NCJ Number
176552
Journal
Caseload Highlights Volume: 5 Issue: 2 Dated: April 1999 Pages: -
Date Published
1999
Length
6 pages
Annotation
An analysis of the demonstration of the Family Violence Data Reporting Prototype initiated by the Court Statistics Project of the National Center for State Courts concludes that the outcomes indicate that the prototype is a viable tool for State courts to use in identifying, classifying, counting, and reporting domestic assault cases.
Abstract
The project was intended as a tool for State courts to use in identifying, classifying, counting, and reporting family violence cases. The project proposed a minimum set of four categories of family violence cases: felony domestic violence, misdemeanor domestic violence, civil protection orders, and civil claims. The prototype was pilot tested in 12 courts during January-June 1998. Each courts was able to provide filing data for at least one of the main case categories. More than half the courts were able to collect some disposition data. Findings indicated that the prototype appears to be sufficiently flexible to be used by courts with varying capacities for data identification, collection, and reporting. The prototype therefore should be useful both as a guide for reporting domestic assault data currently available and as a tool for designing or revising data collection systems for family violence cases. Second, the prototype provides a framework for reporting and comparing data from different jurisdictions. Finally, the drill-down characteristics of the prototype demonstrate significant potential for the identification and analysis of family violence caseload trends that are essential for assessing individual court workloads, implementing competent case management systems, and informing the creation and evaluation of effective court initiatives to reduce domestic assault. Tables, footnotes, and list of case type categories and subcategories