POWER LESSONS: Women's Advocacy and the 2030 Agenda

In September 2015, the 193 member states of the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Comprised of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 related targets, the "2030 Agenda" tackles a range of global challenges, including eradicating poverty, reducing inequalities, addressing climate change and promoting peace. If implemented successfully, this new agenda could transform the lives of women and girls all over the world

Stalking in Alaska

Originally published in the Alaska Justice Forum 24(1): 1, 7–12 (Spring 2007).This study examined 267 cases with a stalking charge reported to Alaska State Troopers from 1994 to 2005, and excluded any cases reported to local or municipal departments. We also examined the legal resolutions for cases that were reported from 1999-2004. * Over 50% of reports occurred in B detachment (Southcentral Alaska) and D detachment (Interior Alaska). Three units (Fairbanks AST Enforcement, Palmer AST Enforcement, and Soldotna AST Enforcement) handled 49% of reports. Thirty-five percent of the charges were for stalking in the first degree and 65% were for stalking in the second degree. * Most suspects (91%) were male and most victims (89%) were female. Most suspects (78%) were White and most victims (86%) were also White. On average, suspects were 36 years old while victims were 33 years old. Twenty percent of suspects had used alcohol, but only 2% of victims had used alcohol. Fifty-four percent of suspects were, or had been, in a romantic relationship with the victim. An additional 35% of suspects were friends or acquaintances of the victim. * The most common forms of stalking included standing outside or visiting the victim's home (in 54% of charges), making unsolicited phone calls to victims (in 51% of charges), following the victim (in 39% of charges), threatening to physically assault the victim (in 36% of charges), harassing the victim's family and friends (in 28% of charges), trying to communicate with the victim in other ways (in 27% of charges), standing outside or visiting the victim's work (in 20% of charges), physically assaulting the victim (in 19% of charges), sending the victim unsolicited mail (in 15% of charges), and vandalizing the victim's home (in 13% of charges). Forty-five percent of behaviors occurred primarily at the victim's home, while 27% occurred primarily in cyberspace. * Seventy-five percent of the cases reported between 1999-2004 were referred for prosecution, 55% were accepted for prosecution, and 40% resulted in a conviction on at least one charge. Cases with suspects who violated protective orders were 20% more likely to be referred for prosecution, were 19% more likely to be accepted, and were 41% more likely to result in a conviction

Descriptive Analysis of Stalking Incidents Reported to Alaska State Troopers: 1994-2005

This project examined the characteristics of stalking incidents reported to the Alaska State Troopers from 1994 to 2005. It included information from 210 reports, 222 charges, 211 suspects, 216 victims, and 246 witnesses. For those stalking incidents reported from 1999 to 2004, the charges, suspects, victims, witnesses, and legal resolutions are documented.National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Grant No. 2005-WG-BX-0011Index of Tables and Figures / Acknowledgments / Executive Summary / Descriptive Analysis of Stalking Incidents / Brief Overview of Stalking / Stalking Legislation in Alaska / Purpose of this Study / Methodology / Report Characteristics / Charge Characteristics / Suspect Characteristics / Victim Characteristics / Witness Characteristics / Legal Resolutions / Stalking Prevalence and Reporting / Appendix A – Data Collection Instrumen

Descriptive Analysis of Sexual Assault Incidents Reported to Alaska State Troopers: 2003-2004

This study examines the characteristics of sexual assault and sexual abuse of minor incidents reported to the Alaska State Troopers (AST), providing the first statewide overview of such cases. The sample utilized for the analysis included all sexual assault and sexual abuse of minor incidents reported from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2004 and includes information from 989 reports, 1,903 charges, 1,050 suspects, 1,082 victims, and 771 witnesses. The descriptive analysis documents the characteristics of these reports, suspects, victims, incidents, and witnesses, and examines three legal resolutions: whether cases were referred for prosecution, whether cases were accepted for prosecution, and whether cases resulted in a conviction.National Institute of Justice Office of Justice Programs, United States Department of Justice. Grant No. 2005-WG-BX-0011 Alaska Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Grant No. 2003-WR-BX-0210 and 2004-WF-AX-003Index of Tables and Figures / Acknowledgements / Executive Summary / Descriptive Analysis of Sexual Assault Incidents / Brief Overview of the State of Alaska / Brief Overview of Alaska State Troopers / Brief Overview of Sexual Assault / Sexual Assault Legislation in Alaska / PUrpose of this Study / Methodology / Report Characteristics / Suspect Characteristics / Victim Characteristics / Victim-Suspect Characteristics / Incident Characteristics / Witness Characteristics / Legal Resolutions / Appendix A - Additional Tables / Appendix B - Data Collection Instruments / Appendix C - 2004 Alaska Sexual Assault Law

Sexual Assaults Reported to Alaska State Troopers

Originally published in the Alaska Justice Forum 25 (1–2): 1, 6–9 (Spring-Summer 2008). This project was supported by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice (Grant No. 2005-WB-GX-0011) and by the Violence Against Women Office, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice through the Alaska Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (Grant Numbers 2003-WR-BX-0210 and 2004-WF-AX-003). Points of view in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.This study examined 989 cases with a sexual assault or sexual abuse of a minor charge reported to Alaska State Troopers in 2003 and 2004, and excluded any sexual assault cases reported to local or municipal departments. * Forty-eight percent of reports came from C Detachment (Western Alaska - Kodiak to Kotzebue), and 58% were reported from communities off the road system. * In 69% of cases, the identity of at least one suspect was known. While most suspects (87%) were adults, most victims (73%) were juveniles. Sixty-one percent of victims were Alaska Native and 38% were White. Intra-racial victimizations were much more prevalent than inter-racial victimizations. The most common suspect was a friend or acquaintance of the victim, followed by a relative. Forty-three percent of suspects and 27% of victims had used alcohol. * Sexual penetration occurred in 60% of assaults. Weapons were very rarely used. Most assaults occurred inside private residences. Nineteen percent of victims experienced general physical pain and 10% suffered bruising or swelling. Most victimizations were reported quickly to Troopers and Troopers were quick to respond. Ninety-six percent of victims were interviewed, with 48% interviewed on the day of the report and 80% interviewed within one week of the report. * Forty-six per cent of reported cases were referred for prosecution, 60% of referred cases were accepted for prosecution, and 80% of accepted cases resulted in a conviction. Overall, however, only 22% of reported cases resulted in a conviction. In some cases, the conviction may be for a non-sexual offense. The highest level of attrition occurred from report to referral

