When Second Chances Become Patterns: A Professional Take on Tennessee’s New Domestic Violence Registry

Nikki Petty
Jan 26
3 min read

Effective January 1, 2026, Tennessee implemented Savannah’s Law, creating the nation’s first public, searchable domestic violence offender registry. Managed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), this registry doesn’t just serve as a legal milestone—it’s a social shift in how we address, track, and prevent intimate partner violence. And as someone who works with individuals on the abusive end of the spectrum, I have some thoughts.

What Is Savannah’s Law?

The law mandates a public registry for repeat domestic violence offenders—those convicted of two or more qualifying crimes such as assault, stalking, or homicide related to intimate partner violence. Unlike the sex offender registry, this database does not display home addresses, but it does include:

Name
Photo
Date of birth
Conviction details; Individuals will remain on the registry anywhere from 2 to 20 years, depending on the severity and frequency of their offenses.

The goal is transparency and public protection—to give potential partners or concerned community members the ability to see repeated patterns of abuse before they escalate.

The registry is about patterns—not one-off poor decisions because I've seen that mentioned as a concern. This is about repeat offenders who have, often more than once, crossed the line between conflict and control, between tension and terror. Not to mention the first time someone is arrested for domestic violence often times is not the first time they've done it, it's just the first time they've been caught.

Let’s Talk About Repeat Offenders

In this work, I’ve learned a hard truth: Some people change. Some people perform. I lead groups for those arrested for domestic violence. I can see the difference. There are those who show up, get vulnerable, and hold themselves accountable. They don’t shift blame to their partner. They stay the course even when no one is watching. These are the ones who are more likely to change.

But then there’s another group—the “compliant, but not accountable.” They say the right things. They know what we want to hear. They make it through 26 weeks, checking boxes but not touching truth. And those are the ones I worry about. Because they’re the ones most likely to reoffend.

I’ve heard some programs claim that majority do not re-offend after successful completion of Batterer’s Intervention Programs. But let’s not forget the percentages that do reoffend. And they are often the ones who never truly admitted they were the problem.

What About Change and Redemption?

I believe in change. I coach it, I facilitate it, and I’ve witnessed it. And I know that true accountability doesn’t fear transparency.

A person who has changed—really changed—doesn’t avoid their past. They explain it. They acknowledge it. They own it. If someone is on the registry and still trying to form new relationships, the best thing they can do is lead with disclosure and not defensiveness.

This registry doesn’t punish change—it exposes continued harm. If someone’s been convicted multiple times, especially for violent offenses, it is not unreasonable to prioritize the safety of future victims over the privacy of past offenders.

Final Thoughts: A Necessary Tool

While I still have compassion for the complexities of behavioral change, I support Savannah’s Law. It’s a step toward community awareness, survivor protection, and public accountability.

It’s not about shame—it’s about safety.

From My Perspective as a Professional

For those of us who work with abusers, we recognize there are some who are really trying and some who are saying and doing what they need to because no matter how hard I work or how good the material is, they must do the work to change. I wish we didn’t need a registry. I wish everyone mandated to attend intervention programs committed to change. But the data, the behaviors, and the patterns say otherwise.

This law doesn’t target those who made a mistake and grew. It targets those who repeated that mistake—and put others at risk along the way.

And for that, I think it’s a good idea.