NCJ Number
245143
Date Published
September 2006
Length
45 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether different approaches to batterer programs affected completion or re-arrest rates for domestic violence offenders.
Abstract
This study by the Center for Court Innovation examined whether different approaches to batter programs affected completion or re-arrest rates for domestic violence offenders sentenced to two different batterer programs in Brooklyn, NY. Highlights of the study's findings include the following: 70 percent of all defendants completed their program mandate and program assignment did not significantly predict program completion; Black and unemployed defendants were less likely to complete the program mandate as were defendants who had not enrolled in the program by the time of their first compliance appearance in court; 28 percent of all defendants were re-arrested during program participation, 34 percent were re-arrested within 1 year of sentencing, and 24 percent were re-arrested within 1 year of program completion or failure; and the strongest predictor of re-arrest was the criminal history of the defendant. Data for the study were obtained from 291 defendants mandated to two batterer programs during 2001 and 2002 in the Brooklyn Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Court. The study compared the outcomes of the defendants on six key measures: program completion, in-program recidivism, 1 year post-sentence recidivism, 1 year post-program recidivism, criminal contempt recidivism, and violent offense recidivism. The findings from the study suggest that batterer programs are not a successful intervention for use in reducing future incidences of domestic violence. Tables, figures, references, and appendixes