The improving criminal justice responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking grant program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. §§ 10461-10465 and implemented through regulations…

The Department of Justice Offices Boards and Divisions Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $747,736 Project Grant to the Young Women's Christian Association under the Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program (CFDA 16.590). The grant will fund the Young Women's Christian Association's efforts to improve the criminal justice system response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Spokane, Washington through September 2026. Key deliverables include identifying a project coordinator and community response team, completing community assessments, identifying evidence-informed practices, participating in OVW training and utilizing culturally specific technical assistance, creating and implementing a strategic plan outlining community goals focused on victim safety and offender accountability. The grant aims to develop, revitalize or enhance coordinated community responses to these crimes through collaboration between criminal justice, victim services and community-based partners.

The improving criminal justice responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking grant program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. §§ 10461-10465 and implemented through regulations at 28 C.F.R. Part 90, subpart d. The program fosters victim safety and offender accountability in cases of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by encouraging state, local, and tribal governments and courts to work collaboratively with community partners to identify problems and share ideas that will result in effectively responding to these crimes. An integral component of this program is the development, revitalization, or enhancement of a coordinated community response that brings together criminal justice agencies, victim services providers, and community-based organizations that respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The grantee, in collaboration with its project partners, will use this icjr award to improve their jurisdiction's criminal justice system response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by implementing activities that focus on victim safety and offender accountability and create sustainable project activities. The project will: 1) identify a project coordinator to lead the project and any additional members of the coordinated community response team; 2) complete community assessments to inform the development of a strategic plan; 3) identify evidence-informed practices or tools that may be implemented at the agency and community level; 4) participate in mandated OVW training and technical assistance, including utilizing OVW culturally specific and underserved TTA providers; 5) create and submit, to OVW, a strategic plan outlining its community goals; and 6) implement the strategic plan.