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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEVAWO
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 1998 at 6:30 p.m. EDT202/307-0703

VICE PRESIDENT GORE ANNOUNCES JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ASSISTANCE TO

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS IN RURAL AREAS

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Vice President Gore today announced $19.4 million for 62 jurisdictions to help women and children in rural areas affected by domestic violence. The funds from the Justice Department's Violence Against Women Grants Office (VAWGO) will improve services for these women and children, as well as enhance community involvement in developing a response to domestic violence and child victimization.

"Put simply, no child or woman in America who becomes a victim of domestic abuse should be denied help because of where they live," Vice President Gore said while announcing the grants in New Hampshire. "And that is why I am pleased to announce these funds, which will help rural communities provide better services and support to those who have suffered the devastating physical and emotional effects of domestic violence."

"Domestic violence is a problem that affects every community, but victims in rural areas face special obstacles," added Attorney General Janet Reno. "The money we're giving these rural communities will help victims get the support they often find difficult to access."

This year, VAWGO is awarding more than three times the money and more than twice the number of grants awarded last year under the Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Enforcement Grant Program. Thirty-two new grantees will receive funding in addition to the 30 jurisdictions that will continue projects begun with FY 1996 and FY 1997 grant funds.

"As public awareness about the problem of domestic violence has increased, the focus has been largely on urban areas," said Laurie Robinson, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. "Yet as I travel throughout the country, I've been particularly struck by how different our focus on public safety in rural America must be. This is so true regarding domestic violence. This program is making a difference."

"These grants are bringing rural communities together in new ways to confront domestic violence and child victimization," added Bonnie Campbell, Violence Against Women Office Director. "For the first time in many jurisdictions from Vermont to my native Iowa to Josephine County, Oregon, teams made up of police officers, prosecutors and victim advocates are collaborating to ensure that domestic violence and child abuse cases receive the highest priority and move through the criminal justice system expeditiously, and that victims have access to a full array of services and support."

Josephine County, Oregon, has established a multi-disciplinary Domestic Violence Intervention team to follow cases from the initial call through disposition, providing follow-up services to victims when necessary. Similarly, Ohio's 29 Appalachian counties will establish crisis response teams to conduct training for law enforcement, prosecution and victim service providers, as well as implement public awareness campaigns and provide critical services to isolated victims of domestic violence.

Rural program funds also will be used by Vermont to continue to cross-train domestic violence and child victim advocates and maintain three supervised visitation centers. The Pueblo of Zuni Indians in New Mexico can now expand the domestic violence shelter on their reservation to include a special children's program. Domestic violence victims in the Seeley Lake community, an extremely isolated area of Missoula County, Montana, can continue to receive legal advocacy, crisis counseling and transportation.

Congress appropriated $25 million for this year's rural program. Local jurisdictions within rural states (as defined in the law) are eligible to apply directly for funding. If a state is classified as non-rural, only the state is eligible to apply on behalf of its rural jurisdictions.

Attached is a list of the specific grant awards, identified as implementation or enhancement grants. To learn more about the rural program and other violence against women efforts, visit the Violence Against Women Grants Office web site at

https://ojp.gov/VAWO or OJP's web site at https://ojp.gov, or call the National Criminal Justice Reference Service toll-free on 1/800-851-3420.

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VAW98182

After hours contact: Linda Mansour on 202/616-3534 or page on 888/582-6750

FY 1998 RURAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILD VICTIMIZATION

ENFORCEMENT GRANT PROGRAM

IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS

STATE

GRANTEE

AMOUNT

ALASKA North Slope Borough

$692,797

ARIZONA DNA People's Legal Services, Inc.

$353,718

ARKANSAS Project for Victims of Family Violence

$135,661

CALIFORNIA Yurok Tribe

$208,797

IDAHO Family Crisis Center, Inc.

$187,827

IOWA Iowa Governor's Alliance on Substance Abuse

$392,532

MINNESOTA Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians

$214,392

MONTANA Sanders County Coalition for Families

$53,466

NEBRASKA Voices of Children in Nebraska

$108,562

NEVADA Nevada Office of the Attorney General

$158,622

NEW MEXICO American Indian Law Center

$146,054

Morning Star House, Inc.

$558,217

Pueblo of Jemez

$70,211

San Juan Pueblo $259,049
Third Judicial District Attorney's Office $366,181
NEW YORK New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services

$429,090

NORTH CAROLINA North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety $196,940
NORTH DAKOTA North Dakota Council on Abused Women's Services

$265,088

Tender Hearts Against Family Violence, Inc.

$316,807

OHIO Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services

$641,282

OKLAHOMA Community Crisis Center, Inc.

$251,794

OREGON Jefferson County

$348,179

Malheur County District Attorney's Office

$210,811

State Office for Services to Children and Families

$158,061

RHODE ISLAND Rhode Island Governor's Justice Commission

$365,500

SOUTH DAKOTA Cangleska, Inc.

$538,230

South Dakota Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault $685,000
White Buffalo Calf Woman Society, Inc.

$213,542

TENNESSEE Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration

$500,000

UTAH City of Orem

$100,488

VERMONT Windsor County State's Attorney's Office $279,562
WYOMING Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

$518,653

FY 1998 RURAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILD VICTIMIZATION

ENFORCEMENT GRANT PROGRAM

ENHANCEMENT GRANTS

STATE

GRANTEE

AMOUNT

ARIZONA Governor's Office for Domestic Violence Prevention

$668,045

CALIFORNIA California Office of Criminal Justice Planning

$15,000

Inter-Tribal Council of California

$261,361

COLORADO City of Woodland Park

$490,616

DELAWARE Delaware Criminal Justice Council

$424,975

FLORIDA Florida Department of Community Affairs

$220,000

HAWAII Hawaii Department of the Attorney General

$385,836

IDAHO Bonner County Homeless Task Force, Inc.

$561,589

Twin Falls County

$162,025

IOWA Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, Inc.

$187,687

KANSAS Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence

$250,000

KENTUCKY Kentucky Justice Cabinet

$153,480

MAINE Maine Department of Human Services

$15,000

MASSACHUSETTS Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Family and Community Health

$499,833

MICHIGAN Michigan Office of Contract Management

$15,000

MISSISSIPPI Mississippi Department of Public Safety

$15,000

MONTANA City of Bozeman

$164,084

Missoula County Office of Planning and Grants

$252,872

NEW HAMPSHIRE New Hampshire Department of Justice

$389,637

NEW MEXICO Pueblo of Zuni

$317,160

NORTH CAROLINA Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

$126,125

OREGON Josephine County District Attorney's Office $430,000
Lower Umpqua Victims' Services

$367,780

TEXAS Texas Office of the Governor

$576,020

UTAH City of Provo $200,000
VERMONT Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services

$650,000

Women Helping Battered Women

$237,742

WASHINGTON Washington Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development

$691,420

WEST VIRGINIA West Virginia Division of Criminal Justice Services

$140,177

WISCONSIN Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance

$582,701