WILMINGTON, Del. – The Delaware Criminal Justice Council is pleased to announce the agency has been awarded $6,099,408 under the FFY2015 VOCA-Victims Assistance Formula Grant Program. This amount more than triples the average award amount the State receives annually. This comes through an award to the States from the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Program, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC).
The primary purpose of the VOCA-Victims Assistance grant is to the support the provision of direct services to victims of crime. Services are defined as “those efforts that respond to the emotional and physical needs of crime victims; assist victims of crime to stabilize their lives after victimization; assist victims to understand and participate in the criminal justice system; and provide victims with a measure of safety and security.”
This significant increase will help maintain critical direct services offered to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and crimes designated as “underserved victimizations” such as elder abuse, services to survivors of homicide, services to victims/survivors of DUI, victims of hate and bias crimes, assault, human trafficking, and other violent crimes.
“This significant increase in VOCA-Assistance funding will allow the Criminal Justice Council to work with our partner agencies to provide holistic services to the population that needs them most” said Criminal Justice Council Executive Director, Christian Kervick. “Making victims of crime whole and assisting in their recovery is of paramount importance to the Council” Kervick added.
The CJC distributes the funding in the form of subgrants to support services provided by the State, local units of government, and non-profit victims service agencies.
The Victims Services Advisory Committee of the CJC, Chaired by Department of Correction Commissioner Robert Coupe, will be developing a strategy to ensure the funds are distributed in accordance with the federal guidelines, and to ensure the response to all victims and survivors of crime have access to services when, and where, they are most in need.
“We understand better than ever how the destructive impact of crime on victims and their families can last for years beyond the investigation and prosecution of a case” said Commissioner Coupe. “That’s why the Victims Services Advisory Committee, with representatives from the victim community, advocates, service-providers, members of law enforcement and others, works to ensure that our State supports a full range of services that help victims engage with the justice system and receive the counseling, treatment, and support they need to rebuild and strengthen their lives.”
Created as part of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA), the Crime Victims Fund is made up entirely of fines and other monetary penalties paid by Federal criminal offenders, not by taxpayers. The money is then distributed to a variety of programs that help victims of all types of crimes, most of which is passed through state agencies to thousands of local programs that assist victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, families of homicide victims, victims of drunk driving crashes and other violent crimes.
Please contact Maureen Monagle at 302-577-8442 for more information about the VOCA-Assistance Grant Program in Delaware.