Reps. Phillips, Accavitti, Adamini, Anderson, Bieda, Bradstreet, Brown, Byrum, Clack, Condino, Dennis, DeRoche, DeRossett, Drolet, Ehardt, Elkins, Emmons, Farhat, Farrah, Garfield, Gillard, Hager, Hardman, Hopgood, Huizenga, Jamnick, Kooiman, Lipsey, McConico, Minore, Newell, Nofs, O'Neil, Paletko, Palsrok, Pappageorge, Pastor, Richardville, Rivet, Rocca, Shaffer, Spade, Stahl, Stakoe, Stallworth, Tobocman, Voorhees, Waters, Wojno, Woronchak and Zelenko offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 103.

            A resolution to urge the Department of Corrections and the Family Independence Agency to work together to develop a protocol to ensure that threats of domestic violence by prison inmates are immediately channeled to proper state and local agencies and law enforcement units.

            Whereas, The numbing tragedy of the triple homicide in Pontiac has shocked and saddened our state.  The sorrow over the brutal slayings of a mother and two young daughters has also given way to frustration that apparent calls for help fell through the fabric of our social safety net.  The realization that a more effective system of responding to calls for protection could possibly have helped has led many to urge that we reexamine how threats of domestic violence are handled; and

            Whereas, While there is a key mechanism available to people who have reason to fear domestic violence in the form of a personal protection order obtained from the court, the Pontiac case reveals clear inadequacies in how communications are handled before an order is issued.  A Department of Corrections email system operated solely for the purpose of reporting domestic violence threats by prison inmates will generate a more comprehensive response to the urgent need of protection for a family.  A message or phone call channeled to the Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment unit of the Family Independence Agency and local police, for example, could have averted this tragedy;  and

            Whereas, It may be more effective if concerns expressed to state agencies, including the Department of Corrections, were examined by social workers and local police were notified.  The development of a toll-free THREATS hotline and THREATS email address may also prove to be a better way to encourage frightened people to reach out for help that could save their lives and those of their children; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the Department of Corrections and the Family Independence Agency to work together to develop a protocol to ensure that threats of domestic violence by prison inmates are immediately channeled to proper state and local agencies and law enforcement units; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Office of the Governor, the Family Independence Agency, and the Department of Corrections.