Advancing Pretrial Policy and Research (APPR) is offering a free virtual training as part of the Domestic Violence/Intimate Partner Violence (DV/IPV) support series. The training is on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, from 1 to 3 p.m. ET. The deadline to register is Thursday, January 23.
About the Training
When you partner with community-based organizations to offer survivor-centered approaches, you can help reduce harm related to DV/IPV. This training is the latest in our DV/IPV support series and uplifts the work of Action in Community Through Services (ACTS) in Prince William County, Virginia. The mission of the nonprofit’s Domestic Violence Services (Turning Points) is “to empower victims to build lives free of violence.” This training is designed to help pretrial system stakeholders and their community partners develop effective responses—both pretrial and in the broader criminal legal system—to address and reduce harm in DV/IPV cases.
Did you miss our previous DV/IPV trainings?
You can watch APPR trainings on demand, including four recordings about DV/IPV.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the training, participants will better understand:
- How system and community stakeholders can support survivors of DV/IPV and sexual violence (SV), including understanding signs of an abusive relationship and identifying the barriers to leaving a violent relationship
- How the Lethality Assessment Program in Prince William County is reducing harm for survivors of DV/IPV and SV cases
- Benefits of high-risk domestic violence teams
- How to work in teams to practice using survivor-centered approaches
- Be familiar with APPR resources and the APPR Community
Training Faculty
The trainers for this session have many years of experience working on pretrial justice, domestic violence, and intimate partner violence.
Dr. Kelvin L. Banks, associate director, Center for Effective Public Policy
Dr. Banks has over 20 years of experience in the justice system, with about 10 years in pretrial justice. He was previously the director for Harris County Pretrial Services and the Third Circuit Court of Michigan’s Pretrial Services.
Elisa Castillo, director of domestic violence services, Action in Community Through Service (ACTS)
Mrs. Castillo has more than 19 years of experience working with victims of domestic violence in Prince William County and Fairfax County. She started as a domestic violence court advocate, helping victims file for protective orders and accompanying each victim to their civil and criminal cases against their abuser. Unfortunately, ACTS lost the advocate grant, allowing Mrs. Castillo to work for Fairfax County at the Fairfax County Women’s Shelter, where she supervises the 24-hour domestic violence and sexual assault shelter. During her time there, she learned how to run shelters, which included protocols and procedures to keep victims safe during their stay at the shelter. As her experience and skills grew, she went to work for the Women’s Center, Prince William Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, and most recently became the director of domestic violence services with ACTS in October 2021. Mrs. Castillo continues to educate and provide support services to victims who don’t have a voice. Her wish is that one day, people can live free of violence.
Keilah Joyner, program associate, Center for Effective Public Policy
Ms. Joyner supports the National Resource Center on Justice-Involved Women, including the Gender-Informed Practices Assessment and an initiative focusing on gender-responsive policies and practices assessment. She also provides programmatic and training support to APPR. Before joining CEPP, Ms. Joyner worked for the Florida Commission on Offender Review and various nonprofit agencies.
Tamika Cheree Henry, founder of I Am Here
Ms. Henry is a writer, speaker, and advocate of mental health and domestic violence awareness. Born and raised in Detroit, she experienced tragedy early in life, losing her mother and father to gun violence at a young age. As an adult, Ms. Henry lost her only child. Years of great faith, courage, walking through her grief—and ultimately healing—resulted in her founding I Am Here, which helps people “rebuild after suffering a violent tragedy.” Ms. Henry is passionate about helping others turn tragedy into triumph. She holds a BA in communications from Purdue University Global.
Tammy Meredith, PhD, consultant, APPR
Dr. Meredith helps communities apply science to solve problems. Her social justice projects include preventing environmental violence, promoting pretrial justice, and quantifying racial and gender system disparities. She cofounded and managed the Atlanta-based public policy research firm Applied Research Services for nearly 30 years. Her career includes quantitative research to predict violent behavior; she has also led numerous U.S. Department of Justice studies, published academic and practitioner articles, and led professional research seminars.
Kristie Puckett, community engagement consultant
Ms. Puckett’s direct experience with poverty, drug addiction, domestic violence, and incarceration led her to pursue a career in policy and advocacy. She is an expert on the conditions of confinement for women and girls, including those who are pregnant. Ms. Puckett also serves as the Women in Incarceration Workgroup chair for North Carolina’s State Reentry Council Collaborative and as a commissioner on the North Carolina Commission on Racial & Ethnic Disparities in the Criminal Justice System.
Rachel Taylor, director of sexual assault services, Action in Community Through Service (ACTS)
Ms. Taylor graduated from George Mason University with a bachelor’s degree in criminology, law, and society, and minors in psychology and sociology. In late 2013, she began working with the sexual offender team with adult probation and parole in Manassas, Virginia. Ms. Taylor became supervisor of the team in 2017 and left in 2022 to join ACTS and pursue her passion for helping victims of sexual assault and all those supported by the organization’s mission.
Application Process
Space in this training is limited. Prospective participants must complete the training registration by January 23, 2025, and be selected to attend. Criminal legal system and community stakeholders, including people affected by DV/IPV, will receive priority consideration. Space is available for national technical assistance providers to participate.
APPR will make selection decisions immediately after the registration deadline. Confirmed participants will receive additional information about the training, including how to attend the online session and access related resources.
Please direct any questions to Samuel Steed, operations assistant at the Center for Effective Public Policy, at ssteed@cepp.com.