Family Justice Center

A husband usually assumes the responsibility for providing for loved ones.  This has meant sharing their love, devotion and commitment to their wife and their children.  In return a wife usually assumes the responsibility of sharing their love and respect for their husband and provides a nurturing environment for their family.  

Unfortunately life does not always present this cohesion and the ideal world turns upside down when verbal and physical abuse occurs in the family.

South Carolina is #2 in the country for domestic violence homicides.  There is a good chance that you know people who have been victimized by domestic violence.  Did you know that the cost to Georgetown County of a domestic violence homicide from initial police visit through prosecution, services for the victim and their children and long term incarceration for the abuser is up to $2,500,000?

But don’t we already provide police, legal protection and other support services to victims of domestic violence?  Yes we do, so why doesn’t this reduce the incidence of domestic violence cases in our community?

The simple answer is that the services are provided by 10 or more agencies that are physically separate from one another and the victim must make multiple trips to Georgetown to get the services needed.

 What often happens is that the victim becomes frustrated with the time and effort it takes to get the support they need, and decides to return to the abusive environment.  

At some point, in this disjointed, uncoordinated process, the abuse escalates and can result in a homicide.

In the meantime, any children in the family are experiencing emotional turmoil and harboring feelings of fear and neglect.  Unfortunately, statistics show that children who witness domestic violence are 30% more likely to exhibit the same behaviors later on in life.  

The community pays the price over many generations.  Besides the cost to the taxpayer we all pay the price for lost productivity in our business community when victims are trapped in a cycle of violence and fear.  

So how do we address this problem and reduce the incidence and cost of domestic violence in our community?

  A grass-roots organization in Georgetown, Safe Families Initiative, www.safefamiliesgc.org has proposed to County Council the creation of a Family Justice Center which brings the service agencies together under one roof to provide one-stop services the victim needs.  

A Family Justice Center has been successfully implemented in 50+ communities across the country.  These communities have experienced a significant reduction in domestic violence and resulting homicides.  

We have a choice:  We can either accept our status as #2 in the nation for domestic violence homicides or we can get behind the Safe Families Initiative to operate a Family Justice Center ($250,000) per year.

  Let’s see — $250,000 vs. up to $2.5 million for each domestic violence homicide.  As a taxpayer and a concerned citizen about loss of life I know my choice.  Please let your Georgetown County Council representative know of your own support for a Family Justice Center.   

                                Richard Clute