Annual Report 2025
In 2024, Winnebago County was selected by the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women as a pilot site to explore implementing legal and practicable service for protective orders. This five year grant involves stakeholders from the Court, Sheriff’s Department, Circuit Clerk’s Office, Information Technology Department, State’s Attorney’s Office and Victim Service Providers joining forces to develop policies, systems, and secure permission for electronic service. Developed policies and lessons learned from this pilot will inform nationwide practices around electronic protective order service.
The Domestic Violence Coordinated Court and its related initiatives participate in a wide range of Multi-Disciplinary Teams and Coordinated Community Responses focused on ending family and intimate partner violence. These teams include the Stalking and Strangulation Task Force, Firearms Task Force, Juvenile Court Stakeholders Team, Guadian ad litem Workgroup, and the Domestic Violence Coordinated Court Core Team. Regular meetings are held with additional collaborative partners including meetings with Partner Abuse Intervention Program providers and DV Service Providers.
The ICJR grant program supports the work of the Domestic Violence Coordinated Court through its focus on victim safety, offender accountability, coordinated community response, and specialized training. The ICJR grant program seeks to identify gaps and develop improved responses to violation of protective orders to improve victim safety and offender accountability, strengthen advocacy services, and coordinate training for prosecutors and other members of our community's coordinated community response to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.