Commissioners Court Meeting

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Meeting Date:	02/14/2022
MOU for Justice for Families/Safe Haven Grant
Submitted for:	Nohely Flores	Submitted By:	Nohely Flores
Department:	Civil Legal Division

Subject:

Discussion and possible action to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Webb County (the Webb Sheriff’s Office Safe Haven Program, the 406^th District Court) and Casa Misericordia Domestic Violence Shelter that documents and memorializes the coordination, collaboration, and partnership critical to the implementation to the Justice for Families Grant Program. This MOU is required as part of the grant application to be requested to be authorized for submission by the Webb County Commissioners’ Court on February 14, 2022, and is “a vital component” of the application to the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) (Pages 12 and 17 of Request for Proposal). The aforementioned grant has no cash match and will have no impact on the general fund. If awarded, this highly competitive grant is anticipated to start on October 1, 2022 and continue until September 30, 2025. [Requested by Sheriff Martin Cuellar]

Issue: Violence against women is among the most intractable and deadliest criminal justice problems in the United States, especially domestic violence and in the South Texas area. According to published statistics, the number of American women between 2001-2012 who were murdered by current or ex male partners in the United States was 11,766. That's almost double the amount of casualties lost during wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Women who will be victims of severe violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes are 1 in 4. ("30 Shocking Domestic Violence Statistics That Remind Us It's An Epidemic" Vagianos 10/23/2014)

Solution: Casa Misericordia Domestic Violence Shelter, the 406^th District Court, and the Webb County Sheriff's Office seek to continue their coordinated, collaborative efforts to assist victims of domestic violence in the local Laredo/Webb County Community.

Result: Victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in the Laredo/Webb County area will continue to receive improved, enhanced services from the Casa Misericordia Domestic Violence Shelter, the 406^th District Court, and the Webb County Sheriff's Office Safe Haven Program to assist them with needed recovery, restitution, privacy, justice, and dignity.

Background:

This MOU is a mandatory part of the grant application and is “a vital component” of the application to OVW (Page 17 of Request for Proposal).

Previous Court Action:

The Justice For Families Grant application was last authorized by the court for submission in 2017 and the grant was accepted by the court in 2018.

Fiscal Impact

Budget Account Number:	n/a
Funding Source:	n/a
Balance:	n/a
Financial Impact:
n/a

Attachments
agreement