programs to address sexual assault.  The proposal was submitted based on the first funding track. She reported that a NIJ approval/notification will be made in September/October.

B. San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) - Domestic Violence Response Unit (DVRU)
Dr. Murase reported that at the DOSW quarterly meeting with Chief Heather Fong, Deputy Chief Morris Tabak mentioned a possible displacement of the DVRU by the Homicide Unit.  The Justice & Courage Protocols Committee and the Department responded in writing on June 14, 2005 to express grave concerns over the possible displacement.

Oversight panel members reiterated the need to 1) maintain adequate space requirements including a large waiting room to accommodate children and sufficient space for conducting private interviews; 2) locate the DVRU on a floor that has minimal foot traffic, media presence, and possibility of run-ins with alleged batterers; 3) reject DVRU understaffing as a basis for displacement or consolidation; and 4) urge full staffing of DVRU officers.

Captain Marsha Ashe, SFPD, welcomed the Panel's concern over the proposed displacement.  She reiterated the Police Department's commitment to addressing DVRU space issues and reported the need to add necessary capital improvements to future budgets. Oversight panel members recommended that the Department draft a letter outlining basic space requirements for the DVRU.

C. Media Plan
Ken Theisen reported on an Op-Ed piece on domestic violence, signed by Co-Chairs Keehn and Ma, that appeared in the San Francisco Examiner on May 6, 2005, to coincide with Mother's Day weekend.  Panel members discussed the need for better planning and follow through to ensure future placement in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Mr. Theisen stated the need for dedicated focus on media issues and recommended the formation of a subcommittee. Commissioner Keehn volunteered to convene a subcommittee meeting. Mr. Theisen and Ms. Upton volunteered to serve as subcommittee members.

D. Funders' Summit Update
Dr. Murase reported that Supervisor Ma and Commissioner Keehn co-chaired the Summit.  More than 20 people were in attendance, including funders, Departmental Representatives, Oversight Panel members, and DOSW staff. The focus of the meeting was the proposal for a "Domestic Violence Cross-Training Institute" that would provide basic domestic violence response training to personnel of criminal justice agencies. Due to budgetary cutbacks in recent years, such training has been largely eliminated, with the exception of the Police Department.

Dr. Murase highlighted some of the feedback on the proposal from funders, including the following specific suggestions:
¢ Add detailed and specific measurable outcomes that result in DV reduction in the proposal;
¢ Establish and build a collaboration of funders to address the need for cross-training;
¢ State the need for batterer intervention and highlight Adult Probation Department's best practices in supervision, monitoring, and behavioral modification;
¢ Identify training participants;
¢ Embed training through coaching and mentoring;
¢ Illustrate state and national model replication;
¢ Revise budget to include community-based agency trainer compensation; and
¢ Emphasize the "real collaboration" of city departments in the background section of the proposal.

DOSW will discuss these recommendations at the next Resource Committee meeting on July 19, 2005. 

E. Filipina Advisory Council Update
Dr. Murase reported that the Department had tentatively scheduled a SFGTV-televised public hearing on June 24, 2005 to review domestic violence issues facing the Filipina community in San Francisco.  During the course of discussion at the May Advisory Council meeting, however, the group decided that members needed more time to develop goals and objectives. Mr. Theisen emphasized the need for representation from the Oversight Panel and/or the Department at future Filipina Advisory Council meetings. Dr. Murase will follow-up on the date and time of the next meeting and stated that Department representation at the meeting will be assumed by the new Justice and Courage Policy Analyst Aparna Reddi.

F. Meeting with Judge Robert Dondero
Dr. Murase reported that the meeting date was pending. The proposed agenda with Judge Dondero included 1) advocacy for a chief probation officer who values batterer's intervention program accountability; 2) possible presentation of the JoAnn McAllister study; 3) follow-up with safety issues in the courtroom; 4) discussion of unserved domestic violence bench warrants; and 5) court progress in the JUSTIS project.

Public Comment:
Sally Pina, San Francisco Superior Court, reported that the JUSTIS implementation was scheduled to start in October.  She informed the Panel that delays have been caused by design, funding, and staffing issues.

Liz Aguilar-Tarchi, District Attorney's Office - Domestic Violence Unit, described the overloaded court calendar and continuing increases in felony motions to revoke probation hearings.  She urged the Panel to discuss the need to schedule more hearing dates and/or increase the number of assigned courtrooms to reduce hearing continuances that negatively affect survivors of domestic violence.

Jill Tregor, Greenbook Initiative, described her organization's training sessions for front-line court clerks, an expanded core curriculum, and the negative impact of the Supreme Court's Crawford decision on victims of domestic violence.  She urged to Panel to discuss the need for increased coordination of training efforts and curriculum.

Next Steps: The Protocols Committee will assist in framing the issues and researching the high number of felony motions to revoke probation that is severely congesting the domestic violence court.

The Panel requested that Ms. Aquilar-Tarchi, Ms. Pina, and Art Faro of the Adult Probation Department provide data to Ms. Erwin, Co-Chair of the Protocols Committee, for the next Protocols meeting on July 13, 2005 and Resource Committee on July 19, 2005. Beverly Upton further suggested that the Oversight Panel members take a field trip to the domestic violence court.

Ms. Upton urged Panel members to join Greenbook, SafeStart, and the Domestic Violence Consortium's letter to Judge Dondero urging strong consideration of prior domestic violence response experience and/or sensitivity and community-based experience in the selection of the new Chief of the Adult Probation Department.

