Men Stopping Violence - Criminal Legal System

Work with the criminal legal system is important because women need to be able to call the police to stop immediate physical violence. However, many women choose not to rely on the police and courts. They may need to avoid having the situation taken from their control. It may create serious financial hardship to put the abuser's job at risk. In immmigrant communities, there may be a fear of deportation. Many communities feel that calling in the police puts everyone at risk.

So, MSV works very hard with other institutions to create safety for women and girls. We believe that victims of abuse need alternatives to the criminal legal system.

While we work with other institutions, we continue to provide training for and work in partnership with parts of the criminal legal system.

Our experience has been that, if a man is to change his violent and abusive behavior, at least two things must happen. His actions must carry significant consequences and for some men those consequences come through the criminal legal system. Second, he must focus on what he did and work to change himself instead of trying to change his partner. We also find that men who are willing to reach out to their friends, family, and other men for support are much more likely to make that change.

MSV works with women's advocates, judges, prosecutors, police, and others to create a coordinated response to violence against women. We believe that it is essential to involve advocates in shaping systemic responses to domestic violence.

Advocates continue to remind us of the impact of violence on the victim. When a man does not take responsibility for his abuse, we do not accept him into our program because the degree of his denial makes him an ongoing danger to the victim. Allowing a batterer to participate in an intervention program when he has no interest in stopping his violence is dangerous, as it could signal to the victim, the court, and the community that he is less of a threat than he has been in the past.

Men Stopping Violence is one of the oldest batterers' intervention program in the country. We are nationally known for our ground-breaking curriculum, Men At Work. If you have questions about the work we do with the criminal legal system, please feel free to contact Sulaiman Nuriddin, Men's Education Manager at 404-270-9894.

Who We Serve

Criminal Legal System