Georgia Residents Affected by Recent Tornadoes Urged to Return Completed SBA Applications

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. Small Business Administration is urging Georgia survivors affected by the recent tornadoes to quickly return completed SBA low-interest disaster loan applications in order to be considered for all forms of assistance. Homeowners and renters who cannot afford a loan will be referred to FEMA for possible grant funds.

“There is a tendency for survivors to discard SBA disaster loan applications because they may not want a loan. However, they risk missing out on grants by not returning completed applications to SBA,” said Frank Skaggs, director, SBA Field Operations Center East, Atlanta.

The Presidential disaster declaration in Georgia as a result of the severe storms and tornadoes of April 27-28 automatically activated the SBA disaster loan program. Survivors are encouraged to register with FEMA at 800-621-FEMA (3362). After registering with FEMA, many homeowners and renters will be referred to SBA to see if they may qualify for a low-interest disaster loan to replace or repair property destroyed or damaged by the tornadoes. If SBA determines they cannot afford a loan, in most instances, they will be referred back to FEMA for grant consideration.

Interest rates are as low as 2.688 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance call the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at 800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 800-462-7585 for people with speech or hearing disabilities. The locations of Disaster Recovery Centers and the loan application process can be obtained by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for people with speech or hearing disabilities) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET or by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

SBA provides disaster loans to homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes. Those affected by this disaster may fill out a loan application online by visiting SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

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SBA Disaster Assistance Tops $1 Million; Urges Return of Disaster Loan Applications

(BUSINESS WIRE)--More than $1 million in U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance Loans have been approved for disaster victims in Georgia as a result of damages caused by severe storms and flooding that began on September 18, 2009.

“Currently, 30 disaster loans have been approved in the amount of $1,165,200 for affected victims,” said Frank Skaggs, Director of SBA Field Operations Center East. “We are pleased to be able to get these loans approved so the residents and businesses of Georgia can start rebuilding and begin resuming their normal lives.”

Victims are urged to register with FEMA by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the hearing impaired. “If you were issued an SBA loan application, complete and return the application to the SBA before the November 23 deadline, even if you don’t want a loan. If the SBA is not able to approve a home loan, you may be referred to FEMA for possible grant assistance. I encourage anyone who has not completed their disaster loan application to do so and return the application as soon as possible,” Skaggs added.

Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Businesses and non-profit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. The SBA can also lend additional funds to help with the cost of making improvements that protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage in the future.

For small businesses, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Interest rates are as low as 2.750 percent for homeowners and renters and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance, victims must first call the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).

Anyone may obtain an SBA Disaster Loan application or program information by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (or 1-800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired) Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EDT (including the holiday, Monday October 12) or by emailing our customer service center at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Business loan applications may be downloaded from www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Applications may be returned to one of the Centers or mailed to: U. S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, Texas, 76155.

Victims may apply for disaster loans from SBA’s secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is November 23, 2009. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 24, 2010.

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Flood victims can replace damaged food stamp supplies

Anyone who lost food supplies obtained with Georgia food stamps as a result of the September 18 - 26 flooding can get replacement provisions by visiting their local Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) office.

Citizens in any of the affected counties (Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Cobb, Coweta, Crawford, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Heard, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Stephens and Walker) should contact their local DFCS office or call 1-800-869-1150 to receive replacement food stamp benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP). Recipients will be required to sign an affidavit stating their food loss was flood-related to have their benefits restored.

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Georgia Delegation Honors Georgia Flood Victims

Rec'd from U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland:

Along with all his colleagues in the Georgia delegation, U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland today brought a resolution to the floor honoring the victims of the recent Georgia floods and praising the emergency rescue workers on the front lines of the recovery effort.

“This past week, the floods have ruined homes, damaged schools and roads and, most tragically, taken innocent lives,” Westmoreland said. “We have those families in our thoughts and prayers. We also owe a great debt to all the emergency workers who manned the battle stations during this crisis and saved lives and property. We can’t thank them enough for the great work that they’ve done.

“Today’s resolution won’t ease the pain of the deaths, injuries and losses that we’ve experienced. It’s simply an acknowledgement of Georgia’s struggle and a show of solidarity from all across the nation.”

