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