Criminal Justice Division Helps Launch New Family Justice Center in Claiborne County
NASHVILLE – A new center serving family violence victims opens today (Friday) in Tazewell, Tennessee. The Office of Criminal Justice Programs (OCJP) in the Department of Finance and Administration assisted in securing federal funds for the Claiborne County Family Justice Center.
“Victims, including children, impacted by family violence need a variety of services that are brought together in the Family Justice Centers, ensuring they get comprehensive and convenient assistance,” OCJP Director Jennifer Brinkman said. “The first center opened in Knoxville in 2006 and the Claiborne County facility will be the tenth to open in Tennessee. It’s a huge credit to the work of public and non-profit agencies including victim services, local government, law enforcement, prosecution, civil legal assistance, adult protective services and children’s services.”
Grand opening for the Claiborne County Family Justice Center will be Friday, June 18 at 1:30 p.m. EDT. The center is located at 1708 Church Street in Tazewell, Tennessee. Its mission is to meet family violence head- on by relieving the burden of maneuvering the criminal justice system alone. The center will serve victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and elder abuse.
Three additional FJCs open this summer in Haywood, Overton and Anderson Counties. In addition to Knox County, FJCs are in Scott, Sullivan, Madison, Washington, Davidson, Hamilton, Putnam and Shelby Counties. Since the Tennessee Family Justice Center Initiative started in 2012, federal funding from OCJP has totaled more than $15 million.
A Family Justice Center is a community-wide collaboration of public and nonprofit agencies providing co-located, wraparound services in one safe, convenient, and family-friendly location. In addition to benefiting victims and their families, the FJC model benefits the broader community by reducing competition and redundancy among stakeholders.
The OCJP functions as a strategic planning agency that secures, distributes, and manages federal and state funds for Tennessee, including Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds and STOP Violence Against Women Program (STOP) funds.
