Oklahoma Attorney General Recommends Increase in Funding for Domestic Violence Service Providers
Findings From Fatality Review Board Annual Report
The Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board recommends state funds allocated to Oklahoma’s certified domestic violence and sexual assault agencies increase to $16.1 million. This recommendation comes courtesy of the Review Board’s 2023 Annual Report and would increase the ability of shelters and agencies to meet the needs of survivors.
“We support the Review Board’s list of recommendations, particularly the request for additional funding,” Leslie Clingenpeel, executive director of The Spring, said. “The fight against domestic violence can’t be done without resources, and we are pleading that state officials will do everything they can to help us carry out our life-saving mission.”
This report serves as a response to the consistently high rates of domestic violence related homicides in our state. Oklahoma ranks highest in the nation for incidences of domestic violence, with half of all Oklahomans affected in their lifetime. Oklahoma is also second in the nation for the number of women killed by men in single-victim, single-offender homicides. 105 victims were killed by their abuser in 2022, right here in our hometowns.
Agencies are also anticipating devastating cuts in federal grant programs geared toward assisting victims. As resources are decreasing, the demand for services continues to rise. The Spring served 286 clients in 2023, a 23% increase from the previous year.
“The agencies that make up EVO (End Violence Oklahoma) are on the front lines of a fight that’s desperately important in Oklahoma,” said Clingenpeel. The Spring is a member agency of EVO. “Additional funding will absolutely provide life-changing opportunities to victims and survivors. Alternatively, maintaining funding at its current level, or reducing our funding further, will have a catastrophic impact on Oklahomans. There will be a real human cost for not prioritizing the health and safety of our communities.”
Your local domestic violence agencies urgently need your support. Consider contacting your state legislators and voicing your concern for lack of resources to agencies. Donate your time and resources to
assist your local agency in responding to this public health emergency. Now is the time to come together and address this epidemic of violence. We are all better together.
End Violence Oklahoma (EVO) is a network of front-line providers who together make up the statewide voice for survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their children in Oklahoma. With 30+ member organizations providing direct services to survivors throughout Oklahoma, together we work towards ending domestic and sexual violence in our state. The initiative was formed following the dissolution of the Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (OCADVSA).
