Domestic violence is a pattern of physical, emotional, verbal, and/or sexual abusive behaviors that adults or adolescents use against their partners.  Domestic violence occurs in intimate relationships where the perpetrator and the victim are currently or previously have been dating, living together, married or divorced, or have children in common.   

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Domestic violence is a crime, and it should to be accorded the same prosecution efforts as any other violent offense.  Communities and the justice system have a critical interest in reducing the prevalence of domestic violence, particularly because such violence tends to escalate in frequency and severity if unchecked.    

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In addition to holding criminals accountable for their conduct, there are other significant reasons that underscore the importance of a diligent response to domestic violence from members of the criminal justice system.  Prosecution of offenders in domestic violence cases can protect the victim from additional acts of violence, reduce children’s exposure and possible injury, deter the abuser from committing further acts of violence, and reinforce a community’s refusal to tolerate domestic abuse.

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Missouri Office For Victims Of Crime (MOVANS)
MOVANS will tell you if an offender is in jail and will give you other important custody information. MOVANS will also let you leave a phone number where you want to be called automatically when that offender is released, transferred, or has a change in court date.

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What You Need To Do:

1. Call 1-866-5-MOVANS from a touch-tone phone and follow the directions.

2. If the offender is in jail or has a court case pending, you can leave your phone number to be called when they are released or when a scheduled court event occurs. Enter the phone number where you want to be reached, including area code, followed by the pound (#) key.

3. When MOVANS asks, make up and enter a four-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) that will be easy for you to remember. MOVANS will ask for the PIN when it calls you.

4. When MOVANS calls, listen to the message, and then enter your PIN when asked. Entering the PIN lets MOVANS know that you got the call, and will stop the service from calling you again.

 

The Missouri Statewide service includes offenders in county jails and court event notification. DO NOT depend only on MOVANS or any other single program for your protections.  Make MOVANS part of your safety plan. Custody status notification includes release, escape and transfer.  Callers may also choose to register to receive an automated call about upcoming court dates.  The offender will not know you are registered with MOVANS.