Profiles in Justice: Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Tracee Washington
Tracee Washington, a Victim/Witness Services Coordinator for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office’s (DAO) Municipal Court Unit, lives by the personal motto: “Know your purpose, serve your purpose, and fulfill it.”
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Washington received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from West Chester University and her graduate degree in Human Services with a concentration in Clinical Counseling from Lincoln University. Prior to coming to the DAO, she worked for nearly a decade as a Forensic Specialist and Supervisor for case management teams that served chronically mentally ill people.
Washington says working to empower survivors of intimate partner violence is a perfect fit for her. “A lot of victims have suffered at the hands of repeat offenders. I’ll see that the victim had five cases with the same person but didn’t show up for court [to testify]. I try to make them understand that it takes about seven times before someone successfully leaves a domestic violence situation. I let them know no one’s judging you because you didn’t come to court last time — you’re here now.” Washington credits partner organizations like Women Against Abuse (WAA) and other community-based victim services organizations for enhancing DAO Victim/Witness coordinator efforts to support and protect survivors.
“We tag-team a lot. WAA plays a fundamental role because they have so many resources. They assist people with filling out Protection from Abuse (PFA) orders and getting access to free legal services.”
Such collaborations are even more critical as the pandemic imposes unprecedented challenges to public safety and public health. “Since COVID, we’ve had such a backlog and the courts turned off the subpoenas, so no one would know the date of their court case unless they’re checking the public docket,” leaving the task of notifying witnesses almost solely to DAO coordinators, Washington explains. “I find myself apologizing as soon as I get on the phone. There’s a lot of soothing people right now.”
Ultimately, Washington is grateful for daily opportunities to make a profound impact on the lives of survivors. “Victim services gets overshadowed by the work of other units. People may think that all we do is make calls, but we do so much more,” she adds, recalling one of her first cases as a DAO coordinator: A 21-year-old college student whose abusive boyfriend forced her to do his homework and beat her over several years.
“She finally moved forward with charges, was super scared, and had just reconnected with her family. Her dad said to me, ‘I just want to thank you so much for helping my daughter get the courage to testify. You may feel like you didn’t do anything but you did.’
“I hope I helped her to start the process of healing. I feel like maybe I helped save her life.”
