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Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)

See below to learn more about the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)
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What is VOCA?

  • The Crime Victims Fund (CVF) was established by the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) of 1984.
  • Serves as a major federal funding source for victim services throughout the country.
  • The Fund comes from the collection of Federal criminal fines; not taxpayers
  • Each year the CVF helps an average of 3.7 million victims of all types of crime 

Who oversees the crime victims fund/ VOCA?

  • The Crime Victims Fund is administered by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)
  • OVC is one of 6 program offices within the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice
  • OVC administers two Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant programs:
    • Crime victim compensation 
    • Crime victim assistance
    • State agencies designated by the Governor to administer the VOCA funding are awarded a formula allocation each fiscal year. 

Purpose of VOCA Victim Assistance Funding

  • Address the needs of victims
  • Provide direct intervention services
  • Promote agency investment
  • Encourage community involvement

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