There continues to be no major obstacles in the state of Minnesota that would hinder victim assistance programs from assisting crime victims in filing for compensation benefits, or understanding state compensation eligibility requirements.  VOCA assistance and VOCA compensation administrative staff are housed together within the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). This enhances collaboration and coordination between the two program areas. 



VOCA sub-grantees, monitored by Program Specialists through site visits, are informed regularly about the compensation program and their role in assisting crime victims with the application process.  Victim assistance programs have access to reparations training through informal trainings, set up by the Program Specialists, in the judicial districts in which they work. The OJP Training Unit continued to offer statewide training opportunities on crime victim reparations policies and procedures. Presentations on the compensation program and benefits are made during the quarterly advocacy training and the annual crime victim conference.  Any new policies or coverage changes are described in the OJP monthly newsletter, the Reparations Reporter, circulated to all programs via e-mail.  Complete information about compensation benefits is also included on the OJP website.





The claim form continues to be available in Spanish in addition to English.  The brochure explaining reparations is available in English, Cambodian, Hmong, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese. 

OJP continues to promote coordinated public and private efforts to aid crime victims in Minnesota.  Ongoing efforts include hosting the annual conference on crime victims and support for the services of The Day One Center and VINE.



VINE is a fully automated, information and notification service that near all of the 81 Minnesota counties have now joined.  The Department of Corrections is now part of the system as well. Registered users are immediately notified upon a change in an offender's status.  VINE can relay important custody or arrest information in a matter of minutes, anywhere in the US, via telephone.  Users can access information about an offender's custody status in "real time", 24 hours a day.  Standard information available through the VINE service includes inmate custody status and location, criminal charge information, sentence expiration date and referral information for law enforcement and victim service provider organizations.  Notifications are placed to registered persons upon the transfer, release, escape or death of an inmate.  



OJP hosted the 20th Annual Conference on Crime Victims at Breezy Point near Brainerd, Minnesota in May.  The conference brings together victim advocates and program volunteers, criminal justice professionals (law enforcement, prosecution, court), OJP staff, and other professionals from all over the state.  OJP offers scholarships to coordinated groups of advocates and other systems personnel at local levels across the state.  A wide variety of victim services and related program issues are presented and discussed.  Many participants use this opportunity to network with other crime victim service professionals.  In SFY07 there were about 400 participants at the conference.



OJP continued financial support the services of The Day One Center system in SFY07.  The Day One Center service housed out of Cornerstone, Inc., a domestic violence shelter in the Twin Cities. The Day One Center service electronically connects victim service programs providing shelter and safehomes to victims of domestic violence.  Through one phone call a victim of domestic violence can access shelter services available statewide.  Providers are connected to a web-based system that gives immediate information on available shelter space, which can ensure that safety and services are appropriate and immediately available for women and children who need them.  The Day One Center service also arranges transportation to safe shelter when needed and has greatly increased the number of women and children who are able to secure safe shelter with one phone call.  

OJP coordinates often with Adan Perez, an advocate with the Minnesota District of the U.S. Attorney?s Office.  Adan serves on our crime victim conference planning committee and we have regular contact with him to share ideas, discuss gaps on services, etc.  Adan has frequent contact with our reparations unit in getting compensation for the federal crime victims with whom he works.  Adan also sits on our Minnesota Victim Assistance Academy committee (details on the Academy in Section D).   

Minnesota Victim Assistance Academy (MNVAA) 

MNVAA is a foundation level opportunity. MNVAA is a week-long intensive course of study designed to improve the quality and consistency of victim services in Minnesota. The students for the academy class will consist of victim service providers and criminal justice professionals who work with victims of crime. 



Through education, the MNVAA builds the capacity of providers to serve those victimized by crime, encourages cutting-edge thinking about the ways we can help victims regain control of their lives, and focuses on victim-centered multi-disciplinary collaboration building.



2007 Academy 

The second annual Academy was held at St. Cloud State University (SCSU), in St. Cloud, Minnesota, from August 12-17, 2007. Participants explored a comprehensive curriculum created specifically for Minnesota by a multi-disciplinary committee assembled by the Minnesota Office of Justice Programs. All students who successfully complete the 40-hour MNVAA receive a certificate of completion. Academic credit and continuing education credits may be available for an additional fee.





Grants Management System

In SFY07, OJP sub-grantees continued use of WEGO (Web-enabled Grant Operations) to apply for direct service funding and submit financial status reports, statistical reports and narrative reports.  After ongoing improvements, WEGO continues to simplify the granting process for subgrantees.   



Program Evaluation

OJP is in the final year of a 5-year contract with Wilder Research to design a program evaluation process for all sub-grantees.  Wilder, along with a focus group of sub-grantees finalized a postcard survey that programs are now giving to victims being served by all sub-grantees.  The information gathered from the postcard surveys will assist OJP staff in providing technical assistance to grantees as well as provide information to the state legislature regarding the effectiveness of the programs receiving state dollars.   OJP and Wilder have also been holding trainings around the state teaching programs how to better evaluate their programming.

Please see the attachment below.

July of 2008 will mark the beginning of the last fiscal year in the 5-year funding plan that was implemented in SFY05.  Over the next year, OJP will focus on developing a plan for proceeding into the SFY10 funding year.



 

The VOCA administration funds are used primarily for staff salaries.  A small percentage of the funding is used toward various administrative, fiscal, training, and programming expenses of the Grants Unit.  



VOCA administrative funds primarily impact OJP?s ability to improve victim services statewide through supporting staffing needs.  An adequate number of staff means Program Specialists are able to conduct site visits to sub-grantees, and strengthen the delivery of victim services through assisting programs with financial training, technical assistance, needs assessments, programming development, and program evaluation. 



 

Please contact Chris Anderson at 651-201-7302 if you have questions or need additional information.