ATTORNEY GENERAL ASHCROFT ANNOUNCES AWARDS OF
MORE THAN $117 MILLION FOR STATES TO PROSECUTE AND RESPOND TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

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 year’s 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 state’s discretion for other STOP Program purposes. This year’s 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 OVW’s website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo

###

04-346