WE NEED YOUR HELP! VOCA FUNDING IN JEOPARDY

Economic Crisis Impacts Victims Services

Organizations like Berks Women in Crisis (victim service providers) in communities across the commonwealth are struggling to respond to the high volume of requests from victims of crime in need of counseling, assistance and compensation. We are experiencing unprecedented cuts in federal, state and county budgets as well as sharp declines in foundation grants, private donations and volunteer recruitment.

Making ends meet in the face of skyrocketing operating costs and a free falling economy is forcing many domestic and sexual violence programs to create waiting lists for services, cut back on services, reduce hours and in some cases, lay off staff. As a consequence, victims and their families are not able to obtain all the necessary help to cope with the trauma and aftermath of violence.

Congress has the ability and non-taxpayer resources to help stabilize victim assistance funding at a time when the need is never more urgent. Congress is sitting on close to $2 billion in the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fund which was created more than two decades ago solely to assist crime victims. The Fund consists of fines and penalties collected from federal offenders, not taxpayers. However, in recent years Congress has limited the amount released from the Fund, despite a large and growing surplus.

Pennsylvania’s network of victim service providers is seeking a one-time increase in the VOCA
Fund cap to $1 billion in the 2009 federal budget. The need is urgent; the increase is critical.

Now more than ever, Congress needs to hear from their constituents on behalf of crime victims and service providers in their communities.

Frequently asked questions:
What Is the VOCA Fund?

• Congress created this Fund under the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) of 1984 to provide state assistance grants for compensation and free services to help victims and their families cope with the trauma and aftermath of crime.

Where Does the Money Come From?

• Not one taxpayer dollar goes into the VOCA Fund – it is 100% sustained by fines and penalties imposed on offenders of federal crimes.

Does the Fund Help Victims of All Types of Crime?

• The Fund pays for services to victims of every type of crime. Each year, 4,400 local service providers throughout the U.S. rely on the Fund to offer support and assistance to close to 4.1 million victims and their families. In Pennsylvania, 124 agencies provided services to 141,410 victims of crime. Providers include rape crisis centers, domestic violence programs and shelters, prosecutor- and law-enforcement-based programs, child advocacy centers, drunk driving victim and homicide survivor support groups, etc.

How Much Money Is in the Fund?

• The current balance totals approximately $1.9 billion dollars and the federal government expects to collect an additional $710 million in 2009.

Why Has Funding Decreased for State Assistance Grants?

• In 2000, Congress placed a cap (limit) on the amount released from the VOCA Fund in order to ensure that a stable level of funding remains available for use to fund crime victim programs in future years. However, since 2004, the cap on the amount released has been lower than the amount of deposits into the Fund, thereby holding back more than $1.430 billion collected for the Fund. Despite the substantial surpluses in the VOCA Fund, the amount released has dwindled, and has been cut dramatically. In 2008 the cap on funds released was decreased by $35 million – from $625 million in 2007 to $590 million in 2008 – while the amount of deposits into the fund was $1.017 billion dollars just in 2008.

What Is the Impact of Cuts on Pennsylvania Victim Services?

• Since 2006, the loss of $6.723 million in grants from the Fund to Pennsylvania has put an enormous strain on providers, forcing 20% to implement waiting lists for services; 31% to eliminate staff; and 16.5% to discontinue programs altogether.

What Is the Impact of Cuts on Pennsylvania Crime Victims? In responding to a recent statewide survey, Pennsylvania victim service providers say that the cuts are likely to:

• “force victims to pursue pro se representation on their own, which can be overwhelming when facing the legal and judicial systems without an advocate or representation"
• "jeopardize the client's safety and fair treatment in court"
• "impede their ability to heal because their needs are not being met"
• "increase the potential for lethality with the likelihood of client returning to a dangerous situation”
• “increase likelihood of client and children ending up homeless"
• "reduce resiliency of crime victims"
• "result in one more person is left ‘out in the cold’ without help to navigate the difficult criminal justice system"

You can make a difference for victims of domestic and sexual violence, and all crimes, by advocating that members of Congress vote to authorize this one-time increase in the VOCA Fund cap. Please contact our legislators!

Contact information:

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) 202.224.4254 www.specter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm
Sen. Robert P. Casey (D-PA) 202.224.6324
www.casey.senate.gov/contact
Rep. Charles Dent (R) 202.225.6411
www.dent.house.gov/contact.aspx
Rep. Tim Holden (D) 202.225.5546
www.holden.house.gov/contactform_zipcheck.shtml
Rep. Jim Gerlach (R) 202.225.4315
www.writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml