Prior to the opening of the Scott County FJC, victims who sought orders of protection had to visit the office of the Circuit Court Clerk to obtain and complete a petition, then travel to find the magistrate before returning to the Circuit Court Clerk's office. There was no formal referral system in place to connect victims to services and providers beyond an Order of Protection. Now, victims can visit the FJC as a one-stop resource for the services they need. Orders of protection can be applied for and granted before the client leaves the center. The FJC can connect clients to on-site partners like a trained domestic violence law enforcement officer, domestic violence advocate, or staff of the District Attorney General’s Office, and make referrals for other services from our off-site partners.

In its first 10 months of operation, the Scott County FJC handled 184 cases and made 278 referrals to outside agencies — including 122 referrals to Scott County's domestic violence shelter.