Nancy Shattuck urges Tacoma committee to pilot court-embedded victim advocates

Nancy Shattuck, a systems-based advocate with the Administrative Office of the Courts, urged the Community Vitality Safety Committee on May 26 to fund a pilot program placing victim advocates inside Tacoma’s municipal court, saying the practice improves victim engagement, prosecution outcomes and public safety.

Shattuck told the committee that systems-based advocates—distinct from community-based advocates who work at nonprofits such as the YWCA or the Family Justice Center—have immediate access to victims after arrests, can help victims understand the court process, follow up through lengthy pretrial calendars and connect victims to resources such as housing and counseling. "We have that really good opportunity for safety planning and to talk to somebody immediately after an incident has happened," she said.

Her presentation cited national research from the National Institute of Justice and the Urban Institute and local comparisons showing jurisdictions with embedded advocates have lower dismissal rates and more tailored interventions. Shattuck referenced local comparisons (Milton, Puyallup, Pierce County) and noted jurisdictions that have advocates see both higher conviction-related findings and use of alternative interventions such as batterers treatment or substance use disorder treatment when appropriate.

Shattuck described how the role differs from community advocates: systems-based advocates are not confidential and routinely share information with prosecutors so victims’ perspectives inform charging and plea decisions. She cited Washington statute RCW 7.69.030 as the legal basis that requires victims be offered the opportunity to make victim impact statements in sentencing and said she is concerned about how Tacoma currently notifies victims of that right.

On local scale and cost, Shattuck said Tacoma’s recent case-management conversion limited available data to 2023 figures but estimated Tacoma’s municipal filings are likely similar to Puyallup’s (~400 non-traffic criminal cases a year). She shared compensation benchmarks from a 2023 King County salary survey adjusted for 2026—roughly $95,000–$105,000 for a full-time, in-house advocate—and noted contract advocates typically run $45–$65 per hour. Training and overhead costs were estimated at $5,000 for a single advocate and up to $15,000 for a small team.

Shattuck said she plans to submit a budget request this year for a 2–3 year pilot (she suggested 18 months may be too short to assess impact) and that she has discussed funding options with the city manager and identified potential grant sources the Tacoma Police Department has applied for.

Committee members asked about training costs, recommended caseloads and whether one advocate would suffice as a pilot. Shattuck recommended starting with a well‑experienced advocate—"one is great; two would be amazing"—and cautioned against hiring someone without domestic-violence experience for the specialized systems-based role. The committee expressed interest in grant options and community support for a pilot and asked for demographic reach information; Shattuck estimated 70–80% of clients served are women and said advocates sometimes work with children when appropriate.

Shattuck also recounted a prosecutor’s-office backlog in which some victims were not contacted for more than a year, a pattern she said trained advocates help to fix. "When victims feel supported through the process, they see better outcomes," she said, summarizing the evidence for embedding advocates.

The committee reviewed upcoming agenda items, including a June 11 presentation of Juvenile Justice Task Force results and a June 25 briefing on rental housing and landlord fairness code enforcement. The meeting concluded on a unanimous voice vote to adjourn.

Next steps: Shattuck will bring a formal budget request for a pilot program for committee and council consideration; committee members indicated interest in reviewing grant options and local caseload data to refine pilot staffing and budget assumptions.