Spratt Secures $1.6 Million for National Advocacy Center

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) secured $1.6 million for the Ernest F. Hollings National Advocacy Center (NAC) in Columbia. The funds were part of the omnibus spending bill for fiscal year 2009.

“This funding means that state and local prosecutors from across the country can have the training they need to be skilled, effective, more professional prosecutors,” Spratt said. “I was pleased to help get the funds through Congress.”

The NAC is a joint venture between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) and is located on the campus of the University of South Carolina in Columbia. The facility was created specifically to train federal, state, and local prosecutors in advocacy skills and management. Since 1997, 22,000 prosecutors from across the country have benefited from the program, making it a vital resource for the professional education of America’s prosecutors.

Last year, after the NAC was burdened by layoffs and cancelled classes, Spratt sponsored a bill, signed by President Bush, to address funding uncertainty and shortfalls at the NAC. Spratt’s bill authorized up to $4.75 million each year over five years (FY09-FY12) for a Justice Department grant program to support training for state and local prosecutors. The $1.6 million for fiscal year 2009 is part of that grant program.
“The classes and other programs at the NAC seek to strengthen a prosecutor’s advocacy skills by offering a wide range of specialized subjects, from child abuse to gang crime to cyber crime and identity theft. These programs are worthy of funding,” Spratt said.