NCJ Number
77422
Date Published
1980
Length
64 pages
Annotation
Findings and recommendations of the Governor's Task Force on Domestic Violence of the State of New York presented in this report focus on wife beating.
Abstract
The task force recommends that the Family Court Act and the Criminal Procedure Law be amended to clarify and expand provisions for preliminary relief and enforcement orders of protection. Legislation should be passed authorizing family court judges to order a batterer to participate in designating violence prevention and treatment programs. Additonal legislation should focus on providing indigent petitioners the right to court appointed counsel, requiring respondents who are found guilty of family offenses to pay legal and medical expenses of petitioners, and allowing former spouses and unmarried cohabiting adults to have access to family court or criminal court. Local police agencies should collect domestic violence data according to standard form. The task force also recommends that the Governor and legislature support the creation of a statewide media campaign to inform residents about laws pertaining to domestic violence. Any long term preventive measures must include a commitment to raise the societal status of women, children, and the elderly. In the interim, implementation of the task force recommendations should be of great assistance to troubled families. Seven footnotes and five appendixes are included.