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Roi Holt

2012 Federal Service Award | National Crime Victims’ Service Awards
Description

Roi Holt | Federal Service Award
U.S. Department of the Interior
Washington, DC

Roi Holt’s accomplishments have proven to have a lasting impact on the lives of people who will never know her name. Ms. Holt created the first Department of the Interior (DOI) Victim Assistance Program (VAP) to promote awareness of federal victims’ rights laws among federal law enforcement personnel; to provide assistance to law enforcement officers needing information, referrals and assistance for victims of crime; and to assure that DOI bureaus and agencies are compliant with the 2004 Crime Victim Rights Act and the 2005 Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance. 

Ms. Holt’s initiation and expansion of the VAP began with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and due to her efforts, the program was quickly expanded to other bureaus within DOI. Her diligence has paved the way for a truly successful program, with nine full-time victim specialists recruited and trained to date to serve victims on lands managed by the BIA. 

She furthered this important outreach by focusing on the needs of Native Americans on a national level, identifying reservations in the Southwest that were not already receiving services and obtaining funding for a victim specialist to provide such support.

Through all her endeavors, Ms. Holt has enhanced interaction and collaboration with the Indian Health Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Attorneys, and other federal partners who work on behalf of crime victims in Indian Country. She led the way in encouraging compliance with victim laws and composed extensive strategic plans, policies, and procedures to respond specifically to the critical needs of the BIA. 

Her efforts to empower the communities she serves are far reaching and provide a visible impact on the lives of many people in utmost need.