FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VAWO
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2000
202/307-0703
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AWARDS OVER $23 MILLION
FOR CIVIL LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
WASHINGTON, DC – As a result of over $23
million in grant funding, victims of domestic violence in all 50 states, three
territories and the District of Columbia will be receiving additional legal
assistance with civil matters related to their abuse, the Justice Department
announced today. The Civil Legal
Assistance grants are being distributed to law school legal clinics, victims and
legal services organizations, battered women’s shelters and bar
associations.
“So much of what is needed to address and stem domestic violence involves
non-criminal, legal matters,” said Bonnie
Campbell, Director of the Justice Department’s Violence Against Women Office
(VAWO), which administers the grants.
“We are delighted that the Congress recently passed the Violence Against
Women Act of 2000, which, for the first time, authorizes the Civil Legal
Assistance program.”
Civil legal assistance funds can be used to
establish legal advocacy programs to help victims with securing and enforcing
protection orders, divorces or separations, spousal and child support orders and
resolving child custody and visitation conflicts. Funds can also be used to help victims
with access to benefits and health care, housing and employment. In addition, grant funds can be used to recruit and train
attorneys who provide pro bono civil legal assistance to domestic violence
victims.
“Many domestic violence victims,
particularly those with low incomes, do not have access to, or cannot afford
legal services or representation,” added Campbell. “These funds help organizations connect
battered women with attorneys who help them address their immediate concerns about physical safety
and financial security, and take the necessary steps to move beyond the
violence.”
VAWO is awarding 30 new grants totaling $7.7
million, bringing all 50 states into the program. VAWO is also awarding 56 grants totaling
$15.9 million to continue projects begun with FY 1998 grant funds. Applicants were required to link civil
legal services and domestic violence victim advocacy programs. They were also asked to reach out to
underserved populations such as rural, Native American, Spanish-speaking and
African American victims who are often isolated by language and cultural
barriers.
Attached is a list of the specific grant
awards. More information about the
civil legal assistance program and other violence against women efforts is
available on VAWO’s Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo or OJP’s Website at
www.ojp.usdoj.gov, or by calling the National Criminal Justice Reference
Service toll-free on 1-800/851-3420.
###
VAW01005
After hours contact:
Linda Mansour on 202/616-3534
OFFICE OF JUSTICE
PROGRAMS
FY 2000 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS’
CIVIL LEGAL ASSISTANCE GRANT
PROGRAM
IMPLEMENTATION
GRANTS
STATE |
JURISDICTION |
GRANTEE |
AMOUNT |
ARIZONA |
Sedona |
Verde Valley Sanctuary,
Inc. |
$211,197 |
ARKANSAS |
Newport |
Legal Services of Northeast Arkansas,
Inc. |
$162,274 |
CALIFORNIA |
Los
Angeles |
Asian Pacific American Legal Center of
Southern California |
$268,275 |
|
San
Diego |
San Diego Volunteer Lawyer
Program |
$310,656 |
DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA |
Washington |
Ayuda, Inc. |
$299,489 |
|
Washington |
Women Empowered Against
Violence |
$243,619 |
FLORIDA |
Tallahassee |
Florida Coalition Against Domestic
Violence |
$314,000 |
GEORGIA |
Atlanta |
Georgia Legal Services Program,
Inc. |
$347,974 |
KENTUCKY |
Prestonsburg |
Appalachian Research and Defense
Fund |
$320,000 |
LOUISIANA |
Lake
Charles |
Southwest Louisiana Legal Services
Society, Inc. |
$277,985 |
MASSACHUSETTS |
Northampton |
Necessities,
Inc. |
$96,000 |
MINNESOTA |
Duluth |
Legal Aid Service of Northeast
Minnesota |
$246,355 |
MISSOURI |
Independence |
Hope House,
Inc. |
$192,983 |
NEW JERSEY |
Camden |
Camden Regional Legal
Services |
$300,000 |
NEW YORK |
New
York |
Harlem Legal Services,
Inc. |
$300,000 |
|
Rochester |
Farmworker Legal Services of New York,
Inc. |
$281,920 |
|
New
York |
The Legal Aid
Society |
$289,250 |
|
Jamaica |
Queens Legal Services
Corporation |
$300,000 |
NORTH CAROLINA |
Pittsboro |
Family Violence and Rape Crisis
Services, Inc. |
$242,684 |
NORTH DAKOTA |
Grand
Forks |
University of North Dakota School of
Law |
$219,692 |
OKLAHOMA |
Anadarko |
Apache Tribe of
Oklahoma |
$224,219 |
PENNSYLVANIA |
Harrisburg |
