Esperanza United is proud to announce the launch of the Enhancing Court Access toolkit

Our new “Enhancing Court Access” toolkit provides resources for judges, court administrators, advocates, and law enforcement professionals striving to make systems more accessible for survivors with intersectional identities or individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). 

Domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking are underreported crimes that require specific attention in the courts. 

For historically underserved and marginalized racial and ethnic groups in the United States, the struggle for equal representation in the courts has been a perpetual challenge. An individual’s class, age, race and ethnicity, immigration status, sexual orientation, and cultural identity impacts their help-seeking decisions. 

As a result, victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence from diverse cultural backgrounds will have different approaches to reporting crimes. They will experience court systems in different ways.

It is for this reason we put together a collection of resources to help courts address bias and strengthen their cultural capacity to address sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.

Resources cover enhancing cultural responsiveness; addressing the ways race, gender, and ethnicity intersect in the court’s system; implementing trauma-formed practices to serve better survivors accessing institutions such as courts; and sharing promising practices on the pandemic. 

It is essential to build trust and understanding among court personnel, advocates, and survivors to strengthen the overall process, improve future problem-solving, and increase safety for entire communities. Get started.