Today Guilford County court officials announced that Guilford County has been selected as a participant in Caitlyn’s Courage electronic GPS monitoring pilot program. The pre-trial program is for defendants charged with domestic violence related crimes, including, but not limited to, assault on a female, domestic violence protective order (DVPO) violations,
and assault by strangulation.

“We applaud Caitlyn’s Courage for providing these services at no cost to our courts,” said Chief District Court Judge Teresa Vincent. “The services are a valuable tool that will most certainly make our community safer and reduce domestic violence related homicides.” 

An electronic monitoring company notifies victims if and when a defendant is located in their vicinity. If a defendant comes within a certain proximity of an alleged victim, a representative will contact both the alleged victim and the defendant. If the defendant does not remove himself or herself from the area, the monitoring company will contact the authorities in order to have the defendant taken into custody.

“The courts are fortunate to have the support of several stakeholders for this program, such as the Guilford County Family Justice Center, district attorney, public defender, law enforcement and Court Services,” said Judge Vincent. “Although the Family Justice Center has been an asset to our community and has undoubtedly improved outcomes for victims of domestic violence in Guilford County, this service will promote a sense of security and freedom for individuals who are often held captive from fear of predators and perpetrators.”

Fifteen domestic violence related deaths occurred in Guilford County in 2020. 

On June 25, 2020, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a critical bill that allocated federal funding to the Department of Public Safety. These funds are being used to provide a grant to Caitlyn's Courage to address domestic violence head-on with technology.