All rise, court is now in session.

For Rachel Allen, those are words she’d like more community members to hear.

So are safe and haven.

Allen, an Americorps Vista volunteer for the Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, is implementing a court-monitoring project called Courtwatch for use in communities around the state.

“It’s a great program that will enable community members to get further involved in their legal systems, create change, and help victims,” she said.

By evaluating and monitoring the justice system, especially for victims of domestic and sexual abuse, Courtwatch will provide a forum to facilitate change, she said.

The objectives go beyond increasing public awareness and improving the effectiveness of the judicial system. It uses methods such as offering feedback to judges and prosecutors on court proceedings and treatment of victims. It will track offenders’ current and previous charges, convictions and resulting punishment as well as behavior in court. It also will create an extensive database of information on plea bargains, admissions and punishment.

There are many reasons people would want to take an active role in their local legal system, Allen said. Some may want to track offenders; others may just be interested.

“The objective is to help victims of domestic violence improve outcomes and (provide) a way people can get involved,” she said.

Research says one in four women will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime, and Allen said she believes that raising awareness will help change that.

She hopes that through Courtwatch those who wouldn’t necessarily have a voice will gain one.

Allen says many times cases of domestic violence are pleaded down.

“It’s a prevalent problem universal for men or women who are victims of domestic violence,” she said.

Allen says Courtwatch will help communities look deeper at their systems and improve how they function through volunteer participation.

“Overall it betters the community because domestic violence has a huge impact on our society,” she said. “By empowering, it becomes safer.”

The Courtwatch manual was completed by last year’s Americorps Vista, Jennifer Hill-Hart, and Allen has the role of seeing it come to fruition in communities.

It comes complete with goals, strategic planning and implementation. The manual offers ideas for fundraising and suggests ways to get the community involved.

Allen grew up on the East Coast. She was a senior at Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania without a clear career objective when she signed up to be a Vista for a one-year term in Helena. She is enjoying her time in the Queen City as it offers quite a change from what she was used to.

Her hope is that many communities show the desire to implement Courtwatch as others like Lewistown, Dillon, Billings and Kalispell already have.

“I get calls from all over the U.S. finding out what we are doing,” she said.

Allen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in gender and women’s studies. Growing up surrounded by strong, empowering women, she considered herself a feminist at a young age.

Once she became aware of the struggles faced by those who deal with domestic violence, she had to do something.

“Once you open this can, it overwhelms you,” she said. “Seems like it’s situations we don’t want to talk about. If we can better ourselves — decrease sexual assault — we’d be happier and the world would be a better place.”

http://www.mcadsv.com/courtwatch” target=”_blank”>Click here to view the Courtwatch manual.

Reporter Alana Listoe: 447-4081 or alana.listoe@helenair.com