Arizona

State Overview

State Summary

Arizona does have domestic violence legislation that involves partners who are currently living together or have lived together in the past. Although Arizona is NIBRS certified, only three agencies are submitting data. As a result, there is no state-level law enforcement domestic violence data collection effort and only aggregate counts of sexual assaults are available. In an effort to collect information, the Governor's Division for Women surveyed law enforcement agencies about domestic violence incidents occurring in 2002. Almost 90% of agencies responded to the survey. The information was analyzed by the Division and a summary has been posted on its Web site.

The Arizona Criminal Justice Commission's Crime Victim Services unit collects information from victims applying for assistance. The form includes a check-box to indicate whether the incident is domestic. These results are published in annual reports available on its Web site.

The Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence provides public information and training for advocates, but does not collect information from shelters in the state. The Coalition does compile a Domestic Violence Fatality List; the information for the list is gathered from newspapers and information volunteered from the public and other groups.

The Governor's Office for Children, Youth and Families' Division for Women collects the number of domestic violence incidents that are reported to law enforcement. Law enforcement agencies, on a voluntary basis, submit forms to the Division quarterly for inclusion in an annual report.

The Department of Public Safety also collects some information from law enforcement. As agencies submit arrestee fingerprint cards, a checkbox indicates those involved in domestic incidents. This information is also paired with conviction data. Currently, these data are not used in any publications but are released upon request. The agency also manages the  state Violence Against Crime Act (VOCA) grants, which fund 25 of the 28 women's shelters in the state. A survey of these agencies is completed yearly, but the information collected focuses mostly on the types of services provided. Statistical information on the clients seen is captured at yearly site visits.

State Projects

• Analysis of Sexual Assault of Spouses Criminal History Records

The Arizona Criminal Justice Commission's Statistical Analysis Center will be analyzing the criminal history records of offenders who sexually abuse their spouses.


• Arizona Domestic Violence Legal Assistance Project

The Project is administered by the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education and supported through contracted funding by the Arizona Department of Economic Security. The project is a collaborative effort between domestic violence shelters and legal service to provide civil legal assistance and lay legal assistance to victims of domestic violence.


• Rural Safe Home Network

The Arizona Department of Health Services' Division of Public Health Services operates the Rural Safe Home Network, which provides domestic violence hot lines, temporary safe shelter, peer counseling, case management, and advocacy.


• Grants to Encourage Arrest

The Governor's Office, City of Phoenix Prosecutor's Office and Municipal Courts, Maricopa County Adult Probation, the Sojourner Center and the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence are collaborating on a program to identify first-time domestic violence offenders who are at high risk for re-offending and place them on intensive probation. The program, funded by the Department of Justice, also funds offender treatment and programs to help victims of domestic violence navigate the legal system.


• Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization

Three counties that border Mexico (Pima, Santa Cruz and Cochise) have received funding from the Department of Justice to coordinate battered immigrant women teams tasked with educating and training professionals, surveying existing culturally specific programs and service gaps, and devising community awareness plans through partnerships with nonprofit domestic violence victim service programs and other community stakeholders.


•  Governor's Innovative Domestic Violence Prevention Awards

This project is designed to fund innovative and creative prevention programming that focuses on the needs of children who have experienced/witnessed violence in their homes or programs that enable victims to create a violence- and substance-free lifestyle. Ten agencies received awards in 2005-2006: Against Abuse, Inc.; Amity Foundation, Circle Tree Ranch; Chyrsalis Shelter; La Frontera; Maricopa Association of Governments; New Life Center; Pima County Attorney's Office; Sojourner Center; Southeastern Arizona Behavioral Health Services, Inc.; and Time Out, Inc.


• Children's Justice Task Force

Through this project, local agencies receive funds to develop, establish and operate programs designed to improve the:
• Handling of child abuse cases, particularly cases of child sexual abuse
• Handling of cases of suspected child abuse or neglect-related fatalities
• Investigation and prosecution of cases of child abuse, particularly child sexual abuse and exploitation
Agencies receiving funds in 2005 include Apache County - Little Colorado; Coconino County - Safe Child Advocacy Center; Graham/Greenlee County - Parenting AZ; Maricopa County - Childhelp USA; Navajo County - County Attorney's Office; Pima County - Southern Arizona Children's Advocacy Center; Pinal County - County Attorney's Office; Yavapai County - Yavapai Family Advocacy Center; and Yuma County - Amberly's Place.


• State Agency Coordinating Team

All state agencies that fund domestic violence-related services have joined together to form the State Agency Coordinating Team. Facilitated through the Governor's Division for Family Violence Prevention, agencies meet monthly to share information and coordinate efforts. An annual report is produced for the State Legislature.


