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Roughly half of all calls to the Memphis Police Department relate to domestic abuse, of which some lead to court-ordered therapy for convicted offenders.
However, most traditional programs haven’t proven very effective.
The nonprofit Kindred Place Counseling Center (formerly known as the Exchange Club Family Center) is trying a different approach.
And James, a past participant, thinks it could actually break the cycle of violence.
This story was produced in partnership with the Institute for Public Service Reporting, and is part of the series Surging in Silence, which is supported by the Pulitzer Center.
James agreed to share his story on condition that we use only his first name. He was arrested two years ago for an incident he still disputes. A day spent arguing with his wife ended with a call to the police. In an affidavit, his wife said he choked her. James says he only grabbed her by the arms.
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James is enrolled in a novel court-ordered therapy program that aims to reduce domestic violence. He accepted a diversion deal that will wipe his record clean if he successfully completes two years of probation in June. Image by Karen Pulfer Focht/Special to the Daily Memphian.
When police showed up at their door at midnight, it marked a terrible end to a lousy day. The married couple had started fighting that morning, over their daughter’s birthday party, and by evening, a mundane argument over who would cook dinner exploded.
According to arrest records, the wife said her husband followed her into the bedroom and “grabbed her with one hand around her neck and began choking her.’’ He tells a different story: He only grabbed his childhood sweetheart by the wrists. Theirs was simply a verbal altercation, he said.