The increasing access to justice for victims of SEX crimes against children & youth (IAJ) project will provide legal services for children, youth, and others victimized when they were 17 and under

The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Victims of Crime awarded $500,000 to the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Inc. on October 1, 2025, under the Crime Victim Assistance/Discretionary Grants program (CFDA 16.582).

The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault operates the Sexual Assault Legal Institute (SALI), which will provide legal representation, legal assistance, safety planning, referrals, and intake services to children and youth victims of sex crimes throughout Maryland under the Increasing Access to Justice for Victims of Sex Crimes Against Children & Youth (IAJ) project. SALI is the only statewide legal services provider in Maryland devoted solely to the legal needs of sexual assault victims. The project will expand current services and help crime victims gain access to justice, hold offenders accountable, and recover from crime by increasing available legal assistance and addressing gaps in current services.

The award period runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028, with place of performance in Silver Spring, Maryland. The Crime Victim Assistance program funds development, expansion, and strengthening of victim service programs for all victims of crime through competitive grants awarded to states, local units of government, tribes, individuals, educational institutions, and private nonprofit organizations.

This project will expand current services in an existing program and help crime victims by increasing available legal assistance and addressing gaps in current services. The maryland coalition against sexual assaults (mcasa) sexual assault legal institute (sali) is the only statewide legal services provider in maryland devoted solely to the legal needs of sexual assault victims. Under the IAJ project sali will provide representation, legal assistance, safety planning, referrals, and intake to child and youth victims throughout maryland. Victims will receive the legal help they need to have access to justice, hold offenders accountable, and recover from crime.