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Attention Agency Providers: Domestic Violence Offender Accountability Program
Re: Rochester/Monroe County Domestic Violence Consortium (DVC) recognition of Offender Accountability programs
The Rochester/Monroe County Domestic Violence Consortium (DVC) is an organization comprised of local agencies that share a common goal to end domestic abuse by holding offenders accountable and promoting survivor safety. This is accomplished by working collaboratively within the community to provide information and education regarding domestic violence, advocacy for policy and legislative change, and a forum for discussing domestic violence among local area professionals.
The DVC’s Criminal Justice Committee continuously collaborates with, and reviews, the legal community’s response to domestic violence in the area of offender accountability. As a result the Offender Accountability Subcommittee (OAS) was created to further explore this issue, particularly in regards to Domestic Violence Offender Accountability Programs offered by community providers. One of the challenges identified by the subcommittee is the lack of available programs and inconsistency of policies and procedures related to the offender accountability programs.
The subcommittee has identified effective program guidelines for providers to follow in order to address offender accountability and survivor safety. These specific guidelines include a range of policies and procedures regarding the mandate process from Courts/Probation to program structure and communication with the mandating agency regarding participant progress.
If your agency has an interest in applying for DVC recognized status, please review and submit an application. The application for DVC program recognition and guidelines are attached for your review and thoughtful consideration. Upon the submission and review of your application, a meeting will be scheduled between you and members of the OAS subcommittee to discuss your program and its role in Monroe County’s coordinated community response to domestic violence. We request that your agency prepare a brief presentation regarding the offered offender accountability program and participate in discussion thereafter to fully establish a clear understanding of the program structure.
The R/MC DVC will provide a list of recognized Offender Accountability Programs to the Monroe County Probation Department, the Offices of District Attorney and Public Defender, and to the courts.