It’s a service you hope you’ll never have to use. If you are a victim of domestic violence in Snohomish County and your abuser goes to jail, at least you’ll know when he (as is most often the case) will be let out.
Since at least early last year Snohomish County officials have been working on a way to make the program, already in place in Pierce and King counties, a reality here. Not an easy task with a budget crunch that demanded tough decisions. Officials managed to make it work under a new telephone contract with AT&T, in which the company agreed to pay the $31,000 start-up fee and subsequent annual cost of about $42,000. In return, the County Council approved the company’s bid to provide service for more than 230 pay phones on county property, more than half of those at the county’s new jail.
The safety service, called Victim Information and Notification Everyday, makes calls to the victims when their abuser is being released. The calls are made until the victims enter a personal identification number to confirm they’ve received the message. It’s a smart way to keep track of who has been notified while freeing jail staff to take care of other important work. If all goes as planned, it should be put into action in May.
Considering that one in five people booked into the Snohomish County Jail is there for a domestic violence-related offense, it’s clear we need a way to keep people safe when their abusers are let out.
The system doesn’t keep violence from happening in the first place or promise that it won’t happen again, but it does allow women the opportunity to make quick plans for their safety and that of their children, if they need to. These women have suffered so much already. Abusers often retaliate against their victims for reporting the crime – a fear that keeps some women from breaking free of the violence in the first place. Any tool we can give them to empower themselves and keep themselves safe is worth pursuing.
And it sends a message to women that our county officials and council members understand the gravity of the situation and want to help.
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