“The mission of
the Jo Daviess
County Courtwatch
program is to
provide information
to the public as
well as feedback to
the criminal justice
system in handling
sexual assault,
and domestic violence.”
What is the
Courtwatch program
of Jo Daviess
County?
Courtwatch of Jo
Daviess County is a
citizen based
volunteer group that
comes together to
observe the criminal
justice process. The
citizens perform the
role of identifying
strengths and
weaknesses in the
court system.
The type of cases
that will be
followed include:
Sexual assault and
abuse
Sex offender
registration
Domestic abuse
Violations of orders
of protection
Plenary order of
protection hearings
Why sexual
assault, and domestic
violence?
Domestic violence and
sexual assault are
pervasive in our
community as evident
by the rising number
of survivors
serviced by advocacy
programs such as
Riverview Center,
Inc., and CHOICES.
What is the
purpose of
Courtwatch?
The purpose of a
Courtwatch program
is to:
1. Involve citizens
in bringing about
more public
awareness of family
violence issues
2. Form a
coordinated response
among citizens,
criminal justice
personnel and
advocacy groups on
handling abuse
issues.
Both are integral
part of a
community’s response
to domestic violence
and sexual
assault. This project
will engage the
public in addressing
abuse in our
community and give a
point of view of
outsiders to the
system, all the
while making
recommended
improvements and
building upon
strengths.
What information
will Courtwatch
provide?
The volunteers will
collect statistical
data along with
subjective
observations. They
will report on a
wide range of topics
from: abuser
accountability,
victim sensitivity,
court room
audibility, time
spent on a case,
court house
conditions and court
personnel demeanor.
A newsletter
highlighting the
findings will be
distributed freely
to court personnel,
law enforcement,
attorneys, media and
advocacy groups.
Participation
People interested in
participating in the
program can e-mail
at
courtwatching@yahoo.com
or call (563)
580-2815.
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