The Domestic Violence Alternatives and Sexual Assault Center located in Marshalltown has served victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in Jasper County since 1985. However, as a result of cuts to funding and a subsequent reorganization of the Crime Victim Assistance Division of the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, DVA/SAC will no longer serve Jasper County effective July 1, 2013.

Cuts totalling $1.1 million already have been applied to CVAD’s budget, with funding expected to decrease by another million dollars over the next fiscal year, DVA/SAC executive director Dotti Thompson explained during a public meeting held at the Newton Public Library on Tuesday afternoon.

As a result, the state has been divided into six regions, with the 28 programs currently in place across Iowa eventually consolidating into 12-15 programs. This, paired with an initiative to shift both focus and money more toward outreach as opposed to shelters, will help programs statewide continue to operate despite recent budget cuts.