The resolution, below, passed the House unanimously.

111TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. RES. ll

Expressing condolences to the families of the individuals killed during unusual storms and floods in the State of Georgia between September 18 and 21, 2009, and expressing gratitude to all of the emergency personnel who continue to work with unyielding determination to meet the needs of Georgia’s residents.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on _________

RESOLUTION

Expressing condolences to the families of the individuals killed during unusual storms and floods in the State of Georgia between September 18 and 21, 2009, and expressing gratitude to all of the emergency personnel who continue to work with unyielding determination to meet the needs of Georgia’s residents.

Whereas the State of Georgia has been hit by days of unusually strong storms that have resulted in downpours and flooding, beginning on September 18, 2009;

Whereas numerous Georgia rivers and creeks, including the Chattooga and Chattahoochee Rivers and Chickamauga Creek, swollen by days of rain, have overtopped their banks, creating a dangerous and deadly situation for nearby residents;

Whereas the storms and floods have taken human lives;

Whereas the floodwater has destroyed homes, flooded roadways, including major highways, compromised drinking water, severely damaged plumbing systems, and caused significant damage to homes and businesses;

Whereas on September 21, 2009, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in 17 counties, including Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Crawford, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Stephens, and Walker Counties;

Whereas the National Weather Service estimated that between 15 and 22 inches of rain have fallen in the metropolitan Atlanta counties of Gwinnett, Douglas, and Paulding between September 18 and 21, 2009;

Whereas the rains have broken a 130-year-old record at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport;

Whereas hundreds of Georgians have been evacuated from their homes and over 300 people are seeking refuge in shelters;

Whereas the Governor estimates that over 1,000 residences are seriously flooded;

Whereas the weather has closed schools in several counties;

Whereas as many as tens of thousands of people are without power in metropolitan Atlanta;

Whereas search and rescue operations are continuing in several counties where the water continues to rise;

Whereas the Georgia Emergency Management Agency has coordinated with local emergency personnel and has worked tirelessly to protect human lives and rescue those threatened by the floods;

Whereas the Georgia Emergency Management Agency continues to facilitate requests for assistance from citizens and first responders all across the State of Georgia;

Whereas the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and other first responders have acted valiantly in life safety response operations, including delivering sandbags and rescuing people trapped in their cars and homes from the floodwater;

Whereas the Federal Emergency Management Agency has activated its national and regional response coordination centers and is working closely with the State of Georgia to monitor the response efforts and identify and respond to any immediate emergency needs for the citizens and
communities of the State that are impacted by these devastating floods; and

Whereas volunteers are giving their time to help ensure that evacuees are sheltered, clothed, fed, and comforted through this traumatic event: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
2 (1) offers its deepest sympathy and condolences
3 to the families of those who lost their lives in the
4 flooding in the State of Georgia;
5 (2) expresses its condolences to the families
6 who lost their homes and other property in the
7 floods;

1 (3) expresses gratitude and appreciation to the
2 people of the State of Georgia and the surrounding
3 States, who continue to work to protect people from
4 the still rising floodwaters;
5 (4) expresses its support as the Federal Emer
6 gency Management Agency continues its efforts to
7 respond to any needs of the citizens and commu
8 nities affected by the flooding; and
9 (5) honors the emergency responders, within
10 and beyond metropolitan Atlanta and the State of
11 Georgia, for their bravery and sacrifice during this
12 tragedy.

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Study shows increased symptoms lead mentally ill to become victims of violence

Contrary to common stereotypes, individuals with major mental disorders are more likely to become victims of violent crimes when they are experiencing an increase in symptoms than they are to commit crime, according to a new study by Brent Teasdale, an assistant professor of criminal justice at Georgia State University.

Teasdale found that patients experiencing delusions, hallucinations and generally worsening symptoms are most likely to become victims of violence. In addition, individuals with mental disorders are particularly vulnerable for victimization during times of homelessness and when suffering from alcohol abuse.

“They actually have higher rates of victimization than they have of violence commission, which I think is counter to the stereotype that highly symptomatic, obviously delusional, visibly mentally disordered people are dangerous, unpredictable and violent,” Teasdale said. “There’s no one size fits all approach to these delusions, but the odds of victimization are multiplied almost by a factor of two when a person experiences these delusions.”

