Sexual Violence Funding in the Garden State Reaches Historic Heights
Trenton, N.J. – This week, Governor Phil Murphy signed the New Jersey State Budget, which includes an additional $2M in funding for sexual violence services in the Garden State. This brings total funding to $6.6M – the highest amount ever allocated for sexual violence prevention and response services in the Garden State.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Governor and the Legislature for this historic investment in sexual violence services, particularly Senate Majority Leader Weinberg and Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin for their leadership in the budget-making-process,” said Patricia Teffenhart, executive director of the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault. “The bipartisan support we’ve received through this process is a reflection of New Jersey’s strong commitment to this human rights issue. New Jersey’s 21 county-based rape crisis centers serve survivors and their loved ones 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and at the end of the day, an investment in them is an investment in survivors’ well-being and community safety. We’re excited about the progress this budget increase will allow us to make.”
The Governor’s budget allocated $4.6M for sexual violence services in the Garden State, with an additional $2M added through legislative appropriations. Previously, sexual violence services in New Jersey were funded almost entirely through legislative add-ons.
Over 1.8M survivors of sexual violence live in New Jersey, according to the CDC and the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey.
ABOUT NJCASA: NJCASA (www.njcasa.org) is the statewide technical assistance, and capacity building organization that represents New Jersey’s twenty-one county-based rape crisis centers, and the Rutgers University Office of Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance. NJCASA elevates the voice of sexual violence survivors and service providers by advocating for survivor-centered legislation, training allied professionals, and supporting statewide prevention strategies that work to address and defy the socio-cultural norms that permit and promote rape culture.
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