Domestic Violence Resource Program

OCA's Domestic Violence Resource Program offers the following resources:

Protective Order Resource Attorney (PORA)

The PORA provides technical assistance and training to courts and others on protective orders and protective order reporting. The PORA is part of the Texas OCA Protective Order Record Improvement Project. This project, funded through a grant from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, was created to increase the reporting of protective orders to the National Instant Background Check System (NICS). As part of the project, the PORA developed the following three protective order reporting improvement video training modules:

• Protective Orders and the Importance of TCIC Reporting: Clerks

  This training module provides an overview of the protective order reporting process with additional information specific to court clerks.

• Protective Orders and the Importance of TCIC Reporting: Judges

  This training module provides an overview of the protective order reporting process with additional information specific to judges.

• Protective Orders and TCIC Reporting for Criminal Justice Information Users

  This training module provides an overview of the protective order reporting process with additional information specific to information users.

• Protective Orders and TCIC Reporting - the Big Picture for Advocates

  This training module provides an overview of the protective order reporting process with additional information specific to victim advocates.

• Protective Orders and the Importance of TCIC Reporting: The Big Picture

  This training module provides an overview of the protective order reporting for all participants in the process.

All versions contain the following information:

• Why do we care about protective orders and their entry into the Texas Criminal Information Center (TCIC)?
• What is NCIC, TCIC, NICS and what types of protective orders should be entered?
• Who participates in the reporting process?
• How can the reporting process be improved?

Texas Family Violence Bench Book

The Bench Book is a compilation of state and federal statutes, case law, and other resources related to domestic violence issues.