Jackson Free Press

Last week Ben Ellard assisted a victim through the court system so she could get a protective order against her abusive husband. The woman's spouse had prevented her from having her cell phone, car or friends.

"She was being controlled by her husband. She was like an object. … If she tried to do something that wasn't to his liking, there was a violent situation that occurred. She dealt with it for a long time, but we gave her an opportunity to get out," Ellard says.

At the Center for Violence Prevention, Ellard navigates abuse victims through the court system. He also coordinates the center's Batterers' Intervention Program, a court-ordered program for abusers based on the Duluth Model that breaks the cycle of violence.

The 25-year-old Kosciusko native decided to join the family business. His mother, Sandy Middleton, is executive director of the CVP. The center provides resources and assistance to domestic violence such as a 24-hour help line, counseling and referral services. In 2009, the Jackson Free Press Chick Ball helped raise seed money to start the intervention program in four of the 10 counties the center serves: Copiah, Rankin, Hinds and Yazoo. Ellard also coordinates a Batterers Intervention Program for female abusers.

Ellard moved to Brandon when he was a teenager and graduated from Brandon High School. He received his bachelor's degree in hospitality and restaurant management from the University of Mississippi in 2008. After a short stint managing a McAlister's Deli, he started working at the CVP in June 2010, and he now lives back in Brandon.

The mild-mannered redhead never plan-ned to work on domestic-violence issues, but wanted an opportunity to do meaningful work. Since starting his position, he has learned how to decipher legal terms and has gained a better understanding of the legal system's role in preventing domestic abuse.

One of the most rewarding parts of his job is watching victims transform as they walk away from an abusive situation. "It's a weight off their shoulders. They are happier, and you see them start to come into their selves."

Ellard also understands the abuser's point of view and assists them through the six-month program. He says that the majority of the men in the program are continuing cycles of abuse they witnessed in their own families growing up. The program helps them gain awareness about the root causes of their actions.

At first, abusers typically are in denial that they have a problem, Ellard says.

"We have facilitators that lead them away from that, so they can focus on themselves and not try to blame everything," he says. "As they go through the class, they gain knowledge, and we help them try to improve themselves."