Rural Victims’ Rights Programs & Training
Increasing Legal Access for Rural Victims
While many of us think of rural America as idyllic, data tells a story of high rates of victimization and myriad hurdles, including a lack of services, limited infrastructure to aid access to the services that do exist, geographic challenges, and language access.
Project Overview
Gaps in the availability of legal services in rural areas are particularly profound – although 20% of the country lives in rural areas, just 2% of small law practices are located in rural areas. To address this gap, the federal Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) envisioned a national effort that would build upon existing models of victim services and use of technology to strengthen access to legal services, establish new no cost and low- and pro bono service delivery models, and expand community partnerships to holistically serve the legal needs of rural crime victims. NCVLI was the recipient of this grant and through it had issued three subgrants. See Project Partners for more information about our subgrant partners.
The Increasing Legal Access to Rural Victims of Crime Project grew out of the “Vision 21: Transforming Victim Services” (Vision 21) initiative, the Final Report of which states:
“Challenges remain that prevent victims of crime from fully accessing their legal rights and receiving comprehensive legal services.”
– Chapter 2, Meeting the Holistic Legal Needs of Crime Victims
In particular, the Final Report recognized that the victim services field could be using technology, training and innovation to help ensure that it is equipped to meet the demands of the 21st century. Building on other Vision 21 Initiatives aimed at increasing victim access to legal services, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) launched the Increasing Access to Legal Assistance for Victims of Crime: Innovations in Access to Justice program. As part of this, in 2017, OVC funded NCVLI to coordinate a national effort to leverage innovative technologies to improve the delivery of holistic, comprehensive legal services to crime victims in rural areas, while also protecting victim privacy and safety and advocating for crime victims’ rights.
In Winter/Spring 2018 NCVLI competitively solicited and selected three rural agencies to establish demonstration sites, and is providing training and technical assistance to aid in their development. Throughout the Project, NCVLI is assisting each site craft an implementation plan; identify and develop innovative technology solutions; respond to privacy and safety concerns; build strong partnerships; develop policies and resources; and provide holistic legal services to crime victims. NCVLI is also facilitating cross-site collaboration, conducting program evaluation, and documenting promising practices to inform the field.
Building on DOJ-funded collaborative models, such as elder justice initiatives and the Victim Legal Assistance Networks established in 10 states, the federal Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) funded NCVLI to establish innovative programs to respond to the high rates of rural victimization and the myriad hurdles rural victims face in accessing legal services. With this Project, NCVLI competitively solicited and selected three rural locations and is assisting them with training and technical assistance to develop innovative, technological approaches, combined with training, outreach and community partnerships, to increase legal services to rural crime victims.
Since selecting three rural partners to establish demonstration sites, NCVLI has been providing training and technical assistance as they develop innovative methods to increase legal services to crime victims. Throughout the Project, NCVLI will assist each site as it develops an implementation plan; identifies and develops innovative technology solutions while protecting privacy and safety; builds strong partnerships; develops policies and resources; and provides holistic legal services to crime victims. Throughout the Project, NCVLI will facilitate cross-site collaboration, conduct program evaluation, and document promising practices to inform the field.
Pro Bono Attorneys
NCVLI provides the Rural Site with guidance and technical assistance to recruit, train, collaborate with, and manage a network of pro-/low-bono attorneys to provide representation to clients in rural areas who likely would have otherwise fallen through the gaps in access to justice. The Rural Sites are leveraging technology in an innovative fashion to coordinate with these pro-/low-bono attorneys and the clients at the heart of the Project’s efforts.
April 2018
NCVLI issues a Request for Proposals to solicit proposals for three Rural Sites. Applications will be evaluated on the rural nature of the community to be served, demonstrated need for legal services, technological innovation; strategies to protect victim privacy and safety; and the legal protections available to victims in the identified jurisdiction. The application deadline is May 30, 2018.
June 2018
NCVLI issues a Request for Proposals to solicit proposals for a Project Evaluator to design and conduct an overall evaluation plan for the Project and report on evaluation outcomes. The application deadline is July 15, 2018.
September 2018
NCVLI announces the selection of three agencies to establish Rural Sites.
October 2018
The Arizona Site completes community technology assessment.
November 2019
The Montana Site completes a victim service provider community survey to inform Project technology design.
February 2019
The Montana Site contracts with a technology vendor to design a Project website with a screening/self help tool and resources for crime victims.
The South Carolina Site’s first Victims’ Rights Center becomes operational in Barnwell County and the first referrals are received.
April 2019
The Arizona Site begins demonstrating the resource page at events to get community feedback before launch.
May 2019
The South Carolina Site contracts with a technology vendor to design a Project website.
June 2019
The Arizona Site begins installing and testing videoconferencing equipment at partner sites for remote case consultation and court appearance.
The South Carolina Site begins using video-conferencing technology to virtually meet with and service first clients.
Click here to read the Project Press Release.
Program Partners
Rural Sites
A core aspect of the Project was NCVLI subgranting to three direct service locations in rural communities. Following a competitive selection process, during which NCVLI received applications from 21 states, three were selected:
Family Violence Institute at Northern Arizona University
In 2017, the Family Violence Institute (FVI), based out of the campus of Northern Arizona University, became one of three recipients of a subgrant from NCVLI’s Increasing Rural Access through Technology Project (Rural Project) Grant No. 2017-VF-GX-K130, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. Upon receipt, FVI brought into existence what has become known today as S.T.R.I.V.E. – Sustainable Technology and Resource Interventions for Victim Empowerment.
The STRIVE Project leveraged technology to facilitate safe access to legal information, procedures and assistance for crime victims by increasing online access to necessary forms, creating video-conferencing capabilities for remote court appearance and legal consultation, and connecting them with existing resources. Partners in Santa Cruz and Yuma counties assisted victims in obtaining temporary orders of protection/injunctions against harassment and free legal support through the STRIVE portal and Website.
The STRIVE coordinator educated the community on these resources and worked with service providers and first responders to help victims use technology to simplify their access to justice.
Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA)
In 2017, Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) became one of three recipients of a subgrant from NCVLI’s Increasing Rural Access through Technology Project (Rural Project) Grant No. 2017-VF-GX-K130, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. This Rural Project created new opportunities for collaboration between MLSA and NCVLI to develop innovative technological tools and solutions to help crime victims access legal information and assistance, and to identify and implement promising practices to enhance legal services for crime victims, particularly in rural settings.
Through this project, MLSA’s Victim Legal Assistance Network (MT VLAN) developed and launched MTCrimeVictimHelp.org. The website connects crime victims, their family members, and service providers in Montana with legal help, resources, and supportive services.
MLSA collects and shares helpful information with crime victims and the service providers helping them navigate the justice system. The website also enables users to search its resource library, apply for legal assistance, chat online with trained Crime Victim Navigators, and use a specially designed Help Tool to find resources specific to their needs while prioritizing user safety, confidentiality, accessibility, and functionality for crime victims in rural areas.
MT VLAN complimented this technological development with face-to-face assistance provided by a dedicated Rural Crime Victim Attorney and Rural Crime Victim Navigator, who fostered critical partnerships and served crime victims in Montana’s rural and remote communities. This combination of innovative technology, dedicated legal support, and partnership building allowed MT VLAN to widen its reach and empower crime victims across the state.
The STRIVE Project leveraged technology to facilitate safe access to legal information, procedures and assistance for crime victims by increasing online access to necessary forms, creating video-conferencing capabilities for remote court appearance and legal consultation, and connecting them with existing resources. Partners in Santa Cruz and Yuma counties assisted victims in obtaining temporary orders of protection/injunctions against harassment and free legal support through the STRIVE portal and Website.
The STRIVE coordinator educated the community on these resources and worked with service providers and first responders to help victims use technology to simplify their access to justice.
South Carolina Victim Assistance Network (SCVAN)
In 2017, the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network (SCVAN) became one of three recipients of a subgrant from NCVLI’s Increasing Rural Access through Technology Project (Rural Project) Grant No. 2017-VF-GX-K130, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. SCVAN provided direct legal services to South Carolina crime victims in criminal and civil courts. SCVAN also provided training and technical assistance to service providers, law enforcement, and legal professionals. In thinking about the state’s underserved rural areas that face a lack of attorneys and resources, SCVAN designed its Reaching Rural project. Reaching Rural used technology through a multi-tiered approach to connect rural victims and service providers to legal assistance, education, information, and referrals.
