This process evaluation focused on the development of a coordinated community response to domestic violence in the city of Carbondale and Jackson County, IL.
The evaluation's objectives were to conduct a descriptive analysis of the interagency collaboration and project history; to identify domestic violence research issues of priority in Carbondale; and to work with participating agencies to prepare for a potential outcome evaluation. The data collection techniques, which were largely qualitative, included document analysis, unstructured and structured interviews, and observations. Limited quantitative data were obtained in the analysis of the prosecution of domestic battery in Jackson County and the evaluation of the Domestic Violence Clinic. The evaluation found that under a series of grants for the development of pro-arrest programs to counter domestic violence, Carbondale and Jackson County have made significant progress in developing a coordinated community response to domestic violence. The project's major accomplishments have been to establish a coordinating council (the Steering Committee); police training and other training in the dynamics of and response to domestic violence; police and prosecution protocols for domestic violence cases; a Domestic Violence Clinic Program at the Southern Illinois (SIU) Law School; a consolidated records management system for the Carbondale Police Department and the SIU Department of Public Safety; a community support group for victims and survivors of domestic violence; additional advocacy services for victims; and joint probation-police patrols to monitor offender compliance with no-contact bonds and probation orders and to provide victim safety checks. Lessons are drawn from this project to guide program planners. The evaluation's main conclusion is that in a coordinated community response to domestic violence, a coordinating council is essential for the identification of problems and the design of solutions, the development and monitoring of interagency collaboration, and the provision of a forum for networking. Suggestions are offered for future research. 13 references