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OPDV Bulletin:
NYS Parole Responds to Domestic Violence

The Division of Parole (DOP) is advancing a pro-active response to domestic violence, which emphasizes the functions and responsibilities of community supervision, assesses current parole practices and procedures and prioritizes staff training.

DOP, with technical assistance from the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV), has instituted a new Domestic Violence Policy which focuses on supervision strategies designed to enhance the safety of the victim and consistently hold the perpetrator accountable. These principles reflect the Division's commitment to addressing domestic violence, in any form, as violent behavior that will not be tolerated.

Parole's Domestic Violence Initiative

In June 2000, a Senior Parole Officer was designated to coordinate the Domestic Violence Initiative. The goals of the initiative are:

• to develop guidelines and standards for immediate and consistent responses to domestic violence, at all levels of parole operations;
• to create a multi-disciplinary response, through partnerships with domestic violence advocates, service providers and other criminal justice agencies;
• to develop effective intervention strategies that prioritize victim safety and emphasize offender accountability;
• to provide staff with resources, information and support in dealing with domestic violence cases;
• to promote the Division's message to the community, releasees and families, including domestic violence victim service providers and other appropriate public venues; and
• to develop and implement staff development programs for professional staff, in all areas of parole operation.

Court Partnership

Over the past year DOP has partnered with a wide range of criminal justice and social agencies to build a foundation for collaborative problem-solving and effective service-delivery in the area of domestic violence. Through these interagency linkages, parole officers will collaborate with local domestic violence victim services, local police agencies and other community resources to address domestic violence issues.

In September 2000, the DOP and the Brooklyn Domestic Violence Court developed a Parole-specific court monitoring pilot program, paralleling the Court's judicial monitoring of defendants. All offenders sentenced to state prison are identified by the Court. The Court then provides copies of the order of protection to DOP at the time of sentence. Information is forwarded to Parole staff at prison facilities for "identification and screening" during the parole process. When the offender appears before the Parole Board, facility parole staff recommend appropriate special conditions to reinforce adherence to the terms of the order of protection and to emphasize the releasees' responsibility for their behavior. Upon release from prison, individuals make a one-time re-appearance before the Court to reinforce accountability. In March 2001, the Division and the Westchester Domestic Violence Court instituted a similar pilot program modeled after the Brooklyn Domestic Violence Court project.

Parole Revocation Staff Training

Parole revocation staff training on domestic violence, conducted in February and March, 2001 was a collaborative effort between DOP and several members of the Criminal Justice Subcommittee of New York City's Inter-Agency Task Force Against Domestic Violence. The training, with the Division's Administrative Law Judges Preliminary Hearing Officers and Revocation Specialists, was intended to enhance the effectiveness of the Parole Revocation Process on domestic violence-related violations. Presenters represented the Urban Justice Center, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office Family Violence and Child Abuse Bureau, and the Brooklyn Domestic Violence Court. Training focused on the importance of addressing victim safety concerns during the revocation process (i.e., ongoing protection and support) and included direction for introducing collateral evidence in support of sustaining a violation, without the victim's testimony.

New York City Violation Process

DOP and the New York City Department of Corrections, in a coordinated effort, are developing joint policies and procedures to ensure expeditious and safer processing of domestic violence victims testifying at parole revocation hearings. Establishing protocols to protect victims from harassment or threats of violence at a violation hearing is of paramount concern since many abusers will, either in person or by sending messages through someone else, continue to control and instill fear in their victim.

Summary

Existing policies and practices in the DOP are being re-examined closely with a focus on making procedural changes to promote safety of the victim by encouraging on-going communication between the parole officer and the victim. The parole officer's continued involvement with the victim, including providing support throughout the violation process, is critical. Training for parole staff is also a priority. A committee will be developing a domestic violence training curriculum for facility and field staff, planned to commence this fall. New publications have been developed to inform releasees, their partners, and the general public that when domestic violence is identified, every effort will be made to provide support, assistance and referral for services, respond to the violence and hold the releasee accountable. For more information about the Division of Parole Domestic Violence Initiative, call Evelyn Cancella, Statewide Domestic Violence Coordinator at (212) 239-5732.