The grants to support families in the justice system program (referred to as the justice for families program) was authorized in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 to improve the…

The Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women awarded $700,000 to South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault, Inc. on October 1, 2025, under the Justice Systems Response to Families Program (CFDA 16.021) for a continuation award (15JOVW25GG00408JFFX) supporting services to families affected by domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in eastern South Dakota through September 30, 2028.

The award funds supervised visitation and safe exchange services, lethality assessments and compliance monitoring for misdemeanor domestic violence cases, and civil legal services for survivors seeking protection orders in the eastern portion of South Dakota. Work is performed in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault, Inc., doing business as The Network, partners with Safe Place of Eastern South Dakota Family Visitation Center, Second Circuit Court, Lutheran Social Services, East River Legal Services, the South Dakota Survivor Taskforce, Lincoln County State's Attorney's Office, Minnehaha County State's Attorney's Office, Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office, South Dakota Voices for Peace, and the University of South Dakota.

Safe Place of Eastern South Dakota provides free ongoing supervised visitation and safe exchange services for parents involved in intimate partner violence cases following Office on Violence Against Women guidelines for safety and security. Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota conducts lethality assessments and compliance monitoring for misdemeanor domestic abuse cases and reports findings to the courts. Obligated amount is $700,000.

The grants to support families in the justice system program (referred to as the justice for families program) was authorized in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 to improve the response of the civil and criminal justice system to families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, or in cases involving allegations of child sexual abuse. The program supports the following activities for improving the capacity of courts and communities to respond to families affected by the targeted crimes: court-based and court-related programs; supervised visitation and safe exchange by and between parents; training for people who work with families in the court system; civil legal services; and the provision of resources in juvenile court matters. Projects supported by the justice for families program are those that focus on keeping victims and their children safe from further abuse and holding offenders accountable. Through this continuation justice for families project, south dakota network against family violence and sexual assault, INC, in partnership with safe place of eastern south dakota family visitation center, second circuit court, lutheran social services, east river lega services, the SD survivor taskforce, lincoln county state'sattorney'soffice, minnehaha county states attorneys office, minnehaha county sheriffs office, south dakota voices for peace, and the university of south dakota, will providesupervised visitation and safe exchange services; conductlethality assessments and compliance monitoring for misdemeanor domestic violence cases; and providecivil legal services for survivors seeking protection orders in the eastern portion of south dakota. This award is a continuation of 15JOVW-22-GG-00218-jffx.