Bill > S3387

Introduced Session

This bill sets forth certain requirements governing court ordered domestic violence counseling and creates the "Abuse Intervention Program Advisory Committee" within the Department of Children and Families. Under current law, as part of a final restraining order issued by the court in a domestic violence matter, the court may order the defendant to receive professional domestic violence counseling from either a private source or a source appointed by the court and, in that event, require the defendant 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 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) working collaboratively with the courts to support offender accountability, requiring that offenders be held accountable for their behavior, and that offenders are provided with services geared towards behavioral change; (3) information and education concerning the tactics of power and control and the understanding of domestic violence as a domination and control issue; (4) 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 (5) regular reviews of the program and compliance by the New Jersey Advisory Council on Domestic Violence or the Department of Children and Families for Batterers' Intervention Programs funded by the Department of Children and Families. The bill creates within the Department of Children and Families, the "Abuse Intervention Program Advisory Committee." The advisory committee is to include representatives from the following: Administrative Office of the Courts, including representatives of the Municipal Court and the Family and Criminal Divisions of Superior Court; Department of Corrections; Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services; Department of Law and Public Safety; Department of Education; domestic violence advocates who represent underserved communities in rural and urban settings; practicing licensed mental health professional; community providers with experience providing treatment to domestic violence perpetrators; a person who has received abuse intervention services; community organizers providing restorative justice practices; and faith community leaders. In consultation with the committee, the Department of Children and Families would select an existing evidence-based, evidence-supported or promising Batterers' Intervention Program model. Based on strategic priorities and subject to the availability of funds, the Department of Children and Families is responsible for funding the selected abuse intervention programs. The Department of Children and Families is to access consultation and technical assistance from selected model developers or other field experts; support the development, refinement, and maintenance of the necessary implementation infrastructure including, but not limited to, model refinement, training, quality improvement, and evaluation; and provide periodic progress updates to the committee on the selected Batterers' Intervention Program model. The domestic violence counseling provisions of this bill embody recommendation 18 of the Report of the Supreme Court Ad Hoc Committee on Domestic Violence issued June 2016.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Linda Greenstein (D)*,  Troy Singleton (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 06/06/2024)

Official Document