Causes: Child Abuse Prevention, Crime & Law, Crime & Legal-Related, Domestic Violence, Spouse Abuse Prevention, Women, Womens Service Clubs
Mission: WATCH was created in 1992 as a community response to newspaper reports of a lax, revolving-door justice system which failed to process cases of sexual assault and domestic abuse effectively. Volunteers, recognized by their red clipboards, are trained to monitor these cases as they move through the Hennepin County criminal justice system. WATCH now serves as a national model for court-monitoring programs in other jurisdictions.
Programs: In january 2014, watch began its sex trafficking project, which entails monitoring every case of sex trafficking in hennepin and ramsey counties in minnesota. The monitoring in ramsey county represented watch's first-ever expansion into ramsey. The sex trafficking cases are being monitored by watch volunteers from first appearance through sentencing, and include post-sentencing monitoring for any probation violations. While watch is maintaining comprehensive data on both juvenile and adult trafficking cases, the main focus of the study is on sex trafficked juveniles. Following the passage of the minnesota's safe harbor law in 2011, and which was fully implemented in august 2014, watch undertook monitoring juvenile sex trafficking cases to record the volume of these cases, how they were being charged, the demographics of the cases, how the cases were resolved, as well as what the sentences are. In addition to this information, as well as its volunteers' observations, watch also maintains other comprehensive data on how each case is processed and handled. The next phase of this study will involve interviewing law enforcement, prosecutors, defendants, and judges regarding the specifics of particular cases. Watch expects to issue a report on its findings in the fall of 2016, two full years after safe harbor was fully implemented. In 2014, watch recruited and trained more than three times the number of new volunteers than it has during any time in its history, and that trend has continued throughout 2015.With those volunteers, watch monitored more than 3,000 court hearings. To increase its volunteer ranks, watch formed alliances with several local undergraduate and graduate schools. To facilitate its volunteers' experience, watch streamlined its training program, and moved it completely on-line. This allows volunteers to complete training at their convenience, and from any location. Watch also moved its data collection and maintenance system on-line. This means that volunteers can upload their courtroom observations remotely, without returning to the watch offices. This upgrade allows for monitoring outside of hennepin county. Watch completely overhauled and upgraded its website, thanks to a grant from the pohlad foundation and its partnership with reve academy. Finally, watch reinstated its newsletter, renaming it the watch chronicle, in a new, more user-friendly format. The newsletter goes out via email on a monthly basis to 800 donors, judicial system participants, and other watch stakeholders.
This organization's nonprofit status may have been revoked or it may have merged with another organization or ceased operations.
Mission: WATCH was created in 1992 as a community response to newspaper reports of a lax, revolving-door justice system which failed to process cases of sexual assault and domestic abuse effectively. Volunteers, recognized by their red clipboards, are trained to monitor these cases as they move through the Hennepin County criminal justice system. WATCH now serves as a national model for court-monitoring programs in other jurisdictions.
Programs: In january 2014, watch began its sex trafficking project, which entails monitoring every case of sex trafficking in hennepin and ramsey counties in minnesota. The monitoring in ramsey county represented watch's first-ever expansion into ramsey. The sex trafficking cases are being monitored by watch volunteers from first appearance through sentencing, and include post-sentencing monitoring for any probation violations. While watch is maintaining comprehensive data on both juvenile and adult trafficking cases, the main focus of the study is on sex trafficked juveniles. Following the passage of the minnesota's safe harbor law in 2011, and which was fully implemented in august 2014, watch undertook monitoring juvenile sex trafficking cases to record the volume of these cases, how they were being charged, the demographics of the cases, how the cases were resolved, as well as what the sentences are. In addition to this information, as well as its volunteers' observations, watch also maintains other comprehensive data on how each case is processed and handled. The next phase of this study will involve interviewing law enforcement, prosecutors, defendants, and judges regarding the specifics of particular cases. Watch expects to issue a report on its findings in the fall of 2016, two full years after safe harbor was fully implemented. In 2014, watch recruited and trained more than three times the number of new volunteers than it has during any time in its history, and that trend has continued throughout 2015.With those volunteers, watch monitored more than 3,000 court hearings. To increase its volunteer ranks, watch formed alliances with several local undergraduate and graduate schools. To facilitate its volunteers' experience, watch streamlined its training program, and moved it completely on-line. This allows volunteers to complete training at their convenience, and from any location. Watch also moved its data collection and maintenance system on-line. This means that volunteers can upload their courtroom observations remotely, without returning to the watch offices. This upgrade allows for monitoring outside of hennepin county. Watch completely overhauled and upgraded its website, thanks to a grant from the pohlad foundation and its partnership with reve academy. Finally, watch reinstated its newsletter, renaming it the watch chronicle, in a new, more user-friendly format. The newsletter goes out via email on a monthly basis to 800 donors, judicial system participants, and other watch stakeholders.
Donor & Volunteer Advisory
This organization's nonprofit status may have been revoked or it may have merged with another organization or ceased operations.
Crime & Law
