The legal assistance for victims (LAV) grant program, authorized by 34 U.S.C. 20121, is intended to increase the availability of civil and criminal legal assistance needed to effectively aid adult and…

The Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $750,000 Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Grant Program project grant to the Illinois Prison Project's Women & Survivors Project. This 3-year grant, effective October 1, 2023, will provide post-conviction legal assistance and representation to incarcerated survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Illinois. The project will focus on serving survivors of color, LGBTQ survivors, and survivors with mental health disabilities. Key services include legal representation for post-conviction relief, resentencing, parole, clemency, compassionate release, conditional discharge, and administrative release matters. The project will also develop client feedback surveys and outreach education materials during the grant period.

The legal assistance for victims (LAV) grant program, authorized by 34 U.S.C. 20121, is intended to increase the availability of civil and criminal legal assistance needed to effectively aid adult and youth (ages 11 to 24) victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault by providing funds for comprehensive direct legal services to victims in legal matters relating to or arising out of that abuse or violence. Legal assistance is assistance in: a) divorce, parental rights, child support, tribal, territorial, immigration, employment, administrative agency, housing, campus, education, healthcare, privacy, contract, consumer, civil rights, protection or other injunctive proceedings, related enforcement proceedings, and other similar matters; b) criminal justice investigations, prosecutions, and post-conviction matters (including sentencing, parole, and probation) that impact the victims safety, privacy, or other interests as a victim; c) alternative dispute resolution, restorative practices, or other processes intended to promote victim safety, privacy, and autonomy, and offender accountability, regardless of court involvement; or d) post-conviction relief proceedings in state, local, tribal, or territorial court with respect to a conviction of a victim relating to or arising from domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or SEX trafficking victimization of the victim. Through this new legal assistance for victims project, illinois prison projects women & survivors project will provide post-conviction relief legal assistance to survivors incarcerated in illinois due to convictions related to their domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking victimization. The project will provide full legal representation to incarcerated survivors, particularly survivors of color, lgbtq survivors, and survivors with mental health disabilities in post-conviction, resentencing, parole, clemency, compassionate release, conditional discharge, and administrative release legal matters. The following products will be developed during the project period: client feedback surveys and outreach education materials.