The Alaska Criminal Justice Commission announced the release of the new report, ‘Domestic Violence in Alaska’, which focuses on Alaska’s exceptionally high rates of domestic violence, the ways in which the state currently responds to the violence, and promising programs that address current cases and prevent future violence. Members of the Domestic Violence Workgroup of the Commission included victims and survivors of domestic violence and group representatives that work with them. Legislators, judges, members of law enforcement, attorneys working with domestic violence cases, and researchers also participated in the effort to understand and address the problem.
Rep. Matt Claman, Commission Chair said:
“This is one of the most important pieces of work that the Commission has accomplished in its eight years. Because at least 48% of women in Alaska have experienced domestic violence at some point in their lifetimes, it is a widespread problem that affects families and children across the state. People who have been convicted of domestic violence have high rates of further domestic violence, often against the same person as victim or survivor, making it essential that the state, tribes, and local governments continue their efforts to respond to current cases, and prevent future violence.”
Some chapters in the report give a glimpse of where and when violence occurs, how often it’s reported, and how the legal system responds. Other chapters describe programs that serve victims and survivors and their families; interventions for people who are involved in domestic violence whether in child custody cases or criminal cases; best practices for responding to domestic violence used around the United States and the extent to which Alaska uses these; and a wide variety of prevention programs, many of which serve Alaska youth.
The report is available here.