Going to court for any reason can be daunting. For victims who may have to see their abuser or speak about their abuse in court, it can be even more so. DVSN has trained Court Support Advocates that can accompany clients to court to help them understand what is going on and to provide moral support. Another helpful accommodation that many are not aware of is Victim Safe Waiting Rooms at courthouses. In 2017, DVSN helped refurbish the Victim Safe Waiting Room at Concord District Court, which many of our clients use. This post will delve into Victim Safe Waiting Rooms in general, why they are important, and DVSN’s experience with the one in Concord.
MA Legal Right to Victim Safe Waiting Rooms
Massachusetts courts are required to have a secure area where victims can wait away from their abusers. This is one of the 23 rights afforded to victims, witnesses, and family members in MA General Law Chapter 258B, Section 3. This section is known as the victim “bill of rights”, and it lays out “basic and fundamental rights” for “victims and witnesses of crime, or in the event the victim is deceased, the family members of the victim” to provide them the opportunity to have a “meaningful role” in the criminal justice system. The law states that priority for these services should be afford to “victims of crimes against the person and crimes where physical injury to a person results”, which clearly applies to victims of domestic violence. Most of the other rights in this law relate to receiving notification and information about proceedings and services, conferring with various court officials, financial considerations, and the right to be present and to be heard. These rights are to be carried out “to the greatest extent possible” with “available resources”. This proviso means that despite the right being laid out in law, some courthouses may not have Victim Safe Waiting Rooms if they do not have the capacity to provide them.
Why Are Victim Safe Waiting Rooms Important?
Victim Safe Waiting Rooms are private areas with limited access. They are not open to everyone. A court official, district attorney, or other authorized person must grant access to the space. In fact, many people are not even aware of their existence, let alone where they are located within the courthouse. This helps to ensure Victim Safe Waiting Rooms are secure places victims can go where they can be certain they will not meet their abusers.
Especially for victims who have been stalked, are extremely fearful of their abusers, and/or are highly anxious about seeing their abusers or about proceedings, Victim Safe Waiting Rooms are vital and can make an enormous difference in multiple ways. Having this safe space helps minimize further victimization, trauma, and stress by limiting the time abusers are near victims. It also gives victims the opportunity to collect themselves before a hearing, to fill out paperwork, or to meet with lawyers, court officials, or advocates without worry of seeing their abuser. They allow victims an environment in which not only this huge stressor removed, but a haven is also created from the potential negative impact of an imposing, chaotic, or overwhelming courthouse. Victims can achieve greater calm and composure and a more settled state of mind. This can help a great deal with preparation, decision making, and the ability to give clear and coherent testimony. In this way, utilizing a Victim Safe Waiting Room could potentially impact the outcome of a hearing in the victim’s favor as well as improving their experience overall.
Concord District Court’s Victim Safe Waiting Room
Most of DVSN’s clients court fall under the auspices of Concord District Court. DVSN staff and Court Support Advocates are frequent visitors there. It is the courthouse our community is most familiar with and with whose staff and officials we have developed the most relationships. Hundreds of DVSN clients use the Concord District Court annually, making its Victim Safe Waiting Room functionality and comfort of particular importance to our community.
Why Did It Need Refurbishment?
Previously, Concord District Court used their Law Library as their Victim Safe Waiting Room. When the Law Library was repurposed to include storage, an approximately 10 foot by 15 foot section was carved out to create a dedicated Victim Safe Waiting Room. This newly created room has no windows and was sparely furnished with some old furniture from storage. DVSN’s Executive Director, Jacquelin Apsler, called it “barren”, “eerie”, and “not inviting”. A report on the refurbishment described the room as “dreary” and “dark and bleak with dusty old furniture that had been discarded, bare walls, and a stark ambience.” It provided a quiet, secure place where victims could be sure they would not run into their abusers, but it was not welcoming. There was a lack of comfort, pleasantness, and helpful supplies. Jacquelin was determined to improve the space and was sure, with her volunteer advocates and donations, she could make it happen.
