*** Governor awards more than $3 million in Justice Assistance grants

CHARLESTON -- Gov. Joe Manchin recently awarded more than $3 million in Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to 79 agencies across the state.

Funds will be used to assist state agencies, local government and private non-profit agencies in carrying out specific programs that aim to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system. Special emphasis is placed on multi-jurisdictional projects and statewide projects that create and/or retain jobs in the criminal justice system in West Virginia.

The West Virginia Division of Criminal Justice Services administers this program from funds provided by the U. S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Funds were awarded to the following:

BERKELEY

Children's Home Society of West Virginia - $20,737 - Funds will provide for a case coordinator and a contractual forensic interviewer for the Child Advocacy Center (CAC).

BROOKE

A Child's Place CASA, Ltd. - $15,000 - Funds will provide for a director of the CASA program.

CABELL

City of Huntington - $76,199 - Funds will provide for a program coordinator, statistical analyst and equipment for the City of Huntington's Drug Market Intervention (DMI) Project.

City of Huntington - $96,250 - Funds will provide for officer salaries to continue a multi-jurisdictional drug and violent crime task force.

CONTACT Huntington, Inc. - $31,430 - Funds will provide for a victim advocate/educator for the CONTACT Huntington Inc., Victim Services and Education Program.

DODDRIDGE

Doddridge County Commission - $28,500 - Funds will provide for a prevention resource officer (PRO) at Doddridge County High School.

FAYETTE

Fayette County Commission - $28,500 - Funds will provide for a prevention resource officer (PRO) at Oak Hill High School.

GREENBRIER

CASA of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, WV Inc. - $59,011 - Funds will provide for a director and development coordinator for the CASA program.

Child and Youth Advocacy Center - $18,402 - Funds will provide for a family advocate for the Child Advocacy Center (CAC).

Family Refuge Center - $20,500 - Funds will provide for a victim advocate for the Family Refuge Center

Greenbrier County Commission - $48,250 - Funds will provide for over time and salary for officers to continue a multi-jurisdictional drug and violent crime task force.

HAMPSHIRE

CASA of Hampshire County, Inc. - $36,542 - Funds will provide for a director and a volunteer coordinator for the CASA program.

HANCOCK

CHANGE, Inc. - $13,000 - Funds will provide for a shelter worker for the Lighthouse Domestic Violence Shelter.

Hancock-Brooke County Child Advocacy Center, Inc. - $72,880 - Funds will provide for a director/forensic interviewer, a child and family advocate and a therapist for the Child Advocacy Center (CAC).

Hancock Brooke Ohio Counties Victim Assistance Progam, Inc.- $14,500 - Funds will provide for contractual therapy services for the Hancock, Brooke and Ohio counties Victim Assistance Program.

Hancock County Commission - $114,000 - Funds will provide for prevention resource officers (PRO) at Oak Glen Middle School, Oak Glen High School, Weir Middle School and Weir High School.

Hancock County Commission - $56,250 - Funds will provide for officer salaries to continue a multi-jurisdictional drug and violent crime task force.

HARRISON

City of Bridgeport - $28,500 - Funds will provide for a prevention resource officer (PRO) at Bridgeport High School.

Harrison County Child Abuse Task Force, Inc. - $18,072 - Funds will provide for a part time family advocate for the Child Advocacy Center (CAC).

Harrison County Commission - $28,500 - Funds will provide for a prevention resource officer (PRO) at South Harrison High School.

Harrison County Commission - $56,250 - Funds will provide for officer salaries to continue a multi-jurisdictional drug and violent crime task force.

JACKSON

City of Ravenswood - $53,752 - Funds will provide for prevention resource officers (PRO) at Ravenswood Middle and Ravenswood High Schools.

Jackson County Commission - $49,928 - Funds will provide for a Juvenile and Abuse and Neglect Assistant Prosecutor in Jackson County.

Jackson County Commission - $28,500 - Funds will provide for a prevention resource officer (PRO) at Ripley High School.

