Dear Colleague:

I am pleased to provide you with a copy of the Office for Victims of Crime's (OVC's)
Fiscal Year 2002 Discretionary Program Plan. OVC created this program plan to highlight the tools and resources available to help communities meet their needs, to expand and improve services to victims, and to enhance the skills of those who serve victims.

The Program Plan reflects OVC's efforts to respond to input from the victims' field, to incorporate programs and projects that respond to recent amendments to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) contained in the USA PATRIOT Act, which give OVC greater discretionary funding and authority, and to address the efficacy of victim assistance initiatives and the long-term needs of victims. The Program Plan is organized according to the five global challenges as set forth by the field in OVC's 1998 report New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century.

In related news, OVC has also developed a Fiscal Year 2002 Discretionary Grant Application Kit, which describes all of OVC's competitive discretionary grant programs for FY 2002 and contains the materials and directions necessary to apply for these grants.

OVC is committed to helping communities nationwide respond to the needs of crime victims by expanding and improving services and supporting and nurturing service providers. For more information about OVC's program plan, please contact OVC at 202-307-5983. For copies of the program plan or application kit, please call the Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center at 800-627-6872 or 301-519-5500.