Beyond the Crisis: a Long-Term Approach to Reduce, Prevent, and Recover from Intimate Partner Violence

Beyond the Crisis: A Long-Term Approach to Reduce, Prevent, and Recover from Intimate Partner Violence Report #256 | January 2021 Milton Marks Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy www.lhc.ca.gov LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION Dedicated to Promoting Economy Pedro Nava and Efficiency in California State Chairman Government Sean Varner The Little Hoover Commission, formally known as the Milton Vice Chairman Marks “Little Hoover” Commission on California State Government David Beier Organization and Economy, is an independent state oversight agency. Dion Aroner By statute, the Commission is a bipartisan board composed of Cynthia Buiza five public members appointed by the governor, four public Bill Emmerson members appointed by the Legislature, two senators and two assemblymembers. Assemblymember Chad Mayes Senator Jim Nielsen In creating the Commission in 1962, the Legislature declared its Assemblymember Bill Quirk purpose: Senator Richard Roth ...to secure assistance for the Governor and itself in Cathy Schwamberger* promoting economy, efficiency and improved services in the Janna Sidley† transaction of the public business in the various departments, agencies and instrumentalities of the executive branch of *Served on study subcommittee the state government, and in making the operation of all †Served as subcommittee chair state departments, agencies and instrumentalities, and all expenditures of public funds, more directly responsive to the wishes of the people as expressed by their elected COMMISSION STAFF representatives... Ethan Rarick Executive Director The Commission fulfills this charge by listening to the public, consulting with the experts and conferring with the wise. In the Tamar Foster course of its investigations, the Commission typically empanels Deputy Executive Director advisory committees, conducts public hearings and visits government Krystal Beckham operations in action. Ashley Hurley Its conclusions are submitted to the Governor and the Legislature Rachel Mattioli for their consideration. Recommendations often take the form of Sherry McAlister legislation, which the Commission supports through the legislative process. Tristan Stein Contacting the Commission All correspondence should be addressed to the Commission Office: Little Hoover Commission 925 L Street, Suite 805, Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-2125 | LittleHoover@lhc.ca.gov This report is available from the Commission’s website at www.lhc.ca.gov. Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................3 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................5 Intimate Partner Violence is Costly to the State .........................................6 CALIFORNIA’S RESPONSE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE: UNDERFUNDED, FRAGMENTED, AND INCOMPLETE ....................6 Agency Silos Lead to Overlaps and Critical Gaps in Service Provision ......7 Create a Holistic Prevention- and Early-Intervention Approach to Intimate Partner Violence ..............................................................................8 Recommendations ........................................................................................13 PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION ................................................14 Batterer Intervention Programs .................................................................14 Recommendations ........................................................................................16 ENFORCING CALIFORNIA’S INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE- RELATED GUN LAWS ........................................................................16 More Victims ..................................................................................................17 State Response to IPV-Related Homicides .................................................18 Challenges to Implementing California’s Firearms Laws .........................19 Human Resources .........................................................................................23 Recommendations ........................................................................................23 A LONG-TERM VIEW OF SURVIVAL NEEDS: ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE AND HOUSING ....................................................24 Economic Independence ..............................................................................26 Create an Identity-Focused Reentry Program for Survivors ....................26 California’s Lowest Income Survivors Overlooked by Victim Compensation Framework...........................................................................26 Expand the Removing Barriers to Employment Act to Explicitly Include Victims of Domestic Violence and Renew Funding .....................28 Connect Survivors with Apprenticeship Opportunities ...........................29 Help the Helpers ............................................................................................29 Housing and Homelessness .........................................................................31 A Seat at the Table ........................................................................................34 Recommendations ........................................................................................34 NOTES ...............................................................................................36 BEYOND THE CRISIS | 1 Letter from the Chair January 11, 2021 The Honorable Gavin Newsom Governor of California The Honorable Toni Atkins The Honorable Shannon Grove Speaker pro Tempore of the Senate Senate Minority Leader and members of the Senate The Honorable Anthony Rendon The Honorable Marie Waldron Speaker of the Assembly Assembly Minority Leader and members of the Assembly DEAR GOVERNOR AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE: Since late 2019, the Little Hoover Commission has examined California’s response to intimate partner violence, a horrific form of abuse that has a tragic and lasting impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities throughout our state. The following report concludes our review and details steps the state must take to strengthen its response to this violence. Although numerous state agencies have an impact on those affected by intimate partner violence, the Commission found that California lacks a coordinated, cohesive strategy to prevent this abuse and support survivors with their long-term needs. The state’s current approach is siloed and suffers from critical gaps in services and funding that make it difficult for survivors to access the resources they need to escape their abuser and establish a life on their own. Greater action must be taken to ensure California responds rigorously and effectively to this abhorrent abuse. In this report, the Commission recommends the state transition to a holistic, strategic, evidence-based, and collaborative approach that helps Californians reduce, prevent, and recover from intimate partner violence. The Commission respectfully submits this work and stands prepared to help you address this challenge. Sincerely, Pedro Nava, Chair Little Hoover Commission 2 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION Executive Summary Letter from the Chair California must transform its response to intimate stakeholders together to craft the state’s strategy; partner violence from a focus on crisis intervention create a data collection and analysis framework to one of prevention and early intervention. and ensure service providers receive grant funding for this purpose; modernize processes; facilitate The Little Hoover Commission began studying expertise within state government on intimate California’s response to intimate partner violence in partner violence; ensure underserved groups are late 2019. In May 2020, the Commission released its prioritized within the plan; and design a funding first report on the topic, Intimate Partner Violence: framework that will advance the state’s goals. Getting Money to Those on the Front Line, which asked the Governor and Legislature to provide grant Prevention and Early funding upfront to service providers. Intervention This second report focuses on the organization of California does not have a substantial prevention California’s response to intimate partner violence. or early intervention program. The state should The Commission hopes this report will serve as create and adequately fund prevention and early a stepping stone to the state’s transition to a intervention programs, and ensure that these holistic, strategic, evidence-based, and collaborative initiatives are included in all applicable statewide approach to help Californians reduce, prevent, and strategic plans ranging from early childhood recover from intimate partner violence. The findings education to reducing homelessness. in this report fall into four categories: Governance, Prevention and Early Intervention, Firearms, and The state has a rigid approach to batterer Economic Security. intervention programs. The state’s requirements do not meet the needs for those of modest means, Governance who do not speak English, live in rural areas, and many other people. The state should review its The Commission believes there must be a statewide requirements for batterer intervention programs to strategy to reduce, prevent, and recover from determine if they facilitate rehabilitation and ensure intimate partner violence, and that there must be a those programs are available to individuals who leader accountable for progress. Currently, the state cannot afford them. suffers from a siloed approach that results in critical gaps in the state’s response. Most of our resources, Firearms for example, are directed toward crisis intervention instead of prevention and early intervention. California must enforce its firearms laws and ensure that firearms immediately are removed from people In response to these findings, the Commission prohibited from owning them. The Commission recommends the Governor and Legislators: identified some challenges that prevent the state from doing that. One is that the databases from ◊ Adopt a strategic approach to intimate partner which the list of people prohibited from owning violence that is focused on prevention and early firearms is drawn need to be modernized. Currently, intervention, while continuing to support crisis there is no way for the system to automatically intervention and victim services. crosscheck registered firearms against people who ◊ Appoint a leader who will be accountable are prohibited from owning them. Another is that for progress on the state’s strategy. Among the state lacks the personnel to lead these efforts. other responsibilities, this leader should bring BEYOND THE CRISIS | 3 California is not a competitive employer: It requires ◊ Include domestic violence experts in its its special agents to hold college degrees yet pays policymaking processes for homelessness and less than other agencies that do not require a degree. housing instability. Its hiring process also can take 12 months, which is too long for many to wait. The state should enforce existing firearms laws by speeding up IT modernization and reworking the special agent classification to be more competitive. Economic Security It is imperative for survivors to be economically secure: Intimate partner violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women. The primary reason women return to abusive partners is economic insecurity. Further, many survivors experience economic abuse in their relationship, which can destroy their finances and credit. To help survivors leave and support themselves, the state should: ◊ Create a one-stop identity and financial program to help survivors start over. ◊ Transition the Victim Compensation Board model for state funds from one of reimbursement to real-time payments. ◊ Officially recognize domestic violence survivors as a group facing barriers to employment. ◊ Connect survivors with state apprenticeship programs so they may earn a living while completing their education or training. ◊ Require all state-administered domestic violence grants to provide a living wage and annual cost-of- living increases to awardees. ◊ Advertise its CalWORKS emergency housing program for survivors and adjust it to be more flexible for survivors needs. ◊ Expand its Domestic Violence Housing First program, create a stable, sustainable funding stream, and require awardees to participate in monitoring and evaluation. 4 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION Introduction One third of women in California will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime.1 So will What is Intimate Partner one quarter of men. Rates are even higher for those Violence? who are transgender: Approximately 54 percent of transgender people nationwide experience IPV Intimate partner violence occurs when during their lifetime.2 someone harms a person with whom they currently or previously shared an emotionally Intimate partner violence starts young: 70 percent or physically intimate relationship. This abuse of women and girls who experience intimate can be physical, sexual, psychological, or partner violence and 55 percent of men and boys financial; often it is a combination of these. who experience it first do so by age 24. And of those young people, nearly a quarter of girls and The full scope of intimate partner violence 15 percent of boys first experience it before they’ve was only recently codified in California statute reached adulthood.3 when the Legislature enacted, and Governor Newsom signed, SB 1141 in September The effects follow victims for life. Young women who 2020. Sponsored by the Los Angeles City experience IPV are more likely to drop out of school Attorney’s Office and introduced by Senator than their non-abused peers. A study on women in Susan Rubio, the bill expands the definition vocational training found that those who experienced of domestic violence to include coercive psychological violence were five times more likely control. The law defines coercive control as to drop out of the program than their peers.4 And behavior that unreasonably interferes with when abused women enter the workforce, one study someone’s free will and personal liberty, and found they earn a dollar less per hour than their includes actions such as isolating victims, non-abused peers.5 A Pennsylvania study found depriving them of necessities, controlling that domestic violence victims in that state earned their movement, communications, behavior, 88 cents for every dollar their non-abused peers finances, economic resources, or access to earned.6 services, and forcing or intimidating them into actions they otherwise would not take.11 Unsurprisingly, abused women experience physical and mental health disorders at higher rates than The Commission applauds the state’s leaders non-abused women, and their health care costs are and the LA City Attorney’s office for this 42 percent higher than those of non-abused women.7 recognition, albeit belated, of common ways They cannot escape higher healthcare costs even if victims are controlled. It is too soon to know they leave their abuser: Women who have lived in whether the statute is working as intended, abuse-free situations for five years or longer still face but it is something the Commission will follow health care costs that are 19 percent higher than with interest and may address in future their non-abused peers.8 reports if necessary. Often the impact falls hardest on the most vulnerable. Families experiencing economic stress more severe forms of IPV, than women living in other are particularly likely to be affected by IPV,9 and there locations, and they are more likely to suffer extensive is a correlation between male unemployment and property damage and be murdered by their partner rates of domestic violence.10 Women who live in small than women in other geographic areas.12 Both rural towns are more likely to experience IPV, and BEYOND THE CRISIS | 5 women and men who are American Indian, black, or jails and prisons, sex offender management, and multiracial report higher rates of intimate partner other public services – and this figure doesn’t include violence than their peers of other races.13 other costs paid by society, such as increases in insurance premiums.18 Finally, we must not forget the toll on California’s public servants and their families: 40 percent of Intangible costs include items such as the income law enforcement officer homicides nationwide and tax revenue lost while the victim was recovering; occur while responding to domestic violence calls. the perpetrator’s income and tax revenue lost while Domestic violence calls are the most lethal call for in prison; the costs to an employer of hiring and our police officers.14 training a temporary worker if the victim was off of work for an extended time; and similar important, Intimate Partner Violence is but less visible, costs.19 Costly to the State Researchers calculated – and believe it to be a In addition to the human cost, intimate partner conservative calculation – the intangible costs to violence exacts a heavy burden on taxpayers through California for sexual assault to be $140 billion per medical, criminal justice, property damage, and other year.20 costs. RAND published a study on the 2007 cost Sexual violence is but one of the many types of