State increases funding for sexual violence services
TRENTON, N.J. ��Yesterday, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed the state�s FY19 budget, which includes�$4.6M in appropriations for sexual violence services.�This is the highest amount ever appropriated for critical sexual violence prevention, education, and response in the Garden State.
�We are grateful to Governor Murphy and the state legislature, especially our tenacious budget resolution sponsors, Senator Weinberg and Assemblywoman Pintor-Marin, who successfully articulated the critical need to address funding gaps for sexual violence services in New Jersey,� said�Patricia Teffenhart, executive director of the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault.��As we encourage victims and survivors to come forward in the era of #MeToo, access to the free and confidential services of New Jersey�s 21 county-based rape crisis centers is critical. With this budget, the governor and the legislature recognized and met the needs of both survivors and those who serve them.�
The governor�s budget allocated $4.1M for sexual violence services, with an additional $500,000 now coming in legislative appropriations. Previously, N.J. sexual violence services were funded almost entirely through legislative add-ons.
Over�1.8M survivors of sexual violence�live in the state of N.J. According to the CDC, 43.6 percent of women and 24.8 percent of men will experience contact sexual violence in their lifetime.
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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