Community Corrections Response to Domestic Violence: Guidelines for Practice

• NCJ Number: 226968
• Author(s): Ann H. Crowe; Linda Sydney; Matthew DeMichele; Susan Keilitz; Connie Neal; Sherry Frohman; William M. Schaefer Jr.; Mike Thomas
• Date Published: 2009
• Length: 220 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2001-WT-BX-K011
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women
• Corporate Author: American Probation and Parole Assoc
• Sale Source: American Probation and Parole Assoc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Guideline
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded May 19, 2009

Annotation

This document provides community corrections professionals and allied justice-system and community-based services the conceptual information and practical tools for developing or improving a proactive community supervision approach for domestic-violence cases.

Abstract

The document’s three primary goals are increased safety and autonomy for domestic-violence victims, effective accountability for perpetrators of intimate-partner violence, and positive changes in offender thinking/attitudes and behavior. The first of 10 chapters presents reasons why intervention in domestic-violence cases should be a priority for community corrections professionals, although these cases may be especially challenging. Research has found positive benefits for reducing domestic violence recidivism through coordinated community approaches (Saunders & Hamill, 2003), including community corrections programs with specialized domestic-violence offender supervision strategies. Combinations of interventions--including arrest, prosecution, sentencing, community supervision, and batterer intervention programs--have proven more effective than any intervention used alone. Chapter 2 reviews fundamental concepts and information about the dynamics of domestic violence, followed by a chapter that summarizes legal issues with which community corrections personnel should be familiar when applying the proposed guidelines. Chapter 4 discusses issues of cultural diversity and cultural sensitivity as they relate to the intersection of domestic violence and community corrections. The fifth chapter describes the goals and principles reflected in the guidelines. Chapters 6 through 10 contain 41 guidelines with a rationale for each, followed by implementation strategies. Each guideline derives from evidence-based practices grounded in research on the work of proactive community corrections agencies. These chapters present guidelines for professionalism and ethical practice, case investigation, community supervision and enforcement, victim safety and autonomy, and batterer intervention programs. Practical examples from existing community corrections programs are provided, along with implementation tips and tools such as forms, sample letters, or policies that may be adapted to local program development. 31 exhibits and 10 attachments