Protection Orders

Protection orders, also known as restraining orders, are used in the criminal and civil justice systems to restrain a person from harassing another person. Protection orders do not require that the person restricted by the order be monitored or surveilled. Rather, protection orders serve to prohibit the recipient of the order from engaging in harassing or abusive behavior against the person who requested the order. Some aspects of protection orders have generated criticism and questions about their effectiveness in reducing violence and providing security to the person requesting the order.

Although protection orders can be issued for any type of dispute (e.g., neighbor disputes), they are often used in cases where there is domestic abuse of a spouse or partner. While protection orders are standard in ...