“Let Your Voice Be Greater Than Any Fear”
North Mississippi Rural Legal Services &
Mississippi Center for Legal Services
Are you a victim of Domestic Violence? You are not alone.
Contact us at either of the numbers below to learn more about assistance you may qualify for:
NMRLS Domestic Violence Programs: 1-888-431-5983
NMRLS Intake Hotline: 1-888-431-5983
WHO WE ARE
The Earlene Gardner Victims Assistance Project (EGVAP) was established in the fall of 2017 through funding from the Office Against Interpersonal Violence at the Mississippi State Department of Health. The EGVAP project was created by both North Mississippi Rural Legal Services and MS Center for Legal Services Cooperation. EGVAP operates out of North Mississippi Rural Legal Services Oxford office and Mississippi Center for Legal Services Cooperation Jackson office. The project consists of a five-member team (3 attorneys and 2 support persons). The EGVAP serves 52 of the 82 Mississippi counties.
WHAT WE DO
The EGVAP enables the Mississippi Legal Services Programs to address the growing demand for legal assistance to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The project will provide free legal services to the victims and include: Domestic Abuse Protection Orders. Divorces. Custody. Housing. Victims Compensation. and other civil legal matters. There are no income requirements to be eligible for services under this project.
MISSION
The mission of the project is to ensure victims have access to readily available services without any restrictions. Often times. victims are forced to remain with their abuser because the abuser is their provider of basic needs. The EGVAP in collaboration with Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence (MCADV). Mississippi Center Against Sexual Assault (MCASA). and other community organizations are working to provide victims a “one stop shop” for services. Our hope is that victims become empowered to speak up and out about their circumstances and take back their lives. We want to remind victims to “Let Your Voice Be Greater Than Any Fear.”
Protection Orders 101
Domestic Abuse Protection Order (DAPO)
WHO QUALIFIES TO FILE A DAPO?
A victim who is:
• person, spouse or former spouse
• person currently living as a spouse or formerly lived as a spouse
• person current or former dating partner
• person related by blood or marriage AND currently reside together or formerly resided together
• person with whom you have child(ren) in common
“Abuse “means the occurrence of one or more of the following acts:
• Attempting to cause or intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury or serious bodily injury with or without a deadly weapon;
• Placing, by physical menace or threat, another in fear of imminent serious bodily injury.
• Criminal sexual conduct committed against a minor within the meaning of Section 97-5- 23
• Stalking within the meaning of Section 97-3-107:
• Cyber stalking within the meaning of Section 97-45-15′
• Sexual offenses within the meaning of Section 97-3-65 or 97-3-95.
Earlene Gardner Victims Assistance Program
Melissa King
Project Manager
Post Office Box 767
Oxford, MS 38655
mking@nmrls.com
Romara Johnson
Support Staff
Post Office Box 767
Oxford, MS 38655
662.243.8731 ext. 2136
Fax: 662.234.2965
rjohnson@nmrls.com
RESOURCES
MS Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Post Office Box 4703
Jackson. MS 39296
1-800-898-3234
support@mcadv.org
www.macadv.org
MS Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Post Office Box 4172
Jackson. MS 39296
1-888-987-9011
www.mcasa.org
MS Attorney General Office
Bureau of Victim Assistance
550 High Street. Suite 1200 Jackson, MS 39201
1-800-829-6766
www.ago.state.ms.us
For more information about MS Legals Services Programs visit.
www.mslegalservices.org