The montana legal services associations rural crime victim project will provide urgently needed direct civil legal services and navigation to crime victims throughout montana

The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Victims of Crime awarded Montana Legal Services Association $500,000 on October 1, 2025, under the Crime Victim Assistance/Discretionary Grants program (CFDA 16.582) to deliver direct civil legal services and navigation to crime victims throughout Montana, with specific focus on rural communities.

The Rural Crime Victim Project addresses service gaps in rural Montana by providing civil legal aid to empower crime victims to assert and protect their legal rights, maintain safety for themselves and their families, hold offenders accountable, and work toward recovery following crime. The project operates statewide with administrative and performance oversight based in Helena, Montana.

The award carries a period of performance from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028, obligating $500,000 in total funding. Montana Legal Services Association, a tax-exempt nonprofit legal services provider, serves as the recipient and delivers services directly to rural crime victims who otherwise have limited access to legal assistance.

This project will address the significant GAP in victim services in rural montana by increasing service capacity to empower crime victims to assert and protect their legal rights, to keep themselves and their families safe, to hold offenders accountable for their crimes, and to work toward recovery in the aftermath of a crime. The project will take place throughout montana, with a specific focus on rural communities and american citizens, benefiting rural crime victims who otherwise have few options to address their legal needs.