Investigation and Prosecution of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Stalking

This project examined sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking cases reported to the Alaska State Troopers. More specifically, we examined all sexual assault and sexual abuse of minor incidents reported to Alaska State Troopers in 2003 and 2004, all assaults in domestic violence incidents reported to Alaska State Troopers in 2004, and all stalking incidents reported to Alaska State Troopers from 1994 to 2005. In addition, we examined whether cases were referred to the Alaska Department of Law for prosecution, were accepted for prosecution, and resulted in a conviction. This report provides a thorough overview of key characteristics on reports, suspects, victims, incidents, witnesses, and legal resolutions. This report also examines the predictors of legal resolutions. Finally, this report examines whether rural cases are less likely to have successful legal resolutions. Results clearly show that what Alaska State Troopers do when investigating reported offenses can increase rates of referral, acceptance, and conviction. In addition, we found no evidence of under-enforcement in rural areas. Contrary to allegations that the provision of criminal justice services is diminished in rural areas, we found that geographic isolation does not hinder case processing. These results are important for other rural jurisdictions. Most importantly, we found that cases first reported to local first responders had better legal resolutions. This finding suggests that the resources provided by these first responders (i.e., reduced response time and enhanced investigation) increase the rates of prosecutions and convictions. This finding is important not just in Alaska, but in other jurisdictions where official responders are not immediately available.National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Grant No. 2005-WG-BX-0011I. Index of Tables and Figures / II. Acknowledgments / III. Executive Summary / IV. Goals and Background for this Study / V. State of Alaska / VI. Sexual Assault / VII. Domestic Violence / VIII. Stalking / IX. References / X. Appendice

Assaults in Domestic Violence Incidents Reported to Alaska State Troopers

Originally published in the Alaska Justice Forum 25(3): 1, 7–12 (Fall 2008).This study examined 1,281 cases with an assault charge involving domestic violence reported to Alaska State Troopers in 2004, and excluded any cases reported to local or municipal departments. * Eighty-two percent of reports were handled by three detachment areas: 32% in C — “ Western Alaska, 29% in D — “ Interior Alaska, and 22% in B — “ Southcentral Alaska. Troopers received 80% of the reports, while 20% were received by Village Police Officers, Village Public Safety Officers, or Tribal Police Officers. Eighty-one percent of the assault charges were in the fourth degree. Eighty-four percent of assaults were reported within 24 hours, and 89% of victims and 81% of suspects were interviewed on the day of the report. * Seventy-six percent of suspects were male and 24% were female. On average, suspects were 33 years old and victims were 32 years old. The majority of assaults in domestic violence incidents (86%) were intra-racial. Fifty-seven percent of suspects and 32% of victims used alcohol. Overall, alcohol was involved in 59% of domestic violence incidents reported to Troopers. * Most assaults in domestic violence incidents (75%) occurred between victims and suspects who were staying or living together. The most common forms of violence (disclosed by victims and documented by officers) included pushing, grabbing, or shoving the victim (in 48% of incidents), punching the victim (in 29%), and slapping or hitting the victim (in 28%). Weapons such as knives or guns were rarely used. The most common injuries included bruising (for 38% of victims), lacerations or bite marks (for 27%), bloody nose or lips (for 10%), and black or swollen eyes (for 10%). Forty-three percent of incidents occurred in the presence of children. * Eighty percent of cases were referred to the Alaska Department of Law for prosecution, 68% were accepted for prosecution, and 54% resulted in a conviction. Overall conviction rates were slightly lower for female suspects, but conviction rates were generally not affected by victim gender or victim-suspect relationship

Recording Victim Video Statements as Evidence to Advance Legal Outcomes in Family Violence Cases (ReVEAL)

This Implementation Guide provides an overview of the video-recording practices currently in place across several Texas jurisdictions. It provides guidance and considerations for jurisdictions in the collection and use of video evidence in family violence cases. This guide is divided into seven sections, including this Background and Overview. The second section includes information for law enforcement on the purpose of video statements, how to develop and implement a video program, and considerations for sustaining a program. The third section focuses on prosecutorial practices for the use of video statements including legal considerations, coordination with partners, and victim engagement around the video statement. The fourth section provides specific information for victim advocates and includes considerations for victim privacy and confidentiality. The fifth section focuses on technology and equipment, with information on type of equipment, technology infrastructure, and efficient transfer of evidence between agencies. The sixth section is the Summary Report of the ReVEAL project. The Summary Report is a technical overview of the evaluation that includes major findings and links to the ReVEAL reports that were previously released. The seventh and final section is comprised of the appendices and provides sample protocols, site overviews, equipment charts, and additional resources that may be helpful to users of this guide. Throughout this guide, there are several examples of cases and practices that illustrate the specific issues that may present themselves when launching a video-recording program. These examples highlight the complexities of the practice while using real world examples of how video impacts family violence cases, victim safety, and privacy.IC2 Institut