FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? OVC

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2001?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 202/307-0703

 

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AWARDS MORE THAN $360 MILLION TO STATES

TO ASSIST CRIME VICTIMS

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. ? The Justice Department?s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) announced today that all 50 states and six territories have been awarded a total of $360.8 million this year to help crime victims.? With the FY 2001 grants, OVC has now distributed more than $2.3 billion in victim assistance funds since 1986.? Money for these annual awards comes from the Crime Victims Fund, which is supported solely by fines paid by federal criminal offenders ?? not taxpayers.

?Victim assistance programs offer a lifeline that can help repair the damage of crime,? said Attorney General John Ashcroft.? ?These funds help dedicated organizations make a difference in people?s lives, as well as provide services that can help victims meet immediate needs in the aftermath of a crime, protect them from further harm and build for the future.?

One recent success story is the case of a Rochester, New Hampshire woman who was repeatedly abused by her live-in boyfriend.? Virtually penniless, she fled her house with her children and went to the police, who referred her to A Safe Place, a shelter and advocacy service that receives OVC victim assistance funds.? A Safe Place provided immediate shelter, helped her successfully file for a restraining order and arranged for permanent housing. A Safe Place also facilitated counseling for the victim?s children and provided food and gifts during the holidays.

? States use their crime victim assistance funds to support community-based efforts, including domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, child abuse victims programs and other initiatives that provide counseling, advocacy or emergency transportation to victims.? States can also use these funds for innovative efforts such as sexual assault nurse examiner programs or victim service units in law enforcement agencies, prosecutors offices and social service agencies.

The Crime Victims Fund is supported by fines collected by United States Attorneys, the U.S. Courts and the Bureau of Prisons.? Fines collected in one year are deposited into the Fund and are available for grant awards the following year.?

Over 90 percent of Fund deposits are distributed annually by OVC to states and territories to support state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.? Remaining funds are used for training and technical assistance and national demonstration projects.

OVC is the federal government?s chief advocate for crime victims and their families.? OVC provides funding for approximately 4,100 victim assistance programs serving 2.5 million crime victims each year and state victim compensation programs that serve an additional 200,000 victims.

A list of the FY 2001 victim assistance grant awards each state received is attached.??? More information about the Crime Victims Fund and OVC is available on OVC?s Web site at

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc and from the OVC Resource Center at 1-800/627-6872. Individuals can call OVC at 202/307-5983 for information about their state victim assistance agencies.? A list of these agencies is available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/state.htm.

Information about other Office of Justice Programs (OJP) bureaus and program offices is available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov.? Media should contact OJP?s Office of Congressional and Public Affairs at 202/307-0703.? ????????

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OVC 01162


 

OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME

FISCAL YEAR 2001 STATE VICTIM ASSISTANCE GRANTS

 

 

 


???????????????????????????????????????????????

 

? State

 

?Award Amount

 

? ALABAMA

 

$5,766,000

 

? ALASKA

 

$1,246,000

 

? ARIZONA

 

$6,258,000

 

? ARKANSAS

 

$3,574,000

 

? CALIFORNIA

 

$40,440,000

 

? COLORADO

 

?$5,388,000

 

? CONNECTICUT

 

$4,455,000

 

? DELAWARE

 

$1,408,000

 

? D.C.

 

$1,125,000

 

? FLORIDA

 

$18,709,000

 

? GEORGIA

 

$9,885,000

 

? HAWAII

 

$1,929,000

 

? IDAHO

 

$2,008,000

 

? ILLINOIS

 

$15,115,000

 

? INDIANA

 

$7,661,000

 

? IOWA

 

$3,958,000

 

? KANSAS

 

$3,698,000

 

? KENTUCKY

 

$5,273,000

 

? LOUISIANA

 

$5,768,000

 

? MAINE

 

$2,010,000

 

? MARYLAND

 

$6,732,000

 

? MASSACHUSETTS

 

$7,941,000

 

? MICHIGAN

 

$12,386,000

 

? MINNESOTA

 

$6,254,000

 

? MISSISSIPPI

 

$3,836,000

 

? MISSOURI

 

$7,089,000

 

? MONTANA

 

$1,564,000

 

? NEBRASKA

 

$2,508,000

 

? NEVADA

 

$2,680,000

 

NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

$1,947,000

 

NEW JERSEY

 

$10,313,000

 

NEW MEXICO

 

$2,596,000

 

NEW YORK

 

$22,427,000

 

NORTH CAROLINA

 

$9,719,000

 

NORTH DAKOTA

 

$1,264,000

 

OHIO

 

$14,064,000

 

OKLAHOMA

 

$4,546,000

 

OREGON

 

$4,496,000

 

PENNSYLVANIA

 

$14,953,000

 

RHODE ISLAND

 

$1,694,000

 

SOUTH CAROLINA

 

$5,182,000

 

SOUTH DAKOTA

 

$1,383,000

 

TENNESSEE

 

$7,108,000

 

TEXAS

 

$24,653,000

 

UTAH

 

$3,066,000

 

VERMONT

 

$1,215,000

 

VIRGINIA

 

$8,782,000

 

WASHINGTON

 

$7,436,000

 

WEST VIRGINIA

 

$2,677,000

 

WISCONSIN

 

$6,827,000

 

WYOMING

 

$1,078,000

 

PUERTO RICO

 

$5,187,000

 

AMERICAN SAMOA

 

$ 277,000

 

GUAM

 

$383,000

 

NORTHERN? MARIANA ISLANDS

 

$283,000

 

VIRGIN ISLANDS

 

$644,000

 

TOTAL:???????????????????? $360,864,000