Department of Justice Awards More Than $610 Million in Funding for Programs to Aid Crime Victims

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced more than $610 million in formula grants to support crime victims.  This funding was awarded under the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) to support state and local victim assistance and compensation programs administered by OJP's Office for Victims of Crime

(OVC).

"Every day, innocent citizens are victimized in their homes, communities and, increasingly, from cyberspace.  This funding is critical to state and local public and nonprofit organizations to ensure crisis hotline calls get answered, emergency shelters remain open, and victims have the ability to receive counseling," said Joye Frost, Acting Director for OVC.  "We remain committed to victims and providing them the support they need."

Acting Director Frost announced the funding in her remarks to more than 900 federal, state, and local representatives attending the National Center for Victims of Crime's 2010 National Conference in New Orleans, La.

The conference, September 14 – 16, is co-hosted by OVC, the United States Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Louisiana, the New Orleans Family Justice Center, the Metropolitan Center for Women and Children, and the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault.

The $610 million in funding for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 VOCA formula grants comes from the Crime Victims Fund, which is overseen by OVC.  The Crime Victims Fund is unique in that it is comprised of fines, penalty assessments, and bail forfeitures collected from convicted federal criminals.  The state compensation programs reimburse victims and their families directly for expenses related to their victimization, including medical and mental health costs, and funeral and burial expenses.  The Crime Victims Fund also enables state victim assistance programs to support local efforts such as crisis intervention, emergency shelters and transportation, counseling, and criminal justice system advocacy.  A list of the FY 2010 Crime Victims Fund Compensation and Assistance Allocations is available at: http://www.ovc.gov/fund/cvfa2010.html.

OVC also funds training and technical assistance programs, and awards discretionary grants to support efforts to address elder abuse, trafficking in persons, identity theft, sexual assault, child abuse, and assisting victims in tribal communities.  More information about OVC, its resources for crime victims, and its funding for victim assistance and compensation programs is available at: www.ovc.gov/.

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP), headed by Assistant Attorney General Laurie O. Robinson, provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims.  OJP has seven components:  the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; the Community Capacity Development Office, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking.  More information about OJP can be found at www.ojp.gov.

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SOURCE Office of Justice Programs