survivors of domestic violence murder-suicide and introduce the work being completed under the Georgia Commission on
Family Violence’s Support for Survivors of Murder-Suicide (SSMS) Project.
Athena I/J
The Use of Technology to Stalk
Mark Kurkowski and Jennifer Landhuis
Stalkers are creative criminals who use – and misuse – a variety of technologies to locate, surveil and monitor their victims.
This session will address common technologies utilized by stalkers, discuss evidence preservation concerns as well as
identify effective safety-planning strategies.
Olympia 2
Leveraging Federal Criminal Law to Enhance Community Safety: Federal-State Partnerships on Domestic Violence
Jessica Morris and Daysha D. Young
Through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Congress has provided federal prosecutors with a toolkit to address
domestic violence offenders in your communities.Identifying appropriate targets for federal prosecution requires a
partnership between state and federal stakeholders. We will discuss a joint initiative of the US Attorneys’ Office and the
DeKalb District Attorney’s Office to identify cases for federal prosecution under the federal law that makes it a felony for an
individual to possess a firearm after a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. We will discuss our process of reviewing
cases and the importance of engaging a wide range of stakeholders in your counties--from responding officers to victim
advocates to probation officers to felony prosecutors—in order to identify targets for potential federal prosecution. To
provide a common framework for discussion, the workshop will provide an overview of federal criminal law relating to
domestic violence ranging from firearms laws to stalking provisions. We will discuss the advantages of federal prosecution
in cases involving domestic violence, including the lack of parole in the federal system and the likelihood of pretrial
detention. We will also discuss charging and pleading decisions at the State court level in domestic violence cases that
impact whether an offender will be barred, under federal law, from possessing a firearm.
Parthenon 1
Working with Victims of Domestic Violence from Underrepresented Immigrant Communities
Fakiha Khan
As the demographics of the target population change, advocates must evolve their approach to victims from immigrant
communities and religious minorities in order to provide culturally specific services and continue to support these survivors
for another 25 years. This workshop will include an overview of how culture may pose a barrier to advocating for victims
from underrepresented communities. The aim of the program is to address an increasingly diverse clientele, identify the
barriers posed as these groups seek protection from abuse, and evolve techniques to ensure that justice is served in an
equitable manner.
Parthenon 2
FVIP Rules: Part I
Meredith Stepp, Jameelah Ferrell and Jenny Aszman
Come learn about the new rules for Family Violence Intervention Programs (FVIPs)! After 15 years, the Department of
Community Supervision and the Georgia Commission on Family Violence approved new standards for FVIPs, which
became effective on January 1, 2019. This workshop will provide an overview of the updates to the FVIP rules with a special
focus on updates to class procedures, form requirements, recordkeeping requirements, and enforcement actions. Part one
will explore the intake and exit process, including an overview of the updates to FVIP victim liaison requirements. Part two
will explore the class requirements, compliance and enforcement actions. Certified FVIP Facilitators who attend both
workshops will fulfill the requirement for three hours for Commission-provided training on the rules.
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