Evaluation of the Remand Domestic Violence Intervention

The Remand Domestic Violence (DV) intervention is one of many programs delivered by Corrective Service New South Wales (CSNW) to support the reduction of DFV related offending in NSW. Remand DV aims to reduce the number of men who breach their Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (ADVO). An ADVO is a court issued order which lists certain conditions that enforce contact and distance rules to a person in a current or previous a domestic relationship from the other party.

The intervention provides 6-sessions to assist men held on remand to:

• understand the legal circumstances specific to DV, including any associated ADVOs, (for example, which behaviours constitute DV and could be found to be a breach of an order),
• provide remandees with knowledge and skills for healthier relationships (including emotional regulation and safety planning),
• and enhance men’s readiness to participate in criminogenic programs that target DV behaviour in community or in custody.

CSNSW engaged ARTD to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the Remand DV intervention for men participating in the program across NSW correctional settings from 2019 to July 2023. Men could only participate in the program whilst on remand in custody. The target cohort for the program were men who were on remand for DV offences and those who had subsequently been released from custody.

The evaluation employed a mixed-methods approach with key activities including:

• analysis of program participation and outcomes data, including participation rates and subsequent engagement in other programs in custody or community,
• interviews with program participants, as well as men on remand who chose not to participate in the intervention,
• interviews with program stakeholders involved in the design and delivery of the intervention.

In addition to the data collection, we developed a systems map to illustrate how the intervention interacted with other components of the criminal justice system.

The evaluation found that the Remand DV intervention showed early promise in supporting participants to better understand their ADVOs, improve legal literacy, and prepare to engage in further programs. However, it also identified challenges that impacted program delivery including that men on remand face uncertainty due to sentencing processes, transfers between facilities, and varying levels of readiness to engage.

The evaluation made several recommendations to enhance the program’s impact, including:

• Strengthening the legal literacy component through the integration of a legal outreach service.
• Improving post-release information in program materials.
• Enhancing facilitator support.
• Updating resources to be more inclusive and accessible.

The evaluation also contributed to building an evidence base for behaviour change programs in correctional and community settings.