Category: Safe Visitation

When a victim of intimate partner violence has children with the abuser, only a protective order that details a plan for safe visitation with the abuser will keep everyone safe. Unfortunately, far too few judges take the time necessary to separately assess risk and use resources in the community to ensure safety.

Every day domestic violence victims come to Maryland courts to ask for legal protection to help stop the violence immediately and permanently. If they have children with the abuser it is very unlikely that the protective order will actually stop the violent contact.

Victims in Maryland who have children with their abuser are regularly given a “no contact” order that actually requires the victim to see her abuser every other week to exchange the children.

This is a prescription for disaster that perpetuates the trauma and control and all too often leads to injury or death. For the first time, monitored exchange  and supervised visitation are being provided in Montgomery County at the Safe Passage Center in Rockville. But far too few residents have access to these services, and judges order them far too rarely.

County Council increases funds for safe visitation services

funds for supervised visitation

In spite of very tight budget constraints for next year, the Montgomery County Council unanimously agreed to increase funds for safe visitation services for FY ’20.  Judges can now prevent all contact between victims and offenders and make sure that children are safe during visitation by continuing to send families to the Safe Passage Center […]

New video on local domestic violence prevention

local domestic violence prevention

A new 15-minute video on domestic violence prevention has been produced by Montgomery County. Two victims  (a teenager victim of same sex abuse and a middle-aged woman) each describe their abusive relationship and how they escaped. The video also highlights work being done by the Sheriff, Family Justice Center, the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, Court Watch […]

Safe Passage Center is fully open – and it looks great!

safe passages center

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Custody & safe visitation questions raised by Rams prosecution

The Washington Post editorialized this week about the dangers inherent in judicial custody and visitation decisions. Lessons can be learned from the tragic death of Prince Rams. Prince Rams was a 15-month-old boy who was killed by his father on his 4th unsupervised visit. Prince’s mother had begged a Montgomery County Circuit judge for supervised visits, […]

Many groups testify for Monitored Child Exchange & Supervised Visitation Center

Advocates for domestic violence victims and their children have been coming out in force to push for full funding of our first County-run monitored child exchange and supervised visitation center for domestic violence victims and their children. Today a host of organizations testified as part of the Montgomery County Council’s public hearings on the FY18 budget. […]

Washington Post urges full funding for new Safe Visitation Center

The Washington Post today editorialized urging County Executive Leggett and the County Council to fully fund a new facility to provide both safe child exchange and supervised visitation services to families experiencing domestic violence. Mr. Leggett’s new budget for fiscal year 2018 will be made public March 14th. It is critical that adequate funds be set aside […]

Court volunteers discuss domestic violence with judges

This week 18 court volunteers spent over an hour discussing the protective order and domestic violence criminal dockets with District Court Administrative Judge Eugene Wolfe, and Judges Mitchell, Moffett, Williams and Sabett. It was a valuable opportunity to more fully understand the court’s approach to domestic violence cases and to share Court Watch’s concerns about […]

Progress on safe child exchange services

Survivors of domestic violence need safe places they can go to transfer their children for visits with the other parent without experiencing fear or injury. Court Watch leaders had a good meeting today with County Councilmember George Leventhal, Sheriff Popkin, Uma Ahluwalia (Director of DHSS) and their staffs. We discussed the urgent need for safe exchange […]

Innovative practices at District Court improve survivor safety

A new Court Watch report released today documents innovative practices that judges, bailiffs, interpreters and clerks are using in protective order cases at District Court.  Each of the practices listed can improve survivor safety. We hope additional court personnel will consider incorporating these important approaches into their daily work. Judges help keep victims safe when they: Talk to […]