abuse of different crimes to Los Angeles County: In 2019 victims of intimate partner violence experience. The dollars, each murder cost Los Angeles $10.9 million; State of California simply cannot afford to allow each rape cost $276,000; and each physical assault domestic partner violence to run unchecked. cost $110,500.15 A 2010 study by the University of Colorado School of Public Health and the University California’s Response to of Miami Miller School of Medicine had similar findings: Each murder cost society approximately Intimate Partner Violence: $9 million, while the average cost of a non-sexual Underfunded, Fragmented, assault was about $107,000.16 and Incomplete Funded by the California Department of Public Health and the CDC, the California Coalition Against California’s response to intimate partner violence Sexual Assault (CALCASA) published the most contains pockets of success. The state contributes comprehensive study on the tangible and intangible funding toward a network of nonprofit organizations costs of sexual violence to California. This is that provide a wide variety of services to survivors. important because, according to the CDC, 51 percent Expanded services are available for low-income of female rape victims are raped by a current or survivors, and home visits provide parents with former partner.17 information about intimate partner violence. An innovative program called Domestic Violence The study found that the annual tangible cost for Housing First provides survivors with flexible funding sexual assaults in California is $9 billion. Tangible to ensure they have housing. All of these programs costs include health care, property damage, are administered by dedicated civil servants who investigation and adjudication of the incident, and impressed the Commission as talented and devoted other costs resulting from the crime. $2.9 billion of to serving vulnerable Californians. that is funded by taxpayers to pay for police, courts, But we believe more must be done. We believe 6 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION the state’s current effort is both underfunded and ◊ Provide local assistance to existing service administratively fragmented. providers. ◊ Maintain and expand services based on a The state relies heavily on the federal government demonstrated need. for funding its response to intimate partner violence, which means the money is used for the federal ◊ Establish a targeted or directed program for the government’s priorities. Each year the federal development and establishment of domestic government sends the state approximately $300 violence services in currently unserved and million for various programs related to intimate underserved areas.23 partner violence: $260 million to help victims, $16 In response, Cal OES created the Domestic Violence million for victim compensation services, $16 million Assistance Program (DVAP). About 60 percent from the Violence Against Women Act, and $10 of DVAP funding comes from federal funds. The million for prevention programs. other 40 percent comes from the state’s only direct contribution to IPV-related services: $20.6 million California adds only about $20 million a year toward from California’s General Fund. When creating the crisis intervention victim services.21 Traditionally program, Cal OES and the California Partnership to there has been almost no additional state funding End Domestic Violence (The Partnership) engaged of prevention. In 2019-20 and 2020-21, the state in an extensive stakeholder process to determine appropriated $5 million toward sexual and domestic how to use the funding. The result was a decision to violence prevention – a meager amount that bring the existing shelter providers to an equal level nonetheless initially was cut from the 2020-21 budget of funding, and then divide the DVAP funds equally and advocates had to fight to get reinstated.22 among them, regardless of size, location, needs of client population, or other factors. Each of the Agency Silos Lead to Overlaps roughly 100 organizations receiving DVAP funding and Critical Gaps in Service currently receives approximately $500,000 per year. Provision CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY While dozens of state agencies address various The California Health and Human Services Agency aspects of intimate partner violence, the two that contains offices and departments critical to reducing lead the state’s response are the California Health and preventing intimate partner violence: and Human Services Agency (CHHS) and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services OFFICE OF THE SURGEON GENERAL (Cal OES). Upon taking office, Governor Newsom created the Office of the Surgeon General and appointed Dr. CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES Nadine Burke-Harris as the state’s first Surgeon Cal OES is the primary administrator of federal General. Her mandate is daunting: She is to “advise funding for direct services to victims. It inherited the Governor, serve as a leading spokesperson on this responsibility after the Legislature shut down matters of public health and marshal the insights the Office of Criminal Justice Planning. Thereafter, and energy of medical professionals, scientists, the Legislature tasked Cal OES with creating a public health experts, public servants and everyday comprehensive statewide domestic violence program Californians to drive solutions to our most pressing with three goals: public health challenges.”24 Dr. Burke-Harris is exceptionally qualified to lead the state in reducing BEYOND THE CRISIS | 7 and preventing intimate partner violence: Her and both work on prevention. Neither, however, background focuses on the long-term impact of serves the critical area between prevention and adverse childhood experiences and she has set crisis intervention: early intervention, or interrupting a goal to reduce such experiences by half in one the cycle of abuse before it reaches a crisis stage. generation.25 Ultimately, California’s most vulnerable residents pay the price for this siloed arrangement of government DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES responsibilities. The California Department of Social Services offers expanded services for low-income survivors through Create a Holistic Prevention- its CalWORKS program, as well as emergency and Early-Intervention assistance for survivors from higher-income Approach to Intimate Partner backgrounds whose abuser is restricting their access to resources. This will be discussed in more detail in Violence Part III of this report. The department also runs its California must adopt a more holistic approach to Home Visiting Program via CalWORKS; this program solve its domestic violence problem. Many survivors sends nurses or other professionals to visit parents are in crisis by the time they reach out for help. While or soon-to-be parents to answer questions and the state must continue – and bolster – its support connect them with other social services if needed. for victim services, it must take on the difficult work One of the areas in which they assist parents is with of prevention and early intervention before the crisis support services for domestic violence.26 Multiple arrives. stakeholders praised this program and suggested expanding it as a means of reducing and preventing Currently, no one is responsible for state’s progress intimate partner violence. or lack thereof on reducing and preventing intimate DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH partner violence. The Governor must designate The California Department of Public Health leads someone who will “own” the issue area of intimate California’s prevention efforts for all types of partner violence. The Commission believes the violence, including intimate partner violence, through purview logically would fall under the California its Violence Prevention Initiative. The agency focuses Health and Human Services Agency, but ultimately on addressing the root causes of violence, such this leader must be someone the Governor and as poverty, housing, health equity, and other far- Legislature trust, is committed to evidence-based reaching topics, but has a small partnership with decision-making, and can elicit the cooperation of Cal OES to provide teen dating violence services. leaders across every level of government, as well as This provides direct assistance to young people in the nonprofit and private sectors. There are several violent relationships or at risk of being in a violent steps this leader should take: relationship. The program is designed to intervene Bring stakeholders together to develop the with young victims and perpetrators to prevent state’s goals for intimate partner violence, unhealthy relationships in the future. Out of the identify metrics to measure progress toward more than 10,500 public and charter schools in those goals, and craft an evidence-based strategy California, however, this joint program serves only to reach the goals. four.27 The state should define success. Currently the state Both the Department of Public Health and Cal OES lacks a definition of success, as Jeanne Spurr, CEO of direct funding to provide crisis services to victims, 8 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION Empower Tehama, pointed out. “What is success?” reports to be submitted directly to the feds via the she asked. “For some it’s divorce, for others it’s OVC PMT website (a very problematic, onerous housing. Everybody’s definition is different, so how system that never functions as it’s supposed to); so do you measure it?”28 that’s 10 grants x 4 reports/year = 40. So Cal OES alone is requiring us to submit 66 reports/year. To facilitate evidence-based decision-making, create a framework for data collection and The time needed to prepare the progress reports analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of the vary by grant, but an average of 1.5 days is methods it is using to combat intimate partner required to complete (12 hours if that’s all you were violence. The leader must not be afraid to change working on that day). The VOCA reports take about course if the evidence indicates current methods 2 hours each and that’s using our very robust, very are not working. Importantly, the state must expensive client data system, Efforts to Outcomes, include funding in its grants for organizations to that already has the report built in it. I can’t hire a data manager or analyst. imagine how much time it takes smaller agencies who are relying on Excel spreadsheets or lesser The state needs more accurate data to successfully database solutions. address intimate partner violence. The state does not have a firm grasp of the full scope and impact of So now we’re talking roughly 450 hours each year intimate partner violence on Californians who are not just to complete the reporting requirements for cisgender white women and whether it is meeting Cal OES […] The biggest aggravation is that the their needs – though conversations with advocates information being reported is duplicated in the from those communities suggest it is not. It does various reports, but each entity (Cal OES, VOCA, not even know the effectiveness of its mainstream FVPSA, etc.) all ask for the information to be programs for survivors of intimate partner violence. reported in a different way--different quarters, different funding periods, etc.--so it’s not like That does not mean that grantees do not have we can just copy and paste the information. reporting requirements, however. They do, and Additionally, we rarely receive feedback on the it’s cumbersome. Below is testimony from Beth reports we submit, unless there’s an error or a Hassett, CEO and Executive Director for WEAVE, a correction needed. It would be beneficial to know Sacramento-based crisis intervention organization, how the information is being used to inform future on the reporting burden for grants administered by funding needs, etc.29 Cal OES: Ms. Hassett’s frustrations were echoed by Matt The amount of data we are expected to provide Huckabay, Executive Director for Placerville-based to the government is excessive and redundant. The Center for Violence-Free Relationships, who used Cal OES requires semi- annual progress reports a single metric to illustrate the futility of current data that are a combination of both quantitative and reporting requirements: qualitative data. That’s 13 grants x 2 progress reports a year = 26 reports. Some of them vary in One example of the problem with this type of length, but none is less than 4 pages and the DV reporting is evident with the question: total number progress report is 11 pages long. of crisis line calls received. The assumption is every crisis line call being counted is from a person in a In addition, any of our Cal OES grants with VOCA crisis that is specific to domestic violence. This is funding (10 total) also require quarterly data not the case. Every day individuals call The Center’s BEYOND THE CRISIS | 9 A Voice for the Underserved The state’s current shelter system, it is often said, was designed by white women for white women. This is not quite accurate, said Beckie Masaki, co-founder of the Asian Women’s Shelter in San Francisco. If you look at who initially founded various women’s shelters, she said, you’ll find that several were started by women of color, often survivors themselves. As with many other social services, the shelters were subsumed into the dominant cultural framework and came to serve the needs of white able- bodied cisgender American women, leaving others underserved or not served at all.30 Here it is best to allow service providers to speak for themselves and the populations they serve: “A lot of times [survivors’] mothers are living with them and can become scapegoats themselves, with violence directed at them. Often, domestic violence shelters won’t allow [a survivor’s] mother to come.” – Beckie Masaki, Co-founder of the Asian Women’s Shelter31 “The Korean community is low-reporting of domestic violence because of cultural, lingual, and stigma barriers. Clients fear going into an environment where they can’t speak to anyone. Uprooting children is a huge issue because the community is education-oriented. By the time clients are willing to choose shelter, the violence and abuse has gotten so bad that there aren’t other options – there’s no early intervention then, just serving people at a crisis level.” – Connie Chung Joe, Executive Director, Korean American Family Services (title at time of conversation)32 “Police officers are supposed to bring a [sign language] interpreter. Often, it’s not the officer’s fault – there may be no interpreters in the area or there may be too few resources. In one situation, the officer showed up and actually arrested the survivor and son, who were both victims, and put them in jail. The police notes were that they refused to communicate. It caused a lot of harm to the victims. […] Shelters in the Bay Area are sometimes full or can’t meet survivors’ needs. Many shelters don’t have a video phone device for deaf people. It would be helpful if all shelters could have a video phone.” – Everett Glenn, Empowerment Director, Deaf Hope33 “Our wish list… Interpreters who are fluent in English and the language that is needed, and for them to be very informed. There have been times where we have used interpreters and they flat out refuse to interpret something because they’re talking about sexual violence or domestic violence. The interpreter will say they don’t believe what the victim is saying and refuse to interpret it. Or will say their culture doesn’t allow it. There are others who don’t know the jargon and don’t know how to interpret. In the Hmong community, there isn’t a word for domestic violence. In the 20 years that advocates have been working on Hmong domestic violence, advocates have coined a term. Some interpreters refuse to use that term, which means ‘to torture.’ But when talking to survivors and advocates, survivors will say no other word describes what they’re going through except for this word. Some people will refuse to accurately translate that or use appropriate words. They will use terms like ‘they just don’t get along’ instead of ‘to torture.’ For sexual violence, they won’t say the word rape, just, ‘that person did something bad to me.’” - Maibao Yang, Program Specialist, and Dee Lee, Program Specialist, California Hmong Advocates Network – Building our Future34 10 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION “The last census classified Arabs, as an ethnic group, as not low-income or needing help – that is our biggest problem. They consider our clients white and a population that does not need help, which affects grants. The state goes by the census and it’s a federal definition. My clients are North African and Middle Eastern. They are low-income, no-income, mostly women, and are in no shape or form of European descent. They come from an interdependent and collective society. People depend on each other, and religion and tradition is a big deal. Most are Muslim, and there is shame and stigma about divorce. And there is shame about what happens in the home and airing it. Because the system has been made for the European-descent mindset, it leaves out people who are very religious or think of religion as how they’re going to save themselves. The mosque and the church are where they will seek help. They won’t talk about their emotions and feelings to any therapist or advocate.” - Mouna Benmoussa, Program Director, Arab Women’s Services35 “In the Bay, we see people who are hired who are bilingual and multilingual in all of these places where survivors interface. There are a lot of heritage speakers. People grew up speaking the language with family, but in the U.S. and have never talked about specific issues with courts, law enforcement, violence. The language issue is endless.” – Orchid Pusey, Executive Director, Asian Women’s Shelter36 “A lot of problems on the reservation when it comes to violence are similar to issues in urban communities. We look at history, we look at the sexual abuse and violence against women with colonization, but it’s also continuing now. San Francisco ranks one of the highest in the nation for missing and murdered indigenous women. Funding is for tribes, but urban areas tend to be intertribal. Native women leave the reservation and come to urban communities to get away from their abuser, or to relocate for their job, and then they find themselves without services; sometimes they have to travel back to the reservation for services. […] There’s a lot of cultural competency training that needs to happen with non-native organizations. Some women may want to speak to a native elder or go to a ceremony, and this is part of their healing. Women may want to think of something as part of their healing that may not be a western way of doing something. I’ve heard from survivors who have walked out of doctor or counseling appointments because they felt like they were having to retell their story, relive their trauma, and did not feel like they were believed or were being helped.” – April McGill, Director of Partnerships and Programs, California Consortium for Urban Indian Health37 “The number one problem is rural access. We’re a pretty big county, 3,500 square miles but we have only 63,000 people. All of these people in outlying areas have to find their way in to one of the two cities. The only bus service runs from Corning to Red Bluff once per day. We need to provide services in geographically remote areas where abusers isolate their victims. Years ago I was director of a counseling center and we were doing a program on maternal health. The idea was to address maternal depression, provide wraparound services in these remote areas. As it turned out, there was a lot of abuse but they were so far out that no one knew about it. It’s critical to connect people to services in these rural and remote areas. Abuse against LGBTQ people is a really serious problem. We do some work with LGBTQ clients, but we don’t have a dedicated person who can work with that population.” – Jeanne Spurr, CEO, Empower Tehama38 BEYOND THE CRISIS | 11 crisis line who are not experiencing IPV, may be customer service. It is easy to become consumed in calling the wrong number, as well as existing clients bureaucracy and lose sight of the fact that the state is who need to reschedule an appointment or be supposed to be serving the service providers. reminded of the date of their next appointment. Establish in-house expertise on intimate partner The result is The Center may report 832 crisis line violence. Outside entities should be able to come calls received and it is possible 50% of those calls to the state for information instead of the other could be for concerns unrelated to IPV.39 way around. Mr. Huckabay eloquently described the As noted earlier, Cal OES relies on outside experts to consequences of just counting widgets instead of inform its decisions on discretionary grant funding. measuring the efficacy of services: “Organizations are By statute, Cal OES collaborates with the Domestic not required to nor are they being held accountable Violence Advisory Council (DVAC) on funding for evaluating their ability to deliver meaningful, priorities and procedures. Members of the council, measurable and financially sustainable results for the at least half of whom are victim advocates or service people the organizations are in existence to serve.”40 providers, include 13 voting members and two The Commission understands that many reporting non-voting members appointed by the Governor, requirements are set by the federal government and Assembly Speaker, and Senate Rules Committee. Cal the state has little control over them. However, the OES also relies on advocates and technical assistance process of creating a data collection and analysis providers, such as when it hired the California framework should include streamlining the data Partnership to End Domestic Violence to design reporting process to the extent possible and utilizing the stakeholder process that created the Domestic technology where possible. This includes ensuring Violence Assistance Program. the information the state collects for itself is not To an extent, the Commission applauds Cal OES redundant with data already being supplied to the for listening to stakeholders and working with the federal government, that grantees understand how experts beyond what is required by statute. They that data is used to inform decision-making, and set an example for all government agencies. But the that grants include funding for a data manager for state must develop its own expertise on intimate grantees. The Commission learned that across the partner violence within its borders. The state has to nonprofit industry as a whole, 70 percent of funders consider many things beyond the scope of any one want impact measurement data, while 71 percent of organization or type of organization working with funders rarely or ever cover the costs of providing or advocating for victims of domestic violence. The that data.41 state must make difficult decisions on how to spend Modernize processes with a focus on customer limited resources, where allocating a dollar to one service. area means removing a dollar from somewhere else where it is desperately needed. It must consider The grant process could be easier for nonprofits taxpayer stewardship. It must consider how to operating on shoestring budgets if the state rehabilitate offenders who often have their own modernized how it does business with them. For unaddressed trauma. It must consider legislative and example, the state should deposit funds directly into gubernatorial priorities – such as earlier this year recipients’ accounts instead of mailing checks. where the legislative priority was Covid-19 response. It must consider fairness and equality: Does it send The state must design its processes with a focus on 12 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION its money to urban centers where many people can year grants from FY 2015-17 in the aftermath of be helped or does it direct it to rural areas where multi-billion-dollar settlements in the Volkswagen help can be nonexistent? emissions and banking foreign exchange and interest rate manipulation cases, but that money is drying Advocates, no matter how knowledgeable or up and cannot be considered a sustainable funding desirous to help, cannot provide the full scope source. of information state officials need to make these decisions. If the state is to be truly committed to The way the state chooses to fund intimate partner evidence-based decision making, then it needs its violence raises a number of questions that can own evidence and its own thorough understanding of essentially be summarized in two: how intimate partner violence impacts Californians. 1. Does this funding framework support the state’s Assess all current sources of funding and objectives for intimate partner violence? advocate for changes to help the state make 2. Is it sustainable? progress on its strategy to reduce, prevent, and The state’s new point person will need the support of recover from intimate partner violence. The the Governor and Legislature to turn the answer to Governor and Legislature should supply sufficient both of those questions into a resounding yes. funding to meet state goals. Recommendations The state’s primary response to intimate partner violence is the Domestic Violence Assistance 1. The State of California should adopt a strategic Program, discussed earlier in the report. It is a approach to intimate partner violence that is shelter-based program in which the 102 grant focused on prevention and early intervention, recipients must provide shelter along with 13 other while continuing to support crisis intervention and services to survivors in order to receive the funding. victim services. The 102 current grant recipients are among the 2. The Governor should designate a leader who original recipients when the state restructured its will be responsible for steering California to a domestic violence funding in the wake of the Office prevention- and early-intervention approach. This of Criminal Justice Planning’s shutdown and the Great leader should: Recession. All grant recipients receive equal amounts of funding, and barring misuse of funds or severe a) Bring stakeholders together to develop the performance failures, by statute they are guaranteed state’s goals for intimate partner violence, to receive non-competitive funding indefinitely identify metrics to measure progress toward should they apply for it. Statute outlines a process those goals, and craft an evidence-based to add new service providers to the group; since the strategy to reach the goals. funds are divided equally among the recipients, the b) Create a framework for data collection addition of new grantees naturally would lower the and analysis to evaluate the effectiveness amount of money all of the grant recipients receive. of the methods the state is using to combat So far Cal OES has not opened the grant pool to intimate partner violence. The leader must organizations outside of the original 100. not be afraid to change course if the evidence The state temporarily has been able to fund a variety indicates current methods are not working. of additional programs due to Congress quadrupling The state must include funding in its grants for Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) authorizations for multi- organizations to hire a data manager or analyst. BEYOND THE CRISIS | 13 c) Modernize processes with a focus on • In many places, domestic violence is customer service. normalized. • Intimate partner violence is not an anomaly d) Establish in-house expertise on intimate in an otherwise harmonious society: We must partner violence. address how it intersects with other forms of e) Ensure often overlooked groups are violence and marginalization. prioritized in the strategic plan. ◊ Prevention and intervention must be a multi- modal approach that becomes as pervasive f) Assess all current sources of funding and as intimate partner violence. There is no single advocate for changes to help the state make solution; it will require the collective efforts of all progress on its strategy to reduce, prevent, Californians. and recover from intimate partner violence. ◊ We must reach at-risk people as early in life as The Governor and Legislature should supply possible. sufficient funding to meet state goals. ◊ Many state programs already have anti- Prevention and violence responsibilities; California’s leaders must encourage them to prioritize those Intervention responsibilities. The state must strengthen its effort toward ◊ California’s leaders must be willing to legislate prevention and early intervention. Crisis intervention collaboration and other actions or require it is critical, but pursued alone, it will always be too as a condition to receive funding. This is not little, too late. These are the key principles that because officials don’t care about intimate partner should undergird the state’s prevention framework: violence, but an acknowledgment of the reality that many officials are under-resourced and ◊ Long-term planning should be a critical overworked, and this is how you make something component of state’s response. Reducing and a priority. preventing intimate partner violence is something ◊ The state must create a permanent funding that will be measured in generations, not fiscal stream in order to invest in prevention and years. Dr. Burke-Harris is leading the way with her early intervention. Five million dollars is not efforts to halve childhood adverse experiences enough. within a generation. Other state leaders should follow her lead. ◊ We must change how we work with people who have caused harm. ◊ We must invest in innovations around prevention. “There has been a deep Batterer Intervention underinvestment in prevention and one of the Programs outcomes of that has been very limited evidence- based practices,” Lucia Corral Peña, Senior Californians convicted of domestic violence must Program Officer for the Blue Shield Foundation of participate in a batterers intervention program (BIP) California, told the Commission.42 as a condition of their probation. State law outlines ◊ This is a societal problem, not a personal one. a variety of requirements for offenders and for the • We must stop putting the onus on victims to content of the programs, but also leaves quite a bit prevent their own abuse. of room for variation in program quality, which can 14 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION present significant challenges for participants. A Ironically, if someone treats their partner badly requirement to attend for two hours per week for 52 enough that they go to prison, the state pays for their consecutive weeks, for example, does not take into rehabilitation, in theory, at least. When there is still account the availability of group sessions, geographic a chance to intervene before the abuse rises to that distance, or participants’ work schedules. Many level, however, offenders are on their own. participants work shifts instead of an 8 to 5 office job. The format of BIPs presents more challenges. Participants should not have to choose between their Requiring participants to attend same-gender classes job or completing the terms of their probation. ignores that fact that some perpetrators of intimate Another problem is that BIPs are not widely available. partner violence are in same-sex relationships. Plumas Rural Services, for example, serves three Furthermore, it is difficult, if not impossible, to find counties in the Sierra Nevada with its BIP. Because classes for genders outside of the male-female BIPs must be entirely funded by participants, binary. Similar challenges arise for people who the organization can only afford to hold sessions communicate via American Sign Language or who do two days a week. Public transportation is not not speak English. The emphasis on using writing as a widely available in the Sierra Nevada, most of the form of accountability ignores that fact that California organization’s clients live far from the two bus routes ties with Texas and Mississippi for the second worst that do run through Quincy, where the BIP is located, literacy rates in the nation.45 and winter storms sometimes shut down roads and bus service.43 Ironically, if someone treats The fee presents another problem for participants. their partner badly enough that No taxpayer funds can be used for BIPs, but the they go to prison, the state $100 to nearly $200 per month for classes puts a strain on low-income families. And for Plumas pays for their rehabilitation, Rural Services, at least, these are families: Many in theory, at least. When there of their clients’ partners choose to stay, which is still a chance to intervene means that the participants’ fees are taking money from the family pot. Participants can’t stay if they before the abuse rises to that can’t pay, and missing too many classes ends in level, however, offenders are on arrest. Participants then spend 10 to 30 days in jail for violating probation, often losing their job and their own. accruing even more fees in the process. And when they are released, they must go right back to paying Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Stephen for their BIP classes. If they wait more than 30 days Manley shared his assessment of the state’s BIP after release to re-enroll, their progress in the BIP requirements: resets, and they must start all over again.44 When a large part of a program’s success depends on “What goes on is this: If you are well-educated, the relationship between client and facilitator, and white, have a job, and a good income, you’ll do fine the facilitator has to act as a debt collector, these and sail through these programs. But that changes requirements put that relationship to the test and the minute you start talking about someone low threatens the participant’s success. income. They can’t complete the program, can’t pay for them, and the legislation is simply perpetuating BEYOND THE CRISIS | 15 a myth: The counties can develop programs for good start, but there still are no wraparound services everyone. They don’t and they can’t. and the flexibility is limited to a couple of options regarding length of time in the program and class The court system is built on giving people equal format. The state must take that next step and access, equal justice. So if you are required to do determine how to create a suite of services that something, there should be a way for you to be can be tailored to the specific rehabilitative needs able to do it. If I order you to a BIP class, there of an individual. Finally, the state must ensure that should be a class for you to go to. Santa Clara only all offenders can access rehabilitative services, has one program for the indigent: There is a year- regardless of ability to pay. It is much less costly to long wait list. To get around these requirements the