Violence Against Women Formula Grants
The Program encourages the development and implementation of effective, victim-centered law enforcement, prosecution, and court strategies to address violent crimes against women and the development and enhancement of victim services in cases involving violent crimes against women.
- Violence Against Women Discretionary Grants for Indian Tribal Governments
- Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program
- Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders
Examples of Funded Projects
Training and technical assistance for prosecutors, investigators, and law enforcement officers on issues relating to sexual assault and domestic violence; enhancement of services to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence; and creation of investigative and prosecutorial units to handle cases involving violent crimes against women.
The Department of Justice enforces the law and defends the interest of the United States, ensuring public safety against threats foreign and domestic; providing Federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; seeking just punishment for those guilty of unlawful pursuits; and ensuring fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.
Relevant Nonprofit Program Categories
Program Accomplishments
FY 07: Applications: 56, Awards: 56; FY 08: Applications: 61, Awards: 61; FY 09: est. Applications: 61, Awards 61.
Uses and Use Restrictions
Funds may be used for the following statutory program purpose areas: (1) 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, domestic violence, and dating violence; (2) developing, training, or expanding units of law enforcement officers, judges, other court personnel, and prosecutors specifically targeting violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence; (3) developing and implementing more effective police, court, and prosecution policies, protocols, orders, and services specifically devoted to preventing, identifying, and responding to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence; (4) developing, installing, or expanding data collection and communication systems, including computerized systems, linking police, prosecutors, and courts or for the purpose of identifying and tracking arrests, protection orders, violations of protection orders, prosecutions, and convictions for violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence; (5) developing, enlarging, or strengthening victim services programs, including sexual assault, domestic violence and dating violence programs, developing or improving 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 and domestic violence; (6) developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs addressing stalking; (7) developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs addressing the needs and circumstances of Indian tribes in dealing with violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence; (8) 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, domestic violence, and dating violence; (9) 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; (10) developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs to assist law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and others to address the needs and circumstances of older and disabled women who are victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, including recognizing, investigating, and prosecuting instances of such violence or assault and targeting outreach and support, counseling, and other victim services to such older and disabled individuals; (11) providing assistance to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in immigration matters; (12) maintaining core victim services and criminal justice initiatives, while supporting complementary new initiatives and emergency services for victims and their families; (13) supporting the placement of special victim assistants (to be known as "Jessica Gonzales Victim Assistants") in local law enforcement agencies to serve as liaisons between victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and personnel in local law enforcement agencies in order to improve the enforcement of protection orders.
Jessica Gonzales Victim Assistants shall have expertise in domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking and may undertake the following activities-- (A) developing, in collaboration with prosecutors, courts, and victimserviceproviders,standardized response policies for local law enforcement agencies, including triage protocols to ensure that dangerous or potentially lethal cases are identified and prioritized; (B) notifying persons seeking enforcement of protection orders as to what responses will be provided by the relevant law enforcement agency; (C) referring persons seeking enforcement of protection orders to supplementary services (such as emergency shelter programs, hotlines, or legal assistance services); and (D) taking other appropriate action to assist or secure the safety of the person seeking enforcement of a protection order; and (14) to provide funding to law enforcement agencies, nonprofit nongovernmental victim services providers, and State, tribal, territorial, and local governments, (which funding stream shall be known as the Crystal Judson Domestic Violence Protocol Program) to promote-- (A) the development and implementation of training for local victim domestic violence service providers, and to fund victim services personnel, to be known as "Crystal Judson Victim Advocates," to provide supportive services and advocacy for victims of domestic violence committed by law enforcement personnel; (B) the implementation of protocols within law enforcement agencies to ensure consistent and effective responses to the commission of domestic violence by personnel within such agencies (such as the model policy promulgated by the International Association of Chiefs of Police ("Domestic Violence by Police Officers: A Policy of the IACP, Police Response to Violence Against Women Project" July 2003)); (C) the development of such protocols in collaboration with State, tribal, territorial and local victim service providers and domestic violence coalitions.
States must allocate a minimum of 25 percent of each year's grant award to each of the following areas: prosecution and law enforcement.
In addition, States must allocate a minimum of 30 percent to victim services, a minimum of 5 percent to courts.
Within the 30% for victim services, states must allocate 10% for culturally-specific community-based organizations.
The remainder of the funds may be spent at the discretion of the state within the statutory purpose areas.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
All States, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the District of Columbia, are eligible.
Beneficiary Eligibility
State and local units of government, nonprofit nongovernmental victim services programs, state, local, and tribal courts, and Indian tribal governments.
