dc.title: A Conceptual Framework for Measuring Criminal Justice Success in Responding to Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Crimes: Model Brief
dc.contributor.author: Goan, Sarah; Snell, Elisabeth; Lugo-Graulich, Kris; Maryfield, Bailey; Howley, Susan
dc.description.abstract: In 2020, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) the funded the Violence Against Women Act Measuring Effectiveness Initiative (VAWA MEI), which is part of the Catherine E. Cutler Institute for Health and Social Policy at the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service, and the Justice Research and Statistics Association (JRSA), to develop and pilot test a set of indicators for gauging success in the criminal justice system’s response to the VAWA crimes. Specifically, the purpose of this project was to develop a research-based conceptual framework that logically connects the interventions being undertaken by OVW’s funded grantees to the longer term outcomes experienced by victims.1 At OVW’s direction, the project focused specifically on law enforcement’s response to VAWA crimes. In addition, the project identified key outcomes measures that can be collected and reported in a reliable manner to demonstrate the effectiveness of VAWA-funded programs. These recommended measures were rooted in research, generated from existing data when possible, and field-tested by a volunteer pool of grantees. This brief presents both the narrative and visual depiction of the finalized conceptual model.
