New Family Justice Center Opens in Coachella Valley

Palm Desert and Coachella Valley residents now have easier access to "much-needed" services for victims of things like domestic violence, the district attorney's office announced Monday.

The third Family Justice Center in Riverside County is officially open in Indio, according to John Hall of the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.

Some of the things the center specializes in helping people with include: 

• Domestic violence
• Adult and child sexual assault
• Physical abuse to both the children and the elderly

Services include crisis intervention, legal help with temporary restraining orders, information about the criminal justice system, victim compensation assistance and referrals to community groups. The Indio Family Justice Center works with Shelter from the Storm, Coachella Valley Sexual Assault Services, the CARE (Curtailing Abuse Related to the Elderly) Team, Riverside County Child Protective Services, Inland County Legal Services and local law enforcement agencies, according to Hall.

"This Family Justice Center in Indio is long overdue," Riverside County District Attorney Paul Zellerbach said. "Now residents in all three geographical areas of the county will have these very important support services available to them."

The other family justice centers are in Riverside and Murrieta. The centers are funded by public and private sources, including Verizon, the District Attorney's Office and the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services.

The Indio Family Justice Center is on the first floor at 82-675 Highway 111 and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

It can be reached at (760) 863-8363.

--City News Service contributed to this report.