Federal Awards Bring Nearly $1.5 Million to Jefferson County During Domestic Violence Awareness Month

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - As the Department of Justice and communities across the country observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October, new federal awards totaling nearly $1.5 million are coming to two of Jefferson County's key partners in the fight against domestic violence: the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office and One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center.

The Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has awarded $750,000 through its Improving Criminal Justice Responses program to Jefferson County, on behalf of the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office. Authorized by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the program supports partnerships among governments, courts, and victim-service providers to treat domestic violence as the serious crime it is and to seek safety and autonomy for victims. The funding will expand and strengthen the investigation and prosecution of domestic violence cases, while providing additional support to victims seeking protection and justice.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Children and Families' Family and Youth Services Bureau, has awarded $358,333 to One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center for the first year of a two-year project beginning September 30, 2026, with the same amount anticipated for the second year, for a total of $716,666. Funded through the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, the award will support counseling and advocacy for survivors and their children, and growth of One Place's work through Camp HOPE America. Camp HOPE is a national, year-round program for children ages 7 to 17 affected by domestic and family violence. One Place hosts Alabama's only Camp HOPE America site.

"Domestic violence is not an issue of anger management. It is an issue of power and control, and many of its deaths are predictable and preventable when a community responds together," said Rebecca McWilliams, Executive Director of One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center. "Thanks to the Violence Against Women Act and the partnerships we have built with local and federal law enforcement, we have come a long way, and we still have a long way to go. This support from the Department of Health and Human Services will help us walk alongside survivors and make sure children who have witnessed violence have somewhere to belong."

The new resources build on results already visible in Jefferson County. In 2023, the county recorded 25 statutory domestic violence homicides. As of mid-September 2026, it has recorded two, and Birmingham has recorded none.

"October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the message from this office is simple: domestic violence is a violent crime, and it will not be tolerated in the Northern District of Alabama," said U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. "Victims deserve safety, dignity, and justice. These awards put real resources behind the prosecutors who hold abusers accountable and the advocates who walk beside survivors and their children. When we stand together, from the streets to the courtroom, offenders are held accountable and families get the help they need. This is a united front, and my office will keep championing our partners' work in Washington."

The awards also support Operation Safe Families, the U.S. Attorney's Office initiative that brings together federal law enforcement, state and local law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim-service providers. Because abusers with access to firearms pose a significant and often deadly risk, the U.S. Attorney's Office is committed to prosecuting federal cases against abusers who are prohibited from possessing firearms. Operation Safe Families is part of the office's Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy, because offenders who terrorize their intimate partners often go on to commit other violent crimes and pose extreme risks to law enforcement officers.

Nearly one-half of all offenders federally prosecuted by the Northern District of Alabama for violent offenses have a history of domestic violence. Since 2024, the Northern District of Alabama has indicted 62 domestic violence offenders across fourteen counties for various federal offenses.

"Domestic violence is one of the clearest warning signs for deadly violence in our community. Roughly 70% of identified homicide offenders in Jefferson County have a history of it, and our office prosecutes more of these cases than homicides, attempted murders, and robberies combined," said District Attorney Danny Carr. "When police, prosecutors, courts, and advocates work together before a crisis turns fatal, lives are saved. These resources help us sustain that work, and our goal must be zero. I appreciate our federal partners for standing with us."

To learn more about One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center or Camp HOPE, please visit One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice CenterLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

If you need help: If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), 1-800-787-3224 (TTY), or TheHotline.orgLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.. One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center can be reached during business hours at 205-453-7261. Additional national, state, and local resources are listed at Justice.gov/OVW/Resources-Victims-and-Survivors.