Bill > A4475

Introduced Session

This bill establishes standards for court-ordered counseling for domestic violence offenders. Under current law, the court may order a defendant charged with a crime or offense involving domestic violence who has been released pending trial, or as part of a final restraining order issued by the court in a domestic violence matter, to receive professional domestic violence counseling from either a private source or a source appointed by the court. If ordered to participate in this counseling, the defendant would be required to provide the court with documentation of attendance. Under the bill, any domestic violence counseling program in which a defendant participates based on a court order issued in a domestic violence matter would be required to facilitate defender accountability and include the following components: (1) risk assessments that identify dynamics of domestic violence and escalating risk factors, and include information provided by the courts; (2) information and education concerning the tactics of power and control and the understanding of domestic violence as a domination and control issue; (3) a protocol to demonstrate the defendant's attendance in programming, and additional reporting as requested by the court to support a prompt and effective review by the court for noncompliance; and (4) regular reviews of the program and compliance by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families for Batterers' Intervention Programs funded by the Department of Children and Families. This bill implements Recommendation #28 of the June 2023 report of the Reconvened Joint Committee on Criminal Justice.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Andrea Katz (D)*,  Cody Miller (D)*,  Ellen Park (D)*,  Margie Donlon (D),  Yvonne Lopez (D),  Michele Matsikoudis (R),  Luanne Peterpaul (D),  Annette Quijano (D),  Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D),  William Sampson (D),  Lisa Swain (D),  Chris Tully (D), 

Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee (on 01/14/2025)

Official Document