The grants to improve the criminal justice response program (icjr program)assistsstate, local, and tribal governments, and courts to improve the criminal justice response to domestic violence,…

The Office on Violence Against Women, Department of Justice, awarded $888,409 to the State of West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals on April 1, 2026, under the Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program (CFDA 16.590), a Project Grant with a period of performance through March 31, 2029.

The award funds training and technical assistance for criminal and civil system professionals and advocates across West Virginia on lethality indicators, rural responses, and arrest procedures. The recipient will expand victim outreach to counties throughout the state; deliver specialized training for prosecutors on effective prosecution of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and conduct an annual week-long prosecutor school focused on access to justice and services in rural communities for victims of these offenses. The award supports maintenance of the domestic violence protective order registry and development and support of specialized Danger/Lethality Assessment Guide (D-LAG) units across West Virginia, including trainings for those units on assessment and response to high-risk offenders.

The program assists state and local governments and courts to improve criminal justice response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking while promoting victim safety and autonomy. Place of performance is Charleston, West Virginia.

The grants to improve the criminal justice response program (icjr program)assistsstate, local, and tribal governments, and courts to improve the criminal justice response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking as serious violations of criminal law, and to seek safety and autonomy for victims. The project would support the following activities: 1) training and technical assistance for criminal/civil system professionals and advocates on topics including lethality indicators, responses in rural areas, and arrests; 2) expansion of victim outreach to counties throughout west virginia; 3) training for prosecutors on effective prosecution of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; 4) an annual week-long new prosecutor school on access to justice and services in rural communities for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; 5) maintenance of the domestic violence protective order registry; 6) development of and support for specialized danger/lethality assessment guide (D-lag) units across the state; and 7) trainings with D-lag units on assessment and response to high-risk offenders.