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Attachment 1 <br />Get Help: 612.825.0000 <br />Give Help: 612.825.3333 <br />tubman.org <br />February 19, 2024 <br />Tubman Chrysalis Center <br />4432 Chicago Ave S <br />Minneapolis, MN 55407 <br />Dear Systems Partners, <br /> <br />Harriet Tubman Center East <br />1725 Monastery Way <br />I hope all of you are doing well as we settle into 2024. <br />Maplewood, MN 55109 <br />As most of you know, Tubman had several conversations with suburban <br />Ramsey County city governments in the last year regarding our need for additional <br />sustainable funding to preserve our legal advocacy services within the communities we <br />serve. In fact, many of you were part of those conversations. We deeply appreciate your <br />support and feedback as we evaluate next steps in this process. <br />I am reaching out to share additional detailed information regarding Tubman’s Ramsey <br />County legal advocacy services, impacts due to lack of necessary funding, and the steps <br />taken to address the ongoing need for additional support. Tubman is interested in <br />having further conversations on both the state and local levels in the hopes of securing <br />additional funding to continue these critical services for victim-survivors of relationship <br />abuse. <br />Tubman’s Ramsey County Legal Advocacy team specifically provides criminal and civil <br />legal advocacy services to all of our suburban Ramsey County cities. Tubman is the only <br />community advocacy agency that provides criminal legal advocacy to victims of <br />relationship violence in the suburbs (occasionally providing co-advocacy with culturally- <br />specific organizations), and our advocates work closely with the suburban city <br />prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to obtain information, provide victim input, <br />and act as a liaison between the victim and the system—and we no longer receive any <br />funding from Ramsey County to provide these services. <br />Legal Services Provided: <br />Tubman’s legal services include the following: partnering with law enforcement in all <br />the suburban jurisdictions to provide intervention services in response to domestic <br />assault 911 calls; covering all of criminal court advocacy to ensure victims’ rights are met <br />through the criminal legal system; legal clinics regarding divorce, custody, child support, <br />and other family law issues; pro bono attorney representation; and assistance drafting <br />Orders for Protection, including providing civil advocacy throughout the process of <br />obtaining this important order. Further, since COVID began, Tubman advocates have <br />been drafting Orders for Protection remotely with clients, and a Tubman staff attorney <br />e-files the orders on their behalf.We continue to offer this service remotely, as client <br />feedback strongly indicates that this allows for much easier access and flexibility to <br />complete this process. Tubman is unique in Minnesota because of our comprehensive <br />continuum of services across the entire organization. We serve each victim-survivor and <br />their family holistically and address their legal situation as well as other needs through <br />Qbhf!23!pg!286 <br /> <br />