Batterers’ Education Program

The Iowa Eighth Judicial District, Department of Correctional Services’ Batterers’ Education Program has been up and running since 1991. The program started with just one group, but today there are 27 groups meeting on a weekly basis throughout 17 counties in southeast Iowa.

Perpetrators of domestic violence often come to us angry and, embarrassed: “I should not be here. This is my partner’s fault. This was only my first charge. It was such a minor incident. My partner provoked me. This is a family problem. If I hadn’t been drunk or high this would not have happened. This program is run by a bunch of man haters.”

Batterers often have a sense of entitlement that allows them to justify emotionally, physically, sexually and verbally abusing their partners. A very high number of batterers also physically abuse their children. Although some may never lay a hand on their children, if they are abusing the mothers, then they are indirectly abusing the children as well.

The Batterers’ Education Program promotes accountability and we try to encourage offenders to stop using the common tactics of power and control against their partners. Those behaviors include intimidation, physical and sexual abuse, verbal and emotional  abuse, minimization, denial, blame, collusion, justification, economic abuse, and using the children against their partners. To achieve this, we teach and encourage offenders to use non-violent behaviors that promote respect, responsible parenting, economic partnership, honesty and accountability, trust and support, and negotiation.

Of course, after giving offenders the tools to establish non-violent relationships, they must choose to use those tools to help make their relationships true partnerships. The more pro-social the individuals we see, the better chance we have at seeing real change.

Our top priority is to make offenders understand that battering is a choice--- a choice that destroys relationships, families, and even lives. We’ve literally worked with thousands of people. While it would be naïve to suggest that all batterers benefit from the program, we know firsthand that many offenders have been positively impacted by the program. Much of the success we see can be directly linked to our trained and dedicated facilitators and those offenders who understand the harm they have caused. Although the vast majority of offenders are ordered to the program by the courts, some enroll in the program voluntarily.

For those who do re-offend after completing our 16-week program, we offer a 24-week program that is more therapeutic in nature and builds on previously learned material. We work very closely with the Crisis Center and Women’s Shelter and other area domestic violence projects.

If interested in more information about the program, please call Julie Trinkle, Batterers’ Education Program coordinator, at 641-682-8383 Ext. 19. For related information, see the links in the left column.

Batterers’ Education Program Staff

Julie Trinkle, Program Coordinator

Ph. (641) 682-8383 Ext. 19

Diane Buss, Community Program Monitor

Ph. (641) 437-7278

 Kim Duque, Community Program Monitor

Ph. (319) 753-5478 Ext. 111