Summer 2005 Featured Resources New Online Grants and Funding Stay Connected Home

The following sexual assault-related programs were funded by OVC under its Faithbased or Community Organizations and Victim Services Discretionary Mini-Grant Program. For more information, see http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/fund/dakit_archive.htm.

Grants to rape crisis and advocacy centers expand outreach efforts to faith communities

The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center's (BARCC's) “Faith Link” project received $15,000 from OVC to expand its public education and outreach efforts to faith communities to better serve adolescent victims of sexual assault. The project is meant to teach young people about sexual violence and familiarize young parishioners, their families, and church leaders with the services BARCC provides to their community. This is being accomplished through training and the dissemination of educational materials in English, Spanish, and French on sexual assault. www.barcc.org

CASA Reaches out to Spanish-Speaking Victims and Advocates

Citizens Against Sexual Assault (CASA) of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County [Virginia] disseminates educational materials to its community and trains faith community leaders to respond better to victims of sexual assault, with a special focus on promoting CASA's Spanish-language services, including educational materials on sexual assault in Spanish, a 24-hour hotline, Spanish-speaking volunteer training, and Spanish-speaking hospital response service advocates. www.casaonline.net

DNA in 'Minor' Crimes Yields Major Benefits for Public Safety

Property crime offenders have high recidivism rates, their crime and violence can escalate, and property crime cases often go unsolved. It has been estimated that each burglar in the top 10 percent of burglars commits more than 232 burglaries per year. Several police departments in the United States are finding that they may be able to change these trends. When they analyze DNA from a burglary, they get evidence that often solves several other cases as well. And they are finding that biological evidence collected from property crime scenes can prevent future property crimes and more serious offenses. To find out more about funding and Federal initiatives related to DNA analysis, visit the President's DNA Initiative Web site at http://www.dna.gov.

DNA in 'Minor' Crimes Yields Major Benefits for Public Safety, 4 pages
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/207203.htm.