Citation

Gover AR. Partner Abuse 2011; 2(1): 95-120.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Springer Publishing)

DOI

10.1891/1946&U8211;6560.2.1.95

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Colorado has recently adopted revised state standards for the treatment of domestic violence offenders who are court ordered to complete treatment. State standards across the county have been criticized in the past for not being empirically based. This article presents the empirically based principles of Colorado's revised Standards. The Standards are unique in their focus on differentiated treatment for offenders, and their use of the Domestic Violence Risk and Needs Assessment (DVRNA), an assessment tool developed in Colorado to identify offender risk and criminogenic needs. Offenders' overall scores on the DVRNA determine their dosage and intensity of treatment and containment. This article first discusses the history of Colorado's Standards, followed by a presentation of the new Standards. Most importantly, the empirical evidence providing the foundation for these Standards is presented. This article concludes with a discussion of Colorado's implementation plans for the revised Standards, limitations to the utility of Colorado's Standards, and directions for future research.