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VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT VICTIM ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM 2002 WYOMING STATE WIDE ASSISTANCE REPORT Prepared By: Wyoming Office of the Attorney General 123 Capitol Building Cheyenne, WY 82002-0000 tel: (307)777-7200
STATE FUNDING INFORMATION
A. THE ANNUAL AMOUNT ALLOCATED TO THE VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROJECTS: 1. Appropriations $ 0 2. Criminal Fines and Penalities $ 65,000 3. Assessments $ 0 4. Other $ 0 TOTAL:$ 65,000
B. TOTAL NUMBER OF AGENCIES FUNDED FROM THE FEDERAL GRANT: 36
C. NUMBER OF SUBGRANTS FUNDED FROM THIS FEDERAL GRANT: 38
VICTIM STATISTICS
A. THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS SERVED BY TYPE OF VICTIMIZATION:
NO. OF NO. OF VICTIMS SERVED VICTIMS SERVED 324 1. Child Physical Abuse 83 7. Adults Molested as Children 546 2. Child Sexual Abuse 324 8. Survivors of Homicide Victims 257 3. DUI/DWI Crashes 593 9. Robbery 2,932 4. Domestic Violence 1,161 10. Assualt 250 5. Adult Sexual Assault 5,319 11. Other 39 6. Elder Abuse TOTAL: 11,828
B. THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS WHO RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING SERVICES:
NO. OF VICTIMS SERVED 6,358 1. Crisis Counseling 14,935 2. Followup 252 3. Therapy 698 4. Group Treatment/Support 2,110 5. Shelter/Safehouse 9,774 6. Information/Referral (in-person) 37,380 7. Criminal Justice Support/Advocacy 1,124 8. Emergency Financial Assistance 2,290 9. Emergency Legal Advocacy 1,182 10. Assistance in filing Compensation Claims 11,526 11. Personal Advocacy 14,259 12. Telephone contact Informational/Referral 2,570 13. Other TOTAL: 104,458
A. EFFORTS TO PROMOTE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AID TO CRIME VICTIMS: The Division has taken a proactive stance in working and coordinating with Wyoming’s coalitions on domestic violence, sexual assault and crime victims this past year. The Division’s director and the VOCA program manager are members of the Crime Victims Coalition. Division staff also attends all quarterly meetings of the Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. The Division works closely with the Governor’s Domestic Violence Elimination Council (DoVE) and our statewide Victim Services Advisory Committee. The Division has also added a staff outreach person this past year, who coordinates statewide public awareness activities. These activities include coordination of the Silent Witness exhibit; Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October; Crime Victims, Child Abuse & Sexual Assault Awareness in April; and ongoing general victim-related awareness campaigns in the print and broadcast media.
B. EFFORTS TAKEN TO SERVE FEDERAL CRIME VICTIMS: The Division works closely with the U.S. Attorney’s offices in Wyoming. A special training on Jurisdictional Issues was offered at our statewide Victim Services Conference and included panel members from Yellowstone National Park, the Wind River Indian Reservation, and F.E. Warren Air Force Base, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s office. The Victim/Witness Advocate from the U.S. Attorney’s office participated as faculty in Wyoming’s Foundation in Victim Services Institute.
C. ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE THE DELIVERY OF VICTIM SERVICES: The VOCA program manager worked with other Division staff to set and complete an aggressive schedule of on-site monitoring visits to subgrantee programs beginning in April of 2002. Four on-site visits were conducted before the end of September 2002, and an additional 15-20 are scheduled for the next fiscal year. The Division has begun planning for its next statewide survey on victim services. Wyoming held it’s second Foundations in Victim Services Institute in September 2002. Thirty-one advocates and program coordinators from twenty-one organizations attended. VOCA training funds were also utilized in the following training events: Sexual Assault Summit I – April 11-12, 2002; 100 attendees Statewide Victim Services Conference – August 14-16, 2002; 109 attendees
D. WAYS VOCA FUNDS HAVE BEEN USED TO ASSIST CRIME VICTIMS: A domestic violence program in Lincoln County wrote: “We worked with a victim who had a particularly abusive abuser. She had also been sexually abused by her father, had run away from home at the age of 16, and had been on her own ever since. Because of everything she had been through and was going through she had turned to drugs and alcohol. We worked with this woman and her son over and over in the last two years. In July, 2001, there was an incident where the abuser got drunk and was beating our client. He tried to strangle her. At this point, her four-year-old son ran out it in the road, stopped a car, and asked for help. The abuser was arrested. This woman also had some problems with several DUIs and was looking at jail time. We worked with the victim, helped her petition the court, and got her into a long-term rehab program where she was able to take her son with her. She has been able to get her GED, has now enrolled in college, and is doing great at rehab. She has realized she cannot be with her abuser anymore and is now seeking a divorce from her. She is one of our big success stories! A letter from this client is attached.” A victim/witness program in Albany County wrote: “These two cases illustrate the need for ongoing advocacy and representation of victims after the courts have decided a case. The first was a domestic violence case in which the defendant was sentenced to a year in jail. The perpetrator asked several times for his sentence to be reduced. By keeping the victim, who feared for safety, advised of the dates of the hearings and her right to make statements, she was able to convince the court of the need for him to serve his full sentence. The second case was one where the survivors of an aggravated vehicular homicide (DWI) had many questions and needed assistance in working through the legal and financial aftermath of their son’s death. These victims wrote the attached thank you letters.” A dual domestic violence & victim/witness program in Campbell County wrote: “The Child Advocate worked with a young woman who was residing at the Youth Emergency Services House (Y.E.S. House), a treatment facility for troubled youth. This teen was dealing with the reality of being raped by a friend’s father repeatedly, as well as a great deal of family dynamics surrounding her abuse. Together, they worked on her coping and healing process by going through a rape book that dealt with the recover of rape. Several reporting options were discussed and then carried out. Information on the side effects of this trauma, many of which she could self-identify with, were worked through with the Child Advocate.” A CASA program in Natrona County wrote: “In another case, a CASA volunteer was assigned a case in which a 15-year-old girl had been tied up by her mother. Though the mother was complying with the DFS case plan, the CASA volunteer felt strongly that the real problem was domestic violence in the home perpetrated against the mother and both daughters by the step-father. The CASA volunteer could not get satisfaction from the local DFS office with regard to conducting an extensive criminal background check on the step-dad, so she undertook a mission of contacting judges from various other states where she knew the man had lived. She found a judge in Montana who honored her court order and released to her an extensive criminal background with numerous assaults and FVPA violations in other states. This evidence was introduced at a follow-up hearing and a no-contact order was issued against the step-dad, as well as a bench warrant. VOCA funds paid for the program director to train, supervise and provide extensive case-management to this volunteer.”
E. ISSUES OR TRENDS IMPACTING CRIME VICTIM SERVICES: One of the most notable issues impacting crime victim services in Wyoming is the profoundly rural or remotely rural aspect of our state. Delivery of services in large geographic counties with only one victim service organization affects response time. Small staff numbers in victim service organizations and even in some prosecution and law enforcement offices make if difficult to ensure that all responders have the opportunity to attend trainings.
F. USE OF VOCA ADMINISTRATIVE FUNDS: VOCA administrative funds are used to fund part of the director’s salary and program manager’s salary. Both positions provide technical assistance and training to advocates and allied professionals within the criminal justice system. The balance of the administrative funds has been used for training, awareness materials and our on-line statistical reporting program for subgrantees.