For Immediate Release: November 2, 2017
OCJS Receives $208,080
in Funding for Anti-Trafficking Efforts
(COLUMBUS) – The Office of Criminal Justice
Services (OCJS) was recently awarded a total of $208,080 for fiscal year 2017 by the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Look Beneath the Surface Regional Anti-Trafficking Program grant to
build capacity of Ohio’s communities to identify and respond to human
trafficking.
The Look
Beneath the Surface Regional Anti-Trafficking Program is a three-year project
contingent on annual program reviews to build capacity of local
anti-trafficking networks, organize public awareness efforts, and identify
victims of trafficking through formal partnerships between OCJS and four Core Regional
Coalition Partners (CRCPs) based in Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo and St.
Clairsville.
OCJS serves as the program director and fiscal
monitoring agent for the grant, in partnership with four anti-human trafficking
coalitions: The Salvation Army of Greater Cincinnati, representing End Slavery
Cincinnati; The Salvation Army of Central Ohio, representing the Central Ohio
Rescue and Restore Coalition; Lutheran Social Services, representing the Lucas
County Human Trafficking Coalition; and Harmony House, representing the Belmont
County Human Trafficking Coalition.
Each of these CRCPs have also identified Local
Outreach Partners in their communities who will assist in carrying out the
activities in the grant. These activities include: Conducting direct outreach
to communities at-risk of human trafficking; Screening potential human
trafficking victims and refer them for services; Providing training and
technical assistance to strategic stakeholders and community professionals; Providing
coalition building opportunities to Ohio counties not currently served by an
anti-trafficking coalition; and Strategically disseminating English and
translated public awareness materials.
The project period began in September 2017 and will
end September 2020 with grant funding being distributed in the amount of
$208,080 per year for three years.
To learn more about the state’s anti-trafficking
efforts, please visit http://humantrafficking.ohio.gov/
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OCJS serves
as the lead justice planning and assistance agency for the state. Through
research, technology and grants, OCJS serves a wide variety of agencies
committed to reducing and preventing crime across Ohio.
For additional information,
Contact Communications Office at (614) 466-4344
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