Title: Office for Victims of Crime: Report to the Nation, Fiscal Years 1999 and 2000 Series: Report to Congress Author: Office for Victims of Crime Published: December 2001 Subject: victims -- victims' rights, victim services, report to congress, crime victims fund, victims' rights, victims -- general 84 pages 200,704 bytes ---------------------------- Figures, charts, forms, and tables are not included in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file available from this Web site or order a print copy from Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center at 800-627-6872. ---------------------------- U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office for Victims of Crime Office for Victims of Crime Report to the Nation Fiscal Years 1999 and 2000 Office for Victims of Crime OVC Advocating for the Fair Treatment of Crime Victims ---------------------------- U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs 810 Seventh Street NW. Washington, DC 20531 John Ashcroft Attorney General Office of Justice Programs World Wide Web Home Page www.ojp.usdoj.gov Office for Victims of Crime World Wide Web Home Page www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc For grant and funding information contact U.S. Department of Justice Response Center 1-800-421-6770 OVC Resource Center 1-800-627-6872 OVC Resource Center Home Page www.ncjrs.gov NCJ 189205 The Office for Victims of Crime is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. ---------------------------- VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT OF 1984, AS AMENDED: A REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT, THE CONGRESS, AND THE NATION OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE This report covers activities undertaken by the Office for Victims of Crime and its grantees with Crime Victims Fund revenues during Fiscal Years 1999-2000. ---------------------------- Acknowledgments The Office for Victims of Crime gratefully acknowledges the work of Ashley Oliver Barrett, who analyzed data and numerous project summaries to prepare the final draft of this Report to the Nation. We also would like to thank senior writer/editors Theodosia Craig and Lisa Hooper, editorial quality control specialist Lynne McConnell, senior graphic designers Jennifer Cassou and Gemma Radko, and production team manager Dawn Mayhew. ---------------------------- Contents Message From the Director Introduction o Crime Victims Fund o Earmarks o Legislative Changes o Emergency Fund o Victimization Trends o The Evolution of the Victims Field o Victim Rights and Services in the 21st Century Chapter 1. Domestic and International Leadership o Leadership Through Policy Development o Leadership Through Program Development o Leadership Through Public Awareness and Outreach o Leadership in Responding to Terrorism, Mass Violence, and International Issues Chapter 2. Access to Services o Services Through State Formula Grant Programs o Services for Victims in Indian Country o Services for Victims of Federal Crimes o Services for Remote and Underserved Victims Chapter 3. Professional Development and Training o Professional Development Initiatives o Multidisciplinary Training Programs and Conferences o Training for Specific Professions Chapter 4. Evaluation o National Evaluation of State VOCA Compensation and Assistance Programs o Victim Services 2000 Evaluation o Pan Am Flight 103 Evaluation o Study of Victims' Rights and Services in an American Indian Tribe Chapter 5. Information Exchange o OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center o OVC Resource Center o OVC Online Resources Chapter 6. Awards for Outstanding Achievement o National Crime Victim Service Awards o Crime Victims Fund Awards Appendixes o Appendix A. VOCA Victim Assistance Allocations, FYs 1999 and 2000 o Appendix B. VOCA Victim Compensation Allocations, FYs 1999 and 2000 o Appendix C. Children's Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities Grant Program Allocations, FYs 1999 and 2000 o Appendix D. Victim Assistance in Indian Country (VAIC) Allocations, FYs 1999 and 2000 o Appendix E. OVC Publications and Products Released in FYs 1999 and 2000 o Appendix F. OVC-Funded Terrorism Initiatives, FYs 1999 and 2000 o Appendix G. OVC Discretionary Program Allocations, FYs 1999 and 2000 ---------------------------- Message From the Director Millions of Americans are affected by crime each year. The physical and emotional damage caused by crime affects not only individuals, but also families, communities, and the Nation. For some, the wounds caused by crime never truly heal, but with help victims can rebuild their lives. Over the past two decades, the landscape for victims in this country has changed dramatically for the better, due in large part to the advocacy efforts of crime victims. Every state has passed victims' rights laws, service programs have sprung up across the country, and funding for victim services has steadily increased. At the federal level, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has been a wellspring of funding, information, and leadership for the victims field since its establishment in 1988. This report covers OVC's major undertakings during fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (October 1, 1998--September 30, 2000). It demonstrates the many ways in which OVC works to improve the criminal justice response to victims, make services and resources more accessible, and expand the range and quality of services for victims nationwide and around the world. Funding for OVC's programs and activities does not come from taxpayers, but rather from fines and penalties paid by federal criminal offenders in accordance with the 1984 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). This report discusses how OVC allocated these funds during the past biennium. The first chapter focuses on OVC's leadership in developing and providing effective responses to crime victims worldwide. OVC is in a unique position to gather victim-related information from a variety of sources, synthesize that information, and provide guidance and direction back to the field. OVC accomplishes this through policy development, program development, and public awareness efforts. For example, OVC recently issued new guidelines for states and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) identifying ways to improve services for victims at the state and federal levels. A major initiative to address the needs of children who witness violence is included in this chapter, as well as Victim Services 2000 (VS2000), OVC's premier demonstration program for providing comprehensive, quality services to victims. Providing leadership in responding to terrorism, mass violence, and international crimes also has been an important priority at OVC for the past 2 years as the impact of school shootings and incidents of domestic and international terrorism have been felt around the country. Chapter 1 discusses OVC's efforts to build capacity at the local, state, and federal levels to respond to terrorism and mass violence, such as the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, and discusses new legislation that expands OVC's authority to respond directly to victims of such crimes. Chapter 2 focuses on ways in which OVC works to improve access to comprehensive, quality services for crime victims. This is largely accomplished through state compensation and assistance formula grant programs, which receive approximately 90 percent of the moneys available from the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) each year. State compensation programs pay for crime-related expenses such as medical care, mental health counseling, and lost wages. Assistance programs include services such as domestic violence shelters, children's advocacy centers, and rape treatment programs. During the past biennium, more crime victims were served under VOCA victim compensation and assistance programs than in any previous biennium since the creation of VOCA in 1984. OVC works in partnership with states to make these programs more accessible to victims. Chapter 2 also includes OVC's efforts to address the needs of victims in Indian Country, enhance the federal criminal justice system's response to victims, and improve access to services for underserved victims such as those living in rural areas, immigrants, and victims with disabilities. OVC's professional development and training activities are the subject of chapter 3. In the aftermath of crime, victims come into contact with a wide range of professionals, including those in the fields of victim assistance, criminal justice, health care, mental health, social services, emergency response, education, and faith. OVC has joined states, universities, and others to identify ways to professionalize the victim assistance field and develop a framework for consistent, quality services for crime victims. Through partnerships and coalitions with various communities, OVC provides cutting-edge, profession-specific education and training on victim issues. This chapter discusses OVC's many multidisciplinary training programs, such as the National Victim Assistance Academy, state victim assistance academies, and a symposium for those working in the federal system. Training for specific professions such as those within the health care, mental health, and corrections communities is also addressed. OVC increasingly bases funding and priorities on sound research and evaluation. In recent years, OVC has partnered with DOJ's research arm--the National Institute of Justice (NIJ)--to evaluate victim service programs and activities. Chapter 4 focuses