"The work is often heartbreaking, exhausting and overwhelming; however, the struggle is so rewarding because working together we truly do make a difference," Mark Rubin, St. Louis County Attorney, said.



The model uses a coordinated community response that includes Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs and criminal justice agencies. According to DAIP, a community using the Duluth Model approach:

• Has taken the blame off the victim and placed the accountability for abuse on the offender.

• Has shared policies and procedures for holding offenders accountable and keeping victims safe across all agencies in the criminal and civil justice systems from 911 to the courts.

• Prioritizes the voices and experiences of women who experience battering in the creation of those policies and procedures.

• Believes that battering is a pattern of actions used to intentionally control or dominate an intimate partner and actively works to change societal conditions that support men’s use of tactics of power and control over women.

• Offers change opportunities for offenders through court-ordered educational groups for men who batter.

• Has ongoing discussions between criminal and civil justice agencies, community members and victims to close gaps and improve the community’s response to battering.

Duluth Police Chief Gordan Ramsey said he hopes to use some of these idea and incorporate them into some of his other department's approaches to handling crime.



In a prepared statement, Paymar called the award a great honor. "Some incredible people in the criminal justice system in Duluth worked together with the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project to change the way domestic violence cases were handled. Policies and practices were designed to protect survivors and hold offenders accountable for their violence. We never imagined the global impact that the Duluth Model would have, but more importantly how many lives would be saved."



Duluth Mayor Don Ness said it's an honor for the community to be associated with this worldwide honor.