state than the alternative. you can place people on informal probation, but that means no one is paying attention to them. Recommendations If we really cared about the problem, we would 3. The state should develop a comprehensive long- engage the community: social services, the foster term intimate partner violence prevention and care system. We would have a system of incentives early intervention action plan. California must and sanctions, and give seven incentives for every integrate its antiviolence initiative into every sanction. I think we need a major change by the segment of society. The state must provide Legislature. We need wraparound services. We adequate funding to implement this plan. need navigators and peer navigators. We need to 4. The state should review its requirements for have social services, behavioral health, probation, batterer intervention programs to determine if all together working with the family. We should they facilitate rehabilitation. Additionally, the state be required to consider a plan that is realistic and should begin a process to determine how to tailor involves the individual. But this all costs money and rehabilitative services to an individual’s needs. we have no money.”46 Finally, the state should ensure that rehabilitation is not contingent on an individual’s ability to pay. The Commission is not arguing that BIPs are inherently bad; the Commission heard from two Enforcing California’s BIPs that no one could doubt are committed to serving and rehabilitating their clients. The problem Intimate Partner Violence- is that the statute and system are structured in such Related Gun Laws a way that it’s nearly down to chance – except the odds are stacked against participants who are not Women in the United States are 21 times more likely financially secure – whether the program will work than their peers in other wealthy countries to be shot for a participant or leave them indebted in the county to death.47 Most of these women are killed by their lockup. That’s not justice; it’s not rehabilitation; and it current or former intimate partner.48 Nationwide, has not reduced rates of intimate partner violence in more than 600 women are shot to death by their California. intimate partner each year. More than 1 million women in the U.S. today have survived a shooting The state must review its requirements for batterer attempt by their partner.49 Another 4.5 million intervention programs to determine what facilitates women in the U.S. report having been threatened rehabilitation and what hinders it. There is an by a partner wielding a firearm.50 And women of ongoing six-county pilot project to see if program color disproportionately bear the burden of these flexibility leads to fewer repeat offenses. This is a 16 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION shootings, with black and American Indian/Alaska Native women being nearly three times more likely to be murdered than their white counterparts.51 Worse, these rates are increasing over time: A 2019 study analyzing FBI data found that domestic violence firearms homicides increased by 26 percent between 2010 and 2017.52 More Victims The violence often extends beyond the target of the abuser’s ire. A 2014 study found that 20 percent of Why Don’t They Just Leave?55 deaths in intimate partner homicides were collateral victims, people who were simply in the wrong place HOPE FOR THE VIOLENCE TO CEASE at the wrong time. One quarter of collateral victims are children. Most collateral victims are killed with a ISOLATED FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS firearm.53 FEAR OF RETALIATION Law enforcement officers are also endangered. According to the U.S. Department of Justice and the PRIOR NEGATIVE COURT EXPERIENCES National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, NO PLACE TO GO 40 percent of law enforcement officer homicides between 2010 and 2016 occurred while responding THEY’RE UNDOCUMENTED AND FEAR to domestic violence calls. Offenders killed officers DEPORTATION with firearms in all but one of those homicides.54 An officer with nearly three decades of experience FINANCIAL ABUSE explained the dynamics of a domestic violence call: LOW SELF-ESTEEM The most dangerous time, the time when we’re NEED ABUSER’S HEALTH INSURANCE DUE TO getting killed the most often, is in the approach. It’s MEDICAL PROBLEMS the ambush. Often they know we’re coming, so we don’t park right out front. FEAR OF LOSING CHILD CUSTODY The nature of the crime adds another complication. NO JOB SKILLS Domestic violence is about one person’s desire to control another. The police officer who arrives at NO KNOWLEDGE OF OPTIONS the scene is taking away some of that control. SHAME AND EMBARRASSMENT Say I’m knocking on this person’s door, telling him he has minutes to grab a couple of personal LACK OF TRANSPORTATION belongings. I’m telling him: “You have to leave, PRESSURE FROM CHILDREN OR FAMILY TO there’s a hearing in three days. I don’t want to hear STAY TOGETHER about your toolbox, or your big screen TV. You can’t contact this person or your kids. Oh, and you BEYOND THE CRISIS | 17 still have to pay your rent and the telephone bill.” the death toll, the more likely it is that the shooter Imagine what that does to a person who’s all about has a history of abusing partners.58 control.56 State Response to IPV- Finally, there is a connection between intimate Related Homicides partner homicides and mass shootings.57 According to an analysis by Bloomberg News, 60 percent of A woman is five times more likely to be killed by her mass shootings are committed by men who are abusive partner if he has access to a firearm than if actively in the process of trying to kill their partner or he does not.59 who have a history of domestic violence. The higher Beyond the Target of the Abuser’s Ire: Seal Beach Shooting In the quaint community of Seal Beach, California, fathers, sons – were lost in the span of two Michelle Fournier was the ultimate “Italian mama” horrific minutes. The only victim to survive the to her three children. She loved cooking dinners carnage was the mother of a slain hairstylist who and baking cakes for their birthdays, and always pretended to be dead to escape Scott’s wrath. made a lemon cake with cream cheese frosting Scott was later sentenced to eight terms of life for her eldest son, Chad. Michelle occasionally imprisonment without parole, one term for each took leftovers from these celebrations to share innocent life he extinguished at Salon Meritage. with her coworkers at the local Salon Meritage, Hundreds of family members, friends, and where she was a beloved hairstylist. Clients members of the Seal Beach community gathered gushed about Michelle’s chatty nature and to celebrate Michelle’s life with flowers and blue hilarious banter with fellow stylists. But beneath ribbons, her favorite color. Her children find ways her cheerful demeanor, Michelle was a victim of to keep her memory alive. Michelle’s daughter, intimate partner violence. Her husband, Scott, Chelsea, made her brother Chad a lemon cake for physically abused her and at one point held a gun his birthday, just like her mom used to do. on her. The couple divorced, but Scott’s abusive behavior continued during a bitter custody battle over their eight-year-old son. “I have learned that it is wisest to avoid conflicts with him at all costs,” Michelle wrote in court documents. “That means not only avoiding physical confrontations but avoiding verbal ones as well.” She confided in a close friend that Scott had threatened to come to Salon Meritage and kill her. Two months later, after arguing with Michelle over the phone, Scott stormed into the salon and shot Michelle multiple times before turning the gun on her coworkers, Employees of Salon Meritage. Michelle Fournier (center right), customers, and a patron of the restaurant next Victoria Buzzo (far left), Randy Fannin (top left), and Christy door. Eight innocent lives – mothers, daughters, Wilson (top center) were killed by Michelle’s ex-husband Scott. 18 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION Federal law prohibits offenders convicted of a California also allows ex parte prohibitions, which domestic violence misdemeanor from possessing are temporary emergency requests for a protective or acquiring firearms and ammunition. Additionally, order that must be followed by a hearing. Unlike in subjects of domestic violence protection orders are many other states, family, teachers, and employers prohibited from possessing or acquiring firearms and in California can request ex parte prohibitions if ammunition in certain conditions.60 subjected to troubling behavior. Removing firearms from the subjects of protective orders as quickly as California lawmakers have expanded federal possible is imperative: A study found that 20 percent prohibitions and closed loopholes in the federal of homicide victims with a temporary protective law that allowed abusers access to firearms. The order were murdered within two days of the order Legislature expanded prohibitions of firearm and being issued. A third were killed within the month ammunition possession to include convictions for following the order being issued.65 assault, battery, and stalking misdemeanors.61 The latter is critical because roughly 76 percent of women Challenges in Implementing murdered by their intimate partner are stalked by California’s Firearms Laws their murderer in the year before their death, and 85 percent of women who survive attempted murder California has a solid legal framework in place to by their intimate partner report being stalked by remove firearms from people who cause harm. their partner or ex-partner in the year preceding the The challenges arise in implementation. In 2019, attempt.62 California’s Bureau of Firearms removed 2,130 firearms from people prohibited from owning them. Of those, 1,007 firearms – nearly half – were A woman is five times more unknown to the agents removing the firearms.66 likely to be killed by her abusive Of those, 41 were ghost guns, which is beyond partner if he has access to a the scope of this report. The rest of the unknown weapons represent weaknesses in the databases that firearm than if he does not. are supposed to track this information and, more importantly, endanger California’s law enforcement In addition, federal law narrowly defines a subset agents and potential victims. of relationships with the victim that would make an THE ARMED PROHIBITED PERSONS SYSTEM abuser ineligible to possess a firearm if convicted (APPS) of a domestic violence offense or the subject of The California Department of Justice developed the a protective order. California removes firearms Armed Prohibited Persons System (APPS) to identify and ammunition from all people convicted of the firearm owners who also are subject to a restraining above crimes. Importantly, California’s expanded order or have been convicted of an offense that law protects dating partners instead of limiting would prohibit them from possessing firearms. APPS protections to victims who were (or once were) is a data aggregator that allows users to draw on married to, lived with, or had a child with their information from 11 databases to provide firearm abuser.63 Closing the “boyfriend loophole” matters eligibility updates upon request. Importantly, APPS because dating partners who are not married and do does not automatically cross-reference those 11 not necessarily live or co-parent together account for databases and alert the Department of Justice about half of intimate partner homicides.64 to potential firearms owners who may no longer BEYOND THE CRISIS | 19 How the State Removes Firearms from Offenders72 The APPS database is not an automated system that cross-reference across all firearms databases; therefore, creating a complete case package for investigation requires the Crime Analyst to manually cross check across multiple additional databases. As it stands, the system is extremely cumbersome to operate. When a user retrieves a single case, all information tabs must be verified prior to acting on enforcement; that starts with confirming the individual's name, birthdate and driver's license number match across all systems. Then, using Law Enforcement Agency Web (LEA Web), the Crime Analyst will run a multiple query using the individual's driver's license number. LEA Web is a California-unique database that queries some of California's databases like the California Restraining and Protective Order System, Automated Firearms System, Automated Criminal History System, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Mental Health Reporting System, Wanted Persons System and the Supervised Release Files. Each case is highly variable, and the circumstances and information provided for each case will determine how a Crime Analyst conducts their research. For example, an individual can be prohibited under multiple categories; the prohibiting category determines which databases a Crime Analyst must use to verify the prohibition is still current and that the case is workable. The complexity of the system can be seen even in the most straightforward of circumstances. In the case of an individual who has only one firearm and is only prohibited by one restraining order, the process would be as follows. 1 2 3 The analyst must confirm the Once this is verified, the analyst CCPOR is meant to be restraining order is effective and will try to pull the actual restraining a centralized registry that the individual was in fact served order from and external database, for restraining orders in by either being present in court or the California Courts Protective California; unfortunately, it was served by a processor. Order Registry (CCPOR). has not been implemented across all county courts in the state, in those cases the analyst must then contact 5 4 Assuming the individual is still in the county court directly to In such circumstances, possession of their firearm, the analyst attempt to obtain a copy additional administrative must then pull all the firearms associated of the restraining order. work must be done by the with the individual and run each individual Having an original copy can Department to remove the serial number in AFS to confirm the provide valuable additional association to that firearm individual is still associated with that information like confirming from that individual. firearm and there are no extenuating when, where and how circumstances where the individual is the restraining order was not in possession but the databases do served, the individual's last not reflect the change. This is sometimes known address, and whether 6 caused by a keying error where the serial the individual has already Although LEA Web does numbers are off by one, but all other surrendered their firearms. query DMV, it does not information coincides. pull photos or associated vehicles. To get that information, Crime Analysts 7 must perform additional, Once all information is confirmed, and assuming the information separate steps to pull it allows for the case to be workable, the package is then ready for from DMV registries. agents to run enforcement. 