Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
On the 28th anniversary of the original authorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) the Department of Justice announced $224.9 million in grants designed to enhance victim services and justice solutions for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Since the passage of VAWA, the United States has monumentally transformed the way communities and systems such as law enforcement, courts, prosecution, and service providers effectively address the needs of survivors. Funding, appropriated through VAWA and administered by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), has supported communities to implement policies and practices that protect and honor survivors.
“For nearly three decades, VAWA has enabled the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women to provide essential support to help empower survivors, hold offenders accountable, and keep communities safe,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The grants we are announcing today represent the Department’s renewed commitment to working alongside our partners across the country — victim services providers, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, and community-based organizations — to meet the crisis of gender-based violence with the urgency it demands.”
Grantees can use the grants to provide lifesaving services for hundreds of thousands of survivors each year, improve investigations and prosecutions, reach survivors in rural communities, and leverage the services of statewide coalitions charged with supporting local programs with trainings and service coordination.
- A total of $140,466,152 has been awarded across all 50 states and 6 territories under the STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grants to develop and strengthen the criminal justice system’s response to violence against women and to enhance direct services for survivors.
- To address economic stability central to ending violence, 73 grants totaling $36,195,932 will provide housing and related wrap-around-services to survivors and their children under the Transitional Housing Program.
- OVW’s Rural Program awarded a total of $33,404,213 to support 44 projects uniquely designed to prevent and respond to these crimes in rural areas and promote safety and healing for survivors. The funding supports collaboration among victim advocates, law enforcement, prosecutors, court personnel, and community leaders to reach survivors and their families whose safety may be further jeopardized by geographical isolation.
- Eighty-seven grants totaling $14,887,922, awarded under the State and Territory Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program, will support state and territorial coalitions to expand the capacity of local domestic violence and sexual assault programs, identify statewide gaps in services, and coordinate state, local, and territorial systems to address the needs of survivors.
“The grants announced today represent the Justice Department’s commitment to furthering the progress VAWA has achieved over the last three decades,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “They help ensure that survivors who come forward to report abuse are met with competent and compassionate professionals who have the resources, training and institutional support to do their jobs.”
“Projects funded by the grants announced today build the community-wide partnerships that help break the cycle of violence using holistic and innovative approaches,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “An effective response to gender-based violence requires engagement by justice and healthcare professionals, victim advocates, culturally specific service providers, forensic scientists, and educators, among others. It takes all of us to bring about real change.”
“In communities throughout the country, VAWA has literally opened doors for millions of individuals and families who have suffered violence and needed somewhere safe to go,” said OVW Acting Director Allison Randall. “The grants issued today help keep those doors open and create new pathways to a life free of violence through innovative interventions that keep in step with the dynamic needs of survivors, especially for survivors from rural communities and historically underserved populations.
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
On the 28th anniversary of the original authorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) the Department of Justice announced $224.9 million in grants designed to enhance victim services and justice solutions for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Since the passage of VAWA, the United States has monumentally transformed the way communities and systems such as law enforcement, courts, prosecution, and service providers effectively address the needs of survivors. Funding, appropriated through VAWA and administered by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), has supported communities to implement policies and practices that protect and honor survivors.
“For nearly three decades, VAWA has enabled the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women to provide essential support to help empower survivors, hold offenders accountable, and keep communities safe,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The grants we are announcing today represent the Department’s renewed commitment to working alongside our partners across the country — victim services providers, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, and community-based organizations — to meet the crisis of gender-based violence with the urgency it demands.”
Grantees can use the grants to provide lifesaving services for hundreds of thousands of survivors each year, improve investigations and prosecutions, reach survivors in rural communities, and leverage the services of statewide coalitions charged with supporting local programs with trainings and service coordination.
- A total of $140,466,152 has been awarded across all 50 states and 6 territories under the STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grants to develop and strengthen the criminal justice system’s response to violence against women and to enhance direct services for survivors.
- To address economic stability central to ending violence, 73 grants totaling $36,195,932 will provide housing and related wrap-around-services to survivors and their children under the Transitional Housing Program.
- OVW’s Rural Program awarded a total of $33,404,213 to support 44 projects uniquely designed to prevent and respond to these crimes in rural areas and promote safety and healing for survivors. The funding supports collaboration among victim advocates, law enforcement, prosecutors, court personnel, and community leaders to reach survivors and their families whose safety may be further jeopardized by geographical isolation.
- Eighty-seven grants totaling $14,887,922, awarded under the State and Territory Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program, will support state and territorial coalitions to expand the capacity of local domestic violence and sexual assault programs, identify statewide gaps in services, and coordinate state, local, and territorial systems to address the needs of survivors.
“The grants announced today represent the Justice Department’s commitment to furthering the progress VAWA has achieved over the last three decades,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “They help ensure that survivors who come forward to report abuse are met with competent and compassionate professionals who have the resources, training and institutional support to do their jobs.”
“Projects funded by the grants announced today build the community-wide partnerships that help break the cycle of violence using holistic and innovative approaches,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “An effective response to gender-based violence requires engagement by justice and healthcare professionals, victim advocates, culturally specific service providers, forensic scientists, and educators, among others. It takes all of us to bring about real change.”
“In communities throughout the country, VAWA has literally opened doors for millions of individuals and families who have suffered violence and needed somewhere safe to go,” said OVW Acting Director Allison Randall. “The grants issued today help keep those doors open and create new pathways to a life free of violence through innovative interventions that keep in step with the dynamic needs of survivors, especially for survivors from rural communities and historically underserved populations.
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.