Beyond the Crisis: A Long-Term Approach to Reduce, Prevent, and Recover from Intimate Partner Violence Report #256 | January 2021 Milton Marks Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy www.lhc.ca.gov LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION Dedicated to Promoting Economy Pedro Nava and Efficiency in California State Chairman Government Sean Varner The Little Hoover Commission, formally known as the Milton Vice Chairman Marks “Little Hoover” Commission on California State Government David Beier Organization and Economy, is an independent state oversight agency. Dion Aroner By statute, the Commission is a bipartisan board composed of Cynthia Buiza five public members appointed by the governor, four public Bill Emmerson members appointed by the Legislature, two senators and two Assemblymember Chad Mayes assemblymembers. Senator Jim Nielsen In creating the Commission in 1962, the Legislature declared its Assemblymember Bill Quirk purpose: Senator Richard Roth ...to secure assistance for the Governor and itself in Cathy Schwamberger* promoting economy, efficiency and improved services in the Janna Sidley† transaction of the public business in the various departments, agencies and instrumentalities of the executive branch of *Served on study subcommittee the state government, and in making the operation of all †Served as subcommittee chair state departments, agencies and instrumentalities, and all expenditures of public funds, more directly responsive COMMISSION STAFF to the wishes of the people as expressed by their elected representatives... Ethan Rarick Executive Director The Commission fulfills this charge by listening to the public, consulting with the experts and conferring with the wise. In the Tamar Foster course of its investigations, the Commission typically empanels Deputy Executive Director advisory committees, conducts public hearings and visits government Krystal Beckham operations in action. Ashley Hurley Its conclusions are submitted to the Governor and the Legislature Rachel Mattioli for their consideration. Recommendations often take the form of Sherry McAlister legislation, which the Commission supports through the legislative Tristan Stein process. Contacting the Commission All correspondence should be addressed to the Commission Office: Little Hoover Commission 925 L Street, Suite 805, Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-2125 | [email protected] This report is available from the Commission’s website at www.lhc.ca.gov. Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 5 Intimate Partner Violence is Costly to the State .........................................6 CALIFORNIA’S RESPONSE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE: UNDERFUNDED, FRAGMENTED, AND INCOMPLETE .................... 6 Agency Silos Lead to Overlaps and Critical Gaps in Service Provision ......7 Create a Holistic Prevention- and Early-Intervention Approach to Intimate Partner Violence ..............................................................................8 Recommendations ........................................................................................13 PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION ................................................14 Batterer Intervention Programs .................................................................14 Recommendations ........................................................................................16 ENFORCING CALIFORNIA’S INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE- RELATED GUN LAWS ........................................................................16 More Victims ..................................................................................................17 State Response to IPV-Related Homicides .................................................18 Challenges to Implementing California’s Firearms Laws .........................19 Human Resources .........................................................................................23 Recommendations ........................................................................................23 A LONG-TERM VIEW OF SURVIVAL NEEDS: ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE AND HOUSING .................................................... 24 Economic Independence ..............................................................................26 Create an Identity-Focused Reentry Program for Survivors ....................26 California’s Lowest Income Survivors Overlooked by Victim Compensation Framework...........................................................................26 Expand the Removing Barriers to Employment Act to Explicitly Include Victims of Domestic Violence and Renew Funding .....................28 Connect Survivors with Apprenticeship Opportunities ...........................29 Help the Helpers ............................................................................................29 Housing and Homelessness .........................................................................31 A Seat at the Table ........................................................................................34 Recommendations ........................................................................................34 NOTES ............................................................................................... 36 BEYOND THE CRISIS | 1 Letter from the Chair January 11, 2021 The Honorable Gavin Newsom Governor of California The Honorable Toni Atkins The Honorable Shannon Grove Speaker pro Tempore of the Senate Senate Minority Leader and members of the Senate The Honorable Anthony Rendon The Honorable Marie Waldron Speaker of the Assembly Assembly Minority Leader and members of the Assembly DEAR GOVERNOR AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE: Since late 2019, the Little Hoover Commission has examined California’s response to intimate partner violence, a horrific form of abuse that has a tragic and lasting impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities throughout our state. The following report concludes our review and details steps the state must take to strengthen its response to this violence. Although numerous state agencies have an impact on those affected by intimate partner violence, the Commission found that California lacks a coordinated, cohesive strategy to prevent this abuse and support survivors with their long-term needs. The state’s current approach is siloed and suffers from critical gaps in services and funding that make it difficult for survivors to access the resources they need to escape their abuser and establish a life on their own. Greater action must be taken to ensure California responds rigorously and effectively to this abhorrent abuse. In this report, the Commission recommends the state transition to a holistic, strategic, evidence-based, and collaborative approach that helps Californians reduce, prevent, and recover from intimate partner violence. The Commission respectfully submits this work and stands prepared to help you address this challenge. Sincerely, Pedro Nava, Chair Little Hoover Commission 2 | LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION Executive Summary Letter from the Chair California must transform its response to intimate stakeholders together to craft the state’s strategy; partner violence from a focus on crisis intervention create a data collection and analysis framework to one of prevention and early intervention. and ensure service providers receive grant funding for this purpose; modernize processes; facilitate The Little Hoover Commission began studying expertise within state government on intimate California’s response to intimate partner violence in partner violence; ensure underserved groups are late 2019. In May 2020, the Commission released its prioritized within the plan; and design a funding first report on the topic,Intimate Partner Violence: framework that will advance the state’s goals. Getting Money to Those on the Front Line, which asked the Governor and Legislature to provide grant Prevention and Early funding upfront to service providers. Intervention This second report focuses on the organization of California does not have a substantial prevention California’s response to intimate partner violence. or early intervention program. The state should The Commission hopes this report will serve as create and adequately fund prevention and early a stepping stone to the state’s transition to a intervention programs, and ensure that these holistic, strategic, evidence-based, and collaborative initiatives are included in all applicable statewide approach to help Californians reduce, prevent, and strategic plans ranging from early childhood recover from intimate partner violence. The findings education to reducing homelessness. in this report fall into four categories: Governance, Prevention and Early Intervention, Firearms, and The state has a rigid approach to batterer Economic Security. intervention programs. The state’s requirements do not meet the needs for those of modest means, Governance who do not speak English, live in rural areas, and many other people. The state should review its The Commission believes there must be a statewide requirements for batterer intervention programs to strategy to reduce, prevent, and recover from determine if they facilitate rehabilitation and ensure intimate partner violence, and that there must be a those programs are available to individuals who leader accountable for progress. Currently, the state cannot afford them. suffers