Domestic violence

Meet the 2020 National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Recipients

The Office for Victims of Crime annually recognizes individuals and organizations that demonstrate outstanding service in supporting victims.

The National Crime Victims’ Service Awards recipients are selected from nominations in a variety of categories for their vision, action, and leadership to improve the lives of victims in the aftermath of crime.

In a video message...

Welcome everyone. Thanks so much for being here today. This is such an important discussion to be having, especially right now in light of the pandemic.

Before we begin, I’d like to extend a special thank you to the Houston Astros for welcoming this exceptional group of domestic violence service providers to your facilities. And to the Astros Foundation for your commitment to raising awareness...

Office for Victims of Crime Director Jessica E. Hart visited Austin, Texas on Wednesday, October 14, 2020, to hear from the field and announce grant awards to national and state programs.

Director Hart began her day with a tour of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The Hotline, funded in part by the Office for Victims of Crime, operates 24 hours a day, 365 days...

Welcome everyone, thanks so much being here today. This is such an important discussion to be having, especially right now in light of the pandemic.

Before we begin, I’d like to extend a special thank you to the National Domestic Violence Hotline for hosting this event. And to Katie Ray-Jones, Gloria Terry, and Jason Buckner for all the planning and coordination that went in to...

On Tuesday, October 6, 2020, Attorney General Barr announced the Office for Victims of Crime release of awards totaling more than $1.8 billion to state victim assistance and compensation programs to fund thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and provide millions in compensation to victims of crime.

Supported by the Crime Victims Fund, this formula grant program supports a broad array of programs...

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...

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...

Model Standards Seek to Enhance Crime Victim Services

OVC's Achieving Excellence: Model Standards for Serving Victims & Survivors of Crime e-publication seeks to enhance victim service providers' competency and capacity to provide ethical, high-quality responses to crime victims. These model standards also seek to meet the demands facing the field today. The e-publication includes three sets of standards:

• The Program Standards recommend guidelines, policies, and...

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

President Trump proclaimed that October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In his proclamation, the President states "We strive to eliminate domestic violence in all its horrific forms in order to sustain the hope of a better life for victims and to foster safer homes and relationships for all Americans."

The proclamation also highlights "in fiscal years 2018...

OVC is seeking applicants for the OVC FY 2020 Improving Community Preparedness to Assist Victims of Mass Violence or Domestic Terrorism: Training and Technical Assistance Project solicitation.

This project will provide training, technical assistance, and support to enable communities to augment their existing emergency response plans to ensure that they include effective protocols and strategies to address the immediate and long-term needs of victims...