Credentials/Documentation
Grantees under this program are subject to 4 certification requirements: 1) A State, Indian tribal government, or unit of local government shall not be entitled to funds under this program unless the State, Indian tribal government, or another governmental entity incurs the full out-of-pocket cost of forensic medical examinations for victims of sexual assault. A State or Indian tribal government may use Federal grant funds under this part to pay for forensic medical exams performed by trained examiners for victims of sexual assault, except that such funds may not be used to pay for forensic medical exams by any State, Indian tribal government, or territorial government that requires victims of sexual assault to seek reimbursement for such exams from their insurance carriers. Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit a State, Indian tribal government, or territorial government to require a victim of sexual assault to participate in the criminal justice system or cooperate with law enforcement in order to be provided with a forensic medical exam, reimbursement for charges incurred on account of such an exam, or both. 2) a State shall not be entitled to funds under this program unless it certifies that its laws, policies, and practices do not require, in connection with the prosecution of any misdemeanor or felony domestic violence offense, or in connection with the filing, issuance, registration, or service of a protection order, or a petition for a protection order, to protect a victim of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault, that the victim bear the costs associated with the filing of criminal charges against the offender, or the costs associated with the filing, issuance, registration, or service of a warrant, protection order, petition for a protection order, or witness subpoena, whether issued inside or outside the State, tribal or local jurisdiction 3) States must certify that that their judicial administrative policies and practices include notification to domestic violence offenders of the requirements delineated in section 922(g)(8) and (g)(9) of title 18, United States Code, and any applicable related Federal, State, or local laws; or give the Attorney General assurances that their judicial administrative policies and practices will be in compliance with this requirement within the later of the period ending on the date on which the next session of the State legislature ends or January 5, 2008. 4) In order to be eligible for grants under this part, a State, Indian tribal government, territorial government, or unit of local government shall certify that, not later than January 5, 2009,, their laws, policies, or practices will ensure that no law enforcement officer, prosecuting officer or other government official shall ask or require an adult, youth, or child victim of an alleged sex offense as defined under Federal, tribal, State, territorial, or local law to submit to a polygraph examination or other truth telling device as a condition for proceeding with the investigation of such an offense.
Aplication and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
This program is eligible for coverage under E.O.
12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance.
This would be if the State has selected the program for review.
Application forms furnished by the Federal agency, in accordance with 28 CFR, Part 66 (Common Rule), must be used for this program.
Application Procedures
Applicants must apply through the Office of Justice Programs' online Grants Management System (GMS). The receipt, review, and analysis of application will follow Office on Violence Against Women policies and procedures for the administration of grant applications. This program is subject to provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110.
Award Procedures
Upon approval by the Office on Violence Against Women, a letter is sent to the applicant agency with copies of the Grant Award. One copy of the Grant Award must be signed by an authorized official and returned to the Office of Justice Programs.
Deadlines
Contact the Office on Violence Against Women for application deadlines.
Authorization
Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994; Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, Sections 2001, 2007-2011, and 2013, 42 U.S.C. 3796gg et seq., as amended; Violence Against Women Act of 2000, Public Law 106-386; Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act, Title I, Section 101, Public Law 109-162.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
120 days after receipt of an application.
Appeals
Contact the Office on Violence Against Women for further information.
Renewals
Applications are submitted on an annual basis.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Each eligible entity receives a base amount of $600,000. Remaining funds are divided in an amount that bears the same ratio to the amount of remaining funds as the population of the State bears to the population of all of the States that results from a distribution among the States on the basis of each State's population in relation to the population of all States (not including populations of Indian tribes). The Federal share of these grants may not exceed 75 percent of the total costs of the projects described in the applications. States may satisfy this 25 percent match through in-kind services. All funds designated as match are restricted to the same uses as the Office on Violence Against Women funds and must be expended within the grant period. States and subgrantees may apply for a waiver of the match requirement based on an adequate demonstration of financial need. Match may not be required in subgrants for victim services or tribes.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Funds can be accessed by the State via the Phone Activated Paperless System (PAPRS) on an as needed basis. The State in turn subgrants the money to eligible public and/or private nonprofit programs via drawdowns.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Quarterly and final financial reports plus annual and end-of-grant program performance reports will be required, as stipulated in the program regulations and the effective edition of the OJP Financial Guide.
In the progress reports, States must provide a statistical summary of persons served, detailing the nature of victimization and providing data on age, sex, relationship of victim to offender, geographic distribution, race, ethnicity, disability, and the number of persons served in any underserved population.
The reports must also explain the activities carried out and provide an assessment of the effectiveness of those activities, including the number of persons served and the numbers of persons seeking services who could not be served.
States are responsible for submitting State reports and ensuring that subgrantees submit annual progress reports as well.
Audits
All organizations that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in any fiscal year must have a single audit for that year in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-133, as amended, unless the audit condition on the award says otherwise. These audits are due to the cognizant Federal agency not later than 9 months after the end of the grantee's fiscal year.
Records
The award recipient must keep complete and accurate records on the disposition of funds.
Financial Information
Account Identification
15-0409-0-1-754.
Obigations
(Grants)FY 07 $114,783,946; FY 08 est $114,354,000; and FY 09 est $80,047,800.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
$615,364 to $10,227,267; $1,874,656.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature
OJP Financial Guide is applicable.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
None.
Headquarters Office
Office on Violence Against Women Office, Department of Justice, 800 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20530. Telephone: (202) 307-6026.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
All applications submitted by the Chief Executive Officer of a State, or his or her designee, will be accepted by the grantor Federal Agency for consideration.
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