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Brown, AGs oppose cuts in victims’ fund
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Posted on Apr 14 2005
Attorney general Pamela Brown said Wednesday that she has joined other attorneys general nationwide in opposing a proposed $1.2-billion budget cut from the Federal Crime Victims Fund, which provides direct assistance to victims of violent crimes.
Brown and attorneys general nationwide had written to the U.S. Congress, expressing their concern about the proposed budget cut, her office said yesterday.
“The administration’s proposal for the fiscal year 2006 budget to remove $1.27 billion from the Crime Victims Fund would have a devastating impact on our ability to support victims of crime,” the attorneys general said in their letter to Congress.
Although the administration’s proposed federal budget includes VOCA funding of $650 million for fiscal year 2006, all other monies remaining in the fund and any new monies collected in fiscal year 2006 would be eliminated, the attorneys general said.
They said that the fund is the only federal program that provides direct assistance to crime victims.
The Victims of Crime Act of 1984 created the federal crime victims fund. VOCA funds come entirely from collections from federal criminal fines, forfeitures and special assessments—not from taxpayers. Through grants to state victim compensation programs, victims of violent crimes throughout the country have been able to get help for medical care, mental health counseling, funeral and burial expenses, and other vital services.
The attorneys general said that some 4,400 local programs depend on VOCA funds to provide services to nearly 4 million victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, as well as families of homicide victims. (John Ravelo)
