Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK — The Catholic Diocese of Little Rock announced today it has been awarded a $151,500 grant to provide services to immigrant crime victims across Arkansas.
The U.S. Department of Justice provided the funding to Arkansas under its STOP (Services, Training Officers and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women program, created by the federal Violence Against Women Act of 2005. The state Department of Finance and Administration awarded the two-year grant to the diocese.
The money will be used to create a Crime Victim Services Unit under the diocese’s immigration services program. Two additional employees will be hired to provide education and support to volunteers who work directly with immigrant crime victims, particularly women who are victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking or dating violence.
The unit also will aid law enforcement agencies in dealing with immigrant crime victims and establish other resources for immigrant victims of violent crimes.
“The funds from this grant will be of tremendous assistance in providing the opportunity to further assist our brother and sister immigrants who are the victims of an untold number of crimes which often go unreported,” Bishop Anthony B. Taylor said in a news release.
