The Office of Attorney General is responsible for all compensation benefits in the State of Maine. The State?s Compensation program disburses applications and consults directly with victims and agencies.  Although there are no major issues that impede the assistance of crime victims in filing for compensation benefits, victims and agencies at times are slightly confused when determining victim eligibility and total amounts victims are entitled to receive.   

Sexual assault agencies throughout the state have provided ?Victims with Disabilities? training to agency staff, local law enforcement, hospital staff, victim advocates and other community partners.   There is a scarcity of translators that are state certified who may interpret for deaf impaired victims.   This dilemma hinders crime victims with disabilities when reporting any type of assault.  The Muskie School of Public Service is implementing a process to carry out needs assessments for these victims.  Statewide agencies are also providing elder abuse training throughout the community

The Office of Child and Family Services disburses VOCA funds to the Parents of 

Murdered Children (Maine Chapter).  This is a self-help organization dedicated solely to the aftermath of and prevention of murder.  POMC provides emotional and educational support for surviving victims of homicide.  The group provides continual emotional support, education, advocacy and awareness to members.  POMC also provides survivors with information regarding Victims Rights. 



The Office of Child and Family Services disburses VOCA funds to the Office of 

Attorney General for the support of two victim witness advocates.



The Attorney General?s Office provides the following services to homicide victims:



	Crisis counseling;

	Home visits;

	Referrals for individual treatment and grief support; (Parents 

        of Murdered Children)

	Information regarding victims? rights/criminal justice system; 

	Criminal justice support and advocacy;

	Assistance with filing Victims? Compensation applications;

	Notification of Court hearings; (pre-trial, trial, sentencing, appeals 

        and post-conviction appeals) 

	Telephone contact/ information/personal advocacy and referrals;

	Support for and attendance with homicide survivor family members     

        who testify during Legislative hearings regarding changes in the   

        criminal statues;

	Travel arrangements for homicide survivors who are subpoenaed to 

        testify at trial;

	Death notification training for law enforcement community;

	Notification to victims of furlough requests by prisoners;

	Assistance with funeral arrangements for family members of murdered 

        loved ones;

	A return of personal effects to the family members of homicide victims;

	Attendance at pre-trial interviews with the prosecutor and Maine State 

        Police detective regarding the preparation of family members who 

        testified at trial;

	Notification of survivors and attendance at hearings for defendants 

        found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity committed to Riverview 

        Psychiatric facility



Both agencies assure that victims of homicide receive appropriate crime 

victim support and advocacy services during their time of grief.



The Office of Child & Family Services disburses VOCA funds to nine domestic

violence shelters and ten sexual assault centers throughout the state.  Funding is utilized to provide 24 hour coverage for crisis and support hotline services, advocacy for victims to include professional assistance from time of initial call to resolution of case, support groups, court and criminal justice advocacy services, and community response services. 



Finally, there are ten county agencies that receive VOCA funding to provide victim advocate services throughout the court system.  Victim advocates collect restitution and provide individual advocacy; pre-arrest post-arrest and post-sentence services.  The one-on-one assistance to the victim is directed towards reducing the trauma of personal/violent crime victimization.  The victim is assisted in securing their rights and services through the criminal justice and legal systems, making referrals to other agencies for needed services, and filing for losses covered by public and private 

programs.  Services are provided within the criminal justice/prosecutorial systems.

Site reviews have been completed for twenty six sub grantees throughout Maine.   Of the thirty-one sub-grantees receiving VOCA funding, site reviews are scheduled in early 2008 for the remaining five agencies.  Program monitoring of agencies include review of agency staff and administration, auditing procedures, match requirements, training, program and federal requirements.



A two day ?Voices for Justice? conference was held in Portland, Maine on November 1 & 2, 2007.    Agenda topics included providing access to services for immigrants, federal human trafficking laws, and elder crime victimization.  VOCA training funds provided scholarships to twenty four applicants in support of this training.    The State of Maine has also utilized training funds for the ongoing support of the Tri-State Consortium in order to provide training for sub grantees in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.  



The Community Services Coordinator attended the annual Victim Witness Advocates Association meeting on October 16, 2007 where she provided information concerning contract performance measures related to VOCA requirements.  Discussion ensued regarding a future training that would provide specific one day training for all victim advocates throughout the state.  Training will focus on writing victim impact statements.  The Office of Child and Family Services is collaborating with the Muskie School of Public Service, the US  Attorney?s Office and the Department of Corrections in order to provide this specific training.  Other future trainings may include sex offender registries, restitution, and address confidentiality.  

VOCA funds are utilized to provide support to victims of personal and violent crimes.  Funds are used to support domestic and sexual violence, crisis counseling services, group support, shelter/safe houses, hotline services, criminal justice support, emergency financial assistance, and legal advocacy, follow up and client support. Domestic violence is more prevalent than all other violent crimes.  



In FY 07, over 12,243 victims have been assisted by domestic violence agencies and 2,708 victims have been assisted by sexual assault agencies throughout the State of Maine.  (Letters from agencies and crime victims are attached).  

During 2006, violent crime increased from the previous year; the crime rate for violent crime is 1.15 offenses per population of 1,000.  Maine has experienced increased availability of services such as rape crisis centers providing 24 hour hotlines, counselors, and victim witness advocates.  The increased number of offenses may be influenced by increased confidence in the criminal justice system as well as established SART teams.  Domestic violence and sexual assault centers are reporting an increased number of elder abuse crimes.  In addition, agencies are seeing an increase in victims with concurrent issues such as mental health and substance abuse issues.     

Administrative funds are utilized for a variety of items, such as in-state and out-of-state travel expenses to attend the annual VOCA conference, and training for VOCA funded positions.



The Office of Child and Family Services is currently conducting a time study in order to calculate the actual percentage of time involved with VOCA funded projects.  Immediately upon completion of the time study, this agency will charge VOCA?s administrative funds for personnel expenditures.



Administrative funds have been utilized to provide in-state travel in order to monitor sub-grantees and conduct site reviews.  The Community Services Coordinator has been actively involved with sub-grantees in order to provide technical support, track statistical data and update current performance measures.    In 2008, the Community Services Coordinator will focus on implementation of an inventory plan for all VOCA funded agencies.  



In September of 2007, the state?s Community Services Coordinator attended the annual VOCA conference held in Williamsburg, Virginia.  In this training, the Coordinator took part in various workshops and general sessions including both compensation issues and VOCA assistance issues.  With this knowledge, the Coordinator has a better understanding of the newly implemented changes to the (GMS) grants management system. 



Training funds are utilized to provide support for the Tri-State Consortium as well as the Victim Academy.  The State of Maine contracts with the Muskie School for these trainings.  The Tri-State Consortium provides a week long training for advocates working with victims of crime.  The Victim Academy is more geared toward providing a basic training for victim advocates with less than three years of experience in the field.  Benefits of contracting with this agency are an improved workforce and improved services for Maine victims of crime and the advocates that work with them.  The advanced nature of training also increases the likelihood of staff retention resulting in a secondary outcome of improved services.  The state is responsible for allocating and dispersing training funds for the purpose of supporting the participation of victim advocates in trainings and to serve in an advisory capacity.