20 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION be eligible to possess them. In fact, the system only been required to be added into the database is physically incapable of doing that. “Many of since 2014. Aside from ghost and stolen weapons, these systems and subsequent modifications or the database has shortcomings even for weapons enhancements to these systems have been in obtained legally: People own weapons from reaction to numerous legislative mandates that have before the laws were made; people move around been implemented since the first system was built, in the state without updating their address or move 1980. As a result, the network of systems has become to California from other states without registering increasingly complex over the last several decades, their firearms; people move out of state, are with each system using different logic that cannot institutionalized, or die, and the state loses track be applied to modifications needed across multiple of their firearms. systems,” wrote department officials in a budget 3. California Restraining and Protective Order request to modernize the system and its inputs.67 System (CARPOS). This is a repository of individuals subject to a protective order, including The steps a crime analyst must take to assemble domestic violence, gun violence, and other a case file in even the simplest of cases are time- restraining orders. Though intended to be the consuming, labor-intensive, and an inefficient use of centralized depository for all California restraining their resource and expertise. The graphic on page 20 order, not all counties have adopted the California outlines the process to prepare a case for someone Courts Protective Order Registry, a critical feeder who owns one firearm and is the subject of one database for CARPOS.71 Consequently, crime restraining order. analysts must query some courts individually to The California Department of Justice identifies obtain copies of an individual’s restraining order. five APPS databases and systems used to identify 4. Mental Health Reporting System (MHRS). MHRS firearm owners who are no longer eligible to possess is an application used by mental health facilities, weapons:68 courts, and law enforcement to report mental health-events that would prohibit someone from 1. Automated Criminal History System (ACHS). possessing a firearm. ACHS is the repository of Californians’ interactions 5. Wanted Persons System (WPS). WPS is a with the criminal justice system. It has long been database of individuals with outstanding arrest criticized for incomplete records, often due to warrants. insufficient court and law enforcement personnel to input data for millions of criminal justice system The state of the current APPS system leaves the interactions.69 The system also is stymied by California Department of Justice unable to meet incomplete records in the databases that inform statutory requirements.73 Or, as the department it. For example, The Offender-Based Transaction describes it: System, which is supposed to capture the final The firearms systems can no longer be enhanced in outcome for felony arrests, is only estimated to a cost effective or efficient manner and cannot be have that information in 65 to 75 percent of its further utilized to implement the changing needs records.70 of law enforcement and California as a whole. The 2. Automated Firearms System (AFS). AFS was systems were designed to meet user needs based created in 1980 to record which firearms are in on outdated system design practices and point- the custody of whom and to track lost or stolen in-time business requirements. The current design firearms through serial numbers. Long guns have method results in significantly longer development BEYOND THE CRISIS | 21 times, requires more resources, and requires longer systems analysis and planning process to modernize and more extensive regression testing, making the state’s firearms systems. The long-term goal is to it difficult to respond to the constantly evolving rework APPS into two systems: one accessible by the landscape of statutory mandates pertaining to Department of Justice and the other accessible to the firearms.74 public.75 The 2020-21 budget includes $2.4 million for the Given the urgency to supply the Department of department to hire consultants and the California Justice and its partners with accurate information, Department of Technology for an 18 to 24 month and in the face of the state’s economic downturn, the Killed in the Line of Duty: Tara O’Sullivan O’Sullivan and the other officers would be walking into what would later be described as the “worst- case scenario.” The officers were there to stand watch as the woman retrieved her belongings from the detached garage to leave the home. Barricaded inside the main house was Adel Sambrano Ramos. Ramos – who has a lengthy criminal record dating back to 1995 and had been convicted of domestic violence, battery, petty theft, and driving under the influence – opened fire on the officers with a high-powered rifle, shooting O’Sullivan in the back. Ramos continued firing, Tara O’Sullivan wanted nothing more than to trapping O’Sullivan in the backyard where she serve as a police officer. Turning her dream lay wounded awaiting help. Nearly 45 minutes into a reality, O’Sullivan graduated from the later, officers drove an armored vehicle into the Sacramento Police Academy in December backyard to rescue O’Sullivan. Ramos continued 2018, where she was just one of seven women shooting at the officers as they exited, disabling in her class. After working for the Sacramento the vehicle. Officers were able to carry O’Sullivan Police Department for six months, 26-year- to a nearby police car and transport her to the old O’Sullivan was just two weeks away from hospital where she was later pronounced dead. the last phase of her officer training when she During the stand-off between Ramos and the joined several other officers in responding officers, Ramos opened fire 30 times using two to a domestic dispute between a man and assault rifles, a shotgun, and a handgun – which a woman at a home in north Sacramento. investigators later found placed throughout the Police experts equate responding to domestic home. Roughly eight hours after police arrived at violence calls to “walking into an emotional the house, Ramos surrendered and was arrested. powder keg” as officers try to swiftly and safely O’Sullivan, who gave her life protecting her diffuse emotions and settle the situation. community, is remembered for her strength and Unfortunately, this is not always possible and bravery. 22 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION Commission believes it would be useful during the The Department of Justice has authorization to anticipated 18 to 24 month process to identify laws employ 71 special agents, supervisors, and trainees and regulations that could be adjusted to expedite for this purpose. But the department isn’t a the implementation of the modernized system at competitive employer. Unlike other law enforcement an affordable price. For example, the Department agencies, its agents must undergo the time and of Justice found it could expedite the rollout of expense of completing a college degree. Yet their firearm precursor licensing, eligibility checks, and entry-level pay is 17 percent lower than comparable authorizations to combat the rise of ghost guns two law enforcement agencies. Any advantages conferred to three years early with an additional $10 million in by a negotiated pay raise in 2019 were wiped general funds spread over two years.76 out when other state and local law enforcement agencies received similar or higher pay raises. The Human Resources department also is slow in recruitment; it can take up to 12 months to bring an agent on board. Part It is imperative that firearms be removed from an of the lengthy process is unavoidable; agents must offender immediately upon conviction of an offense pass comprehensive background checks. However, that would prohibit them from owning firearms or the agency encounters a recurring problem with upon issuance of a restraining order. However, there potential hires giving up midway through the process are not enough people to meet the need to remove and to take a job with a different law enforcement firearms from those prohibited from owning them at agency that will allow them to start sooner or pay all levels of government. them more.78 When crime analysts complete a case file for an Though it may be difficult to find the funding during armed person prohibited from owning firearms, an economic downturn, the Commission believes the case is then given to a special agent. Special that as soon as the budget allows, special agent, agents are responsible for locating and retrieving supervisor, and trainee pay should be increased to the weapon. It is dangerous work. The agents are be commensurate with their peers at comparable working with an armed population defying a court institutions, and should reflect the additional order. Further, it is not uncommon to discover in requirements, such as a college degree, asked of the field that an individual is more heavily armed them. To stay competitive, the state should routinely than official records indicate. In addition to being review salaries of the position’s peers and create a dangerous, the job requires skillful interaction with minimum threshold for which their pay cannot fall individuals for agents to obtain the information they beneath. need to remove the firearm or close the case. On average, it takes three in-person interviews to close Recommendations a case. This often is due to the individual in question claiming (sometimes accurately) they already 5. As part of its planning process to modernize its surrendered the firearm, lost it, or gave it away, firearms databases, the Department of Justice among other reasons, which requires the agent to should identify reasonable means by which take even more steps to track down the firearm. In implementation could be safely and affordably 2019, DOJ special agents made 21,696 contacts with expedited, including wavers of statutes and only 45 special agents, trainees, and supervisors to regulations if necessary. The Administration perform that work.77 and Legislature should provide the department reasonable support to expedite the process. BEYOND THE CRISIS | 23 a) The modernized databases should allow to afford necessities without any income. I walked automatic cross-checking of information as away feeling helpless, sure that Maxine would a “first pass” in determining which firearms go back to her boyfriend, because she and her owners are prohibited from possessing children simply couldn’t afford to stay away. firearms, freeing up crime analyst to work on - Amy Durrence, Director of Law and Policy, more complicated cases. FreeFrom79 6. The state should increase the pay of the Maxine’s story illustrates the complex challenges a Department of Justice’s special agents, special survivor encounters when trying to leave an abusive agent supervisors, and special agent trainees to relationship. In addition to the physical danger of make the positions more competitive with other leaving and the necessity of establishing a new law enforcement agencies. Additionally, the state household overnight and often with few resources, should routinely review comparable salaries the economic abuse experienced by survivors can and ensure DOJ special agent salaries remain harm them long after they have left the relationship. competitive with other law enforcement agencies. Preliminary findings from a study on survivor financial insecurity are bleak: A Long-Term View of Survival Needs: Economic ◊ 100 percent of the survivors in the sample experienced some form of economic abuse. Independence and Housing ◊ 98 percent experienced economic restriction, such as not being allowed to access their financial When I first met one of my clients, Maxine, she was information. ready to take her 3 young children and leave her abusive boyfriend. After walking Maxine through ◊ 96 percent experienced economic sabotage, such our intake process, I was able to help her obtain as having a loan taken out in their name without a temporary restraining order in court. However, their permission. I quickly realized that getting Maxine and her ◊ 98 percent experienced education or employment children out of immediate danger wasn’t enough. sabotage, such as being prohibited from taking classes or working.80 You see, Maxine’s boyfriend prevented her from The impacts of the economic abuse were severe. working and had complete control over the family’s Again referencing preliminary results, the study’s resources during the relationship. This left Maxine authors testified that just 43 percent of the survivors with hardly any money and no way to make an they sampled had a checking account and 24 percent income. While we were successful in getting Maxine had a savings account. Their average credit score was and her kids a temporary restraining order, they 578, which credit bureaus classify as very poor. The had no place to go, no money to pay for necessities, team recounted the story of one survivor who, upon and no job prospects. I had to find Maxine and her leaving her abusive partner, discovered that he had kids emergency housing, buy them groceries and taken out multiple credit cards in her name without diapers, help Maxine look for job opportunities, her knowledge. She learned she was $17,000 in debt, and find childcare so that she could go to job could not make the payments, and the credit card interviews. company refused to treat the charges as fraudulent; When my representation of Maxine ended, she and consequently, her credit score was in the 200s. She her kids were still in emergency housing struggling had a very difficult time finding housing, a job, and 24 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION My Sister’s Café and My Sister’s House in Sacramento Earlier this year, the Little Hoover Commission visited My Sister’s Café, run by My Sister’s House, a nonprofit organization in Sacramento that seeks to eliminate domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking among the Asian and Pacific Islander community as well as underserved women and children throughout the region. The vast array of culturally relevant Executive Director Ethan Rarick greets My Sister’s House services offered by My Sister’s House – a 24-hour Executive Director Nilda Guanzon Valmores. multilingual help line, Spanish-speaking support groups, and Safe Haven shelter serving the needs are given the opportunity to gain valuable of the highly diverse Asian and Pacific Islander work experience in restaurant operations and population – enables staff to provide lifesaving preparing and serving sandwiches, salads, information and assistance to survivors of all coffees and teas inspired by Asian cuisine to backgrounds. By tailoring IPV support services the public. Since 2003, My Sister’s House has to meet the needs of specific populations, My served more than 4,000 domestic violence Sister’s House is able to effectively address survivors of all ethnicities in their Women to linguistic or cultural barriers that prevent Work Program, responded to over 21,500 calls to many survivors of IPV from seeking help and their multilingual help line, provided more than provide survivors from diverse cultures with 52,000 nights of shelter to women and children, care specific to their needs. Their Women to and hosted twelve annual conferences training Work program, which offers clothing, childcare, over 500 service providers across the Central career guidance and more, helps women who Valley on cultural competency and working with may have never been given the freedom to immigrant women. Such training is essential to explore their interests and talents establish ensure providers throughout California are able financial independence and stability away from to provide welcoming, supportive environments their abusers. At My Sister’s Café, survivors and services to IPV survivors from all walks of life. insurance, Ms. Durrence testified. That victim was figures of debt,” asked FreeFrom CEO Sonya Passi, not alone. A different study found that 52 percent of “how can you move forward and rebuild your life?”83 survivors were saddled with coerced or fraudulent This section will discuss ways the state can help debt.81 A 2018 Centers for Disease control study survivors attain economic stability and long-term found that female survivors pay on average $103,000 safety. It also will focus on one component that for expenses related to domestic violence.82 “If you deserves additional attention due its intersection are leaving with no cash, no job, no credit, and six BEYOND THE CRISIS | 25 with one of California’s most pernicious challenges: ◊ Recover. If the survivor has been subject to safe, affordable housing for survivors and their identity theft or fraud, the program should help dependents. them create a recovery plan with the Federal Trade Commission. It should walk them through Economic Independence all of the other entities, like utility companies, they may need to contact to close fraudulent Economic independence is the key for survivors to accounts, and to send affidavits of identity theft be able to successfully leave an abusive relationship. to government agencies to explain why there There are several ways the state can help survivors might be double filings for their tax returns land on their feet, and many of them simply involve or government benefits. It should help them adjustments to programs and processes the state establish new banking and credit accounts out already has in place to help its residents to meet the of reach of their partner. In the worst scenarios, unique needs of survivors. it should help survivors apply for a new social security number and provide ongoing assistance “If you are leaving with no cash, to help survivors navigate the challenges that will arise from having no credit or any other history on no job, no credit, and six figures the new number. of debt,” asked FreeFrom CEO ◊ Protect. The program should help the survivor Sonya Passi, “how can you move protect their identity from future assaults by teaching them how to freeze and unfreeze their forward and rebuild your life?” credit, signing them up with a credit monitoring program, and providing financial literacy classes. Create an Identity-Focused California’s Lowest Income Reentry Program for Survivors Survivors Overlooked by Survivors of economic abuse can suffer from more Victim Compensation than not knowing about or not being in control Framework of their credit and bank accounts. They may not have access to their own birth certificate, driver’s The Victim Compensation Board reimburses crime license, social security card, passport, and other victims for direct expenses related to the crime. For vital documents necessary to travel or secure a job, federal crimes, the funding is channeled through housing, or financial aid. the VOCA State Crime Victim Compensation Formula Grant. For victims of non-federal crimes, California The state should create a one-stop “reentry” program has instituted a similar system through its Restitution that collaborates with county vital records offices, Fund. Neither fund is supported by taxpayers; credit bureaus, and financial institutions to: they both receive payments from offenders in the ◊ Inform. Help survivors get copies of their and form of penalties or court-ordered restitution. The their dependents’ vital records, credit reports, and Victim Compensation Board is supposed to be scores from all of the major credit bureaus, and a the reimburser of last resort, following insurance listing of all bank, checking, investment, and other payouts, legal settlements, and other sources. financial accounts in their name. The problem with this reimbursement model is that 26 