They’re far from perfect, but even with low enforcement (I don’t know the stats for NY), some people benefit. Example from someone I know: spouse gets locked up, she is able to move and get a divorce while he’s incarcerated, with an order from the judge to keep her address confidential so he can’t find her when he gets out. She’ll be informed when he’s released next year, but at least for now she’s safe. She has a chance to go to therapy, set up a support system, protect her kid. That matters.

Another example statistically is from when states pass laws (following the federal law) that ban people convicted of domestic abuse offenses (or temporarily for those under protective orders). The enforcement of those laws is obscenely low, but rates of IP homicide still go down. It’s simply making it a little harder to kill. That doesn’t save everyone, but it saves some people.

I agree that we need more education on healthy relationships! We can do many things to combat IPV. And I also think criminalization has serious drawbacks/blind spots. But we can’t just give up on doing anything about adult victims.