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Domestic Violence Sentencing Conditions and Recidivism

NCJ Number
247243
Author(s)
Thomas P. George, Ph.D.
Date Published
2010
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This study explored the different types of sentence conditions imposed on domestic violence offenders in Washington State.
Abstract
Findings from this study on the different types of sentence conditions imposed on domestic violence (DV) offenders in Washington State include the following: on average, offenders received six different conditions, with proscriptions, jail, fines, and probation being the most common; offenders who complied with either probation, victim-oriented treatment, or probation and treatment had lower recidivism rates for DV incidences compared to offenders who only received fines and/or proscriptions; and offenders who received anger management interventions also had lower odds of recidivating. Data for this study were obtained from court files of 66,759 individuals charged with a DV offense in Washington State courts from 2004 through 2006. The objective of this study was to examine recidivism rates for domestic violence and non-domestic violence offenders over a 5-year period to determine the impact that types of sentence conditions, sentence categories, and sentence compliance had on subsequent offending and recidivism rates for these offenders. The findings from the study indicate that recidivism rates are strongly related to the type of sentence an offender receives. Study limitations are discussed. Tables, figures, and references