on four evaluation efforts recently undertaken by OVC. These include a national evaluation of state VOCA compensation and assistance programs, of which the preliminary report indicates that state programs are generally operating well but could improve in the key areas of planning, training, outreach, and coordination. Other studies include an evaluation of VS2000, an evaluation of OVC's services to families of victims during the Pan Am 103 trial, and a study of victims' rights and services among American Indian tribes. Chapter 5 discusses ways in which OVC facilitates the exchange of up-to-date victim-related information. The three major avenues through which OVC provides information directly to the field are the OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC), the OVC Resource Center (OVCRC), and the OVC Web site. TTAC has greatly improved OVC's capacity to provide training and technical assistance across the country. OVCRC disseminates OVC publications and products that support and enhance the work of victim service providers and allied professionals, including literature on emerging victim issues, promising practices and demonstration programs, research findings, policy guides, and technical assistance and skill-building tools, videos, and customized information packages. Many of these products are available on OVC's Web site (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc), which provides a wealth of information about OVC's programs and activities. The final chapter in this report recognizes the work of individuals and programs throughout the Nation that have made outstanding contributions to improving crime victims' rights and services. The 1999 and 2000 recipients of the prestigious National Crime Victim Service Awards are profiled in this chapter, as well as the recipients of the Crime Victims Fund Awards to federal employees whose work has increased deposits into CVF. All award recipients, many of whom are crime victims, serve as role models and a source of inspiration for others working in the victims field. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Kathryn M. Turman, whose vision was the impetus for several of the more recent initiatives outlined in this report and who helped sustain the various programs authorized by VOCA during her tenure as Director and Acting Director of OVC. On September 14, I was confirmed by the Senate to serve as Director of the Office for Victims of Crime. As a crime victim, a retired law enforcement officer, a former chair of the California Board of Prison Terms, and a citizen who works to uphold justice and advocate for victims' rights and services, I am honored by the confidence placed in me by President Bush, Attorney General Ashcroft, and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to ensure that victims' rights and needs are addressed at the national and state levels. We have important work ahead of us and I look forward to working with you to further the cause of justice for crime victims during this administration. I appreciate your continued support for crime victims and the issues and programs administered by OVC. John W. Gillis Director Office for Victims of Crime ---------------------------- Introduction The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is a federal agency located within the Office of Justice Programs of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that Congress formally established in 1988 through an amendment to the 1984 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). OVC provides federal leadership and federal funds to support victim compensation and assistance programs around the country and advocates for the fair treatment of crime victims worldwide. OVC administers formula and discretionary grants designed to benefit victims, provides training for diverse professionals who work with victims, develops projects to enhance victims' rights and services, and undertakes public education and awareness activities on behalf of crime victims. OVC accomplishes its work through the following divisions: State Compensation and Assistance Division--This division administers formula grants for local and state crime victim compensation and assistance programs. Approximately 90 percent of the money deposited into the Crime Victims Fund each year is distributed through this division. Special Projects Division--As the program development arm of OVC, this division establishes national-scope training, technical assistance, and demonstration programs; launches special initiatives that address major issues in the victims field, and provides education about crime victim issues. Federal Crime Victims Division--Through this division, OVC works to provide federal crime victims with assistance and full participation in the criminal justice process. The division distributes funds to federal criminal justice agencies and American Indian Tribes and Alaskan Natives across the country to support training and direct services for victims. Technical Assistance, Publications, and Information Resources Unit--This division manages the OVC Resource Center, the OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center, education and outreach initiatives, and the publication and dissemination of OVC materials and grant products. Terrorism and International Victims Unit--OVC's newest unit develops programs and initiatives to help victims of terrorism and mass violence and victims of crimes involving transnational dimensions, such as victimization of tourists, trafficking of adults and children for exploitative purposes, and international child abduction. Crime Victims Fund OVC's programs and activities are funded through the Crime Victims Fund (CVF), which is derived not from tax dollars, but from fines and penalties paid by federal criminal offenders. This unique funding source helps support more than 4,000 local victim service agencies around the country, including domestic violence shelters, children's advocacy centers, and rape treatment programs. CVF also helps support state efforts to reimburse victims for expenses related to their victimization, such as medical and mental health costs, lost wages, and funeral expenses. Since CVF was established in 1984, nearly $3.7 billion has been collected, and it helps more than 2 million victims each year. Recent years have seen dramatic fluctuations in CVF deposits (see figure 1). Deposits in fiscal year (FY) 1998 (available for distribution in FY 1999) reached a healthy $324 million, and FY 1999 deposits climbed to an all-time high of more than $985 million. However, of the amount deposited, only $500 million was available for distribution in FY 2000 due to a congressional funding cap. Meanwhile, FY 2000 deposits fell slightly to $776.9 million, but only $537.5 million was available for distribution in FY 2001. ---------------------------- Figure 1 is not included in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file available from this Web site or order a print copy from Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center at 800-627-6872. ---------------------------- OVC distributes the available funds based on a formula set forth in VOCA, as amended. Up to the first $20 million is divided between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and OVC--with HHS receiving 85 percent and OVC the remaining 15 percent--to improve the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases. The portion administered by OVC is used exclusively to help American Indians improve the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases in Indian Country, particularly child sexual abuse. Remaining CVF deposits are distributed in the following ways: 48.5 percent to state compensation programs, 48.5 percent to state assistance programs, and 3 percent for discretionary funds to support demonstration projects, training, public awareness, and assistance to expand and improve the delivery of services to federal crime victims. The following section outlines recent developments relating to CVF and how OVC allocated funding for programs and activities during FYs 1999 and 2000. Earmarks For the past few years, significant funding has been earmarked for improving the federal criminal justice system's response to crime victims. In 1999, Congress earmarked $14.3 million from CVF to support victim/witness coordinator and advocate positions for the 93 U.S. Attorneys' Offices around the country. These earmarks were included within the cap on CVF in OVC's FY 2000 allocations. In 2000, Congress designated an additional $7.4 million from CVF to support creating 112 full-time positions for victim assistance specialists in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). These positions are to be distributed according to a formula provided by Congress: one position in each of the FBI's 56 field offices, one position in each of the FBI's largest resident agencies (smaller field offices), and 31 positions to be distributed throughout Indian Country. In 2001, a second earmark was established to support additional victim/witness efforts by the FBI and U.S. Attorneys' Offices. Legislative Changes Two legislative changes in 2000 affected CVF. Although the changes did not affect CVF allocations until FY 2001, they had a notable impact on OVC's policy and planning efforts during this biennium. The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act of 2000 significantly expanded OVC's authority to respond to victims of terrorism worldwide. The Act amended VOCA by charging OVC's director to establish a compensation program for victims of international terrorism and by authorizing the director to double the amount