Criminal defendants who are charged with assault and battery on a family or household member will usually be required to attend a batterers intervention program (BIP) if they are convicted or even if they receive a continuation without a finding (CWOF) on the charge.
Massachusetts BIPs are possibly the most demanding of all court-ordered programs. According to the state’s overview of the program:
Each batterer must attend at least 80 hours of intervention. Groups are typically held for two hours once a week for forty consecutive weeks.
That’s a significant amount of time for almost anyone. Additionally, the “batterer” will be required to pay for his or her attendance at the program. The amount that each attendee must pay is based on a sliding scale that considers the person’s income and assets.
BIPs are administered by the department of public health and all programs must adhere to the Massachusetts Guidelines and Standards for the Certification of Batterer Intervention Programs.
For a brief summary of Massachusetts BIPs, click the document below:
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