Jefferson County will receive funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women to improve how the justice system handles sexual assault cases, announced today U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, Jefferson County District Attorney Brandon Falls, Sheriff Mike Hale and Crisis Center Executive Director Meg McGlamery.
The county is one of just seven in the nation chosen for this pilot program, announced this week by U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
Through the program, called the Sexual Assault Justice Initiative, the Jefferson County Commission will receive $400,000 to implement measures aimed at improving practices for prosecuting sexual assault cases and promoting justice for victims.
The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the non-profit Crisis Center will collaborate on the goals of the initiative. Funds will support the development of a specialized unit within the DA’s Office to coordinate investigation and prosecution of sexual assault crimes. The unit will include a bilingual investigator, special prosecutor and will also address reporting obstacles for immigrant victims of sexual violence.
Jefferson County joins the city of Los Angeles, Cobb County, Ga., the city and county of Honolulu, the New Hampshire Department of Justice in Concord, the Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah, Okla., and Sauk County, Wis.