5. New Business

A. Potential Oversight Panel Members
Dr. Murase reviewed the qualifications of Marily Mondejar. Ms. Mondejar, an organizational development consultant, serves as Executive Director of the Filipina Women's Network that has over 300 members. She was the executive producer for an all-Filipina cast version of the Vagina Monologues.

Jill Tregor introduced herself as the Project Director of the Greenbook Initiative in San Francisco. The Greenbook Initiative is a federally funded collaboration of the Child Protective Services Division, the Family Courts, batterer intervention programs, and domestic violence service providers, intended to improve policy and services for families facing domestic violence and child abuse. The role of the project is to develop and implement strategic plans, design and implement trainings, and facilitate and/or mediate reforms. Both Ms. Upton and Mr. Theisen stated that the Greenbook Initiative complements and supports the Justice & Courage work.

Tulin Acikalin introduced herself as a supporter of court reform who had published a legal comment on the evolution of the court's response to domestic violence. She noted that the judicial branch has lagged in comprehensive domestic violence training. Newly employed with Bay Area Legal Aid in San Mateo, she highlighted her extensive pro-bono work on domestic violence temporary restraining orders. Mr. Theisen expressed concern that the Panel would have two members from the same organization.

Motion to accept the nominations of Marily Mondejar and Jill Tregor, and the postponement on the decision for the nomination of Tulin Acikalin, as new members of the Oversight Panel Committee was made, seconded, and approved. m/s/a: Brooten Job/Murase/unanimous

Panel members further discussed additional vacancies and suggested targeting at least one of the remaining two openings for candidates from communities of color with direct service experience.

B. Justice & Courage Policy Analyst
Dr. Murase introduced the new Justice & Courage Policy Analyst Aparna Reddi.  Dr. Murase reported that DOSW received more than 40 applications and conducted 10 interviews.  Ms. Reddi possesses extensive direct service experience working with survivors of domestic violence at the New York Asian Women's Center. Ms. Reddi will assume the Justice and Courage coordinator position on July 5, 2005.

Dr. Murase reminded the Panel of the need for sustainability of the Justice and Courage Project beyond September 2006, when federal funding expires. She suggested a retreat to develop and discuss a strategic plan for project follow-through beyond September 2006.  Panel members suggested that this particular discussion could be a single agenda item and discussed having it in lieu of a quarterly meeting. Possible dates included Friday, July 22nd, the week of August 1st, or August 22, 2005.  Another suggestion was an extended Oversight Panel meeting on August 17, 2005.

C. Update on Batters Intervention Study
Dr. Murase referred to JoAnn McAllister's recommendations on next steps in regards to batters intervention program accountability. Panel members agreed to review Dr. McAllister's recommendations as a discussion item for the upcoming retreat.

D. Victim Notification System
Dr. Murase reported that the Sheriff's Department no longer supports the VINE automated victim notification system. Verizon Wireless has provided a grant to the Department to underwrite the cost of an alternative system. The Department has initiated discussion with Victim Services of the District Attorney's Office as well as the Sheriff's Department about the possibility of operating an alternative victim notification system. 

Panel members emphasized their desire to have a live-operator system and preferred program placement at the Sheriff's department utilizing RSVP advocates. DOSW staff will follow-up with San Mateo County to review policy changes, funding, and staffing; and keep Verizon Wireless abreast of developments.

E. Public Hearing on Batterers Intervention Program (BIP) 
Panel members discussed the crisis situation that BIPs currently face due to lack of referrals. This has led to a serious lack of accountability in the City's response system. The Panel discussed the need for further public discussion about the issue that would include the many individuals and organizations working on batterer accountability. Panel members emphasized the need to clearly state goals for such a public discussion and to narrow down the scope of issues to be addressed.

Panel members agreed that a public meeting or conference would be a better format than a public hearing to discuss BIPs. Further discussion on setting agenda items will be done at the upcoming retreat.  Panel members suggested the meeting be held sometime this fall, after the release of the U.S. Attorney General's recommendations on BIPs. 
      
6. Reports

A. Protocol Committee
Ms. Erwin announced that Ms. Pina, San Francisco Superior Courts, will serve as new committee Co-Chair. The committee will review the response from the Superior Court on protocols for addressing outstanding domestic violence bench warrants at the July 13th meeting.

B. JUSTIS Update
Dr. Murase reported that the JUSTIS hub linking existing data from criminal justice agencies was not operational due to delays with the vendor bidding process. A report on vendor selection should occur at the July 14th meeting of the JUSTIS Governance Council. Dr. Murase stated that the Department has developed a design document for a Domestic Violence Query and Reporting Service that will serve as a test module for the JUSTIS hub. The Department will make the design document available to the Panel.

7. Public Comment
Captain Ashe announced the reinstatement of the domestic violence death review, as part of the work of the Family Violence Council. Ms. Upton reminded Panel members about the issue of sustainability of the Family Violence Council and the need to discuss this at the upcoming retreat.

This was Ms. Job's final meeting as a member of the Oversight Panel. Commissioner Keehn presented a Certificate of Honor from the Mayor's Office and the Justice and Courage Oversight Panel Committee to Barbara Brooten Job for her years of dedicated service in assisting victims/survivors of domestic violence.

The Panel members reached a consensus on the following retreat agenda items:
" BIP Public Meeting
" Review of San Mateo County Victim Notification System (VINE)
" Review of JoAnn McAllister's recommendations to the Oversight Panel
" DOSW staff review of recommendations from the Justice & Courage Report
" Family Violence Council sustainability
" Justice and Courage sustainability
" Safety and Accountability Audit

8. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned by Co-Chair Keehn at 11:35 am.