STEPHANIE'S SANCTUARY
IT ALL STARTS HERE!
Supporting victims is our first priority!
Providing support and reassurance in a comfortable, safe and non-threatening atmosphere is the goal. Gone are the days of dreary, cold, and terrifying interrogation interview rooms, hallways and lobbies, or worse.
Welcome “STEPHANIE’S SANCTUARY.”
The Urgent Need for Safe, Supportive Spaces for Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse
Currently, a large number of police agencies, courthouses and hospitals throughout New Jersey receive victims of domestic violence, and sexual abuse into their facilities and placed them in interview or examination rooms, spare or occupied offices, empty storage rooms, criminal interigation-holding areas or worse. There are some agencies that do not have any available space designated for these victims. That is unacceptable! This becomes an issue with scrambling to accommodate a victim during their time of need, leaving them in lobbies and hallways while waiting for assistance, adding to an already terrifying and stressful situation.
In most cases, these rooms, even if they are designated, are scary, and not victim friendly by any stretch of the imagination, making the victims feeling afraid, and insecure. These rooms offer little or no sense of well-being, comfort, or the feeling of being safe.
Stephanie’s Sanctuary: Creating Safe, Supportive Spaces for Victims and First Responders
Stephanie’s Sanctuary’s will be newly renovated spaces providing a soothing, non authoritative atmosphere, comfortable and non-threatening. These spaces will allow victims, as well as, police officers and responding advocates to deescalate and decompress from the initial situations, allowing all parties to be more at ease and relaxed as they sort things out.
These spaces will also provide basic essentials for victims such as, a change of clothing, water, snacks, a cell phone charging station, coloring books or small toys for children, informational literature and other basic items.
The SNPF, at no cost to the agencies involved will renovate, furnish and stock these spaces and its membership will maintain the integrity of each by inspecting, restocking and monitoring them throughout the year.
Our goal is to establish a designated sanctuary space in Stephanie’s name within as many facilities as possible throughout New Jersey and beyond.
This campaign, led by Maureen Spataro, was first embraced by the Freehold Township Police Department, making them the inaugural municipality to support and pilot the program. We are proud to have them as dedicated partners in this important initiative.
Law Enforcement Agencies Implementing Stephanie's Sanctuaries
