Violence Against Women Justice and Training Program (US)

Deadline: 9-Feb-23

The Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) is soliciting applications for the Violence Against Women Justice and Training Program (VAWA) to support projects that promote a coordinated, multi-disciplinary approach to improve the justice system’s response to violent crimes against women, including domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.

CAPCOG’s Criminal Justice Program is designated by the Office of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division (CJD) for regional coordination efforts on the subject in the 10-county State Planning Region 12 area. The program provides technical assistance to applicants for CJD grant funding opportunities to include criminal justice, juvenile justice and victim services-related programming. CAPCOG’s Criminal Justice Program and Criminal Justice Advisory Committee review and update or create a regional strategic criminal justice plan annually.

VAWA funds are made available through a Congressional appropriation to the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated federal funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law.

Priorities

• Behavioral Health/Mental Health Services/Substance Use
• Community-Based Programs or Services
• Crisis Services
• Law Enforcement
• Crime Prevention

Funding Information

• Minimum: $5,000
• Maximum: No Maximum
• Duration: Projects may not exceed 12 months and must start on 9/01/2023 and end on 08/31/2024.

Eligible Activities

The following list of eligible activities apply generally to all projects under this announcement:

• Training law enforcement officers, judges, other court personnel, and prosecutors to more effectively identify and respond to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking;
• Developing, training, or expanding units of law enforcement officers, judges, other court personnel, and prosecutors specifically targeting violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking;
• Developing and implementing more effective police, court, and prosecution policies, protocols, orders, and services specifically devoted to preventing, identifying, and responding to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, as well as the appropriate treatment of victims;
• Developing, installing, or expanding data collection and communication systems, including computerized systems, linking police, prosecutors, and courts or for the purpose of identifying, classifying, and tracking arrests, protection orders, violations of protection orders, prosecutions, and convictions for violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking;
• Supporting formal and informal statewide, multidisciplinary efforts, to the extent not supported by state funds, to coordinate the response of state law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, victim services agencies, and other state agencies and departments, to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking;
• Training of sexual assault forensic medical personnel examiners in the collection and preservation of evidence, analysis, prevention, and providing expert testimony and treatment of trauma related to sexual assault;
• Developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs to assist law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and others to address the needs and circumstances of older and disabled women who are victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking, including recognizing, investigating, and prosecuting instances of such violence or assault and targeting outreach and support, counseling, and other victim services to such older and disabled individuals;
• Developing and promoting state or local policies that enhance best practices for responding to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking;
• Developing, implementing, or enhancing Sexual Assault Response Teams, or other similar coordinated community responses to sexual assault;
• Developing and strengthening policies, protocols, best practices, and training for law enforcement agencies and prosecutors relating to the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault cases and the appropriate treatment of victims; and
• Identifying and conducting inventories of backlogs of sexual assault evidence collection kits and developing protocols and policies for responding to and addressing such backlogs, including protocols and policies for notifying and involving victims;

Eligibility Criteria

• Local governments determined to not be in compliance with the cybersecurity requirements of the Texas Government Code are ineligible for OOG grant funds until the second anniversary of the date the local government is determined ineligible. Government entities must annually certify their compliance with the training requirements using the Cybersecurity Training Certification for State and Local Governments.
• Entities receiving funds from PSO must be located in a county that has an average of 90% or above on both adult and juvenile dispositions entered into the computerized criminal history database maintained by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) as directed in the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. The disposition completeness percentage is defined as the percentage of arrest charges a county reports to DPS for which a disposition has been subsequently reported and entered into the computerized criminal history system. Counties applying for grant awards from the Office of the Governor must commit that the county will report at least 90% of convictions within five business days to the Criminal Justice Information System at the Department of Public Safety.
• Eligible applicants operating a law enforcement agency must be current on reporting complete UCR data and the Texas specific reporting mandated to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) for inclusion in the annual Crime in Texas (CIT) publication. To be considered eligible for funding, applicants must have submitted a full twelve months of accurate data to DPS for the most recent calendar year by the deadline(s) established by DPS. Due to the importance of timely reporting, applicants are required to submit complete and accurate UCR data, as well as the Texas mandated reporting, on a no less than monthly basis and respond promptly to requests from DPS related to the data submitted.
• Local units of government, including cities, counties and other general purpose political subdivisions, as appropriate, and institutions of higher education that operate a law enforcement agency, must comply with all aspects of the programs and procedures utilized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) to: (1) notify DHS of all information requested by DHS related to illegal aliens in Agency’s custody; and (2) detain such illegal aliens in accordance with requests by DHS. Additionally, counties and municipalities may NOT have in effect, purport to have in effect, or make themselves subject to or bound by, any law, rule, policy, or practice (written or unwritten) that would: (1) require or authorize the public disclosure of federal law enforcement information in order to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection fugitives from justice or aliens illegally in the United States; or (2) impede federal officers from exercising authority. Lastly, eligible applicants must comply with all provisions, policies, and penalties.
• Any facility or entity that collects evidence for sexual assault or other sex offenses or investigates or prosecutes a sexual assault or other sex offense for which evidence has been collected, must participate in the statewide electronic tracking system developed and implemented by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
• Eligible applicants must be registered in the federal System for Award Management (SAM).
• Failure to comply with program or eligibility requirements may cause funds to be withheld and/or suspension or termination of grant funds.
• Eligible Organizations
  • Applications may be submitted by state agencies, public and private non-profit institutions of higher education, independent school districts, Native American tribes, councils of governments, non-profit corporations (including hospitals and faith-based organizations) and units of local government, which are defined as a non-statewide governmental body with the authority to establish a budget and impose taxes (includes hospital districts). Other local governmental agencies should apply through an associated unit of local government.
  • Non-profit applicants seeking to provide direct services to victims of crime are not eligible under this solicitation and should apply under the General Victim Assistance Program Funding Announcement.

Program-Specific Requirements

• Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Certification:
  • All VAWA applicants must certify that they meet the following federal statutory requirements regarding the provision of legal advocacy:
    • Any person providing legal assistance through a program funded under this VAWA Program
    • Any training program conducted has been or will be developed with input from and in collaboration with a state, local, territorial, or tribal domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking victim service provider or coalition, as well as appropriate tribal, State, territorial, and local law enforcement officials.
    • Any person or organization providing legal assistance through a program funded under this Program has informed and will continue to inform state, local, or tribal domestic violence, dating violence or sexual assault programs and coalitions, as well as appropriate State and local law enforcement officials of their work.
    • The grantee’s organizational policies do not require mediation or counseling involving offenders and victims physically together, in cases where sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or child sexual abuse is an issue.
• State Priority Areas:
  • All projects funded under this announcement must address one or more of the State Priority Areas.