COLORADO, USA — In the last year, Adams and Broomfield counties have reported multiple cases of murders tied to domestic violence. According to the district attorney, that's among thousands of cases of domestic violence just in their jurisdiction.
Now, they're now planning to build a Family Justice Center, which they hope will save lives.
"A family justice center is a brick and mortar building where victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and even elder abuse can come in the doors and get every service that they need in one place," said Brian Mason, District Attorney for Colorado's 17th Judicial District.
He said a victim of domestic violence who lives in Adams or Broomfield counties, currently has to travel 300 miles to get the services they may need. Those includes going to the court house, getting family services, childcare, and potentially immigration services.
It's why the district attorney, county leaders, survivors, and service providers are planning right now to build a Family Justice Center. It would be a one-stop-shop to better serve and expand services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, child abuse, and elder abuse.
Mason said places like San Diego and Dallas-Fort Worth counties, where there's already family justice centers, have had zero domestic violence homicides in the last year.
He said it's a crime prevention agency that gets people help when they need it.
"The most dangerous time in the life of a domestic violence victim is when she's trying to get away from her abuser and if they have a family justice center to go to, it saves lives," Mason said.
He said they're still figuring out funding and a location that will serve as many people as possible for the family justice center. In the future, he hopes to have one central location and satellite locations. They're researching different models to include other features like housing, playgrounds, or gardens.
Dr. Ambra Born is a psychologist with the non-profit Reaching Hope. She said the abuse rates in Colorado are incredibly high and believes a family justice center will help save lives.
"They're so embedded in these violent systems, and these generations and cultures that prevent them from getting safe, when they can only access one small resource at a time, it prevents them from getting the kind of services that really lift them up and out of that violence in the long-term," Ambra said. "This kind of agency will change all of that."
The Family Justice Center is still in the planning phase and Ambra said they want to hear from all survivors that have had recent experiences, decades old experiences, that reported to police or have never reported to anyone. She said all voices matter.
There's an anonymous survey online where you can give your feedback. There's also an option to request to be more involved once you've filled it out.
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