Reaching Rural provided remote legal assistance through its Victims Rights Centers (VRCs), private offices within community partner spaces where victims feel safe and comfortable to videoconference with SCVAN attorneys. If a victim was unable to travel to a VRC, they could videoconference through their Smartphone or personal device via Gruveo technology, which is encrypted and browser-based. An app download is not required for a victim. The project also delivered support through its new legal website.
The website provides a comprehensive database of local, statewide and national resources, information on crime victims’ rights for victims and providers, and a secure portal where attorneys have access to legal templates, trainings, and guides. By supporting victims and the communities that serve them, Reaching Rural infused much-needed direct assistance and expanded the pipeline of crime victim support to rural communities.
TTA Partners
To aid the Sites in leveraging technology to provide holistic legal services to victims, NCVLI provided training and technical assistance to aid in site planning, technology development, and effective delivery of legal advocacy. To achieve this goal, NCVLI contracted with subject matter experts, including two organizations specializing in technology integration.
ProBono.net
A national nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to justice. Through innovative technology solutions and expertise building justice networks, Pro Bono Net enables legal advocates to make a stronger impact, increases volunteer participation, and equips the public with resources and self-help tools to address legal issues.
Safety Net Project
The Safety Net Project at the National Network to End Domestic Violence addresses the intersection between technology and abuse by providing technical assistance and training to professionals working with survivors and advocating with policymakers and technology companies.
Evaluation
NCVLI collected data throughout the Project to enhance the future provision of effective technology-assisted legal services in rural communities. To ensure comprehensive evaluation and identification of promising practices, the Public Policy Research Institute at Texas A&M University assisted in development of an evaluation plan and conducted a comprehensive evaluation that will inform blueprints for other to follow in the future.
Project FAQs
What legal access challenges are unique to rural populations that experience victimization?
While many of us may think of rural America as idyllic, data tells a story of high rates of victimization and myriad hurdles for victims of crime, including a lack of services, limited infrastructure to aid access to the services that do exist, geographic challenges, and language access. Gaps in the availability of legal services in rural areas are particularly profound – although 20% of the country lives in rural areas, just 2% of small law practices are located in rural areas.To address this gap, the federal Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) envisioned a national effort that would build upon existing models of victim services and use of technology to strengthen access to legal services, establish new no-cost and low- and pro bono service delivery models, and expand community partnerships to holistically serve the legal needs of rural crime victims. NCVLI is the recipient of this grant and through it has issued three subgrants.
The technology deployed in this project has mostly existed for a long time - how is that “innovative”?
Some of this technology may have existed before the beginning of this project, but its use in serving survivors in these rural communities was something that could not be robustly employed before this grant provided the funding necessary to take that step. This project has been successful by meeting victims and communities where they are. Our partners have tailored existing technology to reach victims of crime in Rural areas based on the needs identified by the communities – and has done so in myriad ways, ranging from website resources to video tools that allow for long-distance meetings with attorneys or even to facilitate remote access to courtroom hearings.
Technological solutions can be expensive; couldn’t victims be worse off when the project ends if all the technology simply goes away?
Sustainability is an important part of meeting survivors’ needs and ensuring that projects like this one can continue to benefit victims and communities long-term. Many different efforts can help increase the sustainability of a project like this one, such as partnering with an organization that can help to support the cost of hosting physical sites to facilitate access or the cost of maintaining technology and/or hardware for longer periods of time. And it is worth mentioning that this project wasn’t only about the technology; each project location worked hard to cultivate relationships with partners throughout their geographic locations, to help increase access to services beyond technology infrastructure and help promote victim access to legal services in the aftermath of crime.
How do you sustain the pro bono support you develop long-term?
Organizations can sustain their pro bono networks by helping them to invest in communities, form strong connections with community partners, and work with partners to provide ongoing training and support.
How can I know which technology tools will provide the most benefit for the clients our organization serves?