• Committee on the Impact of Domestic Violence and the Courts

As part of the Arizona Supreme Court, this committee makes recommendations with regard to policies which acknowledge the severity of the problem of domestic violence in Arizona. It recommends system changes to promote enhanced safety for victims and the professionals who interact with them. Membership includes judges, attorneys, law enforcement, DV service providers and coalitions, and public members.


• STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant

The STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant is awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women to the Arizona Governor's Office for Children, Youth and Families' Division for Women. The state of Arizona receives approximately $2m dollars annually that are awarded through a competitive process to law enforcement, prosecution, courts, and victim service programs across the state that address violence against women. Some of the activities supported through the STOP Grant have been: development of a statewide Court Protective Order Repository; establishment of domestic violence courts; development of specialized law enforcement and prosecution teams; sexual assault crisis services; battered immigrant self-petitioning assistance; legal advocacy; the establishment of Family Advocacy Centers; and the hiring of a domestic violence court trainer, advocates, specialized sexual assault detectives, and master-level sexual assault therapists.


• Accessing Safety: Promising Practices in Serving Crime Victims with Disabilities

The Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault received funding from the Office of Victims of Crime for a 3-year project. In the first year, the project conducted a needs assessment and formed the Southern Arizona Sexual Violence Disability Coalition. Now in its second year, Accessing Safety is implementing strategies and projects to serve crime victims with disabilities. Among other efforts is the creating of a Promising Practices Handbook for Center Against Sexual Assault staff, forensic nurse examiners and law enforcement partners.


• Sexual Assault Response Services (SARS)

The Sexual Assault Response Service is a 24-hour/7 day-a-week hospital response team providing services to recent survivors of sexual assault. A SARS advocate can respond to any Tucson hospital emergency department to provide victims/survivors with immediate crisis intervention and advocacy, as well as information about the victim's/survivor's options and rights. When authorized by law enforcement, a specially-skilled Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner is able to provide a forensic medical exam and evidence collection. SARS also facilitates a victim's/survivor's entry into longer-term support, as well as into Arizona's criminal justice system.


• Su Voz Vale

Su Voz Vale, or Your Voice Counts, is a community action program of the Center Against Sexual Assault based on the south side of Tucson. The goal of the program is to reduce the incidence of and trauma associated with sexual violence for the Latino/Chicano population. Su Voz Vale is a bilingual/bicultural program providing culturally relevant and appropriate services.

Available Reports

General Crime Statistics (including sexual assault and domestic violence)

• Arizona Attorney General. (Annual). Annual report.
• Department of Public Safety. (Annual). Crime in Arizona.
• Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. (2009).  Arizona crime trends: A system review.
• Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. (2007).  Arizona crime trends 2007.
• Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. (2007).  Crime victim services annual report 2005.
• Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. (2005).  Arizona crime trends: A system review.
• Morrison Institute for Public Policy. (2005).  How Arizona compares - Real numbers and hot topics: Arizona policy choices 2005 edition.
• Crime Victim Services. (2004).  Crime victim services annual report. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission.
• Crime Victim Services. (2004).  FY02/03 summary of activities. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission.
• Morrison Institute for Public Policy. (2004).  What matters: The maturing of Greater Phoenix.
• Statistical Analysis Center. (2004).  Violence Impact Project: A multi-governmental strategy against violence. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission.
• Morrison Institute for Public Policy. (1999).  What matters in Greater Phoenix: Indicators of our quality of life.
• Waits, M. J., Johnson, R., Kornreich, T., Klym, M., and Leland, K. (1998).  Phoenix Violence Prevention Initiative phase II report. Morrison Institute for Public Policy.

