Amidst a depressed state economy and looming recession, Gov. M Jodi Rell announced on March 26 the planned allocation of over $2 million of the state's allotted federal stimulus money for a multifaceted attempt at preventing violence against women.
"Rape and other violence against women is never a crime of passion - it is an ugly act of brutality as unacceptable as any other offense. I am proud of the advances our state has made … yet there is always more we can do," Rell said.
Under Rell's proposal, the $2 million will go towards four major victim services programs and four major law enforcement and prosecution programs.
Of the roughly $1 million going toward victim-based programming, $400,000 will be used to expand staff at domestic violence shelters. The money will provide four full-time staff workers at three or four sites across the state.
In recent years, the cost of maintaining these facilities has been beyond what federal funding provided. While these shelters have proven time and time again to be effective and incredibly helpful to victims, the lack of budgeting has forced many to reduce staff. In fact, only two Connecticut shelters are able to provide staff members on-site 24 hours a day, according to a news release from the Connecticut Advocate.
One of the three other victim services programs to be given additional funding is a teen dating violence outreach program. Though one in three teens experience dating violence, only one in three victims reports it. This program will pay for media campaigns to illustrate the risks, warning signs and resources available to victims.
Also receiving funding are competitive grant programs are for prevention of abuse in a digital world, and the other for outreach to undeserved populations.
The first program will offer funding to programs offering training in the prevention of abuse involving technology such as cell phone cameras and the Internet. The second grant program will give money on a competitive basis to community organizations to prevent and raise awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault in minority and other underserved populations.
Also in Rell's proposition was additional funding for four major law enforcement and prosecution programs. SANE/SAFE, which stands for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner, would receive additional funding. These programs provide personnel to help victims with the physiological trauma resulting from abuse and to collect evidence needed for prosecution.
Sexual Assault Victim Advocates would also receive funding from the federal stimulus money. This support provides two contract positions who keep victims aware of probation or parole information regarding their offender and who would represent victims in such cases.
The largest portion of the federal stimulus money, over $500,000, would go towards funding for prosecutors. This funding will preserve six full-time domestic violence and sexual assault prosecutors.
Rell has high hopes for the funding.
"This funding will enable Connecticut to make great strides on both sides of the equation - prevention and prosecution," she said.
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