FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2004 WWW.USDOJ.GOV OVW (202) 514-2008 TDD (202) 514-1888 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Attorney General John Ashcroft announced today that the Department of Justice is awarding more than $117 million to all 50 states and U.S. territories to fund programs to prevent and respond to violence against women. The funding is part of this years STOP (Services, Training, Officers and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grants Program. This program is funded under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and administered by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
The STOP Program protects victims and holds criminals accountable for their actions, said Attorney General Ashcroft. No one should have to endure the pain of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault, but these funds will help women who have been victims of violence to regain their dignity, their confidence, and their lives. Through the STOP Program, states and communities are encouraged to restructure and strengthen the criminal justice system response to domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, using the expertise of all participants working in the system, including law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, victim advocates, and community leaders.
Whether they are being used to develop a special police unit to respond to domestic violence cases, train sexual assault forensic examiners, or enhance victim services for individuals who are older or disabled, STOP funds are an important resource to help end violence against women, said OVW Director Diane M. Stuart.
The STOP grants are awarded to designated state agencies, which must award 25 percent of the funds they receive to law enforcement, 25 percent to prosecution, 30 percent to victim services, 5 percent to courts and 15 percent at the states discretion for other STOP Program purposes. This years STOP grant awards, together with the names of the local STOP Program contacts, are as follows: ALABAMA,1,922,000 Jim Whittle, 334-242-5885 ALASKA, 758,000 Denise Henderson, 907-465-4321 ARIZONA, 2,056,000 Evelyn Buckner, 602-542-1764 ARKANSAS, 1,393,000 Mary Ruth Parker, 501-682-1074 CALIFORNIA, 10,617,000 Ann Mizoguchi, 916-323-7615 COLORADO, 1,872,000 Betsy Anderson, 303-239-5703 CONNECTICUT, 1,614,000 Lisa Secondo, 860-418-6391 DELAWARE, 833,000 Maureen Querey, 302-255-0407 DIST OF COLUMBIA, 770,000 Christine Brooks-Cropper, 202-727-0941 FLORIDA, 5,358,000 Pat Barrett, 850-414-8312 GEORGIA, 3,039,000 LaSonja Doughty-Fillingame, 404-559-4949, x112 HAWAII, 961,000 Tony Wong, 808-586-1096 IDAHO, 981,000 Shellee Daniels, 208-884-7046 ILLINOIS, 4,300,000 Jennifer Vesely, 312-793-8500 INDIANA, 2,411,000 Joseph Koenig, 317-232-1233 IOWA, 1,471,000 Becky Kinnamon, 515-242-6379 KANSAS, 1,396,000 Juliene Maska, 785-291-3868 KENTUCKY, 1,805,000 Donna Langley, 502-564-3251 LOUISIANA, 1,927,000 Debbie Maggio, 225-925-3949 MAINE, 979,000 Mary Lucia, 207-287-5948 MARYLAND, 2,177,000 Nicolette Gantt, 410-321-3521 MASSACHUSETTS, 2,492,000 Diane Deangelis, 617-727-6300 MICHIGAN, 3,551,000 Debi Cain, 517-241-5114 MINNESOTA, 2,053,000 Cecilia Miller, 651-205-4817 MISSISSIPPI, 1,446,000 Wavette Davis, 601-987-4990 MISSOURI, 2,264,000 Patricia Rellergert, 573-751-5954 MONTANA, 853,000 Wendy Sturn, 406-444-1995 NEBRASKA, 1,107,000 LaVonna Evans, 402-471-3687 NEVADA, 1,189,000 Dorene Whitworth, 775-684-1124 NEW HAMPSHIRE, 968,000 Susan Dearborn, 603-271-8091 NEW JERSEY, 3,107,000 Theresa Martinac, 609-584-8107 NEW MEXICO, 1,092,000 Sheila Allen, 505-841-9435 NEW YORK, 6,243,000 Kim Oppelt, 518-457-9726 NORTH CAROLINA, 2,974,146 Barry Bryant, 919-733-4564 NORTH DAKOTA, 782,000 Mary Dasovick, 701-328-3340 OHIO, 3,984,000 Rickeya Franklin, 614-728-7291 OKLAHOMA, 1,549,000 M. Delynn Fudge, 405-264-5008 OREGON, 1,608,000 Carmen Merlo, 503-378-3720 PENNSYLVANIA, 4,263,000 Tina Kraynak, 717-783-0551 RHODE ISLAND, 912,000 Kristen Martineau, 401-222-5349 SOUTH CAROLINA, 1,794,000 Barbara Jean Nelson, 803-896-8712 SOUTH DAKOTA, 807,000 Susan Sheppick, 605-773-3656 TENNESSEE, 2,295,000 Terry Hewitt, 615-532-3355 TEXAS, 6,793,000 Angela Martin, 512-463-1884 UTAH, 1,258,000 Christine Watters, 801-238-2369 VERMONT, 781,000 Judy Rex, 802-241-1251 VIRGINIA, 2,708,000 Deborah Downing, 804-371-8635 WASHINGTON, 2,333,000 Anita Granbois, 360-725-2892 WEST VIRGINIA, 1,139,000 Tonia Thomas, 304-558-8814 WISCONSIN, 2,188,000 Kittie Smith, 608-261-8762 WYOMING, 744,000 Sharon Montagnino, 307-777-7200 PUERTO RICO, 1,734,000 Dessy Bones-Colon, 787-721-7676 VIRGIN ISLANDS, 632,000 R. Maria Brady, 340-774-6400, x210 GUAM,646,000 Cecilia Morrison, 671-475-9162/75 AM. SAMOA/N. MARIANA, 638,000 Richard Seumanutafa, 011-684-633-5221 More information about the STOP program and other initiatives involving the Office on Violence Against Women is available on OVWs website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo 04-346
Source: US Department of Justice
