Pam Stonier graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Charleston Southern University.  Pam is a certified Trauma Services Specialist and a certified victim assistance specialist.  She has been employed with the Summerville Police Department since 1998.  Pam is currently working on her Masters of Counseling degree with an emphasis in Mental Health. 

   In 1995, The Summerville Police Department, along with the Dorchester County Alcohol and Drug Commission worked together to form CADA – Community Against Domestic Abuse. We developed CADA as a model program to address the many problems of domestic violence. Since the inception of the program, many inquiries have been made and programs instituted following this model.

The CADA program is based on the Duluth Minnesota Model to treat offenders of domestic violence.

Offenders are voluntarily placed in an intense 26-week group setting at the Dorchester Alcohol and Drug

Commission where they explore their beliefs and behaviors in the battering of others and acknowledging responsibility for their actions. The program is for first time offenders ONLY. When the offender successfully completes the program, the charges are Nolle Prossed.

As of January 2002,  90% of the 400 participants have successfully completed the CADA program. Of those, 99 % have not re-offended. The program not only focuses on the rehabilitation of the offender, but addresses the needs of the victim and any children who may have witnessed the abuse. Our goal is to provide information and services that will reduce violence in the home and break the cycle of domestic violence.