NCJ Number
132885
Date Published
Unknown
Length
45 pages
Annotation
Since the Stipulated Order of Continuance (SOC) program was initiated by the Bellevue, Washington, police department in 1983, over 3,500 domestic violence incidents have been investigated and 1,200 abusers have been prosecuted.
Abstract
The SOC program is a diversion program available to persons arrested for a crime involving domestic violence if certain criteria are met. The program offers the option of avoiding trial by following agreed upon conditions that emphasize counseling. The program has reduced the escalation of domestic violence in Bellevue and has helped to protect victims and hold batterers accountable for their acts. It has also succeeded in coordinating previously independent services of the police, prosecutors, judges, probation, and private counseling agencies for the benefit of both victims and batterers. Of 299 batterers who completed the SOC program as of December 1990, only 12 were rearrested for assault. In addition, the program vastly improved the documentation of and intervention in domestic violence incidents reported to the police. The program also increased victim support and protection, enhanced batterer supervision and treatment, encouraged prompt and effective judicial intervention, and provided a broader understanding of the phenomenon of domestic violence. An empirical analysis of domestic violence in Bellevue is presented, and the State of Washington's official response to domestic violence is outlined. A domestic violence checklist, a victim information form, and a glossary are included. 12 figures