YWCA of Greater
Harrisburg |
$299,933 |
SOUTH CAROLINA |
Greenville |
Legal Services of Western
Carolina |
$315,000 |
|
Charleston |
Neighborhood Legal Assistance
Program |
$316,454 |
SOUTH DAKOTA |
Mission |
White Buffalo Calf Woman Society,
Inc. |
$178,910 |
TEXAS |
Houston |
Houston Area Women’s
Center |
$154,612 |
VIRGINIA |
Gloucester |
Laurel Shelter,
Inc. |
$78,748 |
WASHINGTON |
Olympia |
Columbia Legal
Services |
$303,925 |
|
Seattle |
Northwest Justice
Project |
$290,000 |
|
Tacoma |
Our Sister’s
House |
$292,000 |
TOTAL |
30 |
30 |
$7,678,154 |
OFFICE OF JUSTICE
PROGRAMS
FY 2000 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS’
CIVIL LEGAL ASSISTANCE GRANT
PROGRAM
ENHANCEMENT GRANTS
STATE |
JURISDICTION |
GRANTEE |
AMOUNT |
ALABAMA |
Mobile |
Penelope House,
Inc. |
$198,368 |
ALASKA |
Juneau |
Alaska Network on Domestic
Violence |
$348,629 |
AMERICAN SAMOA |
Pago
Pago |
U’una’i Legal Services
Corporation |
$370,220 |
ARIZONA |
Phoenix |
Arizona Bar
Foundation |
$330,000 |
ARKANSAS |
Fayetteville |
Ozark Legal
Services |
$58,639 |
CALIFORNIA |
Davis |
University of California
Davis |
$252,397 |
COLORADO |
Denver |
University of Denver Colorado
Seminary |
$362,151 |
CONNECTICUT |
Hartford |
Greater Hartford Legal Assistance,
Inc. |
$381,490 |
DELAWARE |
Wilmington |
Community Legal Aid Society,
Inc. |
$190,000 |
DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA |
Washington |
American Bar Association
Fund |
$141,769 |
|
Washington |
George Washington
University |
$320,863 |
FLORIDA |
Tampa |
Bay Area Legal Services,
Inc. |
$282,275 |
GEORGIA |
Atlanta |
Atlanta Legal Aid
Society |
$266,024 |
HAWAII |
Honolulu |
Domestic Violence
Clearinghouse |
$400,000 |
IDAHO |
Boise |
Idaho Legal Aid Services,
Inc. |
$271,815 |
ILLINOIS |
Alton |
Land of Lincoln Legal
Assistance |
$331,436 |
INDIANA |
Fort
Wayne |
Legal Services of Maumee
Valley |
$337,172 |
IOWA |
Des
Moines |
Legal Services Corporation of
Iowa |
$328,339 |
KANSAS |
Topeka |
Kansas Legal Services,
Inc. |
$350,000 |
KENTUCKY |
Bowling
Green |
Cumberland Trace Legal Services,
Inc. |
$93,870 |
LOUISIANA |
Hammond |
Southeast Louisiana Legal
Services |
$184,690 |
MAINE |
Bangor |
Penquis Community Action
Program |
$326,733 |
MARYLAND |
Baltimore |
House of Ruth Baltimore,
Inc. |
$336,208 |
MASSACHUSETTS |
New
Bedford |
Southeastern Massachusetts Legal
Assistance Corporation |
$185,000 |
MICHIGAN |
Detroit |
Women’s Justice
Center |
$315,000 |
MINNESOTA |
Cass
Lake |
Anishinabe Legal Services,
Inc. |
$182,259 |
MISSISSIPPI |
Biloxi |
Gulfcoast Women’s Center for
Nonviolence |
$258,626 |
MISSOURI |
Columbia |
University of Missouri Curators
Office |
$80,667 |
MONTANA |
Helena |
Montana Legal Services
Association |
$399,770 |
NEBRASKA |
Omaha |
Legal Aid Society,
Inc. |
$312,024 |
NEVADA |
Reno |
Volunteer Lawyers of Washoe County
|
$400,000 |
NEW HAMPSHIRE |
Manchester |
New Hampshire Legal
Services |
$275,080 |
NEW JERSEY |
Trenton |
National Center for Protective
Parents |
$367,128 |
NEW MEXICO |
Silver
City |
El Refugio,
Inc. |
$304,931 |
NEW YORK |
New
York |
NOW Legal Defense and Education
Fund |
$326,022 |
|
Syracuse |
Frank Hiscock Legal Aid
Society |
$355,987 |
NORTH CAROLINA |
Asheville |
Pisgah Legal
Services |
$190,875 |
NORTH DAKOTA |
New
Town |
North Dakota Legal
Services |
$95,328 |
OHIO |
Toledo |
Advocates for Basic Legal
Equality |
$333,654 |
OKLAHOMA |
Tulsa |
Legal Services of Eastern
Oklahoma |
$372,501 |
OREGON |
Eugene |
Lane County Legal Aid
Services |
$350,000 |
PENNSYLVANIA |
Philadelphia |
Philadelphia Legal Assistance
Center |
$306,038 |
PUERTO RICO |
San
Juan |
Community Law Office,
Inc. |
$240,659 |
RHODE ISLAND |
Providence |
Rhode Island Legal
Services |
$251,136 |
SOUTH CAROLINA |
Columbia |
Acercamiento Hispano de
Carolina |
$129,681 |
SOUTH DAKOTA |
Kyle |
Cangleska,
Inc. |
$314,796 |
TENNESSEE |
Knoxville |
Knoxville Legal Aid Society,
Inc. |
$266,595 |
TEXAS |
Austin |
Travis County Domestic Violence and
Sexual Assault Survival Center |
$350,277 |
UTAH |
Salt Lake
City |
Utah Legal Services,
Inc. |
$451,334 |
VERMONT |
Burlington |
Vermont Legal Aid,
Inc. |
$307,947 |
VIRGIN ISLANDS |
Christiansted |
Legal Services of the Virgin
Islands |
$231,563 |
VIRGINIA |
Richmond |
Virginia Poverty Law Center,
Inc. |
$348,159 |
WASHINGTON |
Bellingham |
Legal Assistance by Whatcom
Advocates |
$165,992 |
WEST VIRGINIA |
Charleston |
Appalachian Research and Defense
Fund |
$483,599 |
WISCONSIN |
Milwaukee |
Legal Aid Society of
Milwaukee |
$32,328 |
WYOMING |
Laramie |
Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic
Violence and Sexual Assault |
$438,000 |
TOTAL |
56 |
56 |
$15,886,044 |