U.S. Attorney’s Office For Eastern District Of Michigan Celebrates Funding Awarded For Community Responses To Gender-Based Violence And Community Responses For Gender-Based Violence

DETROIT - In commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the original enactment of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Justice Department announced nearly $193 million in formula and discretionary grant awards to support crucial services and justice responses for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including $5,283,715.00 for the Eastern District of Michigan.

For nearly three decades, VAWA provided the tools and resources to protect and serve survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. To commemorate the 29th anniversary of VAWA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan is proud to announce that the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $5,283,715.00 to the Eastern District of Michigan to support community responses to gender-based violence.

Specifically, the Eastern District of Michigan received the following funds for the 2023 fiscal year:

·           OVW awarded $580,000.00 under Grants for Training and Services to End Violence Against Individuals with Disabilities and Deaf People Program (Disability Grant Program) to support services for individuals who have disabilities or are Deaf. Funding will provide specialized training, outreach, cross-training for various agencies, and developing model programs to strengthen organizational capacities in assisting survivors. The recipient of the grant is the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence.

In addition, VAWA’s signature program is the STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grants Program, which awards funds to every U.S. state and territory to promotes a coordinated community response among law enforcement, prosecution, courts, victim services organizations, and other community services to ensure the safety of survivors. OVW is awarding $4,703,715 under the STOP Program to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to enhance the capacity for communities across the country to develop programs to end gender-based violence and hold offenders accountable.

Just last week the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $1.2 million to the Eastern District of Michigan to provide legal services and improve the effective coordination of justice systems impacting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. The need for specialized legal services is both urgent and essential for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. These services provide interventions, such as securing restraining or protective orders, that are crucial for survivor safety.

•          OVW awarded $750,000 under the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program to the Michigan Advocacy Program of Ypsilanti. The LAV Program addresses the legal needs of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Through this new Legal Assistance for Victims project, the Tribal Survivor Project, which is housed within the Michigan Advocacy Program, in partnership with Uniting Three Fires Against Violence, seeks to expand culturally specific, free civil legal assistance in family court matters in state and tribal courts to tribal survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Michigan, prioritizing survivors in northern Michigan.

•          OVW awarded $450,000 under the Justice for Families (JFF) Program to Growth Works, Inc. of Plymouth. The JFF Program aims to improve the capacity of communities and courts to respond to families impacted by violence. Through this new Justice for Families project, Growth Works, in partnership with First Step and the Third Judicial Circuit Court of Michigan, will implement a standard project addressing the following purpose areas: 1) supervised visitation and safe exchange; 3) training for court-based and court related personnel; and 8) training within the civil justice system for Wayne County, Michigan.

Dawn N. Ison, United States Attorney commented: “Preventing and ending violence against women makes the world a safer and more equitable place.    I am very pleased that the  Office on Violence Against Women recognizes this important work and has made these significant investments in our community. 

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OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.