Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

WASHINGTON -- Rhode Island will recieve $185,862 for crime victim compensation programs and $569,000 for crime victim assistance from the federal government's Recovery Act.

The federal disbursement coincides with the National Crime Victims' Rights Week, which is being observed through May 2.

"This funding will help ensure crime victims have access to critical support services so they can begin to rebuild their lives," said Sen. Jack Reed, a member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds Department of Justice programs.

"Crime victims can never fully be made whole, but these funds will be an enormous help to these individuals and families as they work through a difficult time in their lives," added Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a former U.S. Attorney and Attorney General for Rhode Island and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Crime Victims Fund, established by the landmark Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA), is a nationwide fund that supports victim services. The fund is financed by federal criminals' fines and penalties, not taxpayer dollars.

The funding is administered by the Department's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) through its Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it will release $100 million in Recovery Act funds for programs, with $95 million distributed through state formula grants to victim assistance and compensation programs today. DOJ will award an additional $5 million in Recovery Act discretionary funds to provide training and technical assistance and to support demonstration programs in areas ranging from child abuse to sexual assault to victim services in corrections later this year.

 Tags  Jack Reed James Langevin Patrick Kennedy Sheldon Whitehouse Washington

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