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION many survivors do not have the funds available a crime from accessing any funding. Survivors get to first pay for the services for which they would lost in a one-size-fits-all approach to all crimes eventually be reimbursed. Nor do they often have that narrowly understands violence to be physical, the funds available to hire an attorney to file a civil treats decades of continuing abuse as a single case to seek restitution from their abuser. And there incident subject to the reimbursement limits of a is plenty to restitute: In their Covid-19 assistance single incident, and barely acknowledges the effects survey, FreeFrom found that the survivors they of trauma, gaslighting, dependence, and fear on served suffered on average $17,770 in property a survivor’s ability to work with law enforcement damage annually by their abuser, and on average against their abuser. had $1,280 per month stolen from them by their The Commission recommends a trauma-informed abuser.84 These losses do not include the costs of review of the statutes and regulations governing medical bills, mental health care, and other services compensation to survivors, with follow-up by survivors often need. To compound the matter, the the Legislature and the Administration to lower legal services attorneys receiving grant funding to the barriers between survivors and the financial help survivors usually cannot file civil cases on behalf compensation they need to rebuild their lives. Areas of their clients due to funding restrictions,85 meaning to begin include: that survivors are out of luck if they cannot fund their own legal battle. ◊ Allow compensation for emotional injuries beyond physical violence or threats of California should take the following steps to make physical violence. Currently survivors may the non-federal portion of its victim compensation only be reimbursed for emotional injuries if program accessible to the lowest-income the person inflicting the emotional injury also Californians: physically harms or threatens to physically harm REAL-TIME PAYMENTS the survivor.86 This misses the complexities of Currently, some types of providers can directly emotional and mental abuse suffered by survivors invoice the Victim Compensation Board. The state of intimate partner violence. should expand this system to include all service ◊ Allow all survivors to be compensated for their providers and vendors so that survivors’ expenses losses, regardless of their relationship with are covered in real time. The Victim Compensation law enforcement. Do not withhold compensation Board can then be reimbursed from any insurance or from survivors for failing to assist law enforcement legal settlements the survivor receives, maintaining in investigating, apprehending, and prosecuting its role as reimburser of last resort. their abuser.87 This requirement currently imposed ADJUST REQUIREMENTS AND DEFINITIONS on survivors fails to acknowledge that abuse may TO BETTER SERVE SURVIVORS OF INTIMATE lead survivors to feel fear, shame, or even an PARTNER VIOLENCE obligation to help their abuser. This also does not California already has carved out some exceptions take into account that some communities have to standard Victim Compensation Board policies for more fraught relationships with law enforcement survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and and the judicial system than others; it is not human trafficking. Even with those exceptions, the uncommon for survivors to have had previous program still applies many of its policies broadly encounters with law enforcement where their across all victims of crime, including its laser focus claims were not taken seriously or restraining on preventing people who are hurt while committing orders were not enforced, leading to personal BEYOND THE CRISIS | 27 loss of trust in law enforcement. Additionally, In 2017, California enacted the Removing Barriers some survivors come from countries where law to Employment Act, which charged the California enforcement and the judicial system are corrupt Workforce Development Board (CWDB) with creating and they expect the same from the American a grant program to provide individuals with barriers system. Finally, this requirement does not to employment the services they need to participate acknowledge that survivors have good reason to in workforce preparation, training, and educational fear their abuser: The first 90 days after a woman programs aligned with regional labor needs. It leaves her abuser are the most dangerous for also asked CWDB to determine the populations her.88 Three-fourths of all domestic violence that would be served and the activities that would homicides occur when partners decide to leave or be funded by the grant program. Local workforce physically leave.89 development boards were then required to connect the community-based organizations that received ◊ Allow survivors of “loss of liberty” to receive the grants with America’s Job Center of California, a loss of income or support compensation. “one-stop shop” for free employment and training Currently, only survivors who are employed at the services hosted by the Employment Development time of their abuse can receive compensation for Department. The purpose was to integrate the loss of income due to the abuse.90 Survivors who people served by the initiative into the education are prevented from working or whose abusers’ system and broader employment. actions lead to their being fired should also receive compensation for loss of income. The Act specified 15 potential populations to be ALLOW SURVIVORS TO PURSUE CIVIL CASES served. While some survivors would have been AGAINST THEIR ABUSERS VIA THE STATE’S eligible for services under the grant because they RESTITUTION FUND belonged to other categories of target populations, Given the quantifiable losses experienced by the act did not specifically identify them as a target survivors, the state’s Restitution Fund should cover population.91 Given that one in three women and the cost of taking civil action against an abuser, with one in four men in California endure intimate the understanding that the costs of attorney fees and partner violence, this seems a striking omission. The other monies fronted by the Victims Compensation Legislature appropriated $15 million for this initiative. Board will be reimbursed if the survivor is successful. While not all cases will be successful, this still will The legislation stated that funding did not have to provide more recourse for survivors, particularly be limited to the specified populations, but of the 26 low-income survivors, to receive restitution. It also award recipients, not one targeted domestic violence will shift some of the costs from the taxpayers and victims or any groups not on the list.92 Several survivors’ own pockets to the people who actually grantees, however, planned to use their awards to caused the harm. assist former offenders. The Commission takes no issue with this assistance: For decades it has argued Expand the Removing Barriers that employment is critical for rehabilitation and to to Employment Act to reduce recidivism. There is a sad irony, however, that someone who harmed their partner had more of an Explicitly Include Victims of opportunity to receive training and education under Domestic Violence and Renew this initiative than the person they harmed. Funding The Legislature should expand the Removing Barriers 28 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION to Employment Act to explicitly include domestic The state should create a mechanism that connects violence victims, and issue another round of grant survivors with California’s apprenticeship programs funding to provide opportunities for community- so survivors can attain an education or enhance their based organizations to help survivors and other skills to be competitive for a higher-paying job while struggling Californians attain the training and simultaneously supporting themselves. education they need to find employment. Help the Helpers Connect Survivors with A large reason survivors have difficulty obtaining Apprenticeship Opportunities financial recovery services through community- based organizations is that the employees of those Survivors need to be able to support themselves organizations are not in a position to provide the financially, which can interfere with their educational advice and assistance survivors need. Serving goals. An apprenticeship program can allow them survivors of domestic violence is a calling for many; to earn money while they complete their education they certainly are not doing it to get rich or because and training. Conveniently, California runs the it is easy. Consequently, the field tends to attract largest apprenticeship program in the nation via survivors because their personal experience compels the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) them to help others. FreeFrom’s Financial Freedom under the Department of Industrial Relations.93 study found that the average annual salary of a While opportunities abound in the classic vision service provider in Los Angeles is $35,700. Their of apprenticeships in the skilled trades – to which average credit card debt is $6,563.106 DAS actively tries to recruit women – there also are opportunities in industries not typically associated “How am I supposed to talk to my clients about with apprenticeships. These include such varied savings and credit, when I don’t have savings and fields as cosmetology, cannabis, cybersecurity, and have never checked my credit and feel like I’m barely firefighting, which also is actively recruiting women making it through the month?” a service provider and people of color. (More information can be found asked FreeFrom.107 at www.dir.ca.gov/das.) Right now, California’s response to intimate partner In addition to DAS’ programs, the Department of violence is based on providing grants to community- Consumer Affairs recently concluded a stakeholder based organization to provide hands-on assistance to process on creating apprenticeships in the allied survivors. It is unrealistic to expect service providers health professions, called Earn and Learn. The state to help survivors toward financial recovery if they is now working on implementing those findings themselves have not experienced financial security. and recommendations. Unlike traditional models Consequently, if the state wishes for survivors to of healthcare education in which students pay for become economically independent, its model of their practical experience, the Earn and Learn model service delivery is fundamentally flawed. pays students for their work. Generally considered a win for all, this model helps train Californians At a minimum, state-administered grants must for jobs that are projected to or already have provide a living wage to service providers. Not worker shortages, provides pathways for upward a survival wage, but a wage that allows them to mobility, and helps healthcare services reflect the live safely and healthfully in their community, communities they serve. obtain good health insurance, cover childcare and transportation expenses, and save for retirement. BEYOND THE CRISIS | 29 Housing and LGBTQ+ Survivors Shelters often lack the training and accommodations to adequately house and care for LGBTQ+ survivors. Many shelters often cater to cisgender women only, in order to create a “sisterhood” of support where women can feel empowered and safe.94 According to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, 43 percent of LGBTQ+ survivors who sought shelter in 2017 were denied access, and 32 percent were turned away because of their gender identity.95 Transgender women have a particularly difficult time finding a shelter that will accept them. A telephone survey of 100 homeless shelters in four states found that just 30 percent were willing to house transgender women with other women, while 13 percent said they would isolate the individual or house them with men and 21 percent refused shelter to transgender women entirely.96 Those who find refuge frequently experience harmful treatment, especially in homeless shelters. Bisexual survivors of IPV were nearly two times as likely to report experiencing violence or discrimination in a shelter, while transgender women were nearly two and a half times more likely to experience violence.97 In a nationwide survey of transgender individuals, 70 percent of respondents who stayed in a shelter reported experiencing some form of mistreatment due to their transgender identity. Twenty-five percent said they presented as the wrong gender in order to feel safe at a shelter, while 14 percent said they were forced by staff to present as the wrong gender in order to keep living at the shelter. Nearly one in ten were thrown out of the shelter once staff found out they were transgender, while 44 percent left due to poor treatment or unsafe conditions.98 Without access to safe shelters, many LGBTQ+ survivors of IPV are forced to live on the streets.99 But they often can’t turn to authorities for help: They are more likely than their unsheltered peers to be targeted and mistreated by police officers. This leads to low levels of trust for authority figures, including shelters and service providers.100 LGBTQ+ people also face increased levels of discrimination and stigma in finding stable housing.101 Discrimination regarding their gender identity and homelessness status can intersect in harmful ways with discrimination regarding ethnicity, mental illness, or disability.102 Being a survivor of IPV further adds to these negative effects.103 The challenges LGBTQ+ survivors of IPV face finding safe, stable housing away from their abusers have dangerous implications. Some choose to stay in an abusive relationship.104 Others choose to live on the streets rather than face harmful and hateful treatment in a shelter.105 The state’s grants must also include annual cost-of- it cost to provide these same services itself (or fund living increases. the counties to do so)? What would union-negotiated wages and workplace safety requirements, paid State leaders should imagine the cost of the holidays and time off, healthcare, vision, dental, alternative: What would the cost be to the state if all retirement contributions, retirement healthcare, of its service providers quit overnight? What would training, bike and public transit subsidies, geographic 30 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION pay differentials, bilingual pay differentials, merit and eligible for temporary housing assistance if they raises, general salary increases, and all of the other sign an affidavit swearing that they are victims of benefits that create a security net for its employees domestic violence and cannot access their partner’s cost the state if its own employees had to do the resources. They are immediately granted 16 days work that community-based organizations currently of housing assistance and another 16 if needed do? while establishing CalWORKS eligibility. If they establish eligibility for CalWORKS – and many do, A living wage and cost-of-living increase is a bargain. the Department of Social Services reports, as they are homeless with few resources – they will receive Housing and Homelessness the additional 32 days of shelter that CalWORKS survivors may receive. Californians are only eligible Domestic violence is the leading cause of to receive housing support via signed affidavit once homelessness for women, according to the National during their lifetime, however, so it’s important for Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV).108 On government agencies and nonprofits to work closely the organization’s 2019 National Violence Counts to help survivors successfully leave their abuser the day – a one-day unduplicated count of adults and first time. children seeking domestic violence services in the U.S. – 3,307 victims of domestic violence received The state is to be commended for creating a short- emergency and transitional housing in California. term housing solution for survivors of all income Another 630 victims requesting housing assistance levels. The Commission recommends the following were turned away that day in California due to lack of ways to bolster the program: resources.109 ◊ Advertise the program. Many service providers Sadly, any discussion on women and homelessness and others the Commission heard from had not automatically is a discussion on children and heard of the CalWORKS program – and these are homelessness. NNEDV did not release state-specific people who spend careers in the industry. If even numbers, but nationally, 48 percent of people they are not familiar with the program, how can sheltered by domestic violence programs were survivors know about this benefit? adults; the remaining 52 percent were children. Nationwide, of the 7,732 people requesting shelter ◊ Create parity for CalWORKS recipients. Survivors fleeing with nothing from middle- and who were turned away, 40 percent were children.110 upper-class environments ultimately are eligible CRISIS RESPONSE -- CALWORKS VOUCHERS for 64 days of emergency housing assistance: The California Department of Social Services provides The first 32 via a signed affidavit that they cannot temporary assistance for victims of intimate partner access resources controlled by their partner and violence. the second 32 upon enrollment into CalWORKS. Survivors already enrolled in CalWORKS who Survivors can receive up to 32 days of motel are fleeing an abusive