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You can help WATCH make a difference
Please consider a gift to WATCH before June 30. Your gift will help us:
Keep trained volunteers in courtrooms every day to document how cases of domestic and
sexual violence are handled and push for greater safety for victims of violence
Get guns out of the hands of domestic abusers
Ensure violent defendants receive appropriate sentences
Improve security at MN courthouses
See this short video for why Kyle volunteers and donates to WATCH. THANK YOU.
WATCH’s mission is to make the justice system more effective and responsive in handling cases of violence against women and children, and to create a more informed and involved public.
Every day trained WATCH volunteers observe court and report on what they see. WATCH follows up with court staff and committees to recommend improvements. Our experience shows that when the public is present in court, everyone does a better job.
- WATCH was founded in 1992 in Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Trained WATCH volunteers monitor over 5,000 hearings each year in several Hennepin County courts
- Court personnel and advocates for women agree that public scrutiny of the courts leads to improvements
- WATCH trains court monitoring groups cross the U. S. with manuals, site visits, and web-based training
WATCH is committed to ending racial, cultural, and gender bias in the courts and to reflecting that commitment at all levels of our organization.
To see a snapshot of WATCH's history, mission, and accomplishments click to view an 8-minute video.
CONTACT US: 612-341-2747; watch@watchmn.org; 608 Second Ave. South, Suite 465, Minneapolis, MN 55402
Read the latest WATCHPost newsletter.
Child protection cases examined
WATCH's CHIPS project examined 129 Hennepin County child protection cases from start to permanency. Click on a link below to read these ground breaking reports.
Reasonable Efforts or Unrealistic Expectations: A Look at Hennepin County Child Protection
The Role of the Guardian ad Litem in Child Protection Cases
Would you like a WATCH staff person to present our findings to your organization? Contact us.

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WATCH seeks Executive Director. Click on Job Description for details and how to apply.
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Providing Feedback to Your Courts includes successful strategies for improving your courts by communicating with your local justice system.
Read how three suburban Hennepin County courts could improve their response to domestic violence cases. Link to Media page for Fact Sheet and media coverage. Or, read the full WATCH report Promoting Victim Safety and Offender Accountability: Improving the Response to Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Cases.
Domestic Violence Crime Watch posts news reports from across the country of victims of domestic violence, many of whom have been killed. The portryals, unlike many in the media, do not show the perpetrators, but rather include pictures of the victims. They are a stark reminder of the need for more effective interventions on behalf of battered women.
Rise in Domestic Violence is fueled by struggling U.S. economy, according to survey of shelters for battered women.
A decision by the Minnesota Supreme Court makes it possible to use expert-opinion testimony in sexual assault cases.

