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Press Release

Department of Justice Honors National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona
Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein Announces New Funding for Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona and Support for Improving the Criminal Justice Response to Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Pro

     ARIZONA – In recognition of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein met with the Acting Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Katherine Sullivan and other senior Justice officials today to discuss the Violence Against Women Act’s (VAWA) essential focus on criminal justice responses to domestic violence.  Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein also announced new OVW funding for the department’s Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) program. 

     “There is no place in our society for domestic violence, and holding perpetrators accountable and providing services to victims is a critical part of the Department’s response,” said Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein. “During this National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I encourage law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, and other criminal justice professionals to speak out about domestic violence and redouble efforts to bring perpetrators to justice.  I am especially pleased to announce new funding to support four new Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys, whose collaboration across the tribal and federal jurisdictional landscape is a model for effective prosecution of violence against women.”

     OVW’s Tribal SAUSA Program is another Department initiative supporting innovative prosecutorial collaborations.  Tribal SAUSAs bring cases in both tribal and federal courts, and help ensure that tribal and federal authorities provide a seamless response in cases prosecuted under their jurisdiction.  In OVW’s pilot project, Tribal SAUSAs reported a wide range of successes, including prosecution of cases that otherwise may not have been brought.

     Today, OVW announced a new Tribal SAUSA Program award of $437,500 to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

     “We applaud Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community for the well-deserved recognition and funding for its new Special Assistant U.S. Attorney program,” stated First Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange.  “Tribal SAUSAs play a crucial role in our office’s efforts to combat and prosecute violent crime.  Unfortunately, domestic violence is a prevalent problem, and this new position funded by DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women will allow us to expand our efforts to protect victims and bring their offenders to justice.  We look forward to strengthening our criminal justice response to domestic violence in the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community through its new SAUSA program.”

     Commemorated in the United States since 1987, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month educates the public, commemorates and honors victims and survivors, and connects service providers across the country.  President Trump has continued the tradition of issuing a presidential proclamation to recognize October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

     Strengthening criminal justice is the core component of VAWA, and Acting Director Sullivan pointed to the ICJR Program as the “backbone of VAWA.” ICJR helps communities investigate and prosecute these crimes and keep violent criminals off the street. Since 1997, OVW has made 1,655 ICJR grant awards totaling over $847 million. In fiscal year 2018, OVW made 54 ICJR awards totaling $32.6 million.

     This funding has supported justice responses including dedicated police and prosecution units, specialized courts, and offender monitoring in 538 communities.  ICJR also funds unique collaborative approaches, such as Family Justice Centers – “one stop shops” housing police, prosecution, and victim services in one place – and multidisciplinary teams that decrease domestic violence homicides.  Since 2012, OVW has awarded over $24 million in ICJR funding to reduce domestic violence homicide, including pilot sites, nationwide training, and research, including $3,299,977 for fiscal year 2018.

     Many victims also face substance abuse issues and struggle to access the justice system to receive the protection they need.  Today, OVW also announced an award of $450,000 to the Alliance for HOPE International to provide training to Family Justice Centers to address this complex challenge.  The Alliance for HOPE International will partner with the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health.

     VAWA was first authorized in 1994 and focused on strengthening the criminal justice response to domestic violence. VAWA was reauthorized in 2000, 2005, and 2013, and each reauthorization included expansions such as addressing elder abuse, combatting stalking, and serving victims of sex trafficking in Indian Country. More information about VAWA is available at www.justice.gov/ovw/legislation.

 

RELEASE NUMBER:    2018-136_ Tribal_SAUSA18

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

 

Updated October 25, 2018

Topics
Grants
Indian Country Law and Justice
Press Release Number: 2018-136_ Tribal_SAUSA18