Prairie State Wire

Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority Domestic Violence Pretrial Working Group met May 31:

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

Task Force Member Attendance	Present	Absent
Amanda Pyron, Executive Director: The Network		X
Christine Call, Executive Director: Center for Advancing Domestic Peace		X
Eric C. Arnold, ILETSB Executive Institute Western Illinois University	X
LaTanya Hill, Director of Kane Court Services	X
Monique Patterson, Attorney Supervisor Law Office of Cook County Public Defender		X
Carolyn Yuroff, Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office	X
Wendy Venvertloh, Administrative Office of Illinois Courts	X
Willette Benford, Live Free Illinois		X
Nickole Ticknor, 17th Circuit Court	X
Sharlyn Grace Law Office of Cook County Public Defender	X
Jamie Mosser, Kane County State’s Attorney		X
Amanda L. Vasquez, ICJIA	X

Also present were:

Executive Director Delrice Adams, ICJIA, Taskforce Chairperson

Kelly Pasholk, ICJIA, Deputy General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel

Kimberly Atkins, ICJIA, Strategic Project Administrator, Minutes

I. Call to Order/ Roll Call/ Opening Remarks

• ICJIA Director Delrice Adams, chair, called the meeting to order.

• Kelly Pasholk took roll call and quorum was established.

II. Old Business

• Motion: To approve the minutes of April 5, 2024.

• Motion By: Eric Arnold, motioned for the approval of the minutes.

• Seconded By: Amanda Vasquez, seconded the motion for the approval of the minutes.

• Kelly Pasholk took the vote and minutes approved.

III. New Business

• Chairperson, Director Adams presented that the report draft was sent to members on March 25th and April 24, 2024. Chairperson Adams thanked members for their contributions to the report. Director Adams explained the final report encompasses feedback from members and was submitted to the Lt. Governor’s Office and Governor’s Office for review. Chairperson Adams introduced Amanda Vasquez, ICJIA Research and Analysis staff, to walk members through the final report.

• Amanda Vasquez provided members with a brief overview of the report. Ms. Vasquez shared her screen showing the final report inclusive of comments from Lt. Governor’s Office and Governor’s office. Ms. Vasquez reviewed sections of the document with recommendations.

• Recommendations 1: Education on firearms on firearms to domestic violence pretrial practice stakeholders, including how to document access to firearms and the availability of remedies and protections, such as firearm restraining orders, orders of protection, and clear and present danger reporting. Members did not make recommended changes made for this section.

• Recommendation 2: Improve communication between family court and criminal justice systems, such as misdemeanor, felony, and juvenile court (e.g., delinquency; abuse and neglect) Members did not make recommended changes to this section.

• Recommendation #3 Identify risk and lethality indicators to be gathered by law enforcement, state’s attorneys, pretrial officers, and other criminal justice system stakeholders, and provide accompanying training. Members did not make changes to this section.

• Recommendation #4 Consult with victims to identify best practices for law enforcement to obtain information necessary for assessing risk and lethality in their response to domestic violence incidents and integrate those practices within required law enforcement training programs. Members had questions on language.

Eric Arnold provided recommendation for language emphasis on change of order to begin with the enhanced training, policies, and protocols for law enforcement professionals should be adopted with the goal of assessing risk and lethality, addressing victims’ trauma, as well as eliminating secondary victimization.

• recommendation importance of consulting with victims to determine best practices for obtaining information on risk and lethality indicators when law enforcement respond to domestic violence incidents

• Recommendation #5 Increase the use of risk and lethality assessments by judges and state’s attorneys in domestic violence pretrial decision-making, such as in filing a petition to detain and in determining whether to release or detain domestic violence arrestees. Members did not present changes to the recommendation.

• Recommendation # 6 Eric Arnold comment with collaboration victim stakeholders to improve law enforcement responsibilities to increase victim safety and avoid secondary traumatization. Change language to proposed changes to IVDA to include best practices in support of victim safety and should be performed in consultation with victim safety groups to reduce risk of secondary victimization.

Recommendation #7 Expand the implementation of local and regional domestic violence pretrial practice best practice initiatives. Members did not make changes to this language.

• Recommendation #8 Systematically gather domestic violence pretrial data on detention petitions, arrestee release and detention, and rearrest. Members did not present changes to the language.

• Ms. Vasquez presented the final report conclusion.

• Members provided edits to the language that should be included into the report. The members suggested the changes that have been made in the document will go out today and members can respond by June 7, 2024, and the group can reconvene a meeting to vote on Friday June 14, 2024. This will allow victim service providers to weigh into the changes in the language.

• Director Adams reminded the working group that the next meeting is Friday June 14, 2024 9:00am. The task force will vote on releasing the Final Report.

IV. Public Comment

• There were no public comments.

Meeting Adjourn

• Motion: To adjourn the meeting for May 31, 2024, at 10:43 AM.

• Motion By: Eric Arnold, motioned to adjourn the meeting.

• The meeting was adjourned.

https://agency.icjia-api.cloud/uploads/DOMESTIC_VIOLENCE_PRETRIAL_WORKING_GROUP_Meeting_MINUTES_5_31_24_KP_7b7b5c65cf.pdf