Most Sacramento-area offenders skip class to curb domestic violence, report says

More than half of domestic violence offenders granted probation in Sacramento County failed to complete assigned classes which aim to reduce recidivism and are required under California law, according to a report by the Sacramento County Grand Jury released Wednesday.

Those convicted of domestic violence and granted probation by a judge are required to enroll in the the batterers’ treatment program. Organizations selected by the county’s Probation Department offer counseling, group therapy and other courses attempting to reduce violence in a relationship. In 2022, California’s state auditor found the batterer’s treatment program “failed to hold offenders accountable” while examining San Joaquin, Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles and Del Notre counties.

Three Sacramento County entities providing classes averaged a 36% completion rate with more than half of offenders failing to complete the courses, though the organization’s data was “confusing and inconsistent,” according to the grand jury report. Probation officials either rarely monitored organizations or did not at all, the report said.

“When batterers intervention programs are effective, they can help reduce recidivism, stop generational cycles of abuse, support victim safety, and give offenders a path back to society and family,” the grand jury report said.

Domestic violence often turns deadly. About one in five homicide victims could be killed by an intimate partner, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Staffing constraints had limited probation officials visits of providers. The Probation Department implemented improvements to the treatment program, such as increasing the number of provider site visits to twice a year and starting up again quarterly meetings, the report said.

A Probation Department spokesperson said officials are preparing a response to the report.

Domestic violence offenders must pay to attend sessions. The California State Association of Counties found a failure to pay for classes led to participants being terminated from the program, the report said. The Grand Jury also recommended online classes to reduce costs on students.

“This is problematic because 40% of offenders are unemployed,” the report said.

The Probation Department is examining ways to waive costs for indigent offenders. The program is the only court-mandated program in the state which mandates payments from a participant, the report said.

“There is much improvement necessary to change the direction of domestic violence treatment in Sacramento County,” the report concludes. “A decades old system of dealing with violators, accompanied with the bare minimum effort of maintaining the program is not serving anyone well.”

This story was originally published May 30, 2025 at 12:57 PM.