Missoula County recently received two grants totaling nearly $80,000 to help local domestic violence services.
The Montana Board of Crime Control awarded $32,000 to the Missoula County Community Justice Department as part of the federal Violence Against Women Act to help fund its Just Response program. Just Response is designed to improve services for people impacted by domestic and sexual violence, stalking, sex trafficking or child abuse.
The board gave the county Justice Court a $47,600 grant, also funded through the Violence Against Women Act, to expand Missoula’s Domestic Violence Court with a coordinator position.
The program is designed to expedite cases involving partner violence.
Experts say one in four women and one in nine men report having experienced violence in an intimate partner relationship.
According to the Montana Board of Crime Control, Missoula County recorded 540 domestic violence related crimes last year. So far this year nearly 360 such crimes have been recorded.
