Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) Welcomes Announcement from congressman Sabo's Office of Two Grants from Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to Open St.Paul Center

Center for the Victims of Torture
Thursday, 21 September 2000

"These groundbreaking grants allow us to take significant first steps toward opening a center for survivors of torture in the city of St.Paul and in assisting other throughtout the country," says the nation's foremost torture center.

Minneapolis, MN (September 21, 2000)...After an announcement from the office of US Congressman Martin Olav Sabo (D-MN) yesturday in Washington, DC, The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) acknowledged that they are a recipient of $500,000 and $347,000 grants from the office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to establish a second multi-disciplinary treatment center in the city of St.Paul and to organize a comprehensive program to provide technical assistance and training to specialized treatment programs across the nation. the grants come through funds recently appropriated by Congress as part of the Torture victims Relief Act. The Act was co-sponsored by Minnesota's US Senators Paul Wellstone and Red Grams. The Act also recieved full bipartisan support from Minnesota's House delegation, with particular leadership in the appropriations process from Congressman Sabo.

"We are surprise and delighted by the news from Congressman Sabo's office. these grants will allow us to build on our work by opening a new center in the city of St.Paul and maintain our leadership position nationally with technical assistance and training. Although we are not funded at the level we requested, the Category I grant from ORR allows us to open a second center and increase the services we provide to our St.Paul clients,"said Douglas A. Johnson, CVT's Executive Director.

CVT has long been recognized as the foremost leader in the torture treatment movement in the United States. CVT is also known nationally and internationally as ta training and research learning center and the ORR grant will allow for an increased building in some areas of study as well. The Center was founded by the late Minnesota Governor Rudy Perpich.

Johnson outlined that CVT's main concern now was to find a location similar to that of the existing location in Minneapolis. The Minneapolis location is housed in a renovated three story Victorian home along the Mississippi river on the caompus of the University of Minnesota.

"We will be looking to our friends and neighbors in St.Paul to help us find a location and raise the necessary funds which this grant doesn't provide," Johnson concluded. "Given the generuos nature of the citizen's of St.Paul, we are confident that we will be able to make this happen quickly - perhaps even by the end of the years."

For more information, or to contact Center for the Victims of Torture, see their website at: www.cvt.org