set aside in the Emergency Fund to $100 million (see below). It broadened the list of eligible organizations and purposes for which Emergency Fund dollars could be used to support victim assistance services for victims of terrorism and mass violence occurring outside the United States. The Child Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Act allowed funds allocated for child abuse victims to increase from $10 million to $20 million. In FY 2001, OVC allocated $17 million to HHS for child abuse prevention and treatment programs. The remaining $3 million is being used to enhance OVC's programs in Indian Country. Emergency Fund OVC established an Emergency Fund of $20 million in 1995 to guard against any future dramatic decreases in CVF and to respond to cases of terrorism or mass violence. A subsequent amendment to VOCA allowed OVC to increase the fund amount to $50 million. To date, with emergency authorization from Congress, expenditures from the Emergency Fund have been used primarily to assist victims of terrorism and mass violence, including the U.S. Embassy bombings in East Africa (1998), the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City (1995), and the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland (1988). In 2000, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act allowed OVC to set aside up to $100 million for the Emergency Fund and expanded OVC's authority in cases involving terrorism against Americans outside U.S. boundaries. OVC has drafted guidelines for using the Emergency Fund. However, the fund's cap and outdated VOCA provisions have limited OVC's ability to replenish amounts in the Emergency Fund. Victimization Trends Victimization rates in 1999 were the lowest recorded since the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) was created by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, in 1973. According to NCVS data, from 1998 to 1999 the overall violent crime rate declined 10 percent and the property crime rate fell 9 percent. Despite these glowing statistics, nearly 29 million Americans ages 12 or older were affected by crime in 1999. More than 15,000 people were murdered, and law enforcement agencies received reports of an estimated 89,000 forcible rapes. Other surveys estimate that close to 1 million children were victims of abuse or neglect and as many as 10 million children witnessed violence in their homes and communities. Recent school shootings, terrorist bombings, and other acts of mass violence, although relatively few in number, have horrified the Nation and ignited national discussion about ways to address them. ---------------------------- Figure 2 is not included in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file available from this Web site or order a print copy from Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center at 800-627-6872. ---------------------------- Crime rates may have declined, but the financial and emotional costs of crime to victims are still staggering. In the wake of crime, victims need critical health care, which can add up to thousands of dollars. They may need ongoing mental health treatment, time off from work to attend criminal justice proceedings or to care for an injured family member, modifications to their home because of a crime-related disability, or changed locks or repairs to broken windows after a break-in--all costly. Victims also need a helping hand to guide them through the criminal justice system. Domestic violence victims may need shelter to escape their abusers. Children may need a safe place where people understand their needs. Regardless of their particular situations, all victims need to be treated fairly and with dignity and respect by those with whom they come in contact. OVC helps provide the lifeline services that aid millions of victims each year in the aftermath of crime. Recent increases in CVF deposits have allowed OVC to help a growing number of crime victims. Still, OVC funds reach only a fraction of the total number of victims each year. At the same time, new crimes are identified and professionals from numerous disciplines need to be educated about and trained in crime victim issues. Current funding levels cannot meet the demands of this growing field. The Evolution of the Victims Field Over the past two decades, what began as a grassroots effort to help victims and advocate for their rights has grown into a full-fledged victim assistance field. Since VOCA was passed, OVC has played a major role in the development and professionalization of this field by channeling significant funding to local communities and states for direct services for victims. OVC's efforts to provide cutting-edge training and technical assistance; identify, support, and improve victim-related promising practices nationwide; launch public awareness initiatives; and make information available to the field and the public also have profoundly affected the field as it has matured. The past few years have seen an expansion of local, state, and federal victim-related funding sources. These programs do not duplicate OVC's efforts; they enhance them. For example, the 1994 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) provided substantial funding through DOJ and HHS for efforts to change the criminal justice system's response to domestic violence, for a national domestic violence hotline, and for prevention activities. These funds bolster OVC's efforts to provide direct services to domestic violence victims through its network of local and state service providers. The Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program (Byrne Program) formula and discretionary grants, also administered through DOJ, provide funding for a range of projects to improve the criminal justice system's operations. In addition, Byrne Program grants augment OVC's efforts to cultivate the system's response to victims and facilitate victim participation in the criminal justice process. Victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse historically have received a major commitment of VOCA dollars and continue to do so. With the emergence of other funding sources, however, OVC has focused more of its discretionary funding on the needs of unserved and underserved victim populations and on developing coalitions and partnerships with various professionals who have not traditionally been considered part of the victim assistance field. For example, OVC has targeted significant funding over the past 2 years to improve services for immigrant victims, victims with disabilities, elderly victims, stalking victims, and those living in rural and remote areas. OVC also has launched a major effort to assist victims of terrorism and mass violence, both in the United States and abroad. With the passage of new victims' rights legislation at the state and federal levels, OVC has directed significant resources toward building public agency-based infrastructures to respond to new mandates. Thirty-two states have passed constitutional amendments for victims' rights, and the field continues to advocate for a constitutional amendment at the federal level. While the majority of VOCA subgrants are awarded to private, community-based programs, VOCA funds are increasingly directed toward public criminal justice and social service agencies at the local and state levels. Criminal justice agencies are now required to inform victims of their rights and provide services to victims at almost every stage in the process, from the moment a crime occurs through the corrections phase and beyond. OVC also maintains a commitment to improving victims' rights and services in the federal criminal justice system and in Indian Country, believing that the federal system should uphold the highest possible standard for services to victims and should be a model for local communities and states to follow. Victims Rights and Services in the 21st Century The progress of the past two decades in expanding rights and services for victims of crime requires that OVC and the field take a new look at how CVF is used. New victims, such as victims of cybercrime, torture, trafficking, and drug-facilitated sexual assault, are continually being identified. New technologies and smarter criminals will lead to yet more forms of victimization that must be addressed. We live in an increasingly global world in which state and national borders mean less, and individuals from many places can be victimized by the same crime. These and other issues will remain at the forefront as OVC continues to work with the field to meet the ever-growing needs of crime victims. ---------------------------- Domestic and International Leadership Chapter 1 Objective: To provide leadership on effective responses to crime victims at the local, state, national, and international levels. A central piece of the Office for Victims of Crime's mission is to provide leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims of crime. OVC is the only federal agency in the United States established to address crime victim issues and is one of the few offices of its kind around the world. As such, OVC is in a unique position to gather victim-related information from a broad cross-section of sources, synthesize that information, and provide guidance and direction to practitioners in the field and the public. The field consists of victims, victim advocates, academicians, researchers, policymakers, and professionals in criminal justice, health, mental health, and social services. OVC provides leadership to this expanding field through many avenues, including developing policies and program guidelines, funding comprehensive grant