The STOP Program, administered by the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants (OVSJG) under the authority of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, announces the availability of grant funds to encourage the development and strengthening of effective, victim centered law enforcement, prosecution, and court strategies to combat violent crimes against women and to develop and enhance victim services that address violence against women in the District of Columbia.
Donor Name: Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants
State: District of Columbia
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/15/2023
Size of the Grant: $3,703,644
Grant Duration: 12 months
Details:
Purpose
The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is a component of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Created in 1995, OVW implements the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation. The Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecution (STOP) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program (VAWA) is designed to promote a coordinated, multidisciplinary community response to combating violence against women and to encourage collaborative efforts between members of law enforcement, prosecution, nonprofit victim service providers and the courts to address the issues of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault in a manner that promotes victim safety and offender accountability
Funding Information
- The Mayor’s FY2024 proposed budget for OVSJG Victim Services grants is to support comprehensive, trauma informed services for victims of crime, including funding dedicated for:
- Sexual Assault Victims Rights Amendment Act (SAVRAA) advocacy and other sexual assault services – $3,046,467
- Victim Services Sustainability- $3,703,644
- The funding period is October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024
Eligible Program Areas
The STOP Program promotes a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to improving the criminal justice system’s response to violent crimes against women. Grants supported through this RFA must support at least one of the following statutory program purpose areas:
- Training law enforcement officers, judges, other court personnel, and prosecutors to more effectively identify and respond to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence, and dating violence.
- Developing, enlarging, or strengthening victim services programs, including sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence, and dating violence programs, developing or improving the delivery of victim services to underserved populations, providing specialized domestic violence court advocates in courts where a significant number of protection orders are granted, and increasing reporting and reducing attrition rates for cases involving violent crimes against women, including crimes of sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence, and dating violence.
- Developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs addressing stalking.
- Supporting formal and informal statewide, multidisciplinary efforts, to the extent not supported by state funds, to coordinate the response of State law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, victim services agencies, and other state agencies and departments, to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence, and dating violence.
- Training of sexual assault forensic medical personnel examiners in the collection and preservation of evidence, analysis, prevention, and providing expert testimony and treatment of trauma related to sexual assault.
- Providing assistance to victims of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault in immigration matters.
- Maintaining core victim services and criminal justice initiatives, while supporting complementary new initiatives and emergency services for victims and their families
OVSJG will prioritize programs and projects that:
- Increase support for underserved populations, particularly communities of color, in a culturally appropriate manner.
- Support core services for victims of sexual and domestic violence, particularly support for rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters.
- Provide Full Faith and Credit training for DC.
- Implement evidence-based risk/danger assessments to identify and prioritize victims who are considered to be in relationships with a high risk of lethality.
- Provide culturally specific services and training to underserved communities based on factors such as race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
- Develop, enhance or strengthen programs and projects to provide services and responses to all victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, whose ability to access traditional services and responses is affected by their sexual orientation or gender identity as defined in section 249c of Title 18, United States Code. Increase support for sexual assault services, including law enforcement response and prosecution.
Eligibility Criteria
The following entities in the District of Columbia are eligible to apply for STOP Formula Grant Funding:
- Local government agencies;
- Local courts;
- Non-profit, non-governmental victim service organizations;
- Domestic violence & sexual assault coalitions; and
- Faith-based and community-based victim service organizations.
For more information, visit OVSJG.