environment should have vouchers, double the number for other CalWORKS the same access to emergency housing as their recipients. middle- and upper-class peers. The state should allow CalWORKS recipients experiencing intimate Additionally, 2017 legislation provided recourse for partner violence to receive a one-time extension survivors and their children fleeing higher income of their housing assistance to a total of 64 days. partners.111 Survivors now are considered homeless BEYOND THE CRISIS | 31 ◊ Allow unused emergency housing vouchers to Housing First recognizes that the best way to keep be cashed out to pay for permanent housing someone in their home may be helping them expenses. Ultimately the goal is for survivors to with transportation expenses to get to work. find permanent housing. If a survivor is able to For example, one survivor’s ex-partner slashed find suitable permanent housing after two weeks all her car’s tires. She lived far from work and in emergency housing, for example, but does not public transportation. She did not need a security have the funds to pay the first and last month’s deposit: What she needed was to keep her job. So rent, security deposit, and other fees, then the the program bought her new tires. state should cash out the value of the unused 3. Community engagement. Service providers who vouchers and allow the survivor to apply that participate in Domestic Violence Housing First money to those expenses. engage and form close relationships with their communities. In Napa, for example, there are very DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOUSING FIRST low vacancy rates for apartments, and people with Emergency housing assistance is not enough to help good credit scores are competing for units that survivors achieve long-term stability. Using VOCA become available. Landlords can ask for proof of funding, Cal OES has allowed service providers income three times the rent amount. Survivors to innovate in helping survivors achieve security often can’t compete in that marketplace. A local through Domestic Violence Housing First. service provider, Nurturing Empowerment Worth Domestic Violence Housing First is premised on the Safety (NEWS) Domestic Violence & Sexual Abuse idea that the best way to reduce homelessness is Services, forges relationships with area landlords to prevent it in the first place, ideally by allowing to place survivors in available units. Landlords survivors to stay in their own home if it is safe have learned that NEWS will jump in to assist for them. If survivors must move for their safety, survivors financially if they need it, and in many because they cannot afford their home on one ways will act as a property manager for them. income, or for other reasons, the program seeks NEWS has developed a strong reputation as a safe to help them quickly establish permanent housing bet, which smooths the way for future survivors to before they experience homelessness. be given a chance.121 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOUSING FIRST The program operates on three core principles:112 WORKS AND SHOULD BE EXPANDED 1. Survivor-driven trauma-informed advocacy. Michigan State University researchers evaluated the The idea is that advocates and survivors work impact of Domestic Violence Housing First on the together to find a solution that works for the clients of 19 of the 33 service providers participating survivor. Survivors set their own goals and in the program. These organizations served 925 advocates connect survivors with the resources survivors over a period of 21 months. Researchers they need to achieve them. This is a shift from the found that 425 families were able to use the program traditional top-down model in which the funder to stay in their own home, 367 were able to obtain tells survivors what they need. new housing, while the remaining 133 were still searching for safe and stable housing.122 2. Flexible funding. Traditional housing programs require funds to be spent on costs directly In addition to the three principles listed above, related to a dwelling, such as rent, a security service providers shared another reason why deposit, or moving expenses. Domestic Violence Domestic Violence Housing First works for their 32 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION Pets and Housing The beloved pets of IPV survivors can be a barrier as they contemplate fleeing abusive relationships. Perpetrators use animal abuse as a mechanism of coercion, yet a dearth of shelters accepting victims of abuse and their furry companions leaves survivors with few options to safely escape with their pets.113 Studies conducted across the United States, Ireland, and Australia have found that between 25 percent and 71 percent of pet-owning women receiving services for IPV-victimization experienced their partner threaten and/or harm their pet.114 According to a survey of IPV survivors, concern for pets prevented 38 percent of respondents from engaging in effective safety planning for their escape. Many respondents indicated they could not leave their abusive relationship without their pet or their partner would harm or kill the pet as retaliation. Others who left abusive situations with their pets experienced difficulty accessing pet-friendly domestic violence shelters and services.115 Out of 51 shelters in California that either provide shelter for pets, have a relationship with an entity that does, or provide referrals to such facilities, just seven – in Modesto, Crescent City, Chico, San Andreas, Kelseyville, Jackson, and Sacramento – allow pets to be housed on-site with their owners.116 Other housing options such as hotels and apartments often charge additional fees to allow animals on-site and can be too expensive for survivors to afford, particularly if they suffer from financial abuse.117 Faced with dismal options, many survivors remain with their pets in extremely dangerous, abusive situations. In 2019, California passed a law that sought to alleviate the challenges survivors of domestic violence face when fleeing with their pets. AB 415 allows victims of domestic violence to receive up to $2,000 from the Victim’s Compensation Board for pet care costs incurred during relocation, including housing pets in temporary pet boarding or paying extra deposits or rent to stay with pets in a hotel or apartment.118 While this bill is certainly a step in the right direction for survivors who can afford the upfront payments necessary to secure such pet boarding and housing, some survivors are not so fortunate. A study of 103 survivors of domestic violence found that 99 percent experienced a form of financial abuse at some point during their relationships.119 Abusers often meticulously track the victim’s use of money and can prevent them from accessing funds in a shared bank account,120 thereby complicating efforts to escape and often forcing victims to remain under their abuser’s control. As a result, many IPV survivors do not have funds immediately available to pay for pet care that can later be reimbursed. California must do more to help survivors of IPV access lifesaving shelter for themselves and their pets. Through its Domestic Violence Assistance Program, California should encourage an expansion of shelters statewide that house pets on-site with their owners, and require all shelters receiving state funding to adopt plans specifying protections for pets and efforts to house them on-site with their owners. BEYOND THE CRISIS | 33 clients: They don’t have to adhere to federal Housing of domestic violence and homelessness and how and Urban Development requirements when seeking widespread of a problem it is. Domestic violence housing. “It doesn’t dictate that clients have to go shelters are often seen an answer to a problem, to housing approved by local housing authority or advocates told the Commission, a place where HUD” said Connie Chung Joe, Executive Director for other agencies can stick people and free up space Korean American Family Services. “In LA our clients elsewhere. Less often are they invited to be part of can’t afford market rate apartments. We don’t want the strategizing and policymaking to form the state’s to assist them with rent that’s $2,000 a month for six approach to homelessness and housing instability. months to a year then say goodbye and good luck. To make a difference, they need a seat at the table. Our clients want landlords who are Korean speaking, Recommendations and sometimes these are small apartments owned by immigrants who wouldn’t ever volunteer to go 7. The state should create a one-stop “reentry” through a HUD housing process. They also stay in program that collaborates with county vital boarding houses with shared kitchens, or garage records offices, credit bureaus, and financial apartments and in-law units.”123 institutions to help survivors gain access to their The state should expand Domestic Violence Housing identity documents and understand their financial First. There are a few challenges it must first iron picture, recover from damage to their finances out, however. The first is scale and sustainability. The and credit, and protect against future economic state will need to find more funding for the program abuse. if it is to be a widespread program in California. 8. California should take the following steps to make Current funding came from large settlements into the non-federal portion of its victim compensation the VOCA fund, but there is no way to predict what program accessible to the lowest-income kinds of settlements will feed the fund in the future. Californians: California needs its own, stable funding source. a) Real-time payments from the Victims The second challenge is evaluation. California must Compensation Board. continuously evaluate the program in order to understand if it is helping the state reach its goals. b) Adjust requirements and definitions to better Only 19 of the 33 agencies chose to participate in serve survivors of intimate partner violence: the previous evaluation. This largely was because participation was not required as a condition of i. Allow compensation for emotional receiving funding. The state should require future injuries beyond physical violence or threats grant recipients to participate in monitoring and of physical violence. evaluation as a condition of receiving funds – and ii. Allow all survivors to be compensated for of course build sufficient funding into the award for their losses, regardless of their relationship organizations to be able to do that. with law enforcement. A Seat at the Table iii. Allow survivors who have experienced loss of liberty to receive loss of income or One constant, virtually unanimous refrain the support compensation. Commission heard from service providers and advocates was the difficulty in getting leaders at all c) Allow survivors to pursue civil cases against levels of government to understand the intersection their abuser via the state’s Restitution Fund. 34 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION 9. The Legislature should expand the Removing Barriers to Employment Act to explicitly include domestic violence victims, and issue another round of grant funding to provide opportunities for community-based organizations to help survivors attain the training and education they need to find employment. 10. The state should create a mechanism that connects survivors with California’s apprenticeship programs so survivors can attain an education or enhance their skills to be competitive for a higher-paying job while simultaneously supporting themselves. 11. The state should require all state-administered domestic violence grants to provide a living wage and annual cost-of-living increases to awardees. 12. The state should enhance CalWORKS’ emergency housing voucher program by: a) Advertising the program. b) Creating parity for CalWORKS recipients. c) Allowing unused emergency housing vouchers to be cashed out to pay for permanent housing expenses. 13. The state should expand its Domestic Violence Housing First program. a) It should create a stable, sustainable funding stream. b) It should require participation in monitoring and evaluation to be a requirement to receive funding. 14. The state should include domestic violence experts in its policymaking processes for homelessness and housing instability. BEYOND THE CRISIS | 35 Notes 1. National Coalitions Against Domestic Violence. 7. Institute for Women’s Policy Research. August Domestic Violence in California. https://assets. 14, 2017. “The Economic Cost of Intimate Partner speakcdn.com/assets/2497/california.pdf. Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking.” https:// Accessed June 19, 2019. iwpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/B367_ Economic-Impacts-of-IPV-08.14.17.pdf. Accessed 2. James, S. E., Herman, J. L., Rankin, S., Keisling, M., June 19, 2019. Mottet, L., & Anafi, M. (2016). The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: 8. Institute for Women’s Policy Research. August National Center for Transgender Equality. Page 14, 2017. “The Economic Cost of Intimate Partner 15. Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking.” https:// iwpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/B367_ 3. National Coalitions Against Domestic Violence. Economic-Impacts-of-IPV-08.14.17.pdf. Accessed Domestic Violence in California. https://assets. June 19, 2019. speakcdn.com/assets/2497/california.pdf. Accessed June 19, 2019. Also, Breiding, M.J., 9. Capaldi D.M., Knoble N.B., Shortt J.W., Kim H.K. Chen, J. & Black, M.C. 2014. Intimate Partner A systematic review of risk factors for intimate Violence in the United States – 2010. National partner violence. Partner Abuse. 2012;3(2):1–27. Center for Injury Prevention and Control, doi: 10.1891/1946-6560.3.2.e4. Also, Bright, C. F., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Burton, C., & Kosky, M. (2020). Considerations of Page 3. Accessed August 14, 2019. https://www. the impacts of COVID-19 on domestic violence in cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/cdc_nisvs_ipv_ the United States. Social Sciences & Humanities report_2013_v17_single_a.pdf. Open, 2(1), 100069. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ssaho.2020.100069. 4. Institute for Women’s Policy Research. August 14, 2017. “The Economic Cost of Intimate Partner 10. Lanier C., Maume M.O. 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August DeKeseredy. “Intimate Partner Violence in 14, 2017. “The Economic Cost of Intimate Partner Small Towns, Dispersed Rural Areas, and Other Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking.” https:// Locations: Estimates Using a Reconception of iwpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/B367_ Settlement Type.” Rural Sociology, 0, 1-27. Economic-Impacts-of-IPV-08.14.17.pdf. Accessed 13. Smith, S.G., Chen, J., Basile, K.C., Gilbert, L.K., June 19, 2019. Merrick, M.T., Patel, N., Walling, M., & Jain, 36 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION A. (2017). The National Intimate Partner and 17, 2019. Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010-2012 State 19. California Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury February 2018. “The Costs and Consequences of Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Sexual Violence in California.” http://www.calcasa. Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/CALCASA_ violenceprevention/pdf/NISVS-StateReportBook. CCofSV_FINALSpreads_2018.pdf. Accessed July pdf. Accessed October 8, 2019. 17, 2019. 14. KHOU. December 13, 2019. “Domestic violence 20. California Coalition Against Sexual Assault. calls proven to be most dangerous for February 2018. “The Costs and Consequences of responding law enforcement officers. https:// Sexual Violence in California.” http://www.calcasa. www.khou.com/article/news/local/domestic- org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/CALCASA_ violence-calls-proven-to-be-most-dangerous- CCofSV_FINALSpreads_2018.pdf. Accessed July for-responding-law-enforcement-officers/285- 17, 2019. c7fef991-320d-4d4d-9449-2ede67c10829. Accessed July 24, 2020. 21. CPI Inflation Calculator. https://www.bls.gov/ data/inflation_calculator.htm. 15. RAND Cost of Crime Calculator. https://www. rand.org/well-being/justice-policy/centers/quality- 22. California Partnership to End Domestic Violence policing/cost-of-crime.html. Accessed August 29, and California Coalition Against Sexual Assault. 2019. 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ACEs Aware Initiative. February 25, 2020. About www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/NISVS_ ACEs Aware. https://www.acesaware.org/wp- Report2010-a.pdf#page=32. Accessed July 24, content/uploads/2019/12/About-ACEs-Aware-2- 2019. 25-20-FINAL.pdf. Accessed December 3, 2020. 18. California Coalition Against Sexual Assault. 26. California Department of Social Services. February 2018. “The Costs and Consequences of CalWORKS Home Visiting Program (HVP). Sexual Violence in California.” http://www.calcasa. https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/ org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/CALCASA_ calworkshomevisitinginitiative. Accessed CCofSV_FINALSpreads_2018.pdf. Accessed July November 23, 2020. BEYOND THE CRISIS | 37 27. Jeannine Barbato, Stacy Alamo Mixson, Jeffrey 39. Matt Huckabay, Executive Director, The Center Rosenhall, California Department of Public for Violence-Free Relationships. October 24, Health. January 28, 2020. Call with Commission 2019. Written testimony to the Commission. staff. 