Goshen County Government News :: Victim Assistance

VOCA Funding
2/21/2008
VOCA FUNDING VIctim Advocates Speak Out In January of 2008, the National Center for Victims of Crime surveyed crime victim advocates across the country about their use of VOCA funds and the effect of recent cuts in that funding. We polled nonprofit organizations serving victims of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, drunk driving, or survivors of homicide victims, as well as victim assistance units in criminal justice agencies, such as police departments, prosecutor offices, and corrections departments. More than 1,000 responded. The message was clear: VOCA funds are vital to all forms of crime victim services. Background The Victims of Crime Act, passed in 1984, created the Victims of Crime Act Fund or VOCA Fund, as a protected and dedicated source of funding for crime victim programs. The VOCA Fund does not depend on taxpayer dollars-it is derived from fines and penalties on offenders at the federal level. Each year, the bulk of VOCA dollars distributed goes to states to support two important types of programs: crime victim compensation programs, which pay many of the out-of-pocket expenses incurred by victims as a result of crime, and victim assistance programs, which provide victims with support and guidance in the aftermath of crime. Nearly 4 million victims a year are served by the more than 4,000 local and state victim service agencies funded by VOCA. Because the Fund comprises offender penalties and fines, the amount in the Fund fluctuates from year to year. For the last several years, Congress has created a special reserve of VOCA dollars for use in leaner years by placing a cap on the Fund distribution and saving the amount collected over the cap to ensure the stability of the Fund. In recent years, the cap has been set at $625 million. In the Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill, VOCA funding was cut by $35 million, despite higher than expected deposits into the Fund the previous year. In addition, the Department of Justice is considering tapping the VOCA allocation to cover shortfalls in management and administration expenses, potentially doubling the loss of funding to local service programs. The Voca Fund has proved an effective funding source for more than twenty years. Currently, the VOCA Fund has an estimated balance of $1.7 billion. For more information of the VOCA Funding please visit the website listed below or stop by the Victim Assistance Officer. www.ncvc.org

VOCA Funding

2/21/2008

VOCA FUNDING

VIctim Advocates Speak Out

In January of 2008, the National Center for Victims of Crime surveyed crime victim advocates across the country about their use of VOCA funds and the effect of recent cuts in that funding. We polled nonprofit organizations serving victims of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, drunk driving, or survivors of homicide victims, as well as victim assistance units in criminal justice agencies, such as police departments, prosecutor offices, and corrections departments. More than 1,000 responded.

The message was clear: VOCA funds are vital to all forms of crime victim services.

Background

The Victims of Crime Act, passed in 1984, created the Victims of Crime Act Fund or VOCA Fund, as a protected and dedicated source of funding for crime victim programs. The VOCA Fund does not depend on taxpayer dollars-it is derived from fines and penalties on offenders at the federal level. Each year, the bulk of VOCA dollars distributed goes to states to support two important types of programs: crime victim compensation programs, which pay many of the out-of-pocket expenses incurred by victims as a result of crime, and victim assistance programs, which provide victims with support and guidance in the aftermath of crime. Nearly 4 million victims a year are served by the more than 4,000 local and state victim service agencies funded by VOCA.

Because the Fund comprises offender penalties and fines, the amount in the Fund fluctuates from year to year. For the last several years, Congress has created a special reserve of VOCA dollars for use in leaner years by placing a cap on the Fund distribution and saving the amount collected over the cap to ensure the stability of the Fund. In recent years, the cap has been set at $625 million.

In the Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill, VOCA funding was cut by $35 million, despite higher than expected deposits into the Fund the previous year. In addition, the Department of Justice is considering tapping the VOCA allocation to cover shortfalls in management and administration expenses, potentially doubling the loss of funding to local service programs.

The Voca Fund has proved an effective funding source for more than twenty years. Currently, the VOCA Fund has an estimated balance of $1.7 billion.

For more information of the VOCA Funding please visit the website listed below or stop by the Victim Assistance Officer.