The enhancing investigations and prosecution of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (EIP) encourages law enforcement agencies and/or prosecutors offices to expand and…

The Cole County Prosecutors Office in Jefferson City, Missouri was awarded a $250,344 Project Grant by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) under the Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program (CFDA 16.590). The grant, effective from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2027, will be used to: 1) hire an attorney to prosecute domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking cases; and 2) hire a legal assistant to support prosecution efforts related to these types of cases. The project aims to expand and improve the capacity of the prosecutor's office and its partner organization, Rape and Abuse Crisis Service, to effectively investigate and prosecute these crimes, thereby supporting victim safety and autonomy, holding offenders accountable, and promoting community trust in the criminal justice system.

The enhancing investigations and prosecution of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (EIP) encourages law enforcement agencies and/or prosecutors offices to expand and improve their capacity to effectively investigate and/or prosecute domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and in so doing, support victim safety and autonomy, hold offenders accountable, and promote agency trust within the surrounding community. The EIP project by cole county prosecutors office, in partnership with rape and abuse crisis service, to implement in cole county, MO addresses EIP purpose area(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Additionally, this project addresses OVW priority area 1: access to justice. Specific activities include: 1) hire an attorney to prosecute domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking cases; and 2) hire a legal assistance to support prosecution efforts related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking cases.