AHP's Andrew R. Klein Interviewed for NPR Story on Domestic Violence and the Courts

Spurred by recent stories of lighter sentences for sports figures convicted of domestic abuse, NPR Robert Siegel interviewed AHP’s Andrew R. Klein, Ph.D., Senior Scientist for Criminal Justice, on the differences between court responses to domestic violence versus non-domestic assault cases. Dr. Klein’s areas of expertise include criminal justice, court administration, drug abuse, and domestic violence. He has served as the principal investigator for major National Institute of Justice-funded research on stalking, elder abuse, specialized probation supervision, correctional residential substance abuse treatment, and civil protective orders.

In response to Siegel’s question, “How do sentences for domestic abuse generally compare with sentences handed down for say assaulting someone who isn't a domestic partner or assaulting a stranger?” Dr. Klein said, “The first thing you have to understand is the criminal justice response is not uniform across the country. It varies by state by state, court by court and judge by judge and prosecutor by prosecutor within the states. But generally the pattern is that domestic violence is not taken as seriously as other crimes. It's less likely to be prosecuted, it's more likely to have the case diverted from court and the person is less likely to end up in prison or jail.”

Listen to the full story.

For more about AHP’s work in criminal justice, check out Projects & Impact


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