The Intimate Partner Abuse Education Program (IPAEP)–formerly known as the “Batterers Intervention Program”–is mandatory for certain crimes here in Massachusetts.
For instance, if you’re convicted of or plead to violating an abuse prevention order (G.L. c. 209A, Section 7) or assault and battery on a family/household member (G.L., c. 265, Section 13M), you must complete the IPAEP unless the judge finds “good cause” to waive the requirement.
So what constitutes good cause?
Judges have a check-the-box form that they typically use when answering this question. Their options on the form are (verbatim) as follows:
- The victim in the case before the court was not an intimate partner of the defendant.
- There is no intimate partner abuse education program that is offered in the defendant’s native language, and the defendant does not speak English.
- There is no intimate partner abuse education program that is offered within reasonable distance, and the defendant cannot attend other programs without causing a substantial hardship to the defendant or the defendant’s family.
- The case before me involves a violation of the “stay away” or no contact provision of the restraining order. Given the nature of the violation and the credible information presented to me concerning the defendant’s history, I conclude that assignment to the program is not warranted.
- The evidence presented to me included credible information that the case before me was an isolated incident, that the likelihood of further violations is remote, and that defendant has not otherwise engaged in abusive, controlling, or coercive behavior.
- The intimate partner abuse program reports the defendant is not suitable for intervention pursuant to G.L. c. 209A Section 7, Paragraph 5.
There is also an “other reasons” option at the bottom of the form that allows the judge to write in his own basis for “good cause” to waive the program.