VIDEO: Local Non-Profit Helps with Domestic Violence

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi lawmakers have been working to strengthen domestic violence laws for about a decade.

Progress has been made, but advocates say there is still more to be done.

Like many crimes, repeat offenders are seen in domestic violence cases.

The program that Safe Haven offers works with law enforcement and prosecutors to help stop it from happening.

Safe Haven’s Columbus location services 10 counties, providing domestic violence victims the basic needs.

“Temporary emergency shelter, free counseling services, food, clothing if they need it, transportation, and safety planning,” said Safe Haven Director, Joyce Tucker.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that 20 people are physically abused by intimate partners every minute in the U.S.

That’s about 10 million people a year.

For around two years now, Safe Haven has worked with local law enforcement to help with domestic violence offenders.

“Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department is allowing us to use the Lowndes County adult detention center. They have designated an office that we can use or room that we can use to provide those teachings,” said Tucker.

The teachings are part of a 24 week Safe Haven program, with one universal goal.

“The purpose of the program is to stop them from re-offending. It’s based on the power and control wheel, that the abuse happens because of power and control issues by the offender,” said Tucker.

The program has graduated one previous offender, and the non-profit organization hopes more will follow.

“We won’t know how successful our program is if we don’t get folks in the program. Our hope is that more judges in the counties that we serve will refer the offender to our program,” said Tucker.

Currently, anger management is the main resource judges use for offenders.

Safe Haven hopes in the future, their program will fill that spot.