Four Points, Inc. was awarded funding under the 2003 Stop Violence against Women Act Grant Program. This grant is administered through the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and provides funding in Georgia to restructure and strengthen the crimal justice system's response to addressing violence against women. The program draws on experience of all participants in the system, including the advocacy community.

Currently, different agencies in the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit provide many services to domestic violence victims. Because of the many ways of defining domestic violence, the circuit lacks the cohesion it needs to be completely effective in victim safety and offender accountability.
Teams have been assembled to allow the circuit to consider policies and procedures currently in place and help agencies become more proficient in handling the needs of domestic violence victims. Individuals are appointed to the two teams from Law Enforcement agencies, the school system, DFCS Judiciary (trial level), Prosecution, Magistrate, Mental Health, Child Abuse Advocates, Coroners, Healthcare, and Members at large from the Task Force.
The Teams

The Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team

The Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team reviews homicides and suicides in female victims ages 12 and up. This review includes all information regarding the death and the victim's access to all available necessary resources. Recommendations are made to help enhance vctim safety and ensure offender accountability.

The Safety Audit Team

The Safety Audit Team reviews data from interviews, observations and text in order to discover:

(1) How agencies are organized and coordinated to think and act on domestic violence cases.

(2.) Where the agency's procedures compromise the goals of victim safety and offender accountability.
The team will make specific recommendations to help agencies with policies and procedures currently in place to better serve domestic violence victims.
For additional information, contact Ginger Payton, the Domestic Violence Task Force Coordinator for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit. 706.638.1555

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