programs, producing and disseminating training and technical assistance and public awareness and outreach materials, providing training and technical assistance, and, in some cases, providing direct services to victims. This chapter highlights some of the areas in which OVC has provided leadership to the field during FYs 1999 and 2000. The first half focuses on OVC's domestic leadership activities through policy development, program development, and public awareness and outreach, while the second half focuses on OVC's leadership efforts in responding to terrorism and international issues. Leadership Through Policy Development A major responsibility of OVC is to provide guidance and direction within the U.S. Department of Justice and to the field on how to implement laws and programs for crime victims. OVC accomplishes this by issuing guidelines and protocols, drafting and reviewing proposed legislation, disseminating information on cutting-edge issues affecting the victims field, convening focus groups to gather input on key issues affecting crime victims, and leading and serving on working groups. Some OVC activities in these areas are discussed below. VOCA Victim Compensation and Assistance Program Guidelines One of OVC's primary functions is to administer the Victims of Crime Act victim compensation and victim assistance grant programs (see chapter 2 for more information on these programs). Under this task, OVC provides states with guidance on how to administer and implement these programs. Through VOCA program guidelines, OVC provides leadership to the field based on legislative changes and emerging trends that affect how the programs are administered. During the 2-year period covered in this report, OVC developed new program guidelines that update those published in 1997. o VOCA Victim Compensation Program Guidelines. The new guidelines encourage state victim compensation programs to cover victims who may not have been previously covered, including victims who have been threatened with or escaped physical injury or death but have experienced the trauma of crime. This would allow victims of stalking, bank robbery, hate crime, and workplace violence and children who witness violence, among others, to be covered. The guidelines also encourage states to cover citizens who are victims of crime abroad. By identifying these potentially underserved victims, OVC hopes to challenge states to assess the comprehensiveness of their programs and provides needed background information for states seeking to expand the scope of their programs. o VOCA Victim Assistance Program Guidelines. Significant new moneys have been deposited into the Crime Victims Fund during the past several years. The new guidelines encourage use of VOCA funding to cover a host of additional expenses, new services, and victims not typically covered. For example, the guidelines encourage victims' rights compliance by allowing use of VOCA funds to support programs that help victims whose rights under state constitutional amendments and victims' rights laws have been violated. Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance During FYs 1999 and 2000, OVC spearheaded the efforts of DOJ's Deputy Attorney General's Victims' Rights Working Group to revise the 1995 Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance (AG Guidelines). The 2000 edition of the AG Guidelines discusses the responsibilities under federal law of DOJ investigative, prosecutorial, and correctional employees regarding the treatment of victims of and witnesses to crime. It outlines mandatory responsibilities, including identifying victims, informing them of major case events, and referring them to appropriate services. To promote compliance with the new guidelines, OVC increased training and outreach to DOJ staff. This included a 30-minute training video, a 2-day training session in Memphis, Tennessee, for all U.S. Attorneys' Offices and some Federal Bureau of Investigation victim assistance staff, and several group training sessions for all DOJ personnel whose jobs bring them into contact with crime victims. Focus Groups and Symposia OVC provides significant leadership by conducting focus groups and symposia on emerging victim issues or areas that have received little attention in the past and disseminating information on these topics to the field. In FYs 1999 and 2000, OVC conducted more than 30 focus groups and symposia on topics including restorative justice, human trafficking, crisis response, victims of gun violence, stalking, elderly victims, and intimate partner homicide. OVC invites experts to participate in focus groups, with the goal of developing policies, programs, and educational materials to be used by the field. Two OVC programs are discussed below. o Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault Focus Group. Drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA), often called "date rape," poses a growing and increasingly complex problem for the criminal justice system. While there are widespread anecdotal reports of DFSA, there has been little scientific corroboration of the nature and extent of the problem and no clear protocol to follow regarding the collection of toxicology specimens. The Hillary J. Farias and Samantha Reid Date-Rape Drug Prohibition Act of 2000 directed the U.S. Attorney General to develop protocols and training for law enforcement regarding DFSA. To help accomplish this, OVC held a multidisciplinary forum in June 2000 to develop sensitive, effective, and pragmatic protocols for DFSA cases. The report from the DFSA forum will be disseminated nationally to the criminal justice and victim assistance fields. Recommendations from the focus group have guided OVC's efforts in developing training and technical assistance on this topic in a number of venues, including the Third National Symposium on Victims of Federal Crime (Federal Symposium) held in Washington, D.C., in January 2001, and the First National Sexual Assault Response Team Training Conference, held in San Antonio, Texas, in May 2001. o Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Crime Victims. In June 2000, OVC and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) sponsored a symposium on the mental health needs of crime victims. Participants from the research, mental health, and victim assistance fields discussed seven papers that were commissioned specifically for the symposium on effective mental health and legal interventions with child and adult crime victims and the implications of these interventions. Participants also generated recommendations for additional research and policy implementation. The papers will be published in a special edition of the Journal of Traumatic Stress, which will be disseminated to mental health practitioners nationwide. Ideas from this symposium have also led a number of other OVC projects to provide training to the mental health community on victim issues (see chapter 3 for more information). Working Groups OVC participates in a number of intra- and interagency working groups on issues affecting crime victims. In this way, OVC honors victims' voices and ensures that their interests are represented when developing various policies and programs within the federal criminal justice system and across the Federal Government. Three examples of OVC's involvement in working groups are highlighted below. o Presidential Pardon Group. During FY 2000, OVC staff participated in a DOJ working group that developed regulations governing victim notification and comment on petitions for executive clemency in the federal system. The rule, which was published in the Federal Register in September 2000, requires the U.S. Attorney General to notify crime victims in appropriate cases when an offender convicted of a federal felony files a petition for executive clemency. DOJ will invite victims to submit comments in response to the petition if they wish to do so and will inform them of the President's final decision on the clemency request. o Elder Abuse Working Group. OVC currently serves on an Elder Abuse Working Group, made up of representatives from the U.S. Administration on Aging, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the National Institute on Aging, AARP, the United Nations, the National Sheriffs' Association, the National Hispanic Council on Aging, and the Oregon Department of Human Services. The goal of this working group is to address aspects of elder abuse, including prevention efforts and the needs of victims. o Improving the Criminal Justice System's Response to Individuals With Mental Illness. OVC has joined several other DOJ agencies to support the Council of State Governments' Eastern Regional Conference on improving the criminal justice system's response to individuals with mental illness. In recent years, the criminal justice system has seen an influx of individuals with mental illness. The lack of sufficient state laws, guidelines, and training on this subject has frustrated criminal justice agencies, mental health professionals, and victims. This project is an effort to respond to these concerns. OVC's goal in this initiative is to ensure victim-sensitive input into the working group process and resulting recommendations. Leadership Through Program Development An important OVC objective is to support the development and replication of promising practices to serve crime victims, with the goal of improving the quality of victim services nationwide. These practices are built on sound research, innovative technologies, and community-based partnerships. OVC awards grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts and enters into