Victims of domestic violence and sexual assault around the state will benefit from nearly $900,000 in federal funding that has been awarded to 25 Maine organizations this month.

The district attorney’s office for Franklin, Oxford and Androscoggin counties will get more than $82,000 for a victim witness advocate and a domestic violence/sexual assault investigator.

Maine Public Safety Commissioner Michael P. Cantara said most of the funding comes from the federal STOP Violence Against Women grant program, which is administered by his department.

The groups receiving the funding include sexual assault and domestic violence organizations, prosecutors and law enforcement agencies. The funding will be distributed during 2005.

Cantara said $1.1 million in similar federal funding was administered by his department this year.

“Domestic violence and sexual assault affects hundreds of Maine families each year,” Cantara said, “and these grants will help fund a number of community-based programs that combat these crimes, assist the victims and support the groups on the front lines in Maine.”

Cantara also chairs the Governor’s Advisory Council for the Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence. He said the panel continues to meet and will issue recommendations to Gov. John Baldacci in February.

“The council’s establishment underlines the importance Governor Baldacci has placed in this area,” Cantara said. “The governor issued an executive order in June establishing the council, and in October mandated all state agencies and departments formulate a workplace domestic violence policy to support victims.”

Recipients of the federal funding in the local area are:

• Catholic Charities Maine, New Mainers Domestic Violence Partnership, $34,500.

• Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine, sexual assault response team advocate, $35,727.

• Franklin, Oxford and Androscoggin counties’ district attorney’s office, victim witness advocate, $36,111.22.

• Franklin, Oxford and Androscoggin counties’ district attorney’s office, domestic violence/sexual assault investigator, $46,746.39.

• Somerset and Kennebec counties’ district attorney’s office, domestic violence firearms prosecutor, $55,740.

• Rape Crisis Assistance & Prevention in Somerset and Kennebec counties, Operation Recourse Prevention, $34,220.

• Maine District Court, domestic violence court coordination, $44,055.

• Maine Sheriff’s Association, Project Trauma, $52,160.

• Attorney general’s office, sexual assault nurse/forensic training, $32,911.