Manchin, Capito Announce $7.5 Million To Keep West Virginia Communities Safe

Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced nine awards totaling $7,594,417 from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for programs at the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, Judiciary Courts of The State of West Virginia and West Virginia Foundation For Rape Information and Services. The funding will support programs to update criminal record searches, prevent sexual assault and domestic violence and increase victims’ services in the court system, support children and families after reported child abuse, efforts to prevent and control crime and other programs to keep West Virginians safe.

 

“Ensuring West Virginia communities are safe and secure remains one of my top priorities. I am pleased the Department of Justice is investing in nine programs in West Virginia to help keep communities safe, increase access to services for victims and prevent crime. Our fellow West Virginians deserve to feel safe in their communities and as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for funding to keep them safe and secure,” said Senator Manchin.

 

“Keeping West Virginians safe and ensuring peace of mind in our communities will always be a major focus for me,” Senator Capito said. “In order to do that, we must make sure our local law enforcement is equipped with the necessary tools. I’m proud to announce this funding to support several Department of Justice programs that will help our law enforcement prevent sexual assault and domestic violence, strengthen police department’s databases, and stop violent crime.”

·       $3,439,174 –Judiciary Courts of The State of West Virginia, West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Records Improvement Project

o   This funding will help establish automated interfaces between the State Police Criminal Identification Bureau (CIB) and courts to continue criminal record searches to locate and submit missing and incorrect dispositions in addition to facilitating immediate identification of disposition records and to digitize paper records back to 1996.

·       $1,234,838 –West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program

o   This program allows states and units of local government, including tribes, to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own state and local needs and conditions.

·       $998,700 – West Virginia Foundation For Rape Information and Services Inc., Fiscal Year 2021 Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Grant Program

o   This funding is designed to encourage partnerships among state, local and tribal governments, courts, victim service providers, coalition and rape crisis centers to ensure that sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking are treating seriously and require the coordinated involvement of the entire criminal justice system and community-based victim service providers.

·       $907,175 – West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, Fiscal Year 2021 Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Grant Program

o   This funding is designed to encourage partnerships among state, local and tribal governments, courts, victim service providers, coalition and rape crisis centers to ensure that sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking are treating seriously and require the coordinated involvement of the entire criminal justice system and community-based victim service providers.

·       $600,000 – West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, WV VOCA Technology Program

o   This funding will be used to support West Virginia’s 21 Child Advocacy Centers that provide specialized services and support to children and families after a report of suspected child abuse.

·       $245,539 – West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) for State Prisoners Program

o   This program assists states and local governments to develop and implement substance use disorder treatment programs in state and local correctional and detention facilities to create and maintain community-based aftercare services for offenders.

·       $90,045 – West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, Sex Offender and Registration Notification Act (SORNA) Reallocation Funds

o   This funding will be used to enhance programs designed to implement the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) portion of the Adam Walsh Act, designed to protect children and adults sexual exploitation and violent crime, prevent child abuse and child pornography, promote Internet safety, and honor the memory of Adam Walsh and other crime victims.

·       $45,022 – West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Reallocation Funds

o   This funding will be used to continue implementation of the national standards to prevent, detect, and respond to prison rape in order to protect individuals from sexual abuse and sexual harassment in confinement.

·       $33,924 – West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, John R. Justice (JRJ) Grant Program)

o   This program provides student loan repayment assistance for local, state and federal public defenders and local and state prosecutors who commit to extended service in those roles.