Established by the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, the STOP Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Program seeks to develop and implement law enforcement and prosecution strategies to effectively decrease violent crimes against women. These grants also help to develop and enhance services provided to the victims of violent crimes.
In South Carolina, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety is responsible for coordinating VAWA funds with local agencies. Funds through VAWA provide systematic and sustained focus on permanent systems change within the South Carolina criminal justice system, while simultaneously developing a comprehensive network of domestic violence and sexual assault victim service advocates and programs throughout South Carolina communities.
VAWA funds may be used for multiple purposes, including:
- Comprehensive training projects (especially multi-disciplinary training).
- Specialized units such as programs in law enforcement or district attorneys' offices.
- Projects developing protocols, policies, and evaluation mechanisms.
- Projects developing data collection and communication systems.
- Sexual assault and domestic violence victim services programs.
- Projects concerning stalking; projects designed for Native American women.
- Projects addressing the needs of older, disabled, and other underserved women.
- Projects supporting statewide multidisciplinary efforts; training of sexual assault forensic medical personnel.
- Assistance for domestic violence and sexual assault victims with immigration matters.
In South Carolina, additional consideration is given to applications that:
- ?Will benefit previously underserved or unrecognized populations; e.g., immigrant women/children, Native American Indians, homeless, LGBT communities, disabled or challenged populations, etc.
- Serve areas with limited resources, at risk non-urban areas, or rural areas.
- Comply with state guidelines for service and administrative standards.
- Document they have consulted with victim service providers on the development of the application and that they will continue to work with the agencies in their area to ensure the success of the project.