40. Matt Huckabay, Executive Director, The Center 28. Jeanne Spurr, Chief Executive Officer, Empower for Violence-Free Relationships. October 24, Tehama. January 7, 2020. Call with Commission 2019. Written testimony to the Commission. staff. 41. Nonprofit Finance Fund. State of the Nonprofit 29. Beth Hassett, CEO and Executive Director, Sector: 2014 Survey. https://nff.org/report/2014- WEAVE. October 24, 2019. Written testimony to state-sector-survey-brochure. Accessed the Commission. December 4, 2020. Also, Matt Huckabay, Executive Director, The Center for Violence- 30. Beckie Masaki, Co-Founder, Asian Women’s Free Relationships. October 24, 2019. Written Shelter. January 14, 2020. Call with Commission testimony to the Commission. staff. 42. Lucia Corral Peña, Senior Program Officer for the 31. Beckie Masaki, Co-Founder, Asian Women’s Blue Shield Foundation of California. October 7, Shelter. January 14, 2020. Call with Commission 2019. Call with Commission staff. staff. 43. Angela Hauner, Batterer’s Intervention 32. Connie Chung Joe, Executive Director, Korean Coordinator, and Michelle Pillar, Executive American Family Services. Director, Plumas Rural Services. December 20, 2019. Call with Commission staff. 33. Everett Glenn, Empowerment Director, Deaf Hope. January 13, 2020. Call with Commission 44. Angela Hauner, Batterer’s Intervention staff. Coordinator, and Michelle Pillar, Executive Director, Plumas Rural Services. December 20, 34. Maibao Yang and Dee Lee, California Hmong 2019. Call with Commission staff. Advocates Network – Building our Future. January 16, 2020. Call with Commission staff. 45. Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies. U.S. Skills Map: State 35. Mouna Benmoussa, Program Director, Arab and County Indicators of Adult Literacy and Women’s Services. January 10, 2020. Numeracy: At or Below Level 1. https://nces. 36. Orchid Pusey, Executive Director, Asian Women’s ed.gov/surveys/piaac/skillsmap/. Shelter. January 14, 2020. 46. Stephen Manley, Superior Court Judge, County of 37. April McGill, Director of Partnerships and Santa Clara. June 12, 2020. Call with Commission Programs, California Consortium for Urban staff. Indian Health. January 15, 2020. 47. Note: Firearms are the primary mechanism 38. Jeanne Spurr, Chief Executive Officer, Empower by which transgender people are murdered. Tehama. January 7, 2020. Call with Commission Transgender people report experiencing higher staff. rates of intimate partner violence than their cisgender peers. It is reasonable to suspect 38 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION that better data collection on intimate partner 2009.” American Journal of Public Health. 104(3): homicide against transgender and gender non- 461–466. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ conforming people may yield more nuance in articles/PMC3953789/. Accessed July 23, 2020. gender-based statistics. 54. KHOU. December 13, 2019. “Domestic violence 48. Everytown. 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Giffords Law Center. “Domestic Violence & Prohibited Persons System (APPS) 2019.” Annual Firearms.” https://lawcenter.giffords.org/gun- Report to the Legislature. https://oag.ca.gov/ laws/policy-areas/who-can-have-a-gun/domestic- sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/publications/apps- violence-firearms/#state. Accessed July 22, 2020. 2019.pdf. Accessed July 14, 2020. 61. California Penal Code Sections 29805 and 30305. 69. Jack Dolan. July 17, 2011. “California Criminal Also, Giffords Law Center. “Domestic Violence Database Poorly Maintained.” Los Angeles Times. & Firearms.” https://lawcenter.giffords.org/gun- https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2011- laws/policy-areas/who-can-have-a-gun/domestic- jul-17-la-me-crime-data-20110717-story.html. violence-firearms/#state. Accessed July 22, 2020. Accessed August 3, 2020. 62. Giffords Law Center. “Gun Violence Statistics.” 70. 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California Department of Justice Report to the & Firearms.” https://lawcenter.giffords.org/gun- Legislature on APPS 2019. https://oag.ca.gov/ laws/policy-areas/who-can-have-a-gun/domestic- sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/publications/apps- violence-firearms/#state. Accessed July 22, 2020. 2019.pdf. Pages 7-8. 65. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. 73. Department of Justice. January 10, 2020. Budget 2016. “Guns and Domestic Violence.” https:// Change Proposal for Fiscal Year 2020-21: assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2497/guns_and_dv0. Firearms Information Technology Modernization. pdf. Accessed July 16, 2020. https://esd.dof.ca.gov/Documents/bcp/2021/ FY2021_ORG0820_BCP3299.pdf. Page 6. Accessed 66. California Department of Justice. “Armed and July 24, 2020. Prohibited Persons System (APPS) 2019.” Annual Report to the Legislature. https://oag.ca.gov/ 74. Department of Justice. January 10, 2020. Budget sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/publications/apps-2019. 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Kit Gruelle in interview with Jerry Mitchell. 95. National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. January 28, 2017. “Most dangerous time for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, battered women? When they leave.” The Clarion and HIV-Affected Hate and Intimate Partner Ledger. https://www.clarionledger.com/story/ Violence in 2017. http://avp.org/wp-content/ news/2017/01/28/most-dangerous-time-for- uploads/2019/01/NCAVP-HV-IPV-2017-report.pdf. battered-women-is-when-they-leave-jerry- 96. Rooney, C., Durso, L. E., & Gruberg, S. mitchell/96955552/. Accessed November 4, 2020. (2016). Discrimination Against Transgender 90. California Code of Regulations. §649.32. Women Seeking Access to Homeless Verification of Income or Support Loss. https:// Shelters. Center for American Progress. victims.ca.gov/law/regulations/current/#32. https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp- content/uploads/2016/01/06113001/ 91. Chapter 824, Statutes of 2017. AB 1111 (E. HomelessTransgender.pdf. Garcia). 97. National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. 92. California Workforce Development Board. AB Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, 1111: Breaking Barriers to Employment Initiative and HIV-Affected Hate and Intimate Partner Awards. https://cwdb.ca.gov/wp-content/ Violence in 2017. http://avp.org/wp-content/ uploads/sites/43/2019/12/AB1111-Award- uploads/2019/01/NCAVP-HV-IPV-2017-report.pdf. Announcement-12.16.2019_ACCESSIBLE.pdf. Accessed November 18, 2020. Also, California 98. James, S. E., Herman, J. L., Rankin, S., Keisling, M., Workforce Development Board. AB 1111 Mottet, L., & Anafi, M. (2016). The Report of the Executive Summaries. https://cwdb.ca.gov/ 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2020/06/AB-1111- National Center for Transgender Equality. https:// Executive-Summaries-6.18.20_ACCESSIBLE.pdf. www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/ Accessed November 18, 2020. USTS-Full-Report-FINAL.PDF. 93. Interagency Working Group on Earn and Learn 99. Homelessness Policy Research Institute. “LGBTQ Job Training Strategies and Apprenticeship in Youth Experiencing Homelessness.” University California. December 2012. “Apprenticeship as of Southern California Sol Price Center for Social a Critical Component of an “Earn and Learn” Job Innovation. https://socialinnovation.usc.edu/ Training Strategy in California.” http://www.dir. wp-content/uploads/2019/08/LGBTQ-Youth-Lit- ca.gov/DAS/reports/WhitePaperApprenticeship. Review-Final.pdf. pdf. Accessed July 27, 2016. Page 10. 100. Homelessness Policy Research Institute. “LGBTQ 94. Apsani, R. (2018). “Are Women’s Spaces Youth Experiencing Homelessness.” University Transgender Spaces? Single-Sex Domestic of Southern California Sol Price Center for Social Violence Shelters, Transgender Inclusion, and Innovation. https://socialinnovation.usc.edu/ the Equal Protection Clause.” California Law wp-content/uploads/2019/08/LGBTQ-Youth-Lit- Review, 106(5). https://www.californialawreview. Review-Final.pdf. org/print/6-are-womens-spaces-transgender- 101. Fraser, B., Pierse, N., Chisholm, E., & Cook, H. spaces-single-sex-domestic-violence-shelters- (2019). LGBTIQ+ Homelessness: A Review of the transgender-inclusion-and-the-equal-protection- Literature. International journal of environmental clause/#clr-toc-heading-6. 42 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION research and public health, 16(15), 2677. https:// nnedv.org/latest_update/16-things-may-not- doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16152677 know-housing-survivors/. Accessed November 6, 2020. 102. Fraser, B., Pierse, N., Chisholm, E., & Cook, H. (2019). LGBTIQ+ Homelessness: A Review of the 109. National Network to End Domestic Violence. Literature. International journal of environmental March 2020. 14th Annual Domestic Violence research and public health, 16(15), 2677. https:// Counts Report – California. https://nnedv.org/wp- doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16152677. content/uploads/2020/03/Library_Census-2019_ Report_web.pdf. Accessed November 6, 2020 103. Calton, J., Cattaneo, L., & Gebhard, K. (2016). Barriers to Help Seeking for Lesbian, Gay, 110. National Network to End Domestic Violence. Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Survivors of March 2020. 14th Annual Domestic Violence Intimate Partner Violence. Trauma, Violence & Counts Report. https://nnedv.org/wp-content/ Abuse, 17(5), 585-600. doi:10.2307/266381531- uploads/2020/03/Library_Census_2019_-CA.pdf. Accessed November 6, 2020. 104. Pendleton, V., Bosch, W., Vohs, M., Nelson- Dusek, S., & Decker Gerrard, M. (2020). 111. AB 557 (Rubio, 2017). Chapter 691, Statutes of Characteristics of People Who Identify as 2017. LGBTQ Experiencing Homelessness: Findings 112. Gabriela López-Zerón, Associate Director, from the 2018 Minnesota Homeless Study. Research Consortium on Gender-Based Violence, St. Paul, MN: Wilder Research. https://www. Michigan State University. October 9, 2019. Call wilder.org/sites/default/files/imports/2018_ with Commission staff. HomelessnessInMinnesota_LGBTQ_9-20.pdf. 113. Collins, E. A., Cody, A. M., McDonald, S. E., 105. James, S. E., Herman, J. L., Rankin, S., Keisling, M., Nicotera, N., Ascione, F. R., & Williams, J. H. (2018). Mottet, L., & Anafi, M. (2016). The Report of the A Template Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: Survivors' Experiences of Animal Maltreatment: National Center for Transgender Equality. https:// Implications for Safety Planning and Intervention. www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/ Violence against women, 24(4), 452–476. https:// USTS-Full-Report-FINAL.PDF. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5903551. 106. Sonya Passi, Founder and CEO, and Amy 114. Ibid. Durrence, Director of Law and Policy, FreeFrom. February 27, 2020. Written testimony to the 115. Ibid. Commission. 116. Animal Welfare Institute Save Havens Mapping 107. Sonya Passi, Founder and CEO, and Amy Project. https://safehavensforpets.org/#all- Durrence, Director of Law and Policy, FreeFrom. safehavens. February 27, 2020. Written testimony to the Commission. 117. California Partnership to End Domestic Violence and the American Society for the Prevention 108. National Network to End Domestic Violence. of Cruelty to Animals. Argument in Support of November 24, 2017. “16 Things You May Not Assembly Bill 415 (2019) included in the Senate Know About Housing for Survivors.” https:// Public Safety Committee Analysis. 17 June 2019. BEYOND THE CRISIS | 43 118. AB 415 (2019). http://leginfo.legislature. ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_ id=201920200AB415. “ASPCA Commends California Gov. Newsom for Signing Bill to Protect Victims of Domestic Violence and their Pets.” American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 9 October 2019. https://www.aspca. org/about-us/press-releases/aspca-commends- california-gov-newsom-signing-bill-protect- victims-domestic 119. Adams, A.E., Sullivan, C. M., Bybee, D., & Greeson, M. (2008). Development of the Scale of Economic Abuse. Violence Against Women, 14(5), 563-588. https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/5444856_Development_of_the_Scale_ of_Economic_Abuse 120. Stylianou, Amanda M. (2018). Economic Abuse Within Intimate Partner Violence: A Review of the Literature. Violence and Victims, 33(1), 3-22. https://connect.springerpub.com/content/ sgrvv/33/1/3.full.pdf 121. Tracy Lamb, Executive Director, Nurturing Empowerment Worth Safety (NEWS) Domestic Violence & Sexual Abuse Services. October 17, 2019. Call with Commission staff. 122. Gabriela López-Zerón, PhD; Kathryn Clements, PhD; Cris Sullivan, PhD, Michigan State University. October 2019. “Examining the Impact of the Domestic Violence Housing First Model in California.” https://wscadv.org/wp-content/ uploads/2020/03/DVHF-CA-2019_FULL-REPORT- Multipronged-Evaluation_final.pdf. Accessed January 22, 2020. 123. Connie Chung Joe, Executive Director, Korean American Family Services. January 10, 2020. Call with Commission staff. 44 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION Little Hoover Commission Members CHAIRMAN PEDRO NAVA | Santa Barbara ASM. CHAD MAYES | Yucca Valley Appointed to the Commission by Speaker of the Assembly Appointed to the Commission by Speaker of the Assembly John Pérez in April 2013 and reappointed by Speaker of the Toni Atkins in September 2015. Elected in November Assembly Anthony Rendon in 2017. Government relations 2014 to represent the 42nd Assembly District. Represents advisor. Former State Assemblymember from 2004 to Beaumont, Hemet, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, 2010, civil litigator, deputy district attorney and member San Jacinto, Twentynine Palms, Yucaipa, Yucca Valley, and of the state Coastal Commission. Elected chair of the surrounding areas. Commission in March 2014. SEN. JIM NIELSEN | Gerber VICE CHAIRMAN SEAN VARNER | Riverside Appointed to the Commission by the Senate Rules Appointed to the Commission by Governor Edmund G. Committee in March 2019. Elected in January 2013 to Brown Jr. in April 2016 and reappointed in January 2018. represent the 4th Senate District. Represents Chico, Managing partner at Varner & Brandt LLP where he Oroville, Paradise, Red Bluff, Yuba City, and surrounding practices as a transactional attorney focusing on mergers areas. and acquisitions, finance, real estate, and general counsel work. Elected vice chair of the Commission in March 2017. ASM. BILL QUIRK | Hayward Appointed to the Commission by Speaker of the Assembly DION ARONER | Berkeley Anthony Rendon in 2017. Elected in November 2012 to Appointed to the Commission by the Senate Rules represent the 20th Assembly District. Represents Hayward, Committee in April 2019. Partner for Aroner, Jewel, and Union City, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Ashland, Cherryland, Ellis. Former State Assemblymember from 1996 to 2002, Fairview, Sunol, and North Fremont. chief of staff for Assemblymember Tom Bates, social worker for Alameda County, and the first female president SEN. RICHARD ROTH | Riverside of Service Employees International Union 535. Appointed to the Commission by the Senate Rules Committee in February 2013. Elected in November 2012 DAVID BEIER | San Francisco to represent the 31st Senate District. Represents Corona, Appointed to the Commission by Governor Edmund G. Coronita, Eastvale, El Cerrito, Highgrove, Home Gardens, Brown Jr. in June 2014 and reappointed in January 2018. Jurupa Valley, March Air Reserve Base, Mead Valley, Managing director of Bay City Capital. Former senior officer Moreno Valley, Norco, Perris, and Riverside. of Genentech and Amgen, and counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary. CATHY SCHWAMBERGER | Calistoga Appointed to the Commission by the Senate Rules CYNTHIA BUIZA | Los Angeles Committee in April 2018 and reappointed in January Appointed to the Commission by Speaker of the Assembly 2019. Associate general counsel for State Farm Mutual Anthony Rendon in October 2018. Executive director of the Automobile Insurance Company. Former board member California Immigrant Policy Center. Former policy director of the Civil Justice Association of California and the Capital for the American Civil Liberties Union, San Diego, and Political Action Committee. policy and advocacy director at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. JANNA SIDLEY | Los Angeles Appointed to the Commission by Governor Edmund BILL EMMERSON | Redlands G. Brown Jr. in April 2016 and reappointed in February Appointed to the Commission by Governor Edmund G. 2020. General counsel at the Port of Los Angeles since Brown Jr. in December 2018. Former senior vice president 2013. Former deputy city attorney at the Los Angeles City of state relations and advocacy at the California Hospital Attorney’s Office from 2003 to 2013. Association, State Senator from 2010 to 2013, State Assemblymember from 2004 to 2010, and orthodonist. Full biographies are available on the Commission’s website at www.lhc.ca.gov. BEYOND THE CRISIS | 45 “DEMOCRACY ITSELF IS A PROCESS OF CHANGE, AND SATISFACTION AND COMPLACENCY ARE ENEMIES OF GOOD GOVERNMENT.” By Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, addressing the inaugural meeting of the Little Hoover Commission, April 24,1962, Sacramento, California Milton Marks Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy www.lhc.ca.gov