Non-profits assisting North Dakota crime victims are trying to maintain services they ve been building in recent years. As demand reaches pre-pandemic levels, leaders hope to avoid clients falling off their radar. Legal Services of North Dakota is in its third year of using a state grant through the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). .
Kentucky will soon begin developing a coordinated, statewide system for reporting crimes related to intimate-partner violence. Gov. Andy Beshear’s signature on Senate Bill 271 mandates data collection on domestic violence.
Ohioans who work, day in and day out, with some of the most vulnerable populations are struggling with major burnout, according to new data. Program directors and staff in the Ohio Victim Services Compensation 2022 survey reported they don t earn what they see as a living wage, and 45% of staff said their salaries don t cover their basic needs. Rosa Beltre, president and chief executive of the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, explained that these workers are first responders for survivors of violence and sexual assault. .
Economic supports could be the key to reducing intimate-partner violence, which claims the lives of dozens of Ohioans each year. Research from the Ohio Domestic Violence Network showed during times of financial insecurity, people are at a higher risk of violent behavior. Rebecca Cline, director of prevention for the Network, explained individuals are targeted for intimate-partner violence, often because they are marginalized and made vulnerable by oppressive systems. .