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County briefs board on domestic violence program; presenters report lower recidivism among graduates
Summary
Douglas County probation staff described a 24-week domestic violence program with a 75% graduation rate and lower three-year felony recidivism for graduates (6%) compared with the countywide average (15%); the board received the presentation and asked clarifying questions about costs and non-citizen participation.
Willie Swanson, a district supervisor, and facilitator Brian Lockach presented Douglas County's court-mandated domestic violence program to the board, describing program length, participant costs and outcomes.
Swanson said the program runs 24 weeks, with clients paying $25 per week. Since 2021 the program has produced 47 graduates and maintains a roughly 75% graduation rate. Swanson said graduates have better post-release outcomes: over a tracked three-year period, 6% of graduates committed a new felony compared with a 15% statewide average for discharged probation populations; only about 10% of program graduates ever committed a new domestic-violence offense versus roughly 30% among those who did not complete comparable programming.
Commissioners asked about the participation of non-citizens and potential deportation or immigration consequences. Staff said non-citizens on supervised probation participate while in the county; if immigration enforcement intervenes that is a separate process. The presenters said the program is lower-cost than similar private programs and credited favorable recidivism metrics to the structured curriculum and facilitator work.
The board thanked staff and the facilitators. No formal action was requested; the presentation was informational and the board discussed benefits to public safety and the jail-cost tradeoffs associated with successful rehabilitation.
