The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has recently awarded nearly $58.9 million in grants aimed at aiding survivors of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. This funding initiative, conducted through the Office on Violence Against Women, looks to enhance the availability of legal representation, improve coordination within the justice system, and provide guidance to survivors while navigating courts.
These awarded grants will be allocated to an array of recipients, which include legal assistance groups, nonprofit organizations, local governments, and court systems as per the DOJ’s announcement.
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta stated that “access to legal assistance is a lifeline for survivors of gender-based violence,” underlining the necessity for survivors to have access to services that can provide a pathway to safety and justice. Similarly, Rosemarie Hidalgo, the director of the Office On Violence Against Women, emphasized that these grants boost court-oriented programs, trauma-informed training, and resources, and provide victims with specialized legal guidance.
Out of the total funding, nearly $40 million was granted to 55 organizations under the Legal Assistance for Victims Program, intended to broaden the accessibility of civil and criminal assistance. Allocations also include $3.2 million to foster the development of new legal services and an additional $15.3 million awarded to 25 projects under the Justice for Families Program. The latter aims to elevate the justice system’s response to families affected by violence and abuse and provides training, supervised visitation, and safe exchange programs for parents, among other resources.
A sum of $750,000 was also designated under the domestic violence mentor court technical assistance initiative, aimed at prompting specialized courts to guide other court systems on improving their responsiveness to domestic violence.
The Office on Violence Against Women administers these grant programs in line with the provisions authorized by the federal Violence Against Women Act and other relevant legislations.