FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         VAW
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 1995                          (202) 616-2771
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888

         FEDERAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN DIRECTOR VISITS
              WITH NEWS OF FEDERAL GRANTS FOR MAINE
                                
       Grants Would Boost Maine's Crime-Fighting Efforts
                  Even As Congress Ponders Cuts
     LEWISTON AND BANGOR, MAINE -- Bonnie Campbell, Director of the 
Justice Department's Office of Violence Against Women, visited
Maine today to announce $426,000 in federal grants for Maine, to
raise awareness of violence against women and to warn of efforts in
Congress to cut the crime bill's violence against women funds.
     Campbell announced that Maine was "just a step or two away"
from qualifying for a $426,000 STOP grant (Services, Training,
Officers, and Prosecution) to hire law enforcement, prosecutors and
victims services personnel to address violence against women.  
     The grants could be used to pay for crisis centers, counselors
and victim's advocates, police and prosecutors to specialize in
domestic violence or sexual assault, domestic violence hot-lines,
or lighting for unsafe streets, parks and paths.
     "Because of President Clinton's leadership, the federal
government will help Maine fight back against domestic violence and
sexual abuse," said Campbell.  "But now Congress is talking about
cutting $5 billion from last year's crime bill commitment -- a cut
of one-sixth. 
     "The crime control trust fund is our bank for funding the
Violence Against Women Act and we need to stand by it."
     Maine U.S. Attorney Jay McCloskey's anti-violent crime task
force recently identified domestic violence as the state's number
one violent crime priority.
     Campbell visited a shelter in Lewiston, attended a domestic
violence "speak out" in Bangor.  She also discussed strategies for
fighting violence against women with state and local law leaders
like Congressman John Baldacci, Public Safety Commissioner Al
Skofield, and Commissioner of Corrections Joe Lehman.
     Today's visit is part of Campbell's first trip outside
Washington since being named by Attorney General Janet Reno to
direct the Violence Against Women office.
                               ###
95- 223