Rhode Island Court & Family Education Guide
Information for anyone navigating a court order, custody case, or probation requirement in Rhode Island that involves anger management, parenting, co-parenting, or substance-abuse education.
What does Clearway offer?
People are sometimes ordered or referred to an educational program as part of a family-law, custody, probation, or other Rhode Island court-related matter. The type of program required can depend on the circumstances of the case and the exact wording of the court order.
Clearway Institute offers four self-paced online courses: anger management, parenting, co-parenting, and substance-abuse education. Not every course is appropriate for every court order, and completing an online course does not automatically mean a particular Rhode Island court, probation department, or agency will accept it — always read your order carefully and confirm the required program with the court, probation officer, attorney, or other referring agency when you're not sure.
Which type of class do you need?
Start with whichever matches your order or situation — each course page has the full curriculum before you enroll.
What if a Rhode Island court ordered it?
Rhode Island has a statewide statute on this. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-29-5, a person convicted of, or entering a plea of nolo contendere to, a domestic violence offense shall be ordered by the judge to attend, at his or her own expense, a batterer's intervention program. The order is made a condition of probation and cannot be suspended or waived.
On the civil side, protective orders are issued under the Domestic Abuse Prevention Act, chapter 15-15 of title 15. Relief under § 15-15-3 is for a fixed period of no more than three years, and the plaintiff may move to extend it. Orders differ, so confirm exactly what your own order requires before enrolling in any course.
What's the difference between classes?
Parenting vs. co-parenting. Parenting covers general child-development, discipline, and communication skills, and comes up in a wide range of family cases. Co-parenting is built specifically for separated or divorcing parents — coordinating two households, handling custody transitions, and keeping kids out of the middle — and is the more common requirement in a custody or divorce order.
Anger management vs. a certified intervention program. Many states, Rhode Island included, treat general educational anger-management coursework as legally distinct from a state-certified batterer intervention, family-violence intervention, or abuser-treatment program ordered specifically in a domestic-violence case — see “What if a Rhode Island court ordered it?” above for how that distinction works here. If your order names a specific certified program by name, an educational anger-management course usually isn't an automatic substitute — check with your court.
Where can I verify requirements?
The most reliable answer always comes from whoever issued your order — the court clerk, your probation or parole officer, your attorney, or the agency that referred you. Below are free, Rhode Island-specific places to start if you need legal help, counseling, or crisis support along the way.
Legal reference material
For anyone who wants to read the underlying statutes for themselves, here is the reference material this guide is based on — Rhode Island civil and family-law sections first, then criminal law.
Civil & family law
Domestic abuse protective orders: relief and durationR.I. Gen. Laws § 15-15-3
The court may order the defendant not to contact the plaintiff, to leave the household, to surrender firearms, and may award custody of minor children and temporary child support. Relief is for a fixed period not to exceed 3 years, and the plaintiff may move to extend it.
Enforcement of protective ordersR.I. Gen. Laws § 15-15-3(m), (n)
Violating an order can be punished as contempt. A violation committed with actual notice is also a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment of up to one year, or both.
Criminal law
Disposition of domestic violence casesR.I. Gen. Laws § 12-29-5
A conviction or nolo contendere plea carries a mandatory batterer's intervention program as a probation condition and a $125 assessment. A second violation carries at least 10 days and up to one year in jail, and a third or later violation is a felony with a term of one to ten years; jail terms under this section cannot be suspended.
Domestic violence defined by listed offensesR.I. Gen. Laws § 12-29-2
Domestic violence includes listed crimes committed by one family or household member against another, such as simple and felony assault, stalking, cyberstalking, strangulation, vandalism, and violating a protective order. The definition covers spouses, relatives, people who live or lived together, parents of a common child, and certain dating partners.
StalkingR.I. Gen. Laws § 11-59-2
Harassing another person, or willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly following someone with intent to cause reasonable fear of bodily injury, is a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.