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Court monitoring makes a difference

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.

Since 1993, WATCH has trained 760 volunteers who have donated 32,000 hours and monitored over 61,000 hearings.

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.

UPCOMING TRAINING

September 29th : Managing Court Monitor Volunteers

Strategies and techniques for recruiting, training, and managing court monitor volunteers. Special guests Tulsa Family Court Watch and the Legal Aid Justice Center of Virginia will discuss their innovative programs that use seniors and law students respectively to monitor the courts. Participants will receive sample applications, job descriptions, and screening materials.

Visit our training page for more information.