intra- and interagency agreements to support the development and delivery of training and technical assistance for those who interact with crime victims and the development and delivery of services to victims. Two promising practices OVC supported during the past biennium are discussed below. Children Exposed to Violence Initiative The Children Exposed to Violence Initiative (CEVI) was launched by DOJ in 1998 in a concerted effort to reduce crime and protect our Nation's children. CEVI challenges local, state, and federal law enforcement to intervene early in the lives of children who are exposed to violence and hold perpetrators of violence against children accountable. The initiative encourages criminal justice personnel to partner with families, communities, schools, social service agencies, child protective services, mental and physical health care providers, business and government leaders, and domestic violence advocates to break the cycle of violence by improving prevention, intervention, and accountability efforts. OVC--along with other DOJ divisions and federal agencies--was integrally involved in formulating this project and produced a number of products under the initiative, including a resource guide on innovative practices, a bulletin on children exposed to violence, a monograph on breaking the cycle of violence, and a five-part video series for the criminal justice system that addresses the magnitude of the problem and the resources available to deal with it. Victim Services 2000 OVC began developing the Victim Services 2000 (VS2000) concept in 1997. The goal of the 5-year VS2000 project is to improve the range, quality, and accessibility of services for all crime victims by supporting the development of integrated victim service systems in urban and rural settings to serve as models for other communities. OVC awarded VS2000 demonstration grants to two urban communities and two rural communities. One urban site, Denver, Colorado, and one rural site, Vermont, have been successful with the project. The other two sites have been discontinued but have provided important lessons about why programs fail to grow. The Denver VS2000 site, in its fifth and final year of funding from OVC, is focusing on continuing goal implementation, producing products describing Denver VS2000 initiatives, developing a training and technical assistance strategy, and transitioning to an ongoing operational structure. The Vermont VS2000 site is in its third year of funding and continues to strengthen local and state collaborative efforts to ensure education for victim service providers and allied professionals, access for underserved populations, increased public awareness of victim services, and support for survivors. OVC hopes that both VS2000 programs will inspire other communities to develop comprehensive, integrated services for crime victims. Leadership Through Public Awareness and Outreach OVC's mission includes raising public awareness of crime victims' rights, needs, and services by informing the public of victim issues and providing education and training to victim advocates and allied professionals who work with victims daily. This responsibility involves identifying and raising awareness about specific topics. For example, the CEVI initiative was a major interdepartmental undertaking to raise awareness about children who experience violence and witness it in their homes, streets, and schools. Other topic areas that OVC has highlighted in recent years include trafficking, terrorism, victims with disabilities, and immigrant victims. OVC also undertakes a number of public awareness activities each year during National Crime Victims' Rights Week. National Crime Victims' Rights Week Each year, Congress designates one week in April as National Crime Victims' Rights Week to shed light on the plight of crime victims and acknowledge the work of victims and victim advocates in obtaining rights and services for all crime victims. Communities across the United States observe National Crime Victims' Rights Week by hosting rallies, vigils, public education campaigns, and award ceremonies in support of victims and victims' rights. OVC organizes an annual ceremony on behalf of the President and the U.S. Attorney General to honor recipients of the National Crime Victim Service Award, the highest federal honor for victim advocacy (see chapter 6 for recent award recipients). OVC also funds the development of a National Crime Victims' Rights Week Resource Guide to help communities plan and implement commemorative events that focus attention on victims' rights, needs, and services. The guides are sent to more than 10,000 people in the field each year and include public education and community awareness materials, resources for the news media, statistical overviews on topics relevant to crime and victimization, and camera-ready artwork for posters, bookmarks, and other outreach materials. Leadership in Responding to Terrorism, Mass Violence, and International Loss During FYs 1999 and 2000, OVC concentrated on providing leadership for responding to incidents of terrorism and mass violence at home and in international arenas. Several terrorist incidents have occurred in recent years, highlighting the fact that terrorism against U.S. citizens, both at home and abroad, has become an ever-present threat for which the United States must be prepared. In 1995, the United States was shocked by the most devastating incident of domestic terrorism in our Nation's history: the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. While no model was in place at the time to guide the field's response to this terrible tragedy, the extraordinary efforts of individuals and agencies in the wake of the bombing have set a standard for others to follow in responding to terrorism. In October 2000, OVC released Responding to Terrorism Victims: Oklahoma City and Beyond, a report that describes victim assistance efforts following the Oklahoma City bombing and other crises, identifies critical rights and needs of victims, and makes recommendations for improving future responses. OVC has used lessons learned from the Oklahoma City response as a foundation for developing policies and programs and for providing victim-sensitive responses to recent international terrorist cases. New legislation also has significantly expanded OVC's authority to respond to victims of domestic or international terrorism and mass violence. The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 authorized OVC's director to create and maintain a compensation program specifically for victims of international terrorism. It also increased the amount of money that OVC can hold in its Emergency Fund and broadened OVC's ability to use it to respond to international terrorism cases. OVC created a special unit within the office to respond to the new legislation and to handle these extremely sensitive and time-consuming cases. The following section describes some of OVC's leadership initiatives for responding to incidents of terrorism and mass violence in the United States and internationally. Initiatives To Address Domestic Terrorism and Mass Violence In recent years, OVC has focused on building capacity at the local and state levels to respond to terrorism and mass violence. The following are examples of OVC's efforts in this area. o Community-Based Criminal Crisis Response Initiative (CCRI). For the past 3 years, OVC has supported the Jefferson Institute for Justice Studies (JIJS) to develop CCRI, which is a community-based assessment and planning process that helps local communities and states design and implement a strategic plan for responding to victims of criminal mass violence, such as the Oklahoma City bombing and the Columbine High School shooting. Thus far in the initiative, JIJS has identified communities that have existing plans, developed a community action plan and program implementation guide, and started working with communities nationwide to help them develop crisis response plans. o Mass Casualty Protocol for State Victim Compensation Programs. During the past 2 fiscal years, OVC worked closely with state administrators of victim compensation programs to help them develop a plan for responding quickly and effectively to incidents of mass violence in their states. OVC urged state administrators to educate law enforcement and emergency preparedness officials about the compensation resources available to assist victims of terrorism. o Mental Health Needs of Terrorism Victims. OVC provided funding to the Center for Mental Health Services, Emergency Services and Disaster Relief Branch, to review available materials and protocols that address the immediate and long-term mental health needs of victims of mass criminal disasters. The center is using OVC funding to develop training materials; deliver training and technical assistance; coordinate crisis response roles among local, state, and federal agencies and community service organizations; and develop partnerships between mental health and victim assistance disciplines. These efforts are directed principally toward law enforcement officers and emergency first responders who are tasked with assisting victims of terrorism and mass violence. o Columbine High School Shooting. In April 1999, students at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, suffered the worst school shooting in our Nation's history. To aid the victims and their families, OVC awarded funding to the Columbine community and the state to support victim services, including crisis and mental health counseling, and defray some of the out-of-pocket expenses incurred by victims. Initiatives