The Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Tribe has been selected to receive nearly $330,000 in federal funds to support crime victims, U.S. Attorney Halsey Frank said in a news release Thursday.
The funding will allow the tribe to expand its existing services for victims of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, dating violence, sex trafficking, stalking and elder abuse. It’s expected to be used to support staff training, transportation for victims in remote areas and a contracted attorney to provide legal counsel in civil matters to elder abuse victims.
The tribe is one of 16 Native American communities in eight states to share $9.4 million funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs. This is the fourth in a series of grants from the department’s Office for Victims of Crimes, which has awarded more than $26 million of nearly $100 million to support tribal victim services.
Tribes in Alaska, California, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma and Washington will also receive funding.
According to the OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, American Indians and Alaska Natives experience violent crimes at higher rates than the general populations.
“We are hopeful that this grant will help the Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Tribe address some of the challenges they face in areas of domestic violence, sexual assault and trafficking, and elder abuse, all of which are national and local priorities for the department and our office,” Halsey said in statement.
The grant funding does not come from tax dollars, according to the news release. It is supported by the Crime Victims Fund, a repository of federal criminal fines, fees and special assessments.
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