Aequitas resources and trainings

AEQUITAS resouces and trainings

Aequitas is a nonprofit made up of former prosecutors assisting those seeking justice. More here: AEquitas – Champions for Justice (aequitasresource.org)
See below for their new articles and trainings.

This article explains the problems that have arisen as a result of over-reliance on conviction rates as measures of success in cases of sexual violence. It identifies the core principles that should inform a model response to these crimes to further the goals of justice, including offender accountability, victim well-being, and community safety. Finally, it discusses how prosecutors can broaden definitions of “success” in the prosecution of sexual violence, and how they can measure their current response to identify paths to improvement.

Full Article (PDF)
This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-21-GK-02220-MUMU awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice.

Despite the volume of research and literature addressing sexual abuse perpetrated against a child by a family member, individuals inside and outside of the criminal justice system continue to misconstrue common dynamics, misunderstand victim behavior, and minimize offender dangerousness. Judges and juries unfamiliar with the dynamics of sexual assault may overlook offenders’ grooming tactics or misperceive common victim reactions to abuse as evidence of the victim’s lack of credibility. Prosecutors handling these cases face unique challenges. This article contains ten strategies that will help prosecutors prepare and litigate cases of sexual abuse perpetrated against a child by a family member.

December 20, 2 PM ET – 3:30 PM ET: A Course of Exploitation: The Intersection of Stalking and Sex Trafficking
Presented by Jenn Dolle, Attorney Advisor, and Jennifer Landhuis, SPARC Director

When offenders engage in a course of conduct that includes sexual exploitation, they perpetrate dangerous and often misidentified and misunderstood crimes, including stalking and sex trafficking. Both crimes are highly contextual in nature and require a nuanced analysis of the relationship between the offender and the victim, as well as the various tactics utilized by abusers to control, intimidate, and traumatize victims with impunity. Stalking behaviors are used to force or coerce individuals to engage in commercial sexual activities or to intimidate and prevent them from engaging with the criminal justice system.

Presenters will explore the dynamics of stalking and sex trafficking. They will focus on the importance of understanding the context in which both crimes occur and the common tactics used by perpetrators. This presentation will provide strategies to improve the identification of these “course of conduct” crimes, increase offender accountability through successful investigations and prosecutions, and minimize further harm to victims and survivors by ensuring they are connected with meaningful services and tools to plan for their safety.

This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-21-GK-02220-MUMU and 2017-TA-AX-K074 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this program are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

National Convening: Human Trafficking in Illicit Massage
January 11—12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California

AEquitas is partnering with The Network Group, Inc., National Association of Attorneys General, Thai CDC, California Massage Therapy Council, and Garden of Hope to host a Convening on Human Trafficking within the Illicit Massage Industry. This is an opportunity for a range of stakeholders to learn, challenge themselves, and discuss promising practices with professionals from a variety of fields, including researchers, law enforcement, government agencies, and victim services.

Register here.
AEquitas’ participation in this convening is supported under 15POVC-21-GK-03263-HT, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

January 19, 2023, 2 PM ET – 3:30 PM ET: Context is Key: Recognizing and Responding to Stalking
Presented by Dana Fleitman, SPARC Training and Awareness Specialist

Stalking is criminal, traumatic, dangerous, and often misunderstood. In honor of National Stalking Awareness Month, this webinar provides an introduction to the crime of stalking, focusing on the definition, prevalence, dynamics, behaviors and intersections with other crimes (including intimate partner violence). This recurring webinar is offered quarterly to provide foundational knowledge on the crime of stalking.

This project was supported by Grant No. 2017-TA-AX-K074 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this program are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.