We built a portal: How Multnomah County leveraged technology to better connect victims to the support they need
Published by: Denise Pena
As offenders move through the criminal justice system, so do their victims. “It’s not done just because the case is done” is a common challenge we hear in interviews with crime victims. In 2017 Multnomah County partnered with Code for America to create a better experience for victims of crime as they navigate this complex system. Working together, they took a holistic approach in looking at all the touch points a victim may encounter. Victim advocacy tends to be front loaded, so they built technology to fill in the gaps, with a focus on post conviction efforts. The web portal aims to give crime victims the information they need and ensure it is timely and available when they need it. In this presentation, we’ll share our approach to creating a victim-centered digital services, provide a demonstration, go over the outcomes we have seen, and discuss what we have learned both during the design process and after.