Asking the community partners already serving your community can help you identify helpful tools. The Rural Sites on this project conducted formal and/or informal needs assessments with their respective communities, clients and partners. To learn more about the technology that already exists that may be able to help meet the needs you identify, organizations that assess technology as part of their work, including our partner National Network to End Domestic Violence Tech Safety Project’s Digital Services Toolkit, can be a great place to start.
What is NCVLI’s role in the Increasing Legal Access to Rural Victims of Crime Project?
In 2017, OVC funded NCVLI to coordinate a national effort to leverage innovative technologies to improve the delivery of holistic, comprehensive legal services to crime victims in rural areas, while also protecting victim privacy and safety and advocating for crime victims’ rights. In 2018, NCVLI competitively solicited and selected the three rural agencies to establish demonstration sites, and is providing training and technical assistance to aid in their development. Throughout the Project, NCVLI has assisted each site with crafting an implementation plan, identifying and developing innovative technology solutions, responding to privacy and safety concerns, building strong partnerships, developing policies and resources, and providing holistic legal services to crime victims. NCVLI is also facilitating cross-site collaboration, conducting program evaluation, and documenting promising practices to inform the field.
How can I learn more about incorporating innovative technology into my organization’s services to help crime victims as demonstrated by these three Rural Sites?
If you have additional questions beyond what is shared, we will have a recording of a webinar providing information about the technology each Site implemented explained by the partners at the Sites themselves.
What are some examples of the technology developed by each Rural Site?
Examples of types of technology include: websites with robust resource directories, live chat, physical spaces set up with secure technology at accessible community locations, and online portals to facilitate remote communication with pro bono attorneys.
How can we develop our own technology project if we don’t have expertise in-house?
Many partners exist in the community, including schools, social services organizations and other partners. In addition, some “tech solutions” are achievable without in-house expertise, and can be found with the help of our organizations like our TTA partner National Network to End Domestic Violence NNEDV’s Tech Safety Project.
Rural areas often do not have enough attorneys to meet their communities’ legal needs. How can you leverage technology to help overcome that issue?
Organizations can implement effective free or low-cost legal services projects by identifying attorney populations throughout the larger area, recognizing obstacles such as geography, time constraints, or cost, and leveraging technology to help mitigate these challenges. Technology can help connect a wider population of attorneys (throughout a state, for example) to underserved rural communities by facilitating remote representation, providing remote skills training, and remotely sharing information to help attorneys invest in the communities that need help.
Although legal access projects focus on the essential role of legal representation for clients’ stability, crime victims navigating trauma may not be in a space to prioritize it. What holistic practices help you to earn your clients’ trust and communicate how legal representation can help?
Partnerships are key in this role. Developing relationships with social services providers, fostering strong referral networks for healthcare/shelter/safety needs, having language access plans and services, and ensuring secure delivery of services (via technology, location, etc.) are all vital to ensuring clients feel safer because of your services. Showing that your attorneys have a holistic understanding of these needs and illustrating ways you can provide comprehensive advocacy can help your clients.
I am an attorney working with a victim on a legal issue and need information on victims’ rights, how can you help?
NCVLI can provide research, writing and strategic advice on cases to help protect victims’ rights. Click here to fill out a technical assistance request or explore additional resources on our National Alliance for Victims’ Rights Attorneys and Advocates website.
The survivors I serve often don’t have ready access to technology because Internet access in our rural areas tends to be unreliable. What other ways of reaching survivors in rural areas are there?
Technology does not need to be cutting edge; telephones can be a great resource. Our sites found different ways to provide access to Rural survivors, based on the needs they identified in their communities. For example, the Project Site in Montana conducted personal outreach to local organizations in small communities across the state, logging hundreds of hours and miles to create the person-to-person connections that can help facilitate telephone-based referrals to connect victims to legal services. In addition, local organizations can often help connect survivors with attorneys if the organization itself has technology access they can share when the clients they serve do not. Arizona and South Carolina, for example, installed hardware in secure locations in their communities where victims can go to access technology and resources and to connect remotely with attorneys providing legal representation.
This project is supported by Grant No. 2017-VF-GX-K130, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Project are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
