Mountain Xpress Discusses Funding Cuts for Domestic Violence Prevention Services
PLS Executive Director Jim Barrett recently spoke with the Mountain Xpress about major federal funding cuts that are threatening Pisgah Legal’s domestic violence prevention services to people – primarily women and children – across our mountains who depend on us to help them face their abusers in court and navigate the legal system.
“We need the public to be aware of this,” says Jim Barrett. “We need county commissioners to be aware of it all over Western North Carolina.”
PLS anticipates funding for its programs serving survivors of child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence to plummet from $1.5 million in fiscal year 2022 to $400,000 in 2024.
“It took a long time to build this infrastructure, [which] depends a lot on this federal grant source,” Barrett says. “And we don’t want to lose this infrastructure.”