FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2005 WWW.USDOJ.GOV OVW (202) 514-2007 TDD (202) 514-1888 WASHINGTON, D.C. - The New York City Family Justice Center opened its doors today, the Justice Department and the City of New York announced. The center, located in Brooklyn, New York, is the first center of its kind to be opened under President Bushs Family Justice Center Initiative, and is located in one of 15 communities chosen under the Presidents initiative to prevent and respond to violence against women. The Presidents Family Justice Center Initiative which was unveiled by President Bush in October 2003 and funded by the Justice Department, is an unprecedented pilot program designed to make a victims search for assistance more effective by bringing the necessary services together under one roof. The Justice Departments Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is guiding this pilot program with the goal of creating these support centers in 15 communities across the nation.
Offering centralized, comprehensive, and compassionate services to domestic violence victims is an example of the coordinated community response at its best, said Diane M. Stuart, Director of the Office on Violence Against Women. Whether its obtaining a protection order, talking to an advocate, or meeting with a prosecutor, these centers will enable victims to get the assistance they need to put their lives and their childrens lives back on track. The services designed to help these victims are often scattered throughout communities. Centers like the New York Family Justice Center are designed to bring together various components, including victim advocates; law enforcement officers; prosecutors; probation officers; forensic medical professionals; civil legal attorneys; chaplains; and representatives from community-based organizations into one centralized location to better serve victims of abuse.
The New York Family Justice Center is currently receiving assistance from family justice centers pioneered in San Diego, CA; Indianapolis, IN; and Hennepin County, MN, to aid in the comprehensive development of its own center. Additionally, the National Network to End Domestic Violence is providing the New York Family Justice Center with assistance in technology and victim safety.
More information about the Presidents Family Justice Center Initiative and other initiatives involving the Office on Violence Against Women is available on OVWs website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo
Source: US Department of Justice