Teasdale analyzed data from the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study, a longitudinal study of psychiatric patients released from three psychiatric hospitals in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Mo., and Worchester, Mass. During the MacArthur study, participants were interviewed every 10 weeks for one year about violence committed against them, stress, symptoms and social relationships.

When individuals with mental disorders experience increases in delusions, symptom severity and alcohol problems they may be more focused on their internal states and have fewer cognitive resources available to devote to interactions with other people, Teasdale said. Other research suggests that victimization happens because caretakers may be driven away, leaving the disordered unprotected.

“If the stigma is that those are people we need to protect ourselves from, one of the ways in which we might do that is self defensive violence. We might strike first and that would lead to the victimization of these folks,” Teasdale said. “If there’s a person that could intercede before that happens, that may be one strategy for reducing victimization risk.”

The findings of the study are important for clinicians who must pay attention to warning signs of worsening disorders as potential risk markers for violent behavior committed by their client, Teasdale said. They could also aid in the creation of assessment tools that focus on victimization risk and classes that better educate families about caring for the mentally ill.

Clinicians also could provide clients suggestions for reducing victimization risk when they notice patients exhibiting greater than usual symptoms, Teasdale said. For instance, during these times clinicians may recommend spending less time in public spaces, increases in guardianship or mandated community treatment programs.

“Most of us know people who have mental disorders. These are our family members and our friends and so we should care about their victimization experience,” Teasdale said. “The stereotypes persist because people are unaware of the victimization risk to people with mental illness. If they learned that victimization risk were higher than the violence commission rates, I think that would help alleviate some of that stigma and help people think about people with mental disorders in a different way.”

The study, “Mental Disorder and Violent Victimization,” was published in the 2009 edition of Criminal Justice and Behavior.

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National Conference at Mercer on March 19-20 to Call for End to 21st Century Slavery

Mercer University will host a national conference on human trafficking, titled “STOP Sex Trafficking: A Call to End 21st Century Slavery,” on March 19-20 in Willingham Auditorium on Mercer’s Macon campus. The conference is organized by Mercer students in STOP, the Sex Trafficking Opposition Project, to counter the growing worldwide crisis. According to the U.S. State Department, more than a million women and children are trafficked into sex slavery each year. Nearly 20,000 are trafficked annually into the United States and many of these victims are trafficked into the Southeast.

The conference will feature rescued trafficking victims Kika Cerpa and Joana Santos, who will share their stories. In addition the conference will include presentations from prominent national figures in the anti-trafficking movement, including rock musician and filmmaker Justin Dillon, who will also screen his anti-sex trafficking film, Call+Response, at the conference; Patricia McCormick, the best-selling author of Sold, the story of a Nepalese child trafficked into sex slavery; and Lauran Bethell, founder of a Thailand trafficking refuge center and recipient of the Baptist World Alliance Human Rights Award.

“The students’ aspiration is, first, to make sure Macon is not a home for trafficking and, second, to combat sex trafficking wherever it is occurring,” said Dr. Mary Alice Morgan, senior vice provost for service-learning and an adviser to the conference. “The students are fired by idealism but they also have a very informed, practical sense of how to carry that idealism into effective activism.”

The goals of the conference include: raising awareness about sex trafficking, encouraging faith-based mission work overseas and support groups to help survivors here at home, aiding service providers, law enforcement and local government in fighting sex trafficking and supplying care for survivors, and providing a forum for student groups to join together to end sex slavery.

The STOP organization was founded by Mercer students to take on the issue of prostitution-related trafficking in the Middle Georgia area. The conference will build on STOP’s efforts, student organizers say.

“We’re all passionate about the issue of sex trafficking,” said Hannah Vann, a senior and conference organizer. “The idea that there are sex slaves within miles of where we live is sickening, and we won’t stand for it anymore. We've been working hard to raise awareness about the issue, but the conference will take awareness and activism in Macon, in Georgia and in the region to another level. We want to see Mercerians, Maconites, Georgians and all Americans stand up and call to end slavery, and we hope this conference will help to make that happen.”

The conference has been designed to be welcoming to all: faith leaders, students, scholars, service providers, the legal community and anyone interested in learning how communities can join together to rescue women and children and protect thousands more from sex slavery.

