Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District
Issues
Families
Brame tragedy spurs federal domestic-violence program
17 December 2005
The tragic case of Crystal Judson Brame, a Tacoma woman murdered by her police chief husband in April 2003, was the impetus behind a ground-breaking domestic violence grant program that was approved by the Senate and House. It's the first time the federal government specifically has addressed the sensitive issue of domestic violence committed by law-enforcement officials.
Penned by U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee and supported by other members of Washington state's congressional delegation, the program named after Brame provides federal grants for law enforcement agencies to implement procedures for dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and other serious crimes committed by their employees and helping victims of such offenses. Recipients would work in collaboration with local government and domestic violence advocacy groups to establish their procedures.
"Mr. Judson was right - it is difficult to move the slow machine of the lawmaking process," said Inslee, who has championed the issue since Lane Judson, Brame's father, contacted members of Congress about raising awareness of his daughter's case among law enforcement agencies nationwide. "This program is a testament to persistence, hard work and a commitment to helping prevent cases like Crystal's from happening again."
After learning a grant program in his daughter's name was approved, Judson remarked, "Federal legislation such as this can only be viewed as a positive approach to encourage and motivate law enforcement agencies nationwide to address domestic violence.
"In the state of Washington, law enforcement agencies already have this type of policy implemented under State Bill 6161. I hope that every state nationwide utilizes this opportunity to become the best of the best."
A range of law enforcement and domestic violence advocacy groups, including the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs and the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, have been supportive of efforts by Inslee, along with U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, U.S. Reps. Norm Dicks, Dave Reichert and Adam Smith, to address complexities of cases like Brame's.
"The Crystal Judson Brame Domestic Violence Protocol Program will create a coordinated response to ensure victims of domestic violence perpetrated by law enforcement officers are able to access services and perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes," said Lynn Rosenthal, president of the National Network to End Domestic Violence.
It will be included in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), as a new Special Training Officers and Prosecutors (STOP) grant. These federal grants are funded under VAWA to help criminal justice agencies better respond to violent crimes against women. Annual funding for all STOP grants currently is $187.3 million.
"Law-enforcement agencies in Washington state already are responding to Crystal's tragedy, and I hope they can use these new grants to continue to lead the nation on the issue," added Inslee.
Language establishing the Brame grant program was included in a bill that continues VAWA, which originally was passed in 1994 and extended in 2000. It requires this so-called reauthorization because it is set to expire about every five years. The bill only will need the president's signature to become law.