Graver advocates for local SART, Victim Witness Coordinator

     Jones County is working with Benton, Delaware, Clayton, and Buchanan counties to form a rural SART program. Jones, Benton, Delaware, and Clayton are also working together to fund the position of a Victim Witness Coordinator.

     Both services were offered through Riverview Center before now. Due to changes in management with Riverview, Sheriff Greg Graver and County Attorney Kristofer Lyons have opted to work the above-mentioned counties to form their own SART (Sexual Assault Response Team), and to have one Victim Witness Coordinator (VWC) serving all four counties.

     Graver started initially communicating with Riverview back in 2013, and became an active member with their SART in 2016. Prior to both dates, and still continuing today, advocates from Riverview were serving and will continue to serve Jones County in domestic assault cases.

     “Prior to everything with SART, we handled in it-house,” recalled Graver.

     When it comes a VWC, this is an unfunded state mandate, meaning every county is required to have such a position.

     The goal of SART is bring all parties to the table in terms of advocates, law enforcement, attorneys, etc., those involved in the criminal process. They have face-to-face meetings and discuss sexual assault cases and their outcomes, what can be learned from those outcomes to directly affect future cases.

     “It’s all about information sharing,” noted Graver.

     A VWC is in charge of following up with victims of sexual assault/abuse crimes, making sure the victim has all of the information needed for upcoming court cases and dates, keeping the victim notified at all times when it comes to court proceedings.

     Graver has worked in sex crimes for eight years and said these types of cases, by far, require extra time and attention.

     “Sex crimes produce the true definition of a victim,” Graver said. “The impact lasts forever. Volume-wise, these are the most important cases we work on.”

     Several years ago, Graver advocated for the passing of Marcy’s Law in Iowa. While it’s not a law yet, it’s intended to amend the Iowa Constitution, establishing rights for crime victims.

     “The accused already has a lot of rights,” he said. “It needs to be more equal.”

     Bringing back SART and the creation of a VWC will assist sex crimes victims/survivors in giving them a voice.

     “They get help maneuvering through the legal process,” added Graver.

     Six months into his first year in office, Lyons, at Graver’s urging, started attending SART meetings with the Riverview Center. Graver said it helps having a county attorney at the table, now as Jones County forms its own rural SART program.

     “He can talk to us about depositions and why (sexual assault) cases ended up the way they did,” said Graver. “We can see things from all different sides.”

     SART will also offer free trainings for those counties involved, bringing in speakers on various topics such as nurses on the medical side to share their perspective of sexual assault crimes.

     “We want to hear from local people with these trainings,” Graver said.

     For the past several weeks, Graver and Lyons have shared information with the Jones County Supervisors regarding discontinuing their partnership with Riverview. Forming a new SART and hiring a VWC would amount to $13,000 a year for each county involved. After two years, Graver anticipates the Iowa Attorney General’s office picking up the tab, so to speak.

     “The AG has funds to fully fund a VWC position,” shared Graver. “We can apply for funding through their office.” (The AG’s Crime Victim Assistance Division funds VWC’s in every county.) Graver said Lyons has already been in contact with the AG’s office, and despite forming a regional VWC position, Jones County would still be eligible for funding.

     “Any support we can provide to victims, especially with the legal system, is a good thing,” Graver said.

     He said so many people in Jones County who are victims of sex crimes, deserve justice.

     Brandi Lewin, a resident of Delaware County, is on board to take on the role of VWC and serve as the rural SART coordinator as well. She’s had years of experience, and Graver said why reinvent the wheel when someone is already willing and able.

     Without SART and a VWC, Graver said victims have no say in their rights.

     “Sex cases are the most impactful cases we deal with,” he said.

     Aside from the Sheriff’s Office and County Attorney’s Office, both the Monticello and Anamosa police departments were also involved in SART. Graver plans to continue that collaboration again.

     During the Feb. 9 Jones County Supervisor meeting, Graver and Lyons shared some recent communication they received from Riverview threatening that forming a rural SART program and hiring an outside VWC was illegal. Lyons and Graver put that rumor to rest.

     “Every county has the right to create these positions,” Graver told the board. “Agencies hire their own people all the time.”

     “It’s not illegal to do this,” added Lyons. “We can enter into a 28E agreement with the other counties and share in the role.”

     Lyons said he also reached out the county’s HR director, Mike Galloway, who felt what the county was doing was well within its right.

     “We’re filling a void of services in rural Iowa,” Lyons continued, “services that were taken away from us (due to Riverview’s restructuring).”

     Jones County withheld a $5,500 funding request from Riverview last fiscal year. The $6,000 request this year is still up in the air.

     “This helps keep our tax dollars local and we can control it at the local level,” Graver said of keeping the money with the new rural SART program.