ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the Nova Scotia Domestic Violence Pilot Project launched in Sydney, Nova Scotia in June 2012. The Pilot Project had broad goals including: to break the cycle of violence; to enhance safety; to send the message, to the community, that domestic violence is a crime; to improve the court’s ability to respond to domestic violence; The chapter explains findings from an evaluation that assesses whether the Pilot Project achieved these objectives. It demonstrates areas in which the Pilot Project succeeded. The chapter highlights challenges associated with designing a program aimed to produce system change and support victims while working within the existing offender-focused court system. It explores various ways to measure accountability. The chapter suggests that some efficiency has been gained if the opt-in cases take the same amount of time as the opt-out cases because many of the opt-out cases will require supervision after the court process has ended.
