Frequently law enforcement officers have little to no training regarding victims? compensation.  Additionally, Victim Witness Coordinators often are non-existent in Prosecutors? offices around the state due to budget constraints.  The failing economy has exacerbated this problem.  Many hospitals, which are entry points for a significant number of victims, are not knowledgeable regarding Victims Compensation.  If a victim fails to seek services from the local victim service provider, a significant number never know about victims? compensation.  Lack of transportation, especially in rural areas, continues to be a hindrance for victims to receive information on victims? compensation and other services.  Another critical issue is working with non-English speaking victims when access to interpreters is difficult or impossible.  Also Latina victims often fear deportation and will elect not to move forward with a victims? compensation claim.  On-going, continuous training from Victims? Compensation staff is needed to ensure that all responders to victims are aware of this benefit.  However, budget constraints hinder this effort.

North Carolina communities participate in efforts that bring the public and private sectors together to aid victims, such as:  annual Candlelight Vigil to remember victims during DV Awareness month; development of county Task Forces; creation of Coordinated Community Response teams; development of MOU with community partners; collaboration with local school systems to provide outreach activities such as kindergarten puppet show designed to educate young children about abusive situations; designing and conducting outreach programs for local churches; working with local leadership to address housing needs so that victims can live violence free; and producing PSA?s  to raise public awareness of victimization issues.  Some Victim Service agencies sponsor  judicial forums for candidates running for public office. These forums give communities the opportunity to learn about candidates and understand how their role in the judicial system relates to sexual and domestic violence. Other efforts statewide include: community participation in donating cell phones and accessories to ensure victims have the ability to call 911 should their perpetrator continue to threaten them; establishment of points of contact within community, especially in rural areas where info is made available about services and where an advocate can safely meet clients when necessary; Cut It Out campaign with area beauty salons and spas to raise awareness concerning victimization and train cosmetologists in identifying signs of abuse so cosmetologists can make informed referrals; collaboration with Neighborhood Crime Watchers; sponsorship of Golf Tournaments to raise funds for services provided by VS agencies. ? Additionally, our state?s Child Medical Evaluation Program trained community-based mental health professionals to provide evidence-based training to child-victims of crime. Child Advocacy Centers of NC provides statewide training and TA to communities seeking to establish CAC?s

All sub-grantees are required to send a letter to their local US Attorney's Office advising that office of the services provided to victims.  North Carolina sub-grantees, residing/working in areas of North Carolina where military bases/posts are located, work closely with local military personnel to ensure services are available to soldiers and their families.  North Carolina sub-grantees residing/working near the Eastern Band of Cherokee reservation frequently serve victims from the reservation and do outreach in reservation communities. Sub-grantees work closely with the FBI in federal cases.  Many sub-grantees attend trainings offered by the US Attorneys Office.  Non-profit victim service sub-grantees list with National Hotlines and position themselves to serve victims from all over the country.   Finally, the NC Governor's Crime Commission supports a DV/SA sub-committee whose membership consists of victim service providers, our DV and SA state coalitions and the Provost Marshall of Fort Bragg Army Post.  This ensures that we, as a funder, remain aware of issues and trends affecting our military citizenry.

North Carolina Governor?s Crime Commission (GCC) has supported/collaborated on the following initiatives to strengthen victim services around the state:  development of Fundamental Service Elements to standardize basic victim services around the state; development of Fundamental Elements of Accessibility to ensure all victim service providers in North Carolina can provide accessible services to victims with disabilities; development of web-based training on serving disabled victims; development of standard evaluation tools for victim service providers in North Carolina to evaluate services; development of web-based outreach tool to victims that assists victims in navigating victim services, law enforcement/prosecution/court systems;  development of a client database to assist providers in the collection of data; improvement of shelter security statewide by providing updated security equipment; and improvement of mental health services to victims.  GCC is also the recipient of two discretionary awards that have resulted in improving services to victims.  Our rural discretionary grant award supports evidenced-based Parent/Child Interaction training to rural mental health service providers in rural regions of North Carolina.  Our arrest discretionary grant supports electronic monitoring of domestic violence perpetrators in five counties.


Sub-grantees continue to outreach to/partner with local faith-based communities, local military communities, local health departments, schools and universities to strengthen services.  One sub-grantee, the 30th Judicial District DV/SA Alliance helps coordinate victim services in a seven county area.  This agency has been responsible for initiatives targeting elder abuse and human trafficking.  The North Carolina Victim Assistance Network (NCVAN) conducts a victim service practitioner academy twice a year to train victim service providers. Interact of Wake County has built a victim empowerment center that will be operational within the next 2 months.  This center is based on the Family Justice Center model with one critical exception, it is not primarily justice based.  Even though the local law enforcement DV unit is housed in this center, the center is not focused primarily on ?justice?.  Instead it focuses on the victim in a more holistic way by having services on-site that target many/most of the victims needs.  Another very attractive element is that the shelter is in the center so families (mothers/children) have to travel only to the first floor.  Since the center is in the site once owned by the YWCA, there is an Olympic size pool downstairs still operated by the YWCA where children in crisis can take advantage of YWCA activities.  

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Issues/notable trends are: influx of gang activity resulting in an increase in youth violence; increase in substance abuse and mental health issues and decrease in supportive services from a level that was already insufficient; increase in economic hardships; increase in unemployment; use of inappropriate interpreters on the scene of DV calls by LE such as children or other family members; lack of qualified interpreters; lack of qualified interpreters with a understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence; fear of deportation and growing anti-immigration sentiment resulting in a lack of reporting crime in the Latino population; limited translation services especially in rural communities; limited availability of housing assistance; high turnover in LE and the challenge that presents in maintaining a high level of training among officers regarding victim issues; lack of financial assistance (public assistance w/ housing, relocation fees, utility deposits) from human service agencies in a failing economy; increasing rate of teenage pregnancy; unpredictability of funding streams and difficulty of providing 24 hr services resulting in higher turnover within VS agency; and lack of training for magistrates who remain insensitive to issues surrounding DV. 

oversee and monitor VOCA subgrantees and a portion of three planners to help communities develop victim services projects. Small portions of the administrative funds support other staff who play supporting roles in the overall administration of VOCA subgrant dollars. Funds also support a prorated portion of the work of the GCC and the subcommittee of this commission, the Crime Victim Services Committee who oversee the state's grant making process for VOCA funds