Racial Disparities in Domestic Violence Offenders Treatment

Abstract

<p>Convicted domestic violence offenders in Iowa are court mandated to complete a course that helps them deal with challenging emotions and situations. The Duluth Model has been standard for trying to help offenders within these courses, but recently there has been a new model developed in Iowa called Achieving Change Through Value-Based Behavior (ACTV) because the Duluth Model was still showing high levels of recidivism in offenders, especially African American men. Preliminary results show that ACTV reduces reoffending to 13%, compared to the Duluth Model’s 35%. However, previous studies have found a large contrast between racial groups in regards to their rates of recidivism. Current research examined factors that may relate to varying recidivism rates among racial groups in male offenders enrolled into the programs. By investigating correlates of racial disparities, correctional systems will be better equipped to adjust programming with the aim to reduce recidivism of domestic violence offenders.</p>