Domestic Violence

• Department of Economic Security. (Annual). Statewide information and statistics.
• Department of Economic Security. (Annual). Maricopa County information and statistics.
• Beck, C. J. A., Walsh, M. E., Mechanic, M. B., Figueredo, A. J., and Chen, M. K. (2011).  Intimate partner abuse in divorce mediation: Outcomes from a long-term multi-cultural study. NCJ 236868. Washington, DC: United States Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Morrison Institute for Public Policy. (2008).  The Pinal County Domestic-Violence Court: Some early but encouraging results.
• National Network to End Domestic Violence. (2008). Domestic violence counts 07: Executive summary for Arizona.
• Morrison Institute for Public Policy. (2007).  System alert: Arizona's criminal justice response to domestic violence.
• National Network to End Domestic Violence. (2007). Domestic violence counts: Executive summary for Arizona.
• Burk, J. and Knopf, R. (2006).  The need for increased domestic violence shelter in the MAG region. Maricopa Association of Governments Domestic Violence Council.
• Governor's Office for Children, Youth and Families. (2006).  Breaking the cycle: Violence prevention information and resources for individuals and families.
• Office of Arizona Attorney General. (2006).  Arizona Cut It Out Program progress report April 2005 - May 2006.
• Toon, R. and Hart, B. (2006).  Same rules, different results: Arizona domestic violence convictions by county. Morrison Institute for Public Policy.
• Toon, R. and Hart, B. (2006).  Skepticism, 'fixability', or just a day's work: How Arizona law enforcement officers approach domestic violence cases. Morrison Institute for Public Policy.
• Maricopa Association of Governments Domestic Violence Council. (2005).  Domestic violence survey report.
• Toon, R., Hart, B., Welch, N., Coronado, N., and Huntin, D. (2005).  Layers of meaning: Domestic violence and law enforcement attitudes in Arizona. The Morrison Institute for Public Policy.
• Maricopa Association of Governments Domestic Violence Council. (2004).  Domestic Violence Council 5-year report card.
• Governor's Office for Children, Youth and Families. (2003).  Statewide summary of reported domestic violence.
• Hale, M. M. (2003).  Eloy, Arizona, arrest policies project: A process evaluation. NCJ 201871. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence. (2002).  Arizona domestic violence fatality review: A review of 2000 & 2001 murder suicides.
• Arizona State University Center for Urban Inquiry. (2002).  Perspectives on data gathering and reporting: A survey of domestic violence service providers and state funding agencies.
• Chaiken, M. R., Boland, B., Maltz, M. D., Martin, S., and Targonski, J. (2001).  State and local change and the Violence Against Women Act. NCJ 191186. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Hale, M. M. (2000).  Eloy, Arizona, arrest policies project: A process evaluation. NCJ 201871. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
• Maricopa Association of Governments Domestic Violence Council. (1999).  Regional domestic violence plan.
• Morrison Institute for Public Policy. (1997). Hitting Home: Voices of Domestic Violence.
• *Pearson, J. (1997).  Divorce mediation and domestic violence. NCJ 164658. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.

• Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. (2008).  The reporting of sexual assault in Arizona: 2006 and 2007.
• Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. (2007).  The reporting of sexual assault in Arizona: 2004 and 2005.
• Southern Arizon Center Against Sexual Assault. (2006).  Building a future of hope and healing: Annual report 2005.

Violence Against Women

• Governor's Office for Children, Youth and Families. (2006).  2005 State Agency Coordination Team (SACT) report.
• Governor's Office for Children, Youth and Families. (2003). The state plan on domestic and sexual violence: A guide for safety and justice in Arizona.

Sample Data Collection Forms

This is the form collected by the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission and includes a check box to indicate domestic violence relationships:

•  Crime Victim Compensation Program Application

This is the form used by the Governor's Office for Children, Youth and Families' Division for Women to collect counts from law enforcement:

•  Uniform Law Enforcement Domestic Violence Statistical Report

This form is collected from domestic violence shelters by the Department of Economic Security:

•  Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter Services Report

Available Data

Domestic Violence

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) Detailed State Tables.

Sexual Assault

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) Detailed State Tables.
• Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault. (Annual). Crisis Center Hotline Calls Received (1998 - 2005).
• Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault. (Annual). Sexual Assault Forensic Exams Conducted (1996 - 2005).

Links to Agencies and Resources

• Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Statistical Analysis Center
• Arizona Department of Public Safety
• Arizona Department of Public Safety Crime Victim Services
• Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence
• Arizona Sexual Assault Network
• Arizona Rape Prevention and Education Program
• Governor's Office for Children, Youth and Families Division for Women
• Attorney General's Office of Victim Services
• Arizona Supreme Court's Domestic Violence Information Page
• Arizona Department of Economic Security
• Morrison Institute for Public Policy at the Arizona State University
• Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault
• Maricopa Association of Governments Domestic Violence Council
• Mesa Center Against Family Violence
• Arizona Native American Coalition Against Family Violence - (520) 562-3904
• Southwest Indigenous Women's Coalition - (928) 674-8314
• Strong Hearted Women's Coalition - (760) 742-3579

