The Department of Justice has announced a new commitment of $49.85 in funding for the Office on Violence Against Women for grants to provide survivors of gender-based violence with access to legal services and improve interactions with the justice system that impact victims and their families.
Over $35 million was awarded to 59 grantees through the Legal Assistance for Victims Program.
Earlier this month, the Office on Violence Against Women’s Justice for Families Program awarded over $14 million to 26 additional projects taht specifically aim to improve civil and criminal justice responses to families with a history of domestic violence, incljuding services that facilitate supervised visitation and safe child exchanges.
“Legal services and systems, including family courts, have a tremendous impact on survivors’ and their families’ livelihood, wellbeing, and freedom,” Allison Randall, acting director of the Office on Violence Against Women, said in the Department of Justice’s announcement.
“Meaningful representation for survivors is vital, but can be difficult to attain in the aftermath of violence, or when someone is still trying to find safety.
The Justice Department also announced that, later this year, the office will launch the ‘Expanding Legal Services Initiative’ under the Legal Assistance for Victims grant program, a project that will support organizations, including nonprofits and tribal governments, across the country that do not have an established legal representation program for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking and need help getting one off the ground.
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