Correction: MacMath directs COMPASS (Sexual Assault Education, Prevention & Support), an affiliate of Goodwill Industries. An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified a different organization called COMPASS. (2:21 p.m. CT, 4/29/2021)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Six months after rape-crisis funding suffered massive cuts, agencies across Ohio are struggling to ensure the needs of survivors are met.

The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), is the largest source of funding for victim service providers and is funded entirely from criminal fines.

VOCA dollars have been shrinking because of a decline in federal prosecutions, and Ohio's is down 40% for the fiscal year.

Ryn Farmer, director of Lima-based Day One of Crime Victim Services of Allen and Putnam Counties, said with less funding, they've had to reduce staff and response services are spread thinly, especially in rural areas.

She worries rape survivors won't be able to find help when they need it.

"When you experience violent harm on your body, and you don't have the support or resources that are needed to help, it disrupts the body's ability to heal," Farmer explained.

Molly MacMath, executive director of COMPASS (Sexual Assault Education, Prevention & Support), an affiliate of Goodwill Industries in Northeastern Ohio, said they've also struggled with the funding cuts. She hopes a U.S. House bill which allocates fines from non-prosecution agreements to VOCA will pass the Senate.

"But it's not an immediate fix," MacMath cautioned. "It's going to take time. Even if Congress were to pass the VOCA fix legislation, it would be awhile until that money filtered down."

Advocates also are calling on Ohio lawmakers to increase the line-item funding in the state budget for rape-crisis programs. Meanwhile, another round of VOCA cuts of up to 34% is coming in October.

Farmer pointed out the number of survivors seeking assistance rose 20% since the pandemic began, which means they are doing more with fewer resources. She added sustainable, meaningful funding is especially crucial for underserved sexual-violence survivors.

"So survivors from communities of color and Indigenous populations, survivors from immigrant communities, survivors with disabilities, survivors from the elder population, and survivors who identify as LGBTQ," Farmer outlined.

MacMath urged Ohioans to support increased funding for victims of sexual assault.

"You never know when yourself or someone you love is going to be affected by crime," MacMath stressed. "And agencies serving crime victims are hurting, and we're scared of what the future's going to hold."

Ohio's VOCA funding for fiscal year 2021 was about $38 million, a five-year low.

Groups are warning an Idaho city's decision to declare itself a non-sanctuary city could have far-reaching implications.

The repercussions are still being felt from the decision by the city of Eagle, near Boise, in July.

Sanctuary cities limit their cooperation with the federal government on immigration laws. The Eagle resolution said the city will not provide services for people who are undocumented. It could be especially harmful for vulnerable community members, such as those who have experienced domestic violence or sexual abuse.

Sarah Sheehan, a clinician with the Women's and Children's Alliance in Boise, said the resolution could prevent people from getting support.

"It can create a lot of fear of seeking help from community services in non-sanctuary cities," Sheehan explained.

The Eagle city council passed the resolution on a consent agenda without public comment. It said the goal of the resolution is "maintaining the safety, well-being, and resources of its residents." Critics are urging the council to rescind it.

Some states have banned the ability for cities to declare themselves sanctuary cities, such as Florida, but a declaration of non-sanctuary status is rare. In February, Mesa County, Colorado declared itself a non-sanctuary county.

Nisha Newton, social change communications associate for the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, said harms from the resolution could spread beyond Eagle.

"I'm just worried that this decision is going to embolden other discriminatory practices or empower other discriminatory policies throughout the state that we won't necessarily be able to catch up with as service providers and advocates," Newton noted.

Newton added people need to stand up for each other and the resolution is the wrong tactic if the goal really is to keep people safe.

"It requires all of us to build safer communities," Newton emphasized. "Our safety and our wellness doesn't come off the backs of other people being oppressed and other people being denied services."

Across the state, Ohio's domestic violence prevention programs are improving their services for human trafficking survivors.

A $1.8 million grant from the Ohio Department of Public Safety will help 32 shelters provide human trafficking training and expand case managers.

Shelley Marsh, deputy director of the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, said it will better serve the needs of individuals who may not realize what has happened to them.

"A lot of human trafficking survivors either may not know or understand that they've been trafficked," Marsh explained. "And/or don't maybe have the language to explain to someone when they are seeking services that they are a victim or survivor of human trafficking."

Marsh pointed out the grooming tactics used by traffickers normalize abuse and exploitation to the point many survivors report believing their experiences are just "how the world operates." A study by the Polaris Project of 457 trafficking survivors found 37% were trafficked by a close family member or guardian.

Marsh added the funding will also help shelters meet the needs of individuals coping with high levels of trauma.

"We also know that mental health and substance use is also not only a component of domestic and intimate partner violence and sexual violence," Marsh noted. "But certainly a significant component of human trafficking as well."

Marsh added advocates are working to increase awareness about how all interpersonal and gender-based violence is connected.

"These victimizations, while all have distinct, unique qualities, they also have a lot of intersectional issues that really need sort of holistic approaches and holistic service delivery," Marsh emphasized.

According to the Ohio Attorney General's Office, signs of possible human trafficking include a person not having their own identification documents or money, being in the presence of an overtly controlling male or female friend, and showing signs of mental, emotional or physical abuse.

To report suspected trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 833-373-7888.

Domestic-violence prevention organizations in Minnesota continue to express relief over a U.S. Supreme Court ruling dealing with abusers having access to firearms.

In an 8-to-1 decision released Friday, the court upheld a federal law barring people subject to a domestic-violence restraining order from owning guns. Violence Free Minnesota reported from 1989 to 2018, guns were used in nearly half of cases around the state in which adult women were killed by an intimate partner.

Connie Moore is executive director of Alexandra House, a service organization for survivors in the Twin Cities. She noted weapons are also used to intimidate a partner who is planning to escape a dangerous situation.

"Many victim/survivors have reported about a gun being pointed at them and threatening, 'I'll kill you if you leave me,'" Moore observed.

Moore noted there are still challenges in ensuring a gun's removal, even when a restraining order has been issued. Minnesota does have a law covering the removal process but support groups said there is uneven enforcement around the country. This decision comes two years after the Supreme Court greatly expanded gun rights.

Moore pointed out the federal law not only protects survivors and their children, but also first responders in 911 calls stemming from domestic violence.

"We know that domestic calls for law enforcement are one of the most dangerous calls that they go on," Moore emphasized.

She pointed to the three first responders killed earlier this year in a call in the suburb of Burnsville. The tragedy led to a change in state law concerning straw purchases of guns.

Meanwhile, survivor groups also press for reforms when it comes to obtaining a protection order, noting there are a range of barriers just getting that step taken care of.


get more stories like this via email