To Address International Terrorism and Other Crimes Until recently, international acts of terrorism against the United States were considered relatively rare events, and no protocols or systemic responses were in place for responding to victims. However, recent terrorist attacks and other international crimes galvanized OVC to lead a federal effort to develop an improved and streamlined response to victims of international terrorism. o Federal Interagency Protocol for Responding to Victims of Terrorism Abroad. Many federal agencies, including the U.S. Departments of State, Justice, Defense, and Health and Human Services, the Agency for International Development, and others, play a role in responding to international terrorist acts that affect American nationals. To date, however, there has been no clear protocol regarding the responsibilities of each agency in responding to victims of such attacks. OVC is leading an interagency effort to develop guidelines for responding to victims of terrorist acts outside U.S. boundaries. OVC has produced a report on existing resources and the responsibilities of key federal agencies, identified a number of important issues for discussion, and is working with other agencies to draft a protocol for organizing short- and long-term responses to victims. o International Terrorism Victims Compensation Program. The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 gave the OVC director the authority to create and maintain an International Terrorism Victims Compensation Program. This program will allow U.S. nationals and U.S. Government employees who become victims of terrorism abroad to apply to a single federal office to obtain compensation. Prior to this act, victims of the same crime each had to apply to separate state compensation programs (depending on where they lived), creating many logistical and equity difficulties. OVC is in the early stages of creating this program and will work with other federal agencies involved in U.S. efforts abroad to develop it. o Terrorism Emergency Fund. The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 also gave OVC broader authority to use its Emergency Fund in international terrorism cases. Under this new authority, OVC can give grants to a wider range of organizations, including victim service organizations and U.S. Government and nongovernment agencies that serve victims, and can help victims not only with emergency relief, but also with ongoing assistance during the investigation and trial. OVC is currently formulating guidelines to implement this new authority. o Autopsy Information for Families of International Terrorism Victims. Autopsies, which are often essential to a criminal investigation, raise very difficult and painful issues for many families who have lost a loved one in a terrorist attack abroad. In the aftermath of the 1998 East Africa embassy bombings, the U.S. Attorney General identified a need to give families sensitive, accurate information at the time authorization is sought for an autopsy and as a reference for the future after the initial shock has abated. OVC worked with senior FBI agents and the Armed Forces Chief Medical Examiner to develop a brochure for victim families. FBI agents and victim specialists also will be trained on how to approach families about this delicate issue. o Fostering the Reunification of Internationally Abducted Children. OVC continues to support the International Division of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by making funding available to allow parents of internationally abducted children to retrieve their children from a foreign country and return with them to the United States. Under OVC's reunification program, 26 children were reunited with their families in the United States in 2000. Direct Services to Victims of International Terrorism During the past biennium, OVC staff provided direct services to victims of federal crimes, particularly in international terrorism cases. Terrorism against Americans is not limited to the borders of the United States. Since 1998, terrorists have taken the lives of Americans in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Yemen, among other places. During this same period, the trial of two suspects accused of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, became a major international effort. OVC was integrally involved in ensuring that victims' needs were adequately addressed in each of these cases. OVC's direct services to other federal victims are discussed in chapter 2. o The Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. The trial against two Libyan defendants in Scottish court in the Netherlands began in May 2000. With funding from OVC, family members of the 270 victims killed in the bombing were able to watch trial proceedings via closed-circuit television in one of several remote viewing sites in the United States and Europe. OVC helped conduct pretrial briefings for families in the United States and the United Kingdom and set up an international toll-free line that provided updated information regarding the trial and assistance to family members. OVC also gave funds to Syracuse University College of Law to create and maintain a secure Web site to provide the families of the victims of Pan Am Flight 103 with information about and analysis of the criminal trial. The site averaged 995 hits per day, which is quite impressive given that the audience was limited to family members of the 270 victims. OVC also contracted with Research Planning, Inc., to handle logistical arrangements for victim travel and prepare a trial information guide for families. Following the verdict that convicted one of the Libyan defendants of the bombing, OVC and the Scottish Crown Office cohosted a series of postverdict briefings for the victims' family members in the United States and the United Kingdom. o East Africa Embassy Bombings. Following the simultaneous bombings in 1998 of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, OVC transferred funds to the U.S. Department of State to help with the emergency needs of victims and their families. OVC funded and helped organize a 2-day briefing for victims and their families in Washington, D.C. OVC staff helped troubleshoot problems victims were having coordinating benefits and assistance and used the OVC grantee and subgrantee network in the states to locate assistance for victims in their communities or home state of residence. OVC provided technical assistance to and continues to fund a victim/witness position in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York to act as a point of contact for family members and victims to receive trial information. o The Bombing of the U.S.S. Cole. OVC provided technical assistance and funding support to the FBI and the U.S. Department of the Navy in responding to the victims and family members of the October 2000 bombing of the U.S.S. Cole in the port of Yemen, which killed 17 sailors and injured 39 others. This support included the development of a Web site and a briefing book, a toll-free telephone number, and victim-sensitive correspondence. OVC also provided financial assistance for a facility, transportation, lodging, and per diem for victims' families to attend a briefing in Norfolk, Virginia, the U.S.S. Cole's home port. International Outreach Technology has made communication with other countries not only possible, but imperative, as crimes cross international borders and we become an increasingly global society. OVC has an interest in ensuring that American victims of transnational crimes such as terrorism, international child abduction, and trafficking receive the rights and services they need. At the same time, OVC wants to help other countries provide comprehensive rights and services to crime victims. During the past biennium, OVC staff traveled to Israel, Japan, Kenya, the Netherlands, and Scotland to help those countries develop their victims' rights laws and programs and to learn from colleagues in those countries. OVC also hosted interns from Israel and Japan and held scores of in-office briefings for visitors from other countries. OVC staff presented information about OVC and victims' rights laws at a number of international conferences, including an international crisis response seminar held in Tel Aviv, Israel, in January 2000 and the World Society for Victimology Conference in Montreal, Quebec, in August 2000. Most recently, an OVC staff member served as a member of the U.S. delegation to the 10th Session of the U.N. Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Vienna, Austria, in May 2001. The U.N. Commission formulates international policies and recommends crime control activities. Delegates participated in working groups and meetings on trafficking, cybercrime, corruption, and victim issues. ---------------------------- Access to Services Chapter 2 Objective: To improve access to comprehensive, quality services for crime victims. Although the crime rate has declined dramatically in recent years, only a fraction of the Nation's estimated 29 million victims has access to comprehensive, quality services in the aftermath of a crime. Certain victim populations, including those who live in remote areas, victims with disabilities, and victims who speak little or no English, may find it difficult to get the help they need. Services such as crisis counseling and mental health care, financial assistance, and criminal justice advocacy can be essential to helping a crime victim recover both physically and emotionally. OVC is committed to improving a victim's access to such services, regardless of his or her age, race, religion, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or capability or the nature or geographic location of the victimization. This chapter outlines the ways in which OVC improved access to comprehensive, quality victim services during FYs 1999 and 2000, through various programs including formula compensation and assistance grant programs, Indian Country programs, federal programs, and targeted programs to reach certain underserved groups. Services Through State Formula Grant Programs OVC administers two major formula grant programs in accordance with the Victims of Crime Act of 1984: the VOCA Victim Compensation Program and the VOCA Victim Assistance Program. During the past decade, these two formula grant programs have greatly improved the accessibility and quality of services to crime victims nationwide. The two programs complement each other, ensuring that the overall needs of victims are met. The victim assistance program provides for victim crisis intervention, criminal justice advocacy, and social service needs, while the victim compensation program addresses many of the physical care and financial needs of victims. Both programs address the psychological consequences of victimization. Altogether, more crime victims were served under the victim compensation and assistance programs during FYs 1999 and 2000 than in any previous biennium in VOCA's history (see figure 3). Please note that the data presented below for the victim compensation and assistance programs are based on performance reports submitted by the states to OVC as of June 11, 2001.[1] ---------------------------- Figure 3. Overview of VOCA Victim Compensation and Victim Assistance Grant Programs, FYs 1999-2000 Category--Totals for Biennium Victims Served by VOCA Victim Assistance Programs--6,422,722 Funds Expended for Victim Assistance--$608,303,000 Funds Expended for Victim Compensation--$600,925,429 ---------------------------- VOCA Victim Assistance OVC distributes funds for victim assistance based on a formula set forth in VOCA. Currently, all states and territories receive an annual VOCA victim assistance grant. Each state, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico receive a base amount of $500,000. The territories of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and American Samoa each receive a base amount of $200,000. The remaining funds are distributed based on population. (See appendix A for specific state allocations for VOCA victim assistance grants in FYs 1999 and 2000.) During FYs 1999 and 2000, OVC distributed more than $608 million to states through VOCA victim assistance grants ($238 million in FY 1999; $370 million in FY 2000). States subgranted these funds to criminal justice agencies, social service agencies, private nonprofit agencies, and American Indian tribes to support direct services to victims of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, drunk driving, elder abuse, and robbery; family members of homicide victims; and victims of other violent crimes. The services provided include crisis counseling, therapy, shelter, information and referral, help in filing compensation claims, and advocacy support. Between FY 1999 and 2000, VOCA funds supported some 4,000 programs across the country and reached more than 6.4 million crime victims. This represents a 15-percent increase in the number of victims served since the previous biennium. The increase in victims served under VOCA victim assistance programs is a direct result of an allocation of funds to states in FY 1997 in the amount of $397 million, the largest allocation ever. States had 4 years to spend these funds, with FY 1999 and FY 2000 marking the final 2 years of the award. Because of the history of annual fluctuations in deposits into CVF and victim assistance grants to the states, VOCA state administrators planned to use these funds over several years to stabilize existing programs and expand new ones. VOCA victim assistance allocations to states in FY 1999 and FY 2000 decreased 9.5 percent from the previous biennium (i.e., from $672 million in FYs 1997-1998 to $608 million in FYs 1999-2000) because of fewer CVF deposits in FY 1999 and a fund cap in FY 2000. This decrease was offset somewhat by a 6.5-percent increase in state revenues over the previous biennium. A commitment of a 17-percent increase in state appropriations between FY 1999 and FY 2000 indicates that state policymakers understand the value of VOCA in ensuring that crime victim services are available and secured. Trends for Priority Populations in Fiscal Years 1999 and 2000 The VOCA statute requires states and territories receiving victim assistance funds to give priority consideration to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse and underserved victims, and to spend a minimum of 10 percent of their funds in each of these priority areas. In each case, states far exceeded these minimum requirements (see figure 4). OVC provides broad discretion to states in determining which victim populations fall within the underserved category. Victims of drunk driving, surviving family members of homicide victims, and victims of physical assault, elder abuse, robbery, hate crime, arson, and financial fraud are generally considered underserved. ---------------------------- Figure 4. Number of Victims Served in Priority Categories, FYs 1999-2000 Victim Category--FY 1999--FY 2000 Domestic Violence--1,752,446--1,561,818 Child Abuse--369,031--379,549 Sexual Assault--238,848--255,072 Underserved--939,338--926,734 Totals--3,299,663--3,123,173 ---------------------------- o Domestic Violence. Of the 6.4 million crime victims served under VOCA victim assistance during the FYs 1999-2000 biennium, domestic violence victims accounted for approximately 3.3 million (50 percent) of the number of victims served-an 11-percent increase from the previous biennium. At the same time, crime victim compensation programs awarded a dramatic 36 percent more claims to victims of domestic violence during this biennium than in the previous biennium. This is a direct result of state programs reaching out to domestic violence programs, seeking changes in legislation, and expanding compensable expenses to meet the needs of this population. The increase in services and financial assistance to domestic violence victims occurred during the same years that the majority of available VOCA funding was directed to this category of victims. o Sexual Assault Victims and Adults Molested as Children. Since the previous biennium, VOCA victim assistance services decreased slightly for the number of sexual assault victims and adults molested as children; however, the victim compensation program saw a 17-percent increase in the number of claims awarded and dollars expended. States also significantly increased the amount of money spent for forensic sexual assault examinations (from $7.4 million in FYs 1997-1998 to $8.4 million in FYs 1999-2000). OVC, many state policy officials, and most, if not all, advocates in the sexual assault field believe that sexual assault victims should not be required to pay for evidence collection just as victims of other crimes are not required to do so. Some states have created designated state accounts to pay for these examinations and have delegated administration of these accounts to the state victim compensation program. In doing so, state victim compensation programs are eligible to receive a 40-percent supplement from VOCA for these expenditures. o Child Abuse. The number of victims served, claims awarded, and victim compensation dollars all increased for this priority population. In the VOCA victim assistance program, this reflects increasing work with multidisciplinary responses to incidents of child abuse, including subgrants awarded to child advocacy centers. The significant increases in victim compensation awards demonstrate the success of state programs that reached out to child protection programs and other organizations serving child abuse victims. o Underserved Victims of Crime. During the FYs 1999-2000 biennium, states demonstrated a major commitment to increasing services to previously underserved victims, with a 39-percent increase in the number of victims served by victim assistance programs and increases in the number of claims awarded and amount of compensation dollars expended. In VOCA victim assistance, this particularly reflects increases in serving victims of physical assault, drunk driving, elder abuse, child exploitation, economic crime, hate crime, and stalking. Of interest is that the number of survivors of homicide victims receiving services decreased from the last biennium, in part reflecting a decline in homicide rates nationwide. Emerging issues and underserved populations, according to state performance reports, include child witnesses to domestic violence, cybercrime, substance abuse, immigrant victims, and rural issues. Improved Service Delivery Trends States and subgrantees have made and continue to make major strides in several key areas in working with crime victims. First, significant improvements are being made in the criminal justice system response to crime victims. Specialized domestic violence courts, community policing, automated notification systems, registries of protective and restraining orders and of sex offenders, and standardization of sexual assault evidence collection all support services to victims and increase offender accountability. Second, the need for and value of collaboration with other disciplines, agencies, and systems is recognized. Protocols are now in place for domestic violence and sexual assault cases and for criminal crisis response. Criminal