Local courts taking action to hold domestic violence offenders accountable

Offenders convicted of misdemeanor partner or family member assault in Flathead County Justice Court or Kalispell City Court are frequently ordered to compliance monitoring and supervision during the period of their sentence.

These local courts are participating in a new approach to help reduce the incidence of recidivism in domestic violence offenses.

The Flathead County/Family Violence Prevention Council program has began its third year serving local courts in providing monitoring and supervision of misdemeanor offenders. Offenders under supervision are required to report to a compliance officer who monitors their progress in completing counseling requirements, paying fines and fees, and remaining law abiding.

The compliance officer reports a 74 percent compliance rate during the last quarter. The recidivism rate for offenders in our program is around 60 percent, less than for those who have not been through our program.

Funding has been through a grant from the Montana Board of Crime Control, with a match from supervision fees collected by the participating courts.

Previous to the program, most offenders failed to either attend or complete the mandatory counseling during the period of their deferred or suspended sentence. Because this was not tracked, offenders were not complying with the court's orders and seldom faced any consequences. Under the program, those who fail to comply will be referred for violating their sentence and be ordered back to court.

While the program is still in its infancy, we are beginning to be recognized as a professional organization that cares for the victims and the community while at the same time holding offenders accountable.

Sandra Penrod is a misdemeanor compliance officer for the Flathead County/Flathead Violence Prevention Council program.