The Sex Trafficking Opposition Project began in a First Year Seminar course called “Engaging the World,” in the spring of 2008. While writing their research essays on contemporary ethics and justice, students started asking questions about the many spas and spa billboards dotting Macon’s landscape. They soon joined ranks with members of Baptist Collegiate Ministries and Women’s and Gender Studies students enrolled in a course devoted to violence against women. At the end of spring semester 2008, this diverse coalition of students formed STOP: Middle Georgia’s first anti-trafficking group.

This conference is being organized under the direction of Dr. Morgan, who also directs the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, and Dr. Andrew Silver, the Paige Morton Hunter Associate Professor of English. Co-sponsors for the event include: Mercer University, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia, Baptist Collegiate Ministries, Evangelicals for Human Rights, and the Mercer Women’s and Gender Studies Program.

“Every year, the traffickers rob millions of innocent victims of their normal lives,” Dr. Silver said. “We’re asking people to spend a few hours with us to help stop them.”

For more information or to register for the conference, visit www.mercer.edu/stop.

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DHR Warns Georgia's Seniors to Watch Out for Two Scams

As the economy continues to decline and more people struggle financially, scams are on the rise again – including the resurfacing of the “Grandma Scam.” The Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) wants older adults across the state to be aware, as many scam artists often target seniors. Scam artists will either rely on an old scam with a new twist or create a new scam in order to steal money from those who have worked and saved over the years. Older adults may fall victim to scams because they are home during the day to answer the phone or the door – two primary means of entry for scam artists.

States such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Virginia have witnessed firsthand the re-emergence of the Grandma Scam. A scam artist usually telephones and begins the conversation by saying, “Hi, Grandma, it’s me, your favorite grandchild.” The unsuspecting grandparent will usually respond with a grandchild’s name (i.e., “Johnny…?”). With this information, the caller pretends to be “Johnny” and makes a pitch about being in trouble and in need of money. These scam stories include being in an automobile accident in a rental car, in the hospital or being under arrest and in need of bail money. The imposter grandchild often pleas for the grandparent not to call their parents and promises to pay them back in a few days. Anyone receiving a call like this or with any similarities should hang up.

DHR advises older adults to take steps to verify that the person is who they say they are. Individuals should ask them for information only the grandchild would know or call other family members and confirm the whereabouts of your grandchild.

Another phone scam was recently attempted in Bibb County. A person calls identifying themselves as part of your credit card company fraud department. The caller usually states that they are verifying your account or they have noted some unusual charges on your account and need to verify that you have your card. Then they ask you to read off your credit card number and expiration date. The caller is NOT from the credit card company; they are trying to gain access to your accounts so they can make fraudulent purchases. Never give out account information over the phone unless you initiated the call and you know you are talking to the credit card company directly.

To protect your loved ones, educate your family and friends about these scams. Be wary anytime a request is made by someone who calls you and asks for you to wire them money; it’s a red flag. Wire transfers are hard to trace, so most scams involve money that is wire transferred. If you encounter this scam and want to report the incident, call your local law enforcement agency or contact the Division of Aging Services (DAS) at 1-800-669-8387.

DAS is also offering presentations around the state on how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud and scams. To schedule a free presentation in your area, call 404-657-9589.

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Georgia State to Launch National Resource for Restorative Justice

Georgia State University will soon provide a comprehensive resource to help those in the field of restorative justice — helping to address victims’ needs — learn from one another and to improve practices.

The Southern Council for Restorative Justice, based in Georgia State's School of Social Work, and the Consortium for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution in the College of Law plan to launch the Internet-based Restorative Justice Clearinghouse this summer.

Restorative justice practitioners work to address the needs of victims and others in the criminal justice process, and seek to provide remedies in righting wrongs rather than to solely address punishment alone.

Efforts in restorative justice include defense-initiated victim outreach to victims of crime, family group conferencing, victim-offender dialogue, truth and reconciliation commissions, and community impact panels — all of which acknowledge harm and encourage dialogue.

