Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Assistance Funding
What does it solve?
Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) victim assistance funds are federal funds that can be used to support services for victims and survivors of gun violence. Many of the services eligible for VOCA victim assistance funds are already being provided by gun violence intervention programs, such as street outreach and hospital-based violence intervention programs. VOCA victim assistance grants should be used to help reduce gun violence and support gun violence survivors.
Local community-based organizations are in need of more funding to provide responsive services to victims of gun violence. These organizations have been delivering these critical services for years, healing families and communities while preventing future gun violence.
Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence
Which states have targeted solicitations to use federal Victims of Crime Act funds for gun violence intervention or victim services funding?
Alabama has not adopted this policy
Alaska has not adopted this policy
Arizona has not adopted this policy
Arkansas has not adopted this policy
California has adopted this policy
Colorado has not adopted this policy
Connecticut has adopted this policy
Delaware has not adopted this policy
Florida has not adopted this policy
Georgia has not adopted this policy
Hawaii has not adopted this policy
Idaho has not adopted this policy
Illinois has adopted this policy
Indiana has adopted this policy
Iowa has adopted this policy
Kansas has not adopted this policy
Kentucky has not adopted this policy
Louisiana has not adopted this policy
Maine has not adopted this policy
Maryland has not adopted this policy
Massachusetts has not adopted this policy
Michigan has not adopted this policy
Minnesota has not adopted this policy
Mississippi has not adopted this policy
Missouri has not adopted this policy
Montana has not adopted this policy
Nebraska has not adopted this policy
Nevada has not adopted this policy
New Hampshire has not adopted this policy
New Jersey has adopted this policy
New Mexico has not adopted this policy
New York has adopted this policy
North Carolina has not adopted this policy
North Dakota has not adopted this policy
Ohio has adopted this policy
Oklahoma has not adopted this policy
Oregon has not adopted this policy
Pennsylvania has not adopted this policy
Rhode Island has not adopted this policy
South Carolina has not adopted this policy
South Dakota has not adopted this policy
Tennessee has not adopted this policy
Texas has not adopted this policy
Utah has not adopted this policy
Vermont has not adopted this policy
Virginia has adopted this policy
Washington has not adopted this policy
West Virginia has not adopted this policy
Wisconsin has not adopted this policy
Wyoming has not adopted this policy
Myth & Fact
Myth
VOCA victim assistance grants cannot be used to support gun violence intervention programs.
Fact
Many gun violence intervention organizations provide VOCA-eligible services to gun violence victims. Among these eligible services are crisis intervention, safety planning, mental health counseling, case management, and peer-to-peer support.
How it works
Local community-based organizations are in need of more funding.
VOCA victim assistance grants can be used to fund community-based organizations providing services to gun violence victims and survivors. However, historically, VOCA victim assistance funds have not been granted to services focused on gun violence victims and survivors. VOCA victim assistance funding can and should be utilized to support services to gun violence victims and to help stem cycles of violence. States and cities can be proactive in directing VOCA victim assistance funds to gun violence victim services.
Among the gun violence intervention services eligible for victim assistance funding are hospital-based violence intervention programs, street outreach programs, and trauma recovery centers.
By the numbers
$225M
$225 million could be unlocked for victims of gun violence if all 50 states committed ten percent of their 2019 VOCA victim assistance funds to gun violence victim services.
37%
A 2019 federal audit of state spending found that, in aggregate, states had failed to spend 37 percent of 2016 VOCA victim assistance allocations.
Surviving a crime can take a physical and financial toll on victims and their loved ones. Medical costs, mental health counseling, and lost wages are just some of the financial consequences of surviving a crime. Congress passed the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) in 1984 to help victims navigate these…Continue