Bedford Rotary Grant
In 2016, Arlington Catholic High School senior Chloe Wentworth (daughter of Lincoln Police Chief Jon Wentworth) interned with DVSN as her community service project. Chloe dedicated her final portfolio project to researching Victim’s Rights Laws and Victim Safe Waiting Rooms to understand the purpose of the rooms, the objectives of the law, and how best to furnish such spaces to meet those objectives. She studied other such spaces and identified elements that would have the most impact and best fit the space in Concord District Court Victim Safe Waiting Room. She suggested adding comfortable furniture and lighting, uplifting wall art, reading materials, fidget toys to calm anxieties, and various books and craft items to amuse children who may have to accompany family members. This project ended up being highly impactful for Chloe, playing a role in her college admissions, as well as for the Concord District Court’s Victim Safe Waiting Room.
DVSN’s Executive Director Jacquelin Apsler shared Chloe’s project with the Rotary Club of Bedford, of which Jacquelin has been a member for many years. It sparked the interest of many other members, including then President Elect, Linda Cargiuolo. Linda wrote and submitted a district grant proposal to refurbish and furnish the Victim Safe Waiting Room during her tenure as president. The grant was awarded, and with the enthusiastic efforts of at least a dozen Rotarians from Bedford and eight other clubs (including the Acton-Boxborough and Concord Rotary Clubs), DVSN staff, and community volunteers, the refurbishment came together between November 2016 and April 2017. Police, probation officers, the judge’s assistant, and Judge Lynn Brendemuehl herself assisted in rearranging room schedules to allow time for the work to be completed in the Victim Safe Waiting Room. It was a highly collaborative endeavor with support from many parties with a connection to the space.
Donations & Refurbishment
The Rotary Club of Bedford district grant enabled the purchase of a comfortable couch, various chairs, stools, and tables, a table lamp, artwork, books and craft items for children, fidget toys, necessities such as tissues and paper towels, paint, and other supplies. Many additional items were donated by Rotarians and community members, including wall art, a large mirror, coffee/side tables, a coat rack, organizational baskets, and a wheelchair for those who need extra support. Tempered glass to fit the tables were unexpectedly donated by the supplier due to his mother being a survivor of domestic violence. Artistically inclined supporters created pieces for the room, including some watercolor prints painted by Linda Cargiuolo and some children’s quilts sewed by a community member.
Jacquelin Apsler served as a project manager, leading the charge, scheduling the work, and making the purchases. Several people also donated their time to pick up and deliver items and to assemble and refurbish furniture, including Bedford Rotarians Diana Jarvis, Victor Tom, Debi Malone, and Ralph Hammond. Donated tables were repainted with the new tempered glass added, a large bookcase in shabby condition was refurbished and refreshed, and all of the furniture, accessories, and supplies were arranged in the room to create an inviting and functional space. It took 5 to 6 months of planning and coordination and several dedicated days of hard work in the room itself to complete the refurbishment.
Impact of Refurbishment
The refurbishment completely changed the feel of the Victim Safe Waiting Room at Concord District Court. The room is much more pleasant, comfortable, colorful, and welcoming than before. DVSN Director of Client Services Alison Tarmy described it as “a little living room” in an imposing brick courthouse. “It’s like an oasis when you are stressed out and the court is so stark,” she said, “Walking into this room that is full of color and warmth is so nice.” Alison noted that the fidget toys are one of the most used items in the room, helping to calm anxieties of victims and their children alike. Victims are free to take tools like the fidget toys and domestic violence resource books with them if they find them especially useful, extending the impact of the room beyond the time spent there. As art supplies and basic necessities get used, and books and fidget toys find new homes, the room is restocked so these helpful items are always available to those who need them.
Victim Safe Waiting Rooms can make a huge difference to victims of domestic violence (and any other crime) who need to participate in the criminal justice system in some way. The impact on mental and physical health and the ripple effect this has on their court proceedings can be enormous. The refurbishment of the Concord District Court Victim Safe Waiting Room improved the feel, comfort, and usability of the room significantly, increasing its positive effect on the victims who use it. This little-known resource and the way it is presented and stocked may seem like an unimportant or unnecessary indulgence, but it is a vital tool (and in states like Massachusetts, a legal right) in practicing equitable and humane justice.
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