NCJ Number
154873
Journal
American Jails Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: (March-April 1995) Pages: 11-12,14,16,19
Date Published
1995
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The consensus in the criminal justice system is that aggressive arrest and prosecution policies, coupled with strong advocacy programs in the context of a coordinated community response, can prevent domestic violence.
Abstract
Effective intervention is defined as stopping violence, making victims safer, and holding abusers accountable. Over the past 10 to 15 years, clear trends have developed which point the way toward domestic violence prevention. Communities are uniting to develop coordinated strategies that involve multidiscipline professionals who interact with domestic violence victims and perpetrators. Further, aggressive arrest policies are defining domestic violence as a serious crime and police officers are booking offenders into jail. In addition, prosecutors are beginning to intervene with prosecution and conviction at the misdemeanor level before aggravated assault or homicide occurs, and a focus on long-term treatment and accountability for abusers is developing. Four basic strategies are proposed to move the jail system forward in response to domestic violence: (1) the jail system must promote the message that domestic violence is a serious crime; (2) the jail system must recognize its role in enhancing the safety of domestic violence victims; (3) jail officers must monitor released offenders and measure recidivism; and (4) jail staff must acknowledge their role in providing inmate treatment and educational services. The value of partnerships between domestic violence professionals and the jail system is discussed.