News and announcements

COVID-19 has impacted nearly every aspect of life for Americans, and this is especially true for those working on the frontlines with victims of human trafficking. On Thursday, August 20, 2020, Director Hart visited two grantees, Survivor Ventures and Samaritan House, to hear how they are continuing to provide transitional housing services to human trafficking survivors during a pandemic that is stretching resources and presenting...

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act recognizes the importance of holding traffickers criminally accountable, protecting victims, and preventing victimization from occurring in the first place.

As the leader of the Department of Justice’s response efforts to combat human trafficking, the Office for Victims of Crime is pleased to announce the launch of an art initiative—Represent Resilience: Learning from Yesterday, Building a Stronger Tomorrow—to commemorate...

Attorney General William P. Barr, Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katie Sullivan, and Office for Victims of Crime Director Jessica Hart announced $35,104,338 in funding to 73 organizations in 34 states to provide safe, stable housing and appropriate services to victims of human trafficking.  Attorney General Barr made the announcement during a roundtable at which grantees and survivors highlighted the...

The Office for Victims of Crime is the largest federal funder of efforts to combat domestic human trafficking. Combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Administration, for the Department of Justice, and for the Office for Victims of Crime.

Watch this video message from Office for Victims of Crime Director Jessica E. Hart about a recent consolidation of law enforcement, juvenile justice, and...

Good afternoon, everyone! It’s my pleasure to join you all today.

I’d like to begin by thanking Silvia Torres on my team that is here with us today and a big thanks to Equal Justice Works and Justice in Aging for putting this together and inviting me to speak.

For more than three decades Equal Justice Works has guided law students and lawyers into public...

In her message to the field, Office for Victims of Crime Director Jessica E. Hart states that “National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is a time to renew our commitment to serving all victims of crime, to acknowledge the achievements in victim services and allied professions, to honor those who have gone above and beyond in their service to others, and to remember crime...

2021 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

In 2021, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week will be commemorated April 18–24. The theme—Support Victims. Build Trust. Engage Communities.— emphasizes the importance of leveraging community support to help victims of crime.

Subscribe to the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week subscription list, for the latest updates.
 

Submit Your Nominations for the 2021 National Crime Victims’...

Today, OVC launched its redesigned website at https://ovc.ojp.gov to offer a more user-friendly experience with streamlined navigation, clean and simplified layout, and improved search capabilities to help you get to the content you need faster.

Some of the features include—

• a new VOCA Administrators microsite,
• additional grantee performance measurement information,
• an enhanced awards listing with new fields such as project descriptions and areas served...

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is June 15

Join OVC in commemorating World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on Monday, June 15, 2020. This annual commemoration is a call-to-action for individuals, organizations, and communities to raise awareness about elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.

To commemorate World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, OVC reaffirms its commitment to supporting victims of elder abuse.

Consider participating in virtual events...

Dear Colleague,

Thank you for joining us this week as we commemorate National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW) and spread awareness of victims' rights, protections, and services.

I'm pleased to announce that the National Crime Victims' Service Awards Ceremony will be Friday, October 2, 2020. During the ceremony, OVC will present awards recognizing individuals and organizations from across the nation for their outstanding service on...

Dear Colleague,

Each April, we pause to celebrate the many advances in crime victim support in our nation: victim engagement in the criminal justice system, increasing availability of services, and recognition of rights for all victims and survivors. We also seek to ensure justice for those victims whose voices have yet to be heard.

At the end of March, I was sworn in as the...

Good afternoon! Thank you to the wonderful people at NOVA who worked hard to make today's webinar happen. And a special thanks to Claire Selib for offering me the opportunity to introduce myself to the NOVA community.

I was appointed the Director of OVC in late March, in the midst of the COVID spread, so this has been an unusual time to join OVC. But...

Each May we pause and pay tribute to the local, Tribal, state, and federal law enforcement officers who have devoted their lives to safeguarding our own. Attorney General William P. Barr asks all Americans this week “to join me in saying ‘thank you’ to our nation’s federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement officers. Their devotion and sacrifice to our peace and security will not...

Dear Grantees:

I hope this email finds you all healthy and safe during these challenging times. Here at the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) we continue to work at full capacity, albeit remotely, to support you in the critical delivery of services to all victims of crime. Thousands of victims of crime rely on OVC grantees as they work to rebuild their lives and...

Good morning! Thank you, Attorney General Yost, and all the staff in your office who worked hard to make today's webinar happen. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to introduce myself and share a bit about the Office for Victims of Crime.

As previously mentioned, I was appointed the Director of OVC, a component of the Office of Justice Programs at the Department of Justice, in...

Thanks so much Katie. Good afternoon or morning to those of you on the west coast!

Before I get started, I want highlight the focus Katie has had on this program and working with all of you.

When I first came on-board, she stressed to me the importance of the work you all do and she made it a priority to make sure you are...

Today is the fifteenth anniversary of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. In the shadow of a pandemic that has disproportionately affected senior populations, we come together to raise awareness about elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

For too long elder abuse—a term that encompasses physical abuse, financial fraud, scams and exploitation, caregiver neglect and abandonment, psychological abuse, and sexual abuse—was a hidden epidemic. But as the...