Deschutes County gets USDOJ grant for sexual assault response

The U.S. Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women announced Wednesday 54 grants totaling $32 million through its Improving the Criminal Justice Response to Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program, including one for about $450,000 to Deschutes County.

These grants will help fund state, local, and tribal governments and courts’ efforts to ensure that the crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking are treated as serious violations of criminal law through the coordinated involvement of the entire criminal justice system and community-based victim service providers.

A Department of Justice spokeswoman said Deschutes County will receive $449,563.

The agency said, “The recipients of these grants will work collaboratively with justice system and victim service provider partners to identify problems and share ideas that will result in enhanced responses that support victim safety and offender accountability.”

Recipients of awards under OVW’s Improving the Criminal Justice Response to Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program are:

One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center (Alabama); Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (Alaska); City of Tucson (Arizona); City and County of San Francisco (California); City of San Jose (California); County of Contra Costa (California); County of Riverside (California); WEAVE Incorporated (California); Young Women’s Christian Association of Silicon Valley (California); Rose Andom Center (Colorado); City of Gainesville (Florida); City of Homestead (Florida); Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners (Florida); Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners (Florida); City of Rockford (Illinois); Freedom House (Illinois); Iowa State Judicial Branch (Iowa); City of Richmond (Kentucky); Mountain Comprehensive Care Center (Kentucky); New Orleans Family Justice Center (Louisiana); Wellspring Alliance for Families, Incorporated (Louisiana); Cumberland County (Maine); Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence (Maine); City of Lowell (Massachusetts); Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (Michigan); Judiciary Courts of the State of Minnesota (Minnesota); City of Lee’s Summit (Missouri); Lake County (Montana); Montana Department of Justice (Montana); Nevada Office of the Attorney General (Nevada); Strafford County (New Hampshire); Jersey Battered Women’s Service, Incorporated (New Jersey); YWCA of Eastern Union County (New Jersey); Bronx County Borough President (New York); City of Auburn (New York); Erie County (New York); Opportunities for Otsego, Incorporated (New York); Queens County Office of the Borough President (New York); Suffolk County (New York); Town of Pound Ridge (New York); Buncombe County (North Carolina); Family Violence Prevention Center, Incorporated (North Carolina); Oklahoma District Attorneys Council (Oklahoma); Deschutes County (Oregon); County of Schuylkill (Pennsylvania); Metropolitan Government of Nashville-Davidson County (Tennessee); Citizens Against Physical and Sexual Abuse, Incorporated (Utah); Circle, Incorporated (Vermont); HOPE Works, Incorporated (Vermont); Empowerhouse (Virginia); James City County (Virginia); Family Support Center of South Sound (Washington); Washington State Department of Commerce (Washington); and West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services (West Virginia).

“Improving criminal justice response to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking is the backbone of VAWA and our OVW programs,” said OVW Acting Director Katharine Sullivan. “Funding programs that utilize a coordinated community response to providing victim services and holding offenders accountable is effective in combatting the VAWA four crimes.

“We are pleased to announce our 2018 awards today and look forward to working with law enforcement, prosecutors, the judiciary, treatment providers and advocates around this country in their quest to bettering their communities.”