Office Of Justice Programs Awards $25 Million To Improve Services For Crime Victims

WASHINGTON – The Office of Justice Programs’ Office for Victims of Crime today awarded grants totaling almost $25 million to enhance services for victims of crime across the United States.

 The awards, funded under two separate OVC programs, will bring services to survivors of mass casualty events and use innovative technologies to reach underserved victims.

Approximately $18 million was awarded to the Medical University of South Carolina to establish a Mass Violence and Victimization Resource Center that addresses the comprehensive needs of victims of mass violence, domestic terrorism and other large-scale crimes.

The United States has experienced deadly episodes of mass violence and domestic terrorism in communities both large and small, and in locations ranging from schools and workplaces, to houses of worship, entertainment venues and open public forums,” said OVC Director Darlene Hutchinson. “The Department of Justice recognizes that our nation must become better equipped to respond to these events and better prepared to support victims and communities.”

 
 The Medical University of South Carolina will work with three primary subrecipients to meet the needs of this project: Abt Associates, a survey research firm, will conduct victim surveys; Boston University School of Public Health will bring a public health perspective to the resource center; and the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress at the University of California, Los Angeles will create policy briefs that propose strategies for responding to incidents of mass violence and provide program development guidance.

Approximately $7 million was also awarded to six recipients through the Vision 21: Advancing the Use of Technology to Assist Victims of Crime program, which will enable OVC and national nonprofit organizations to work together to develop innovative technologies that improve interaction between crime victims and service providers. The awardees are The National Center for Victims of Crime; TechSoup Global; the National Domestic Violence Hotline; the National Network to End Domestic Violence; the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network; and End Violence Against Women International.

 
 “All crime victims, no matter where they live, deserve access to comprehensive, compassionate, high-quality services,” said Hutchinson. “These awards will apply state-of-the-art technology to crisis assistance and long-term care, bringing desperately needed resources to victims in every corner of our country.”