Victims of crime in Arlington will soon have a more soothing and intentionally designed space to speak with an attorney about their experiences.
A planned “soft interview room” from the Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office is intended to create a greater sense of ease and safety during victim interviews. With pleasant art, a couch, blankets and a soothing color palette, the room — created in partnership with the nonprofit Project Beloved — will finish installation next week on the fifth floor of the courthouse.
Grace Woodward, director of restorative justice and diversion services at the commonwealth’s attorney’s office, hopes to provide a “warm, lower-barrier, safer-feeling place within a building that is otherwise pretty intimidating,” promoting an interview process that feels more compassionate and collaborative.
“It’s supposed to be really empowering to victims — to feel safe, to feel like they can share openly, to feel like they’re not being interrogated but … we’re really working together to find justice for them,” Woodward said.
This will be Project Beloved’s 150th soft interview room. The Texas-based nonprofit has installed similar spaces across the country, seeking to promote feelings of physical and emotional safety in a system that often risks retraumatizing victims.
The room will contrast significantly with the conference rooms with gray walls, law books and boardroom tables where victim advocates often meet with victims right now. They will prioritize the room for victims of sexual violence, interpersonal violence and other traumatizing crimes, as well as children.
“I’m thrilled we are in a position to provide emotional support to victims in an environment that enhances their sense of comfort, safety and security,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti told ARLnow. “Project Beloved understands that these environments can return a sense of control to victims and survivors and we are grateful to them for making our wellness room possible.”
Project Beloved provided almost all of the furnishings, while the county covered painting the room a calming blue. Volunteers will be conducting the installation next Thursday.
Photo via Project Beloved/Facebook
