SART/SANE Program

In 1996, the Legislature amended the statute regarding services to victims of crime requiring that the Attorney General, in conjunction with service providers and hospitals, standardize services for victims of sexual assault. In 1998, the Attorney General promulgated the Attorney General Standards for providing services to Victims of Sexual Assault, which were formulated through meetings of the Sexual Assault Protocol Council. The Standards require the formation of a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) in each county and trained forensic nurses, known as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs). A SANE, along with a rape care advocate and a member of law enforcement, make up the SART. In 1998, the State Office of Victim-Witness Advocacy began funding pilot programs to achieve this end. Over the past four (4) years, 20 counties in the State of New Jersey have either implemented or are working to implement the SART and SANE programs, all of which are funded through the State Office of Victim-Witness Advocacy.