Domestic Violence

* “Jailhouse Rehabilitation for Batterers” (Jan. 8) was very balanced. But I think the writer was a bit too taken in by the sight of teary-eyed convicted batterers vowing to do better next time. Crying and vowing to do better next time is the standard batterer shtick. It’s how they get back in the house after doing something real bad. Every batterer becomes a good, convincing apologizer in time. If tears won’t do it, expensive gifts, religious conversions and suicide attempts can also emerge from the batterer’s bottomless bag of tricks.

PATRICIA SCHWARZ

Pasadena