Third Judicial Circuit Family Violence Prevention Council team members.
Madison County Circuit Judge Barbara Crowder and local attorney Joan Spiegel were among area leaders who went to Springfield to begin a project to protect victims of domestic violence.
The project focused on developing model protocols for domestic violence, elder abuse and abuse of the disabled, and was funded by the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.
The Third Judicial Circuit Family Violence Prevention Council team members who received specialized training on the benefits of a coordinated community response to domestic violence were: Crowder, SIUE Police Chief Gina Hays, Alton Police Chief David Hayes, Greenville Sergeant Deb Keserauskis, Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Directing Attorney Spiegel, Madison County Assistant State's Attorney Katie Wykoff, Bond County victim advocate Rev. Bill Bays, Director of Alternatives Counseling Donya Adkerson, Directors of Group Interventions Ted Parker and Terry Peranich, Executive Director of Oasis Women's Center Margarette Trushel, and Council Coordinator Tina Culp.
About 136 people attended the event representing local Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Councils (IFVCC) from 21 Illinois Judicial Circuits.
A federal grant to encourage arrest and enforcement of orders of protection was awarded to the Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council in April. The grant will help the IFVCC update, develop and implement protocols for law enforcement and prosecutors on domestic violence, elder abuse and the disabled.