Nova Scotia family violence tracking project phase 3: 2000 to 2003

The purpose of this project is to develop and track indicators of the effectiveness of the criminal justice systems response to spousal/intimate partner violence in Nova Scotia. [...] This information allows the Department of Justice to evaluate the implementation of policies at all levels of the criminal justice system as well as inform the development and implementation of new initiatives. [...] This paper will provide: • a detailed analysis of intimate partner violence on a random sample of incidents reported to police between 2000 to 2003; • comparisons to the 1995 and 1998 Tracking Projects to assess the implementation of policies at the police, court and corrections levels; and • the basis for informed decision-making for the development and implementation of new initiatives in areas [...] Methodology Since 1996, all police agencies in the province have submitted monthly statistical reports on domestic violence to the Department of Justice that record the type of incident, the police file number and the clearance status of the incident at the time of submission1. [...] For occurrences that result in criminal charges being laid, linkages are made to the courts to determine the outcomes of the charges, and to Victim Services to determine the source of the referral.