Massachusetts court guide
Anger Management in Massachusetts: CWOF, Probation and Your Class
Will a Massachusetts court take an online class?
We found none. Our class is court-accepted in most jurisdictions, your officer decides, and you get your money back if the certificate isn't accepted.
In Massachusetts, an anger class often comes with a continuance without a finding (CWOF) or pretrial probation. Your probation officer at the courthouse checks that you finish it. Here is how to read your order, why domestic cases are different, and what to ask first.
Massachusetts at a glance
- Provider list
- No state list. Probation runs some programs of its own.
- Typical length
- Set case by case; often 8 or 12 hours for first cases.
- Domestic violence
- An IPAE program, about 40 weeks. This class can’t replace it.
On this page
How Massachusetts courts put an anger class on your order
Massachusetts law lets a judge attach conditions to probation, including "specified rehabilitative programs." Anger management isn't named in the statute, but it is a common special condition. Probation is run by the Massachusetts Probation Service, part of the Trial Court, with offices in most courthouses. You'll see a class in:
- A CWOF. You admit there are enough facts for a finding, the judge "continues the case without a finding," and you follow conditions for a set time, often 6 to 18 months. If you finish everything, the case is dismissed. An anger class after an assault and battery or threats charge is a typical condition.
- Pretrial probation. Under G.L. c. 276, § 87, the court can put you on probation before trial.
- Probation after a guilty finding in the District Court, the Boston Municipal Court (BMC) or the Superior Court.
- District Court diversion under Chapter 276A, for some first-time adults. The diversion program, not just the judge, sets what you must do.
- Work and school. Employers sometimes ask for a class too. They make their own call.
Your Order of Probation Conditions is the paper that counts. Special conditions are written there.
Massachusetts doesn't keep an anger management list
We found no state list of anger management providers in Massachusetts. The Probation Service, the District Courts and the BMC don't publish one.
The Probation Service does run its own programs. Its Community Justice Support Centers have listed anger management among their services. If a judge orders you to one of those centers, that is a specific program, and an outside class won't replace it.
Good Standing Courses is not on any Massachusetts list. If your order names a provider or a center, ask your officer whether an online class can count instead.
Not for domestic violence orders
Domestic violence cases in Massachusetts
Massachusetts calls batterer programs Intimate Partner Abuse Education (IPAE) programs. They used to be called certified batterer intervention programs. The Department of Public Health certifies them and publishes the list. They are weekly groups, usually about 40 weeks, with fees and a separate 350-dollar court assessment.
Massachusetts law is strict here:
- If you are found guilty, admit to sufficient facts, or get a CWOF for violating a 209A abuse prevention order, for domestic assault and battery on a family or household member, or for strangulation, the judge must order an IPAE program. The only ways out are written "good cause" findings by the judge, or the program saying you aren't a fit.
- The law says the court shall not order anger management as a substitute for an IPAE program.
So if your case is a domestic case, our class can't take the place of IPAE. Good Standing Courses is not a Batterer Intervention Program and is not an IPAE program. If your order lists both IPAE and anger management, ask your officer which provider they will take for each part.
How long Massachusetts anger classes usually are
Massachusetts courts set the length case by case. We found no Massachusetts court that publishes a standard. Lengths we see in local programs and case reports:
- 8 or 12 hours for many first cases, CWOFs and pretrial probation.
- 16 hours or more for repeat cases or when the court wants more.
- 10 to 15 weekly group sessions when the order names weeks or sessions.
If the order only says "anger management," your probation officer decides the length. Ask them first.
Choose your hours
$29
Warning signs, cooling down, your anger control plan
Enroll · $29 for the 4-hour class$49
+ hot thoughts, assertive talk, conflict, stress and alcohol
Enroll · $49 for the 8-hour class12 hours: see the 12-hour class
$65
+ anger at home, at work, on the road and online
Enroll · $65 for the 12-hour class16 hours: see the 16-hour class
$79
+ resentment, shame and guilt, mindfulness, staying on track
Enroll · $79 for the 16-hour class
Paperwork says "impulse control" or "decision making"? That's our Impulse Control & Decision Making class.
Court-accepted in most jurisdictions. Educational course, not therapy. Acceptance is decided by your court or officer. See a sample certificate
Ask before you buy
What to ask your Massachusetts probation officer
- "Does my Order of Probation Conditions name a specific provider or a Community Justice Support Center?"
- "Will this court take an online, self-paced certificate?"
- "How many hours, and do I need to finish before my CWOF or pretrial probation date ends?"
- "Is this an anger management condition, or an IPAE condition?"
- "If I'm in diversion, does the diversion program need a copy too?"
Your officer can read our page for probation officers and check any certificate at /verify.
If your court says no
If your court, judge or probation officer doesn't accept your certificate, we refund 100% of the course fee. Send the written rejection within 60 days of finishing; the class you bought must match the type and hours in your order. Read the refund terms.
We never ask for your case number, court or date of birth. If you need them on the certificate, you type them into your own copy of the PDF.
Massachusetts: questions and answers
Is there a court approved anger management list in Massachusetts?
We found none. The state keeps a list of certified IPAE programs for domestic cases, but not one for anger management. Each probation office handles referrals its own way. Our class is court-accepted in most jurisdictions, your officer decides, and you get your money back if the certificate isn't accepted.
What is a CWOF?
A continuance without a finding. You admit there are enough facts, the judge holds off on a guilty finding, and you follow conditions for a set time. If you finish them, the case is dismissed.
My case is domestic assault and battery. Can I take your class instead of the batterer program?
No. Massachusetts law says the court shall not order anger management in place of an IPAE program. Our class can only cover a separate anger management condition, and only if your officer agrees.
I'm on pretrial probation. Will this count?
Many probation officers accept any class of the right length. Ours is court-accepted in most jurisdictions, but your officer decides. Ask before you buy.
Can I finish before my CWOF ends?
Yes, if you start early. The class is self-paced, your progress is saved after every screen, and the certificate is ready the moment you pass the final test.