The focus of the outrage over NFL players accused of domestic violence-related crimes has been about punishment. That’s understandable, as domestic violence is a scourge on our society and it’s almost never an isolated incident or “mistake.” But it’s clear the NFL is not only failing at discipline, it is also failing at rehabilitation. That should be of more concern to the league and to the communities in which NFL players live.

The latest perpetrator is Josh Brown, the New York Giants kicker who was arrested in May 2015 on domestic abuse charges, and was suspended for only a game this season. This punishment came after an incident in January at the Pro Bowl, where his ex-wife, Molly, called security after Brown pounded on her door in the middle of the night. The NFL helped her move rooms, but that still didn’t lead to anything more than a one-game suspension.

View photos The NFL is reopening its investigation of Giants kicker Josh Brown. (AP) More

To rail against this leniency is appropriate, just as it’s appropriate to rail against the non-suspension of Bruce Miller, the former San Francisco 49ers fullback who plead no contest to vandalism in an incident involving his girlfriend in 2015. In August, Miller was arrested for allegedly assaulting an elderly man with a deadly weapon: the man’s cane. Miller, like Brown, was allowed to play through his troubles before the latest incident.

It’s not just that the NFL knew and did little. It’s also that the player – the person – was not treated successfully. The punishment, or lack thereof, is usually tied closely to the legal outcome of a case, when the way forward for a player should be more intricately tied to evidence of an anger management or abusive behavior issue. Miller pleaded only to a misdemeanor, but that was not a sign of a minor problem. One Bay Area report quoted Miller’s counselor through a mandatory 16-week rehabilitation program, who said the 49er “struggled with setting appropriate boundaries with family, friends, and his victim. He feels implementing and adhering consistently to health boundaries will continue to be challenging.”

That was a red flag: Miller was not all better, even after a season’s worth of counseling. It should have been a clear sign to the NFL and the 49ers that it wasn’t yet time for him to refocus on football.

The same could be said of Miller’s former teammate, Ray McDonald, who played for Jim Harbaugh after a domestic violence arrest in August 2014. He was not charged, and that was enough of a reason to keep him on the field. But something was amiss, and not enough was done about it. In December, news outlets reported McDonald was investigated for a sexual assault, and the team cut him. Still he got another chance with the Chicago Bears in 2015 before being arrested on domestic abuse and child endangerment charges. McDonald had a serious problem, and football was either impeding him or not helping him heal. He’s now out of football. So is Miller, most likely for good.

And so perhaps is former Dallas Cowboy Greg Hardy. Eight months after a North Carolina judge convicted him for domestic violence in 2014, the Cowboys gave him a $13.1 million contract. Team executive vice president Charlotte Jones Anderson &ndash: Jerry Jones’ daughter – sounded compassionate when she told the Dallas Morning News, “The experts have told us it is far better to provide a way out, coupled with educational and rehabilitative services and therapy. That does more to protect the victim and prevent future violence than a zero-tolerance policy. We have to trust the advice of the experts.” Yet the Cowboys failed on that measure, as Hardy continued to make inappropriate comments in interviews and even got into an argument with a Cowboys coach during a game. Dallas let him go and last month he was arrested on a cocaine possession charge in Texas.

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