Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

["Otterson, Lynn" <>]

Tonight at University of Illinois Springfield we held two amazing events in 
honor of DV Awareness Month - first a presentation by an alum who is now 
Outreach at the local DV shelter, "Dating Shouldn't Hurt," followed by a 
student created DV Vigil that our students (mostly but not seniors in Social 
Work) creaated with only women's center guidance and logistics/publicity help 
only. Local women's drumming circle came and beat their beautiful drums every 
nine seconds, then accompanied an interpretive healing dance about IPV - by 
studens. there was poetry and Silent Witness. It was awsome and very 
beautiful and profoundly moving and meaningful. Yet our Women and Gender 
Studies academic program would not offer extra credit. They would only offer 
extra credit for a  Latino drag queen video and discussion earlier today 
(extremely worthy, yes - but why does it have to be the exclsuive for WGS?). 
I get the feeling our faculty think/feel women and dv/sa issues are So Over. 
And in the same week that Topeka cancels prosecution of DV crimes!!!! Sisters 
in Centers - we have our work cut out for us once and all over again. But, 
witnessing our UIS students tonight and their moving, meaningful, beautiful 
and powerful presentation (and the many students but no faculty who showed up 
to witness)  - I feel new resolve despite the new obstacle of being So Over.

Lynn Otterson
 ________________________________________
From: Rose-Mockry, Katherine G 
[]
Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2011 10:13 PM
To: Mary Ann Pearson; 

Cc: Heath, Sonja; McBride, Annie E
Subject: RE: This is horrible

Hi Mary Ann and Sister Centers,



You are so right.  This is an example of why our work is far from over.  I 
had to weigh in to say that many Kansas feminists, both female and male, are 
incensed and there is quite a bit of activity going on to challenge this.  A 
few good links with updates - Lawrence NOW 
http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/7856262675/ and Kansas Coalition for Sexual ;
and Domestic Violence (KCSDV)  http://www.kcsdv.org/ .  Here is a current ;
article - came out a few hours ago.  Goes to show that our voices really 
matter: 
http://cjonline.com/news/2011-10-12/kcsdv-responds-taylors-announcement   We ;
welcome everyone's help to challenge this very dangerous decision.



 Regards,



Kathy



Kathy Rose-Mockry
Program Director, Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center
University of Kansas
(785) 864-3552

www.etwrc.ku.edu<http://www.etwrc.ku.edu>


________________________________
From: Mary Ann Pearson 
[]
Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2011 6:15 PM
To: 

Subject: This is horrible


Topeka, Kansas City Council Considers Decriminalizing Domestic Violence To 
Save 
Money<http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/10/06/338461/topeka-kansas-city-council-considers-decriminalizing-domestic-violence-to-save-money/>
By Marie Diamond<http://thinkprogress.org/author/marie/> on Oct 6, 2011 at 
5:45 pm
[Description: 
http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/domestic2.jpg] ;
<http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/domestic2.jpg> Faced 
with their worst budget 
crises<http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=711> since the Great 
Depression, states and cities have resorted to increasingly desperate 
measures to cut costs. State and local governments have laid off teachers, 
slashed Medicaid funding, and even started unpaving 
roads<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/09/opinion/09krugman.html> and turning 
off streetlights.
But perhaps the most shocking idea to save money is being debated right now 
by the City Council of Topeka, Kansas. The city could repeal an ordinance 
banning domestic violence because some say the cost of prosecuting those 
cases is just too 
high<http://feministing.com/2011/10/05/topeka-kansas-considers-decriminalizing-domestic-violence-to-avoid-prosecuting-cases/>:
Last night, in between approving city expenditures and other routine agenda 
items, the Topeka, Kansas City Council debated one rather controversial one: 
decriminalizing domestic violence.
Here’s what happened: Last month, the Shawnee County District Attorney’s 
office, facing a 10% budget cut, announced that the county would no longer be 
prosecuting misdemeanors, including domestic violence cases, at the county 
level. Finding those cases suddenly dumped on the city and lacking resources 
of their own, the Topeka City Council is now considering repealing the part 
of the city code that bans domestic battery. [...]
Since the county stopped prosecuting the crimes on September 8th, it has 
turned back 30 domestic violence cases. Sixteen people have been arrested for 
misdemeanor domestic battery and then released from the county jail after 
charges weren’t filed. “Letting abusive partners out of jail with no 
consequences puts victims in incredibly dangerous positions,” said Becky 
Dickinson of the YWCA. “The abuser will often become more violent in an 
attempt to regain control.”
The YMCA also said that some survivors were afraid for their 
safety<http://feministing.com/2011/10/05/topeka-kansas-considers-decriminalizing-domestic-violence-to-avoid-prosecuting-cases/>
 if the dispute wasn’t resolved soon. Town leaders and the district attorney 
all agree that domestic abuse cases should be prosecuted — but no one would 
step up to foot the bill. The city council is expected to make its decision 
on decriminalizing domestic violence next week, but the back-and-forth over 
funding has already put battered women and their families at increased risk 
of harm.
Domestic violence is still at epidemic levels in the United States, and too 
few cases are prosecuted as it is. According to the National Coalition 
Against Domestic Violence, one in four 
women<http://www.ncadv.org/files/DomesticViolenceFactSheet%28National%29.pdf> 
will be a victim of domestic violence. And domestic abuse is a crime that 
damages entire communities, not just women. Witnessing violence between one’s 
parents is the strongest risk factor of transmitting violent behavior from 
one generation to the next: boys who witness domestic violence are twice as 
likely to abuse their own 
partner<http://www.ncadv.org/files/DomesticViolenceFactSheet%28National%29.pdf>
 when they grow up.
And while not prosecuting domestic violence cases may seem to save money in 
the short term, it actually has staggering financial consequences. The 
health-related costs of domestic 
violence<http://www.ncadv.org/files/DomesticViolenceFactSheet%28National%29.pdf>
 exceeds $5.8 billion each year. Nearly $4.1 billion of that is for direct 
medical and mental health care services, and nearly $1.8 billion are for the 
indirect costs of lost productivity or wages. Victims lost almost 8 million 
days of paid 
work<http://www.ncadv.org/files/DomesticViolenceFactSheet%28National%29.pdf> 
because of the violence.
It should go without saying, but apparently doesn’t, that preventing domestic 
abuse is essential to promoting communities’ economic and social well-being. 
That the Topeka City Council would even consider such action is a 
heartbreaking illustration of the consequences of austerity.