Crapo: Grant Funds Help To Stop â??Cycle Of Abuseâ??

Washington, DC â?? Domestic violence prevention efforts in Idaho will get a boost with the announcement of a Department of Justice (DOJ) grant to Idaho Legal Aid Services, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo announced today. The grant, in the amount of $317,809, will be used to develop and implement a statewide domestic violence prevention and public awareness campaign, focusing primarily on rural areas of the state. â??Domestic violence is a terrible and destructive force in homes and communities,â?? Crapo said. â??Thankfully, efforts to combat this problem are being made by many in Idaho. Victims of violence need information on how and where to get help, which is often critical in breaking the cycle of abuse. In addition, it is important for members of the community to recognize their role in addressing the problem. It is through education and efforts like those planned by Idaho Legal Aid that we can end this terrible crime.â?? Idaho Legal Aid Services is the statewide provider of free legal services in Idaho. With the grant, the organization will partner with the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence and the Idaho Partners for Justice Project to develop a statewide domestic violence prevention and public awareness campaign. The collaboration of the three partner organizations will result in the creation of a public awareness campaign to inform domestic violence victims of local services available to them. The funds from the grant will also go to educating the public through community presentations, and encouraging them to be involved in working toward a community response. Finally the grant will fund seven regional Domestic Violence Summits throughout the state, culminating in a statewide Domestic Violence Summit featuring a nationally recognized speaker on rural domestic violence. Idaho Legal Aid Services Executive Director Ernesto Sanchez commented on the importance of the grant in fighting domestic violence: â??Domestic Violence continues to be a major problem facing our communities. Idaho Legal Aid Services and our partners consider domestic violence assistance one of our main priorities. This grant will allow us to reach out to victims of domestic violence in rural communities throughout the state. Many in our rural communities are often unfamiliar with and/or lack access to the various services available to them. Through this grant our rural population will learn what to do and where to go if they are victims of domestic violence.â?? The funds come as part of The Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Enforcement Grant Program, which implements certain provisions of the Violence Against Women Act. The program assists victims of domestic violence, dating violence and child abuse living in rural areas by creating and enhancing collaborative partnerships between criminal justice agencies, victim services providers and community organizations to respond to these crimes, and to provide services to the victims of such violence. Crapo has sponsored several legislative efforts to stop domestic violence, including working to increase services and assistance available under the Violence Against Women Act. He won Congressional approval for â??Cassieâ??s Law,â?? a law inspired by Idahoâ??s Cassie Dehl, that initiated federal assistance for the first time for women in dating relationships. Crapo is also appearing in a statewide television campaign against domestic violence in Idaho. # # #