“One of the major reasons we're launching the clearinghouse is that a lot of restorative justice work is either part of a larger system, a small element done by volunteers or not really apparent,” said Pamela Leonard, executive director of the Southern Council for Restorative Justice. “The clearinghouse will be an effort to identify what is being done in restorative justice.”

“We hope to provide a virtual community of practitioners, because they all have a lot to share across many sectors,” said Doug Yarn, professor of law and director of the Consortium for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution.

The clearinghouse will include a state by state guide to statutes, case law, agencies and programs. The clearinghouse will also provide a method of social networking to allow those in the field to interface with one another, as well as academic articles, legal resources and research into the field.

Restorative justice practitioners often focus on specific activities, specializing in issues such as aiding victims of violent crimes. The clearinghouse will allow those practitioners to find expert assistance for victims and others who need services in a variety of fields in which the practitioner doesn’t necessarily have expertise.

“I’m guided in part by the fact that I get many calls from people who want to help, or who want someone to point them to professionals in other agencies or institutes who are performing restorative justice,” Leonard said. “We’re trying to provide a Web-based response to those needs, so that practitioners can help identify others with expertise in other fields.”

While social workers play a major role in restorative justice, lawyers have a stake in the field and provide major support for restorative justice efforts.

“Lawyers are in the unique position to bring together teams of professionals around a particular problem in a community, and to work with a team to address that problem,” Yarn said.
Through networking, the field can be improved to better serve those impacted by crime.

“I think that constant accountability is an important value of restorative justice, and professionals need to speak with one another in order to achieve this,” Leonard said.
For more about Georgia State's restorative justice and conflict resolution efforts, visit www.gcrj.org and http://law.gsu.edu/cncr.

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FBI Wants to Hear from You if You're a Victim of the Madoff Financial Fraud Case

U.S. v. Bernard L. Madoff

If you believe that you have been a financial fraud victim in the above captioned matter, please provide the following information:

(1) full name
(2) mailing address
(3) phone number
(4) COPIES of any documents that substantiate your loss (do not send original documents)

Please mail this information to:

FBI New York
ATTN: Victim Assistance Office
26 Federal Plaza
23rd Floor New York, NY 10278

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Georgia State Professor Awarded Grant to help Give Homicide Victims’ Families Answers after Tragedy

Families of homicide victims have limitless questions after their loved one is gone — questions about what happened, which are often hard to get answers to as court cases wind their way through the legal system.

Georgia State University’s Elizabeth Beck and the Georgia Council on Restorative Justice have sought to help answer those questions, by helping to give victims’ families access to information from the defense — which often is the only party that has answers.

Now, thanks to a $656,000 grant from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Administration, Beck and her colleagues hope to create a model to bring the concept, called Defense Initiated Victim Outreach, to other locales, like Texas. The federal grant furthers the GCRJ’s work, which stems from funding from the Justice, Equality, Human Dignity and Tolerance Foundation.

“After a homicide, the victim’s families often have a lot of questions, and sometimes, the only people with the information that can answer the questions are the defense,” said Beck, an associate professor of social work in Georgia State’s College of Health and Human Sciences. “We work with defense attorneys, and the prosecution, so that victim-survivors can have access to information that can help to answer their questions.”

A key principle of Defense Initiated Victim Outreach, or DIVO, is that victim-survivors should be provided with as much information about the crime, the case and the process, without compromising due process for defendants.

Trained Victim Outreach Specialists work with the defense and victims’ families to help provide this information, and to help reduce the potential of additional emotional trauma — which can happen during testimony, cross-examination or other parts of the process.

For more information about the Georgia Council for Restorative Justice, visit www.gcrj.org.

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Georgia Southern Ceremony Honors Victims of 9/11

Georgia Southern University paused Thursday morning to honor the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The University’s Military Science Department hosted a ceremony at the Russell Union Rotunda to reflect on the tragedies seven years ago in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.
More than 100 cadets from Georgia Southern’s Army ROTC Eagle Battalion stood in formation as the ROTC Battalion Commander, Cadet Lt. Col. Amy McIntyre, addressed the crowd. Special guests included several members of the Statesboro Police Department, Statesboro Fire Department and Georgia Southern University Police Department.

“The events of Sept. 11, 2001, transformed America, and the current security environment will remain ‘guarded’ for the foreseeable future,” said Lt. Col. George Fredrick, Chair of the Military Science Department. “So it is vital that communities pay the appropriate tribute.”

