Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

U.S. SENATOR Jeff Bingaman

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Contact Senator Bingaman's Office:

Jude McCartin
Maria Najera
703 Hart Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-5521

Bingaman: Grants to Benefit New Mexico Crime and Justice Initiatives

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has released over $1.8 million to for a variety of New Mexico crime and justice initiatives.  New Mexico tribes and pueblos will also benefit from additional $8.34 million in DOJ funding also released today.

"These grants will assist victims of crime and their families, and support efforts to make our communities safer," Bingaman said.

Funding was awarded to the following:

New Mexico Crime Victims Reparation Commission - $1.19 million: Funding will help the commission implement a variety of activities aimed at strengthening the justice system's response to violent crimes committed against women.

New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs Incorporated in Albuquerque - $488,000: The New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Inc. provides the coordination of training and standards of practice for rape crisis centers in New Mexico. The Coalition acts as the central training entity for practitioners in the field by providing information about best practices and developments in the field. Funding will be used to develop the Community Justice for Survivors of Sexual Violence Project to create a multi-faceted infrastructure providing civil legal services to victims of sexual assault throughout the state of New Mexico. The project will have the following partners: Community Against Violence in Taos; the Santa Fe Rape Crisis and Trauma Treatment Center; El Refugio in Silver City; Sexual Assault Services of Northwest in Farmington; Sexual Assault Services of Eastern New Mexico in Portales; Rape Crisis Center of Central New Mexico in Albuquerque; La Pinon of Las Cruces; the statewide entities of New Mexico Legal Aid and Catholic Charities of Central New Mexico's Violence Against Women Immigration Program.

New Mexico Higher Education Department - $100,000:  Funding will be used to establish a statewide grant program to encourage qualified attorneys to choose careers as prosecutors and public defenders.  The grant program would provide loan repayment assistance for local, state, and federal public defenders and local and state prosecutors who commit to continued employment as public defenders and prosecutors for at least three years.

Pueblo of San Ildefonso - $19,542:  Funding will support the pueblo's effort to establish a sex offender registration program.   The following Pueblos and tribes were also awarded funding under the specified tribal grant program:

Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council, Inc

• $900,000: Office of Violence Against Women - Tribal Governments Program

Mescalero Apache Tribe

• $149,884: Bureau of Justice Assistance - Plan, Renovate, or Construct Correctional and/or Correctional Alternative Facilities
• $305,000: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) - Tribal Resources Grant Program

Pubelo of Pojoaque

• $480,023: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) - Tribal Resources Grant Program

Pueblo of Jemez

• $342,458: Bureau of Justice Assistance - Develop and Enhance the Operation of Tribal Justice Systems
• $350,000: Bureau of Justice Assistance - Prevent and Reduce Alcohol and Substance Abuse-Related Crimes
• $500,000: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) - Tribal Resources Grant Program
• $500,000: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention - Develop New Demonstration Projects on Violence Prevention and Rehabilitation
• $300,000: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention - Enhance Accountability for Delinquent Behavior
• $100,000: Office of Violence Against Women - Provide Community Outreach and Victim Assistance Services to Address Elder Abuse

Pueblo of Laguna

• $350,000: Bureau of Justice Assistance - Develop and Enhance the Operation of Tribal Justice Systems
• $767,373: Bureau of Justice Assistance - Plan, Renovate, or Construct Correctional and/or Correctional Alternative Facilities
• $494,152: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) - Tribal Resources Grant Program
• $450,000: Office of Violence Against Women - Tribal Governments Program
• $300,000: Office of Violence Against Women - Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program

Pueblo of Zuni

• $621,999: Office of Violence Against Women - Tribal Governments Program
• $494,831: Bureau of Justice Assistance - Develop and Enhance the Operation of Tribal Justice Systems

Santa Clara Pueblo

• $478,759: Office of Violence Against Women - Tribal Governments Program
• $465,392: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) - Tribal Resources Grant Program