An overview is presented of the Judicial Oversight Demonstration (JOD) evaluation and findings from the three JOD sights as well as from comparison sites.
Highlights of the research findings include: (1) victims in all sites were generally satisfied with the response of police, prosecutors, and the court, and rated their fairness and impact on future violence positively; (2) victims identified some problems in interactions with justice agencies, such as scheduling conflicts; (3) victims in all sites reported moderately high levels of safety and well-being 11 months after the initial intimate partner violence (IPV) incident; (4) Judicial Oversight Demonstration (JOD) reductions in victim reports of repeat IPV were stronger for some types of victims and offenders; (5) JOD increased offender accountability; and (6) JOD did not decrease offender perceptions of the fairness of judges or probation departments and did not increase offenders’ perceptions of the certainty and severity of the penalties for violations of some court orders. In 1999, the Office on Violence Against Women selected three sites for the implementation of a JOD project. In each site, Dorchester, MA; Milwaukee, WI; and Washtenaw County, MI; criminal justice agencies and community-based agencies serving victims and offenders formed partnerships to work collaboratively to support an effective response to IPV incidents involving the courts and justice agencies. A national evaluation of JOD began in 2000. This report presents an overview of the entire evaluation and its findings. Exhibits, notes, and a list of additional project reports