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One Tennessee county is taking steps to strengthen protections and support for victims of domestic violence. Historically, in Scott County, as in many rural parts of the United States, victims of domestic violence face unique challenges to getting help. There can be a lack of resources, a lack of shelter, geographic isolation. Firearms are also often widely available, which increases the risks. From member station WPLN, Paige Pfleger reports.
PAIGE PFLEGER, BYLINE: For most of her life, Jade Peters saw the darkness in rural Scott County as part of its beauty. But one night when she came home in 2009, it transformed into something sinister.
JADE PETERS: I see someone approaching in the dark.
PFLEGER: It was her ex-boyfriend, who had been stalking her.
PETERS: He tells me to stop, or he'll kill me.
PFLEGER: He had something in his hand.
PETERS: And all at once, a very bright light.
PFLEGER: It was a gun firing.
PETERS: And then I just hear ringing in my ears.
PFLEGER: Before Jade Peters was shot, she hadn't considered seeking help through the Scott County justice system. She didn't think she'd be taken seriously. Back then, Scott County was a lot like other places in Tennessee. The state consistently ranks in the top 10 for women killed by men, according to the nonprofit Violence Policy Center. Often, those homicides are committed with a gun, which are largely unregulated here. In rural places like Scott County, many households have guns. But a few years ago, county officials completely overhauled how their system handles domestic violence cases, and they're already seeing the impact.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: All rise.
PFLEGER: Early on a Tuesday morning, men slowly trickle into the courtroom under a sign in Greek that translates to a man's character is his fate.
SCARLETT ELLIS: Good morning.
PFLEGER: Judge Scarlett Ellis looks up over her glasses with a kind smile. Then, one by one, the men approach.
ELLIS: Good morning. You continue to do good?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Yes, ma'am.
ELLIS: You show up every time and still no contact, right?
PFLEGER: These men are not in court today for hearings or sentencing. That's already happened. Instead, they're here so that Ellis can monitor their progress. It's one of many changes that Scott County made when it launched its domestic violence court a few years ago. It's one of about 200 similar programs in the nation, but many of them are concentrated on the coasts instead of rural Southern states. Scott County has adopted some of the best practices, like having a court advocate and a separate safe room for victims. Even the short-staffed sheriff's department hired a dedicated domestic violence officer, but some of their biggest reforms target defendants, the abusers. Here's Judge Ellis.
ELLIS: Now, I do believe in rehabilitation of defendants. I think that if we don't - if our community don't invest in them as much as we invest in victims, then we can't change the cycle.
PFLEGER: Perhaps the biggest change Scott County has made is how it ensures abusers give up their guns. Yet gun control advocates say Tennessee's system is one of the most flawed in the nation. The state allows someone to give their guns to a third party, like a friend or a relative, but doesn't require that person to be identified. Scott County changed that, requiring the name and the address of the person who takes the guns. About a 10-minute drive from the courthouse, a group of men gather around folding tables.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: I'm not real good at showing my feelings. I never have been.
PFLEGER: This is Scott County's batterer's intervention program. It's court ordered. We're not using the men's names so that they could speak freely in the session.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #4: I used shoving against my partner when I wanted her to get out of my face. That was a red flag. The alternative was to walk away and let the situation calm down.
PFLEGER: These men have learned Scott County will no longer tolerate abusive behavior. After Jade Peters, whose ex-boyfriend shot her, recovered from the shooting, she became a lawyer representing domestic violence cases.
PETERS: There's still women who are in bad situations. It's just that now there's more help for them.
PFLEGER: Since the reforms began, significantly more victims are turning to Scott County's court for help. Assigned advocates say it is indicative of increased trust in the system. For NPR News, I'm Paige Pfleger in Scott County, Tenn.
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