INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute’s (ICJI) Victim Services Subcommittee approved more than $1.2 million in additional funding for Indiana’s domestic violence shelters. The dollars will be added to the Domestic Violence Treatment and Prevention (DVPT) Fund – which is used to provide immediate assistance and short-term support to victims of domestic violence.
“ICJI is moving quickly to ensure the domestic violence shelters receive these additional monies as soon as possible,” said Mary L. Allen, ICJI’s executive director. “A total of 48 domestic violence shelters are receiving funding – including five first-time awards.”
The programs receiving first-time DVPT awards include:
*Beacon of Hope Center for Women (Marion County)
*Center for Victim and Human Rights (Marion County)
*Elijah Haven Crisis Intervention Center (LaGrange County)
*Heminger House Shelter for Women and Children (Marshall County)
*Sanctuary of Shelbyville (Shelby County)
The DVPT Council reviewed the domestic violence shelters’ budgets and plans on how they would utilize the additional funds. The council, created under Indiana state statute (IC 5-2-6.6), independently reviews and advises ICJI on DVPT funding matters. At Tuesday’s meeting, the council made funding recommendations. These were reviewed Thursday (10/9) by the Victim Services Subcommittee, a subgroup of the ICJI Board of Trustees.
The subcommittee gave final approval to more than $1.2 million in additional one-time funding for domestic violence shelters. Including the subcommittee’s action on October 9, the total amount of DVPT funds awarded in 2014-15 is $3,935,990.
The subcommittee also accepted DVPT Council’s recommendation to hold back $285,628 in available funds from domestic violence shelters. These monies currently are on hold and will remain in the DVPT Fund.
“Victim Services Subcommittee members questioned why funds were not recommended for distribution to domestic violence shelters,” Allen said “I’ve written a letter to Laura Berry (DVPT Council chair) and asked her to explain the DVPT Council’s decision to hold back funding from the shelters.”