“It is also important that we teach our students and cadets about the impacts of this most significant event, because it is up to them to deter, prevent and possibly respond to the next 9/11,” Lt. Col. Fredrick added.

The ceremony ended with a special presentation to the Georgia Southern Museum. Lt. Col. McIntyre gave a Georgia Southern University flag in a display case to the museum’s assistant director, Debra Gleason.

The flag was flown over a patrol base in the Karbala province of Iraq this spring by Georgia Southern graduate Maj. Kevin Rice (Class of 1988). The flag will now be displayed at the Georgia Southern Museum.

“In light of the University’s recent centennial celebration, this is a wonderful way to continue preserving and interpreting Georgia Southern’s history in the making,” Gleason said. “This particular artifact is a great testimony on how Georgia Southern graduates are really helping make a difference in the world through their deeds and their sacrifices.”

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Department of Justice Announces Grants to Enhance Efforts to Fight Human Trafficking

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Associate Attorney General Kevin J. O'Connor today announced almost $10 million in additional funding to supplement existing task forces and to expand the number of task forces working with community-based organizations to combat human trafficking. The Associate Attorney General made the announcement at the 2008 National Conference on Human Trafficking, where more than 350 representatives from federal, state, and local organizations gathered to discuss methods of investigating human trafficking and servitude and how best to provide services to trafficking victims.

"Human Trafficking is a serious crime and deserves the focused attention of law enforcement and victim service providers," said Associate Attorney General O'Connor. "The task forces receiving funding today are made up of both of these important elements. We will continue to use all of the resources at our disposal to make sure that traffickers are convicted and that victims receive the assistance they need to recover."

Since 2001, the Department has partnered with state and local law enforcement, and victim service organizations to convict 342 traffickers and assist 1,300 victims from 80 countries. In 2007 alone, the Department opened 154 new trafficking investigations.

Of the funds announced today, more than $4.1 million will go to task forces in: Washington, D.C.; Hawaii; Boston, Mass.; Suffolk County, N.Y.; New Jersey; Nassau County, N.Y..; San Jose, Calif.; Saint Paul, Minn.; Lee County, Fla.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Multnomah County, Ore..; Westminster, Calif.; Homestead, Fla.; Pitt County, N.C..; Harris County, Texas; Seattle, Wash.; and Clearwater, Fla. Three new task forces will be established in Westminster, Calif.; Homestead, Fla; and Pitt County, N.C. To date, the Department has provided more than $70 million in total funding to these task forces.

In addition, the following victim service organizations have received funding to work with the task forces:

Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance
$230,000

International Rescue Committee, Miami, Fla.
$460,000

North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault
$460,000

Salvation Army, Orange County, Calif.
$460,000

Bilateral Safety Corridor
San Diego, Calif.
$230,000

YMCA of Greater Houston Area
Houston, Texas
$230,000

Heartland Alliance for Human Needs
Chicago, Ill. area
$230,000

Safe Horizon, Inc.
New York City and Nassau County, N.Y. areas
$230,000

Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Island Division
$230,000

Justice Resource Institute, Inc.
Massachusetts
$200,000

Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST)
Los Angeles, Calif.
$230,000

Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach
$230,000

International Rescue Committee
Phoenix, Ariz.
$230,000

International Institute of Metropolitan St. Louis
St. Louis, Mo.
$230,000

Tapestri, Inc.
Atlanta, Ga.
$230,000

Catholic Charities of Venice, Inc.
Lee County, Fla.
$230,000

Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pa.
$230,000

Catholic Charities Oregon
$299,999

Salvation Army Alaska
$230,000

Refugees Services of Texas
$230,000

Northeastern University
$299,999


The Department also announced more than $400,000 to fund two studies conducted by Abt Associates, Inc. and San Diego State University Research Foundation. The studies will assess criminal justice strategies and collaborative programs across the country and internationally that focus on reducing the demand for commercial sex.

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. More information about OJP's work on human trafficking can be found at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/. More information about the efforts of the Civil Rights Division to combat human trafficking can be found at http://www.usdoj.gov/whatwedo/whatwedo_ctip.html.

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