Grant funds go to violence-prevention efforts

Seventy-three grants, worth more than $3.1 million, have been awarded by the Criminal Justice Services Board to support programs to assist victims of domestic and sexual violence, protect children from Internet predators, and improve criminal justice services throughout the Commonwealth.

Five localities that participate in one of the two Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces in Virginia will receive funds to hire additional forensic examiners and investigators. The Services Board also approved five grants to support drug enforcement, training for prosecutors, statewide crime prevention programming and improvements in criminal records systems.

Funds for the grants come from the Virginia Domestic Violence Victim Fund; the state’s special fund for Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces; and, the state’s allocation of federal funds from the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program.

“Many of these grants will support programs that help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault recover from the trauma they have experienced and move forward with their lives,” Gov. Bob McDonnell said. “The services these programs provide are essential to victims’ recovery. Additionally, these grants demonstrate the commitment of the participating localities and state agencies to prevent child victimization through the Internet and combat child pornography. The grants awarded by the Criminal Justice Services Board will allow these valuable programs to be more readily available across the state.”

The Criminal Justice Services Board, which reviewed and approved the grants, is the policy board appointed by the Governor to act on matters affecting the criminal justice system in Virginia. The Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) administers the grant programs. More information about these grants is available on the attached spreadsheet. Information on other funding opportunities available from DCJS can be found at www.dcjs.virginia.gov/grants.

Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at [email protected].