NCJ Number
232692
Journal
Victims & Offenders Volume: 5 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2010 Pages: 130-160
Date Published
April 2010
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This article presents the results of a quantitative analysis study that examined the effectiveness of a specialized domestic violence court.
Abstract
This retrospective descriptive study analyzed a 1997 cohort of misdemeanor offenders (N = 289) in a California domestic violence court. Sixty-two percent of offenders completed a 52-week counseling program. A 4-year statewide recidivism follow-up determined that for all types of arrests, rates were lower among program completers versus noncompleters (for domestic violence arrests, 15 percent versus 25 percent). Logistic regression revealed that completion was predicted by not using drugs, not getting a new case, pleading "not guilty," and an interaction of not having a concurrent case with not being ordered to a work program. Survival analyses identified key risk periods for arrest, and those with domestic violence priors recidivated soonest, as did those who either had drug/alcohol use or who did not complete counseling. Tables, figures, and references (Published Abstract)