 |
News |
For
Release:
March
1, 2006 ( 5:30pm, EST) |
Contact:
Mary Rappaport
202-467-8714 703-862-7741
(cell)
mrappaport@ncvc.org |
National Crime Victim Groups
Honor
U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and
Patrick Leahy
Washington,
DC-The National Center for Victims of Crime, along with other
leading national crime victim organizations, today honored U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and
Patrick Leahy (D-VT) for their work to protect the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)
Fund.
The VOCA Fund, funded by criminal fines and penalties
collected at the federal level, provides states with essential funding for crime
victim services and compensation programs.
During the fiscal
year 2006 budget cycle, the administration attempted to shift more than $1
billion from the Fund into general revenues, jeopardizing the activities of more
than 4,400 local agencies that directly support crime
victims.
"Senators
Crapo and Leahy stepped forward to uphold the nation's commitment to victims of
crime," said Mary Lou Leary, executive director of the National Center for
Victims of Crime, during a special awards ceremony held at the Russell Senate
Office Building. "Both provided
extraordinary leadership in ensuring that the VOCA Fund was preserved to help
victims rebuild their lives."
Established by Congress in 1984, VOCA funding supports
programs that help victims in the immediate aftermath of crime, including
emergency food, clothing and transportation; accompaniment to hospitals for
examinations; rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters; assistance
with filing restraining orders; and counseling services and support groups. The
VOCA Fund also supports services that help victims participate in the criminal
justice system, including notification of court proceedings, transportation to
court, help completing a victim impact statement, notification about the release
or escape of the offender, and assistance in seeking
restitution.
VOCA funds also support crime victim compensation, which
steps in when victims have no insurance, no workman's compensation, and no other
assistance to meet out-of-pocket expenses related to the crime. The
crime victim compensation program pays medical bills, counseling costs, crime
scene cleanup, burial costs, and similar expenses.
Joining the National Center in
honoring the senators were 11 other organizations, including: Justice Solutions,
Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, the
National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards, the National
Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators, the National Children's Alliance,
the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the National Network to End
Domestic Violence, the National Organization for Victim Assistance, the National
Organization of Parents of Murdered Children, and the Rape, Abuse and Incest
National Network.
"On behalf of the
over 100,000 survivors who contact POMC for services every year," said Dan
Levey, national president of Parents of Murdered Children, "we would like to
thank Senators Leahy and Crapo for their leadership and courage in fighting to
save the VOCA fund and for not forgetting the important services the Victims of
Crime Act provides to crime victims and their
families."
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The National Center for Victims of Crime is dedicated
to forging a national commitment to help victims of crime rebuild their
lives. The National Center's toll-free Helpline,
1-800-FYI-CALL, offers supportive counseling, practical information about crime
and victimization, skilled advocacy in the criminal justice and social service
systems, and referrals to local community resources.
Rel. 03-06
2000 M
Street, NW • Suite 480 • Washington, DC 20036