In October 2023, the Cook County Circuit Court in Markham opened a domestic violence survivor center. Situated in a basement of the Markham Court, the facility is out of public view and designed to provide a safe, secure, and comfortable space that victims can make use of during trying periods in their lives.
A collaborative undertaking of domestic violence advocates and the county, the center offers a space where victims can meet and converse freely with advocates and take part in Zoom hearings. It also offers an area where children can hang out and comfortably pass the time.
A Cook County clerk advocated for this new facility, which she describes as providing “a place that someone [in need] can call home” for a short time. Unfortunately, domestic violence is all too prevalent statewide, with 65,000 cases reported annually and the actual number of underreported incidents thought to be significantly higher. The domestic violence survivor center represents a first step in ensuring that justice is served in a practical, humane, and family-centered way.
