The CNMI government relies heavily on the toursim business.  Unfortunately, in the past years our tourism profits has been declining heavily.  As a result, the CNMI government is unable to allocate local funds for a victim compensation program. Also, the majority of our gatment factories have been rapidly closing within the last few years, making it more difficult for our economy to recover, because of the recent hard times there are more budget cuts and lesser monies to go to all agencies.

The Criminal Justice Planning Agency (CJPA) continues to work with Violence Against Women Act Formula Grant and Victims of Crime Act Prorgram sub-grantees in order to maximize the use of funds, we work together to address the needs of victims and improve the services provided to victims. Some examples include the Karidat Social Services, which is a non-profit organization, they have three programs that are being funded by VOCA: the Guma Esperansa, Vicitm Hotline, and Victim Advocacy Program.  These three programs work with the local law enforcement (Family Violence Task Force), Crims Stoppers, and the Commonwealth Health Center in order to provide services to the victim promptly and effectively. As for public awareness, all sub-grantees put in their part in public awareness about assault and other abuses through billboards, brochures and other forms of advertisement.  Also, in the CNMI's Domestice Violence Awareness Month (every October) the sub-grantees plan events and go to elementry schools and highschools to inform students on how to detect abuse and how to report abuse.                                       

The CNMI continues to make no distinction between federal and non-federal victims.  The social service providers assist ALL victims, as allowed by VOCA provisions, providing necessary victim services, some examples are counseling, temporary restraining orders , shelter/safe house, and transportation.

Some notable activites conducted at the sub-grant level are: (1) the Victm-Hotline Coordinator, the Social Worker on Tinian and Saipan as well as the Victim Advocate from Karidat Social Services had attended the 17th Annual Multi-Disciplinary National Conference on Domestic Violence in Florida in late October. The training focused on improving services for the victims. (2) recently the CNMI held the Domestic Violence Awareness Month (in October), the Family Violence Task Force planned several events speaking to public schools about domestic abuse, some of the Sub-grantees used the VOCA funds to help plan and pay for some of the events, such as the "Men Against Violence" Walk, and Candlelight Vigils on Saipan, Rota and Tinian. Sub-grantees use a small amount of their funds to help support such events, because it is the most effective way to get the word out to the community, a way of outreach to the public,which has been proven to be very useful. The community obtains such information, like how, where, and who to call for help. Unfortunately, the victim services of the CNMI gets limited funding from the local funds (most of the appropriations go to salaries), so we result to using a minimal amount of the subrecipients funds to help support such events. (3) For the past year, the Victim Hotline Program has been actively training volunteers on the neighboring islands of Rota and Tinian, with very positive results. The number of volunteers have doubled in size in Rota from 8 volunteers to 16 volunteers (as of present time) and in Tinian from 2 volunteers to 8 volunteers (as of present time).

We were able to get feedback from victims who have been helped be the sub-grantees (with the help of the VOCA funds). These are excerpts from the Guma Esperansa's Client Satisfaction Survey:  Client 1: "The warmness, the staff are excellent, they are always available when you need them.  The facility is also very good. My privacy really matters to me and Guma Esperansa (gave) that to me."  

  Attached are two letters from Clients of the Guma Esperansa, expressing their apprecitation for their help and assistance.

Some of the emerging issues are (1)the Guma Esperansa is presently serving victims of human trafficking, the need to provide an organized  response to the special needs of these victims is becoming more and more evident (as of present time the Guma Esperansa was able to receive a Human Trafficking Grant for the OVC) (2) the CNMI's Multi-Disciplinary Response Team has disbanded (earlier this year) doctors, investigators and all who are involve with assault cases are having difficulty finding help to move forward with assualt cases. The evidence collected from the victim usually sits in the evidence room for months at a time. CNMI is in dire need of another MDRT that will work and respond in a fashion where the victims get help, as well as get justice. (3) The CNMI, as of present time, does not have a SANE nurse for both minors and adults. It is difficult to find nurses who would want to carry the extra respondsibilites, being that our hospital is under staff with doctors and nurses already. We are actively looking for volunteers to go on trainings and to get certified as SANE nurses for minors and adults. 

Although, there have been a change in program coordinators, CJPA continues to attend meetings, workshops, and other training events.  The Coordinator also continues to monitor and visit various projects that are funded by VOCA.  CJPA continues to maintain a close realtionship with the sub-grantees to ensure that victims are provided with quality and prompt service. The VOCA funds are used to help the sub-grantees understand the importance victim services and orgnized themselves as well. We conduct workshops, with everynew grant in order to inform sub-grantees how to utilize the funds properly and how-to-do and follow-thru on thier purchases and travel documentations.