NCJ Number
161456
Date Published
1994
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of an evaluation of the work of the Maui County (Hawaii) Domestic and Family Violence Coalition, which focuses on joint efforts by the police and prosecutors to improve effectiveness in the processing of domestic-assault cases.
Abstract
The goals of the coalition are to respond to domestic violence incidents quickly and effectively, to expedite the prosecution of domestic violence cases, to increase interagency cooperation, and to provide treatment and support for victims of domestic violence. Program components are the Domestic Violence Unit of the Maui Police Department, which handles only domestic violence cases; the Domestic Violence Prosecution Team, which systematically identifies all repeat offenders for priority in prosecution, using the vertical prosecution model; and the Domestic Violence Task Force, which is composed of representatives of the criminal justice, social service, and political professions; the task force appraises and coordinates the various components involved in domestic violence issues. Accomplishments to date include domestic-violence training for all officers, a police contract with Alternatives to Violence to provide crisis counseling on a 24-hour basis, and the establishment of the career criminal classification system to gain access to information on repeat offenders. The total number of reported incidents has increased by 30 percent, partly due to the community education effort. There has been a significant increase in the number of trials (240 compared to 14 prior to the project) and in the number of criminal actions filed (1,034 compared to 870 prior to the project). The processing time for cases from receipt to court hearing has been reduced from 90 days to within 3 to 5 weeks. Prospects for program replication are discussed. Appended sections of relevant State statutes, an analysis of 1993 incident reports for abuse of a family/household member, and a sample of the intake sheet for the career criminal program