Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA)

Support for Law Enforcement

OVC supports partnerships with law enforcement agencies at the state, tribal, and local levels to combat crime, promote safer neighborhoods, and establish collaborations between police and the communities they protect. Through discretionary grant programs, OVC grantees help agencies provide effective, trauma-informed law enforcement practices to better serve all victims. OVC also funds national-scope discretionary programs to provide comprehensive services to victims...

OVC Discretionary Funding

OVC provides discretionary grants for national-scope demonstration projects and training and technical assistance (TTA) to enhance the professional expertise of victim service providers. These grants are competitively awarded to states, local government agencies, tribal governments, educational institutions, private nonprofit organizations, and individuals. Programs identify and implement promising practices, models, and initiatives; address gaps and needs in TTA; and fund demonstration programs that...

Formula Grants: VOCA Compensation and Assistance

OVC administers two Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) formula grant programs that support crime victim compensation and assistance—the foundation of support for victims throughout the Nation. These formula grants account for approximately 95 percent of the VOCA funds that OVC disburses each year.

• The VOCA Victim Compensation Grant Program provides funding to supplement state compensation programs that reimburse victims...

Innovative Practices

According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, only 8 percent of victims of violent crimes received help from a victim service agency in 2019—a decline of 11 percent from 2018. To improve this reality, the victim services field must diversify and expand existing strategies for providing victim assistance and create vital links to other fields that come into contact with victims of crime...

Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation

Antiterrorism Emergency Reserve

Following the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, Congress amended VOCA to authorize OVC to allocate up to $50 million per year from the Crime Victims Fund to establish the Antiterrorism Emergency Reserve (Reserve). The Reserve provides help primarily through funding for immediate and direct services for victims of terrorism and criminal mass violence within the United States and abroad, supplemental funding provided directly...

VOCA Compensation Highlights

OVC’s VOCA Compensation Formula Grant Program reimburses victims for financial losses resulting from their victimization. OVC disburses these funds to supplement state programs that provide financial assistance and reimbursement to victims for crime-related expenses, including medical and dental care, counseling, funeral and burial expenses, and lost wages. Compensation programs may also reimburse victims for other types of expenses related to their victimization...

Serving Victims Everywhere

OVC believes that crime victims should have access to the evidence-based services and support they need to begin their physical, emotional, and financial recovery. However, OVC recognizes that there are serious challenges to achieving this goal. Strengthening connections across allied fields to expand the availability and quality of services that impact a victim’s healing are among these challenges.

Center for Victim Research...

Introduction

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is pleased to present this report of activities during fiscal years (FY) 2019 and 2020. Every year, OVC supports millions of victims of crime. The core of this support is the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund), which is financed not by tax dollars, but by fines, bond forfeitures, and penalties from offenders in federal cases. In FY...

Victims of the Addiction Crisis

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, parental substance abuse is one adverse childhood experience associated with a range of negative outcomes later in life. Children and youth who are exposed to parental substance abuse may be at greater risk for crime victimization during their lifetimes, including child abuse and neglect, human trafficking, intimate...

Capacity-Building Overview

OVC programming in FYs 2019 and 2020 focused on building capacity in a number of key areas. OVC supported many programs to combat human trafficking and help survivors of this terrible crime; and to plan for, respond to, and serve victims of acts of terrorism and mass violence. OVC also strengthened its support for a wide range of law enforcement organizations and their...

February 17, 2021

A Copy of an Email Sent by Kathrina S. Peterson, OVC Deputy Director, on February 11, 2021

Good Evening Everyone,

The purpose of this email is to provide information about compensation and crowdfunding, and also offer an opportunity to all of you to have more “regular” check-ins with your grant managers.

Crowdfunding and Compensation: Some states have requested information about crowdfunding and...