justice officials and community-based advocates coordinate activities and, with increased training, both fields are more aware of the responsibilities of the other. Finally, states are increasingly expecting persons who serve crime victims to be trained and, in some instances, certified. Some states have developed standards for programs that receive VOCA funding. Several states have annual statewide conferences and others are implementing state victim assistance academies. Victim Assistance Program Management Issues Because CVF deposits vary from year to year, large funding fluctuations can affect VOCA victim assistance programs. Variable funding support poses the most significant challenge for states in terms of managing the VOCA funds and developing strategic plans, according to a recent evaluation of state VOCA compensation and assistance programs conducted by The Urban Institute and the San Diego Association of Governments (see chapter 4 for details about this evaluation). VOCA allows for programs to take up to 4 years to obligate victim assistance funds, but that does not completely alleviate the pressure caused by fund fluctuations. Over the past few years, OVC has undertaken efforts that encourage states to develop strategic plans and manage these large funding fluctuations. OVC also is developing new program guidelines that allow VOCA funds to be spent on an array of new services and for victims not traditionally covered. Technological Advances To Improve Victim Assistance Programs VOCA allows state assistance administrators to use up to 5 percent of the federal award each year for administrative purposes, including developing technology and purchasing equipment. With the significant increase in federal funding over the past decade and the resulting growth in programs, OVC has promoted data-driven program planning at the state level. OVC is currently working with the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to adapt the National Crime Victimization Survey software for use by states to assess the needs of crime victims. In addition, the National Institute of Justice's Crime Mapping Research Center is working with OVC to develop a bulletin that will inform state administrators on how to use geographic information systems software to map crime and victim services. VOCA Victim Compensation VOCA victim compensation funds contribute significantly to the victim compensation programs in operation in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territory of Guam. These funds help crime victims pay for expenses such as medical bills, mental health counseling, lost wages, crime scene cleanup, and other crime-related costs. In FYs 1999 and 2000, OVC awarded approximately $148 million to state compensation programs, up from the previous 2-year period. By statute, each year state victim compensation programs receive an allocation of 40 percent of the total amount each program paid out to victims in the previous 2-year period. For example, FY 1999 VOCA compensation grant allocations were based on the amount of compensation payments states made to victims during FY 1997. FYs 1999 and 2000 represent state victim compensation programs' biggest biennium ever in the number of crime victims served and in the amount of money given to and on behalf of crime victims. During this biennium, states paid out more than $600 million in compensation claims to victims, which represents a 15-percent increase over the previous 2-year period; the number of victims served increased by 4 percent. The availability of VOCA victim compensation funds supported the large increase in expenditures. For example, various states increased coverage amounts for funerals and mental health expenses and expanded coverage to include relocation expenses for battered women and crime scene cleanup. Some states also increased the maximum amount of funds that could be paid on a per claim basis. Figure 5 shows the total amounts that states paid for certain expenses during FYs 1999 and 2000. As has been the case in previous years, compensation programs paid out the largest amount of money for medical and dental expenses, economic support, and mental health treatment. States spent significantly more money this biennium than in the past for forensic sexual assault examinations, indicating an increase in claims for these exams and a heightened sensitivity by medical and criminal justice personnel about their importance. ---------------------------- Figure 5. State Victim Compensation Program Benefits Paid by Type of Expense, FYs 1999-2000 Expense Category--Biennium Total Medical/Dental--$261,959,139 Mental Health--$98,347,988 Economic Support--$102,391,649 Funeral/Burial--$69,850,496 Crime Scene Cleanup--$3,510,413 Forensic Sexual Assault Exams--$8,429,693 Other--$33,855,114 Totals--$578,344,492 ---------------------------- Figure 6 shows the number and amount of victim compensation claims paid by type of crime in FYs 1999 and 2000. Physical assault was the crime for which states spent the largest amount of money and for which states received the most claims (41 percent). Child abuse (25 percent) and domestic violence (14 percent) ranked second and third in number of claims. ---------------------------- Figure 6. Number and Amount of Victim Compensation Claims Paid by Type of Crime, FYs 1999-2000 Type of Crime--Number of Claims*--Amount Paid Assault--101,943--$305,951,805 Homicide--26,209--$98,908,562 Sexual Assault--14,869--$20,760,231 Child Abuse--59,199--$69,655,042 DWI/DUI/Other Vehicular Crimes--9,443--$23,602,747 Stalking--713--$956,731 Robbery--7,385--$20,087,142 Terrorism--438--$463,782 Kidnaping--834--$1,647,100 Arson--169--$559,700 Other--21,635--$24,184,696 Totals--242,837--$566,777,538 * Of the total claims paid, 36,502 were for cases of domestic violence, which are distributed across several crime categories. ---------------------------- Services for Victims in Indian Country The BJS publication American Indians and Crime, published in 1999, reported that American Indians are subject to twice the rate of violent victimization than the rest of the Nation. While OVC has provided funding for services to American Indians and Alaska Natives since 1988, this disturbing finding prompted OVC to look for ways to increase its commitment to crime victims in Indian Country. OVC accomplished this through funding increases for the Children's Justice Act and Victim Assistance in Indian Country programs, developing and disseminating Indian-specific publications, and sponsoring Indian crime victim assistance personnel to attend the Federal Symposium, grantee meetings, and training conferences. Children's Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities Children's Justice Act (CJA) funds help Indian tribes and tribal organizations develop, establish, and operate programs to improve the investigation, prosecution, and handling of child abuse cases, particularly cases of child sexual abuse, in a manner that mitigates additional trauma to child victims. The program focuses on developing strategies and resources to handle child abuse cases from initial disclosure through investigation and prosecution to case resolution in an effective and timely manner. Since 1989, the CJA program has provided more than $10 million to approximately 45 tribes. As a result, the tribes have made a number of systemic improvements in how they handle child abuse cases. For example, tribes have revised tribal codes and procedures to address child sexual abuse; created protocols for reporting, investigating, and prosecuting cases of child sexual abuse; and developed working agreements that minimize the number of child interviews. Tribes also have enhanced case management and treatment services, established children's advocacy centers on reservations, and offered specialized training for prosecutors, judges, investigators, and other professionals who handle child sexual abuse cases. In working with these tribes, OVC has embraced the "community readiness theory," which is based on the premise that change and healing must be community specific, culturally relevant, and consistent with the level of readiness of the community to intervene. Listed below are examples of CJA programs OVC is funding to improve services to child physical and sexual abuse victims in Indian Country. o Comprehensive Indian Resources for Community and Law Enforcement (CIRCLE). This 3-year initiative funded by six different DOJ agencies is designed to empower American Indian communities to more effectively fight crime, violence, and substance abuse. The three tribes participating in the CIRCLE program are the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana, Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, and Pueblo of Zuni Tribe of New Mexico. OVC is providing funds to support specific victim services, such as counseling, court advocacy, and emergency transportation to and from court, and to improve the investigation and prosecution of child physical and sexual abuse cases. o Telemedicine Pilot Project. OVC awarded funds to Wiconi Wawokiya, Inc., in Fort Thompson, South Dakota, to provide telemedical support for state-of-the-art medical evaluations for maltreated children on the Crow Creek Reservation. The program supports a nurse practitioner and a forensic interviewer to evaluate children who have been severely physically and sexually abused. o Indian Health Service Mental Health/Forensic Child Specialist Program. This project supports a mental health forensic interview specialist at the Indian Health Service hospital serving the Wind River Indian Reservation in Fort Washakie, Wyoming. The specialist conducