SACRAMENTO — A new grand jury report for 2024–2025 has deemed Sacramento County’s Batterers’ Treatment Program (BTP) ineffective, citing outdated methods, poor oversight, and structural barriers to participation.
The report opens with a sobering reminder: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four women and one in seven men experience domestic violence. The consequences include physical injury, trauma, higher healthcare costs, increased rates of homelessness among women and children, and, in some cases, death. These effects are seen across all communities, regardless of race, religion, or socioeconomic status.
In California, individuals convicted of domestic violence and placed on formal probation are required to complete a 52-week program known as the Batterers’ Treatment Program. Designed to rehabilitate participants by altering beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors through education, the BTP has been in place for over 30 years. But the grand jury’s report concluded that Sacramento’s version of the program is failing to achieve its core mission.
The findings reveal multiple flaws: inconsistent counseling, a rigid “one-size-fits-all” model, and limited access due to a lack of online options and a pay-to-participate system. As of December 2024, the Sacramento County Probation Department—tasked with overseeing the program—had not maintained accurate records of attendance or completion. Moreover, the report notes there have been minimal updates to the program since its inception.
The BTP is based on a group model meant to foster education and accountability. However, the curriculum is not evidence-based, and the program lacks any form of post-completion risk assessment to evaluate participants’ progress. The grand jury also criticized the program’s continued reliance on the Duluth model—a framework developed by domestic violence activists that assumes men use violence to exert power and control. Critics argue this model focuses more on punishment than rehabilitation.
A 2022 audit by the California State Auditor, cited in the report, similarly found that the system is failing and recommended stronger statewide guidance and oversight. Currently, that oversight is left to individual probation departments.
In 2024, the Sacramento County Probation Department supervised approximately 2,800 individuals, but only 770 were enrolled in the BTP. While the department tracks domestic violence-related statistics, it does not track program participation—another major oversight flagged by the grand jury.
The probation department is responsible for selecting BTP service providers, developing an approval and renewal process, and ensuring compliance through regular reviews. However, the report found that monitoring of both providers and offenders is “severely lacking.” Officers rarely visit program sites or gather required data, and the mandated weekly reports to the department are difficult to enforce without proper tracking systems.
Program costs pose yet another barrier. Participants are required to pay for their own treatment, with expenses often exceeding $2,000. According to the report, this is the only court-mandated program that places the full financial burden on participants—resulting in many people being unable to enroll.
The report also references the 2021 findings of the Little Hoover Commission, which identified language barriers, high costs, and limited availability as key reasons the program continues to struggle. In response, a pilot program was launched in 2019 across six counties, allowing them greater flexibility in implementing reforms. The pilot, currently set to expire in 2026, has shown promising results, including improved record-keeping and attendance.
While the pilot counties have demonstrated that alternative models can succeed, Sacramento has not yet joined the effort. With the program’s future uncertain beyond 2026, the grand jury warns that Sacramento risks being left behind if state support for reform lapses.