Local Services, Shelters and Hotlines

• Catholic Community Services (Bisbee) - (520) 432-2285
• Safehouse (Bullhead City) - (928) 763-1945
• Verde Valley Guidance Clinic (Campe Verde) - (602) 567-4026
• Against Abuse (Casa Grande) - (520) 836-1239
• My Sister's Place (Chandler) - (480) 821-1024
• Catholic Social Services (Chandler) - (480) 963-9532
• Adabi (Chinle) - (928) 674-8314
• People's Legal Services (Chinle) - (928) 674-2405
• Victim Witness Services (Coconino County) - (520) 779-6169
• Forgach House Crisis Shelter (Coshise County) - (520) 458-9096
• Guidance Clinic (Cottonwood) - (602) 634-2236
• House of Hope (Douglas) - (520) 364-2465
• Northland Family Help Center (Flagstaff) - (928) 527-1900
• Apache Behavioral Health Services (Ft. Apache) - (928) 338-4811
• Time Out (Gila County) - (928) 472-8007
• Faith House (Glendale) - (602) 939-6798
• New Life Center (Goodyear) - (623) 932-4404
• Mt. Graham Safe House (Graham/Greenlee County) - (928) 348-9104
• Centro de Amistad (Guadelupe) - (480) 839-2926
• Victim Services (Holbrook) - (928) 524-4015
• Tohdenasshai Women's Shelter (Kayenta) - (928) 697-8591
• Aid to Abused People (Kingman) - (928) 753-6222
• H.A.V.E.N. Center (Lake Havasu City) - (928) 505-3153
• Verde Valley Sanctuary (Leveen) - (928) 634-2511
• New Life Shelter (Litchfield Park) - (623) 935-9161
• My Sister's Place (Maricopa County) - (602) 263-8900
• New Life Center (Maricopa County) - (623) 932-4404
• Faith House Shelter (Maricopa County) - (623) 939-6031
• Crisis Center Valley East (Mesa) - (480) 969-2308
• DV STOP Program (Mesa) - (480) 969-4024
• Aid to Abused People (Mohave County) - (928) 753-4242
• Office of Women and Families (Navajo Nation) - (928) 871-6627
• Family Guidance Center (Nogales) - (602) 281-9009
• Another Way (Page) - (928) 645-5300
• Colorado River Regional Crisis Shelter (Parker) - (928) 669-8552
• Time Out (Payson) - (520) 472-8007
• Chicanos Por La Causa De Colores (Phoenix) - (602) 269-1515
• Chrysalis Shelter (Phoenix) - (602) 944-4999
• Shelter Without Walls (Phoenix) - (480) 994-8477
• Sojourner Center (Phoenix) - (602) 244-0089
• Dignity House (Phoenix) - (602) 997-6105
• Cassie's House (Phoenix) - (602) 936-7446
• Catholic Social Services (Phoenix) - (602) 997-6105
• Crisis Nursery (Phoenix) - (602) 273-7364
• Salvation Army (Phoenix) - (520) 320-7556
• White Mountain Safe House (Pine Top) - (520) 367-6017
• Stepping Stones (Prescott) - (602) 445-4673
• Family Advocacy Center (Prescott) - (928) 775-0669
• Gila River Tribal Social Services (Sacaton) - (520) 562-3396
• Mt. Graham Safe House (Safford) - (520) 348-9104
• Chrysalis Shelter (Scottsdale) - (480) 481-0402
• Jewish Family Services (Scottsdale) - (480) 994-8477
• Guidance Clinic (Sedona) - (602) 282-4357
• Verde Valley Sanctuary (Sedona) - (928) 634-2511
• Forgash House (Sierra Vista) - (520) 458-9096
• Tempe Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Tempe) - (602) 279-2900
• Centro De Amistad (Tempe) - (480) 839-2926
• Tempe Social Services (Tempe) - (480) 858-2432
• Family Harmony (Tuba City) - (928) 774-4503
• Task Force Against Domestic Violence (Tuba City) - (928) 645-5300
• AVA Crisis Shelter (Tucson) - (602) 795-4880
• Casa De Los Ninos (Tucson) - (520) 624-5600
• Jewish Family Services (Tucson) - (928) 795-0300
• Our Town Family Center (Tucson) - (520) 323-1708
• Brewster Center (Tucson) - (520) 622-6347
• Center for Women and Children (Tucson) - (520) 795-8001
• Wingspan Project (Tucson) - (520) 624-1779
• Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (Tucson) - (520) 327-7273
• University of Arizona's Oasis Program (Tucson) - (520) 626-2051
• Sanctuary (Verde Valley) - (928) 634-2511
• Apache Health Services (White River) - (602) 338-4811
• Victim Assistance Program (Window Rock) - (928) 871-7556
• Safe Haven (Winslow) - (928) 289-5500
• Safe House (Yuma) - (928) 341-9400
• Catholic Community Services (Yuma) - (520) 341-9400
• Family Advocacy Coalition (Yuma) - (928) 373-0849
• Ama Doo Alchini Bighan (Yuma County) - (928) 674-8314