JEFFERSON

Jefferson County Coalition on Substance Abuse - $16,988 - Funds will provide for a project director for the Jefferson County Coalition on Substance Abuse BOYS & GIRLS Project.

KANAWHA

City of Charleston - $57,000 - Funds will provide for prevention resource officers (PRO) at Stonewall Jackson Middle School and Capitol High School.

City of Charleston - $56,250 - Funds will provide for officer salaries to continue a multi-jurisdictional drug and violent crime task force.

City of Dunbar - $28,500 - Funds will provide for a Prevention Resource Officer (PRO) at Dunbar Middle School.

City of Saint Albans - $28,500 - Funds will provide for a prevention resource officer (PRO) at St. Albans High School.

City of South Charleston - $28,500 - Funds will provide for a prevention resource officer (PRO) at South Charleston High School.

YWCA Sojourner's Shelter for Homeless Women and Families - $16,994 - Funds will provide for a childrens education instructor and a substance abuse counselor for the YWCA Sojourner's Shelter for Homeless Women and Families.

LEWIS

Lewis County Commission - $57,000 - Funds will provide for prevention resource officers (PRO) at Robert L. Bland Middle School and Lewis County High School.

LINCOLN

City of Shinnston - $22,424 - Funds will provide for a Prevention Resource Officer (PRO) at Lincoln High School.

Town of Hamlin - $20,911 - Funds will provide for a prevention resource officer (PRO) at Hamlin Middle School.

LOGAN

Logan County Child Advocacy Center, Inc. - $41,729 - Funds will provide for an administrative assistant and a forensic interviewer for the Child Advocacy Center (CAC).

Logan County Commission - $40,000 - Funds will provide for a violent crime assistant prosecutor in Logan County.

Logan County Commission - $56,250 - Funds will provide for officer salaries to continue a multi-jurisdictional drug and violent crime task force.

MARION

CASA of Marion County - $24,086 - Funds will provide for a director and volunteer coordinator for the CASA program.

City of Fairmont - $56,250 - Funds will provide for officer salaries to continue a multi-jurisdictional drug and violent crime task force.

Marion County Family Resource Network - $12,235 - Funds will provide for a program coordinator for the Marion County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition Program.

Task Force on Domestic Violence, "HOPE, Inc." - $60,016 - Funds will provide for a prevention educator and an outreach counselor for the HOPE Prevention/Intervention Program.

MCDOWELL

McDowell County Commission - $57,000 - Funds will provide for prevention resources officer (PRO) at Iaeger High School and Mt. View High School.

MERCER

ChildLaw Services, Inc. - $80,000 - Funds will provide for staff attorneys and a case coordinator to provide legal services to child victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Child Protect of Mercer County, Inc. - $82,000 - Funds will provide for a service coordinator/forensic interviewer, program assistant, family advocate and a contracted therapist for the Child Advocacy Center (CAC).

City of Bluefield - $56,250 - Funds will provide for officer salaries to continue a multi-jurisdictional drug and violent crime task force.

Community Connections, Inc. - $9,450 - Funds will provide for an All Stars Curriculum instructor and the project director for the Youth Empowerment Project.

Kanawha Institute for Social Research & Action, Inc. (KISRA) - $86,100 - Funds will provide for a program director and community re-entry specialists for the KISRA Re-Entry Program.

MINERAL

Burlington United Methodist Family Services, Inc. - $25,000 - Funds will provide for a contractual therapist for the Child Advocacy Center (CAC).

Mineral County Commission - $52,600 - Funds will provide for prevention resource officers (PRO) at Frankfort and Keyser High Schools.

MINGO

Strong Through Our Plan - $33,170 - Funds will provide for a project director and program assistants for the Strong Through Our Plan (STOP) Drug and Violence Prevention Program.

MONONGALIA

City of Morgantown - $56,250 - Funds will provide for officer salaries to continue a multi-jurisdictional drug and violent crime task force.

Monongalia County Child Advocacy Center, Inc. - $26,485 - Funds will provide for a forensic interviewer/therapist for the Child Advocacy Center (CAC).

