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Polygamy ‘Safety Net’ shifts focus from Utah Attorney General’s Office

Posted at 1:10 PM, Jun 30, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-30 15:10:11-04

SALT LAKE CITY — A group created to combat abuse and neglect within closed polygamous societies will no longer have oversight from the Utah Attorney General’s Office.

The Utah State Legislature has moved the “Safety Net” initiative from the attorney general’s office, where it was founded, to oversight from the Utah Department of Workforce Services. In a letter announcing the move, the Safety Net said the move will not affect the services they offer.

The Safety Net is a coalition of social service providers, government agencies and even polygamists working to combat abuse and neglect in closed societies. In recent years, its focus has shifted to providing resources to people in those isolated communities. It was created by Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff in 2008 to address problems in the polygamous communities.

“As the impacted communities have changed over the years, so have the needs,” said a letter sent out about the changes from the Safety Net. “In 2014, under the direction of Attorney General Sean Reyes, the AGO assessed the ongoing necessities of citizens and determined that better services could be provided by a state agency designed to support job placement and training, as well as access to critical resources.”

Read the letter here:

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