victim advocacy program
The Victim Advocacy Program provides comprehensive victim support including education, safety, and crisis intervention and addresses related health issues for women and their children who are affected by domestic violence.
The Victim Advocacy Program (VAP) is the only court advocacy non-shelter program which has advocates in both criminal and civil courts in Knoxville.
The YWCA is a partner in the innovative Family Justice Center collaboration in Knoxville. YWCA advocates are located in the Justice Center on Harriet Tubman in East Knoxville.
In 2009 the VAP
- made over 6,800 phone calls to victims
- made over 11,000 contacts with victims
- hosted 400 attendees for support groups
- assisted 1600 victims with Orders of Protection
In Knox County, the costs to the taxpayer due to domestic violence are ever increasing. When a murder is committed due to domestic violence, the cost to the taxpayers is an estimated one million dollars, from the investigation to the prosecution. In 2005 there were 13 deaths due to domestic violence in Knox County. For the police to respond to a domestic violence call, the cost is $250 per half hour. Knoxville Police Department responded to 16,000 calls of domestic violence in 2005, equating to a cost of $4 million.
We recognize that solutions to this complex problem require a diversity of voices, range of skills, global perspective, and a tolerance for risks. The success of our program is evident in the changes we have effected in our community.
IF YOU ARE IN IMMEDIATE DANGER, PLEASE CALL 911
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