Many states have altered how they adjudicate some cases with respect to issuing sentences, and one of the primary alterations has been the employment of educational training as a part of any sentence associated with certain crimes. The standard for this court ruling has long been alcoholic driving education programs. Now, the state of Florida is implementing a batterers’ intervention program for those convicted of domestic violence charges in some situations.
Understanding the batterers’ intervention program
Unlike mandatory sentencing requirements, Florida has enacted a law that allows judges to impose the intervention program as the court sees fit on defendants convicted of certain domestic violence charges. Programs typically last for at least 29 weeks. It also requires 24 of those classes be physical attendance and includes mandatory completion as well.
Court exemptions
The purpose of the new legislation is to address the high number of residual domestic violence cases processed through the court. The new authority allows judges to add educational penalties when issuing sentencing because information can potentially help reduce the number of cases as opposed to incarceration and fines as the only punishment following a conviction. The court can choose to not order the program for those who are only technically proven guilty in a home violence issue.
Curriculum included in the programs will include the various types of dominance that some can impose on others in the family. This especially applies to children in most cases, including the implementation of corporal punishment in the home. Additionally, physical abuse is not the only form of violence, as mental and emotional stress placed on family members from a dominant household member may also be classified as domestic violence.
