MILITARY AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC SAFETY, WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF

STOP Violence Against Women Recovery Act Grant funds are used to support communities in their efforts to hire and retain criminal justice and victim service personnel which respond to violent crimes against women (Stalking, Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Dating Violence) as a way to develop and strengthen effective law enforcement, prosecution strategies, and victim services in cases involving violent crimes against women. West Virginia STOP Violence Against Women Recovery Act Grant funds will be awarded to programs that include, at a minimum, law enforcement, prosecution, and victim service providers as part of their STOP Team (all members of the team do not have to be funded). If a team does not exist, upon receiving funding a sub-grantee will have ninety days to develop, implement a team and submit to the WV Division of Criminal Justice Services Office a list of team members and meeting dates. Funding is also provided for statewide initiatives such as training, evaluation, database, etc. The goal of STOP (Services*Training*Officers*Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program (STOP VAWA) is to encourage governmental and nongovernmental agencies to restructure and strengthen the Criminal Justice system response to be proactive in dealing with the problem of violence against women; to draw on the experience of all the players in the system; and to develop a comprehensive strategy to deal with this complex problem. STOP VAWA promotes a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to improve the criminal justice system’s response to violent crimes against women. Programs are encouraged to develop and support the following two priority areas: 1. Implement community-driven initiatives, utilizing faith-based and community organization, to address the underserved populations as defined by VAWA, including people with disabilities and elder victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. 2. Address sexual assault and stalking through services expansion; development and implementation of protocols; training for judges, other court personnel, prosecutors, and law enforcement; and development of coordinated community responses to violence against women. West Virginia adheres to the federal mandate for distribution of STOP VAWA Recovery Act grant funds by awarding funds in the following manner: At least 30 percent to victim services (of which 10 percent must be distributed to linguistically and culturally specific community-based organizations), 25 percent must be allocated to law enforcement, 25 percent to prosecution, 5 percent to state or local courts, with the remaining 15 percent allocated as discretionary. These allocations may not be redistributed or transferred to another funding allocation area (with the exception of the discretionary funds, which can be used to supplement other allocation areas).

Clarification of Codes