Monongalia County Commission - $56,000 - Funds will provide for a prevention resource officers (PRO) at Clay Battelle and University High Schools.

NICHOLAS

Nicholas County Commission - $56,250 - Funds will provide for officer salaries to continue a multi-jurisdictional drug and violent crime task force.

Nicholas County Family Resource Network - $34,028 - Funds will provide for a fFamily advocate for the Child Advocacy Center (CAC).

OHIO

City of Moundsville - $28,500 - Funds will provide for a prevention resource officer (PRO) at Moundsville Middle School.

City of Wheeling - $114,000 - Funds will provide for prevention resource officers (PRO) at Wheeling Park High School, Bridge Street, Warwood and Triadelphia Middle Schools.

Harmony House, Inc. - $41,255 - Funds will provide for a forensic services specialist, victim services assistant and contractual therapist for the Child Advocacy Center (CAC).

Mid-Ohio Valley Fellowship Home, Inc. - $11,050 - Funds will provide for an executive director, house manager, night manager and support staff for the Mid-Ohio Valley Fellowship Home Residential Program.

Ohio County Commission - $56,250 - Funds will provide for officer salaries to continue a multi-jurisdictional drug and violent crime task force.

Youth Services System, Inc. - $33,220 - Funds will provide for a project director/prevention educator and assistant prevention educator for the Aggression Replacement Training (ART) Program.

RALEIGH

City of Beckley - $28,500 - Funds will provide for a prevention resource officer (PRO) at Woodrow Wilson High School.

Just for Kids, Inc. - $35,801 - Funds will provide for a Child Advocacy Center services supervisor.

Women's Resource Center - $22,943 - Funds will provide for a program coordinator and a victim advocate for the Women Resource Center's Roadblocks to Recovery Program.

RANDOLPH

Randolph/Tucker Children's Advocacy Center - $33,316 - Funds will provide for a victim advocate and contractual services for the Child Advocacy Center (CAC).

RITCHIE

Ritchie County Commission - $28,500 - Funds will provide for a prevention resource officer (PRO) at Ritchie County High School.

SUMMERS

City of Hinton - $5,000 - Funds will provide overtime for law enforcement to target illegal prescription drugs in the City of Hinton.

UPSHUR

Mountain CAP of West Virginia, Inc. - $27,959 - Funds will provide for a victim services coordinator for the Child Advocacy Center (CAC).

WETZEL

YWCA Wheeling Family Violence Prevention Program - $24,619 - Funds will provide for a teen dating violence advocate for the YWCA See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil project.

WOOD

City of Parkersburg - $57,000 - Funds will provide for prevention resource officers (PRO) at Parkersburg and Parkersburg South High Schools.

City of Parkersburg - $56,250 - Funds will provide for officer salaries to continue a multi-jurisdictional drug and violent crime task force.

Voices for Children Foundation CASA Program - $25,000 - Funds will provide for a director/volunteer coordinator for the CASA program.

Wood County Commission - $28,500 - Funds will provide for a prevention resource officer (PRO) at Williamstown High School.

STATEWIDE

Rea of Hope Fellowship Home - $31,000 - Funds will provide for two House Technicians for the Rea of Hope Fellowship Home.

TEAM for West Virginia Children, Inc. - $18,864 - Funds will provide for a prevent child abuse WV Coordinator for the Prevention and Education Program.

West Virginia Child Advocacy Network - $18,190 - Funds will provide for an education specialist and a program development specialist for the WV Child Advocacy Network.

West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence - $75,222 - Funds will provide for a prevention coordinator, training events coordinator, communications coordinator and related travel and training for the BIPPS Training and Technical Assistance Project.

West Virginia State Police - $250,250 - Funds will provide for officer salaries to continue a multi-jurisdictional drug and violent crime task force.

YWCA of Charleston - $33,650 - Funds will provide for a racial justice coordinator for the YWCA Racial Justice and Hate Crime Response Project.