What Is VOCA?
VOCA stands for Victims of Crime Act. This act was made into law in 1984. From it came the Office for Victims of Crime and the Crime Victims Fund.
What is the Crime Victims Fund &
Where Does the Money Come From?
The Crime Victims Fund provides funds to states for victim assistance and compensation programs that offer support and services to those affected by violent crimes (that's us!).
The Fund is financed by fines and penalties from convictions in federal cases, not from tax dollars. It does not come from taxpayers.
As of March 2024, the Fund balance was over $1.4 billion and includes deposits from federal criminal fines, forfeited bail bonds, penalties, and special assessments collected by U.S. Attorneys' Offices, federal courts, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Federal revenues deposited into the Fund also come from gifts, donations, and bequests by private parties, as provided by an amendment to VOCA through the USA PATRIOT Act in 2001 that went into effect in 2002. Since 2002, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been deposited into the Fund through this provision.
Who Decides Where the Money Goes & How it's Allocated?
This is where it gets a bit more complicated.
Some history:
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In 1984, a cap was placed on how much money could be deposited into it for the first 8 years. During this time, the annual cap varied from $100 million to $150 million.
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In 1993, the cap was lifted, allowing for the deposit of all criminal fines, special assessments, and forfeited bail bonds to support crime victim program activities.
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For the first 15 years of the Fund's existence, the total deposits for each fiscal year were distributed the following year to support services to crime victims.
Where We're at Now
Starting in Fiscal Year (FY) 2000, in response to large fluctuations in deposits, Congress placed a cap on funds available for distribution. Why? These annual caps were intended to maintain the Fund as a stable source of support for future victim services.
Okay, here comes the math. From FY 2000 to 2018, the amount of the annual cap varied from $500 million to more than $4 billion.
The cap was set at $2.015 billion in FY 2021 and $2.6 billion and $1.9 billion in FY 2022 and FY 2023, respectively.
For funds from the Crime Victims Fund available for victim assistance grants (that's us!), each state grantee receives a base amount of $500,000. The remaining funds are distributed to each state, based upon the state's population in relation to all other states, as determined by current census data. California tends to be the highest.
What are the Anticipated Cuts to VOCA?
Beginning July 2024, California's Office of Emergency Services is anticipating a reduction to California VOCA Victim Assistance Formula Grant Program of $105,800,000 - $132,100,000 as a result of declines in the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding.
California’s crime victim services will receive $87 million for FY24, which equates to a 43% reduction from the $153.8 million allocation last year.
Who Decides Where The Money Goes & How It's Allocated?
Beginning July 2024, California's Office of Emergency Services is anticipating a reduction to California VOCA Victim Assistance Formula Grant Program of $105,800,000 - $132,100,000 as a result of declines in the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding.
California’s crime victim services will receive $87 million for FY24, which equates to a 43% reduction from the $153.8 million allocation last year.
What Will Happen if we Don't Get the Funding?
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staff layoffs
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longer wait times for services, potentially leading to wait lists
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fewer resources available to survivors
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loss or significant reduction in direct services to survivors, including counseling and support groups
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compromise overall safety, including increases in psychological issues, further harm, and lethality
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further jeopardize already marginalized populations
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increase housing instability and homelessness
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create a loss of trust and faith
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damage community partnerships
What Do We Need?
According to the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, $262 million is needed to continue providing essential services to survivors of crime across California. Why? In an emergency, this allows victims to reach a supportive advocate on a hotline, receive counseling to process their trauma, and access housing options so they don’t become homeless.