“Citizens Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse has named Rocquelyn Rocky Jastak and Betsy Cave as the agency’s Volunteers of the Year.The two women have been instrumental in the ongoing success of CADA’s Courtwatch program.The program started in 1997, when CADA legal advocates began observing and documenting criminal hearings involving charges of domestic violence and sexual assault. The goal was to discover and document how these cases were being resolved in the criminal justice system, since no such data was readily available to the community, said Valerie Stafford, CADA’s executive director. It soon became apparent that staff could not take time away from client work to be present at all hearings and court cases, so volunteers were recruited to fill the need. Rocky and Betsy immediately stepped forward and have been with the Courtwatch program ever since.The women each work approximately six hours a week on the program, attending court hearings and monitoring criminal proceedings. They collect information on the disposition of hundreds of domestic violence and sexual assault cases each year in Island County courtrooms. The data is then used to identify trends, uncover potential needs of victims and families, and support grant applications for new programs and services. Programs such as CADA’s new grant-funded Strategic Outreach Services were the result of an analysis of Courtwatch data.Betsy and Rocky, who work quietly and diligently behind the scenes, deserve special recognition for the many hours they donate to the Courtwatch program, Stafford said. Their work has made it possible to improve and expand the services available to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and to gain a better understanding of the criminal justice system.For information on how to become a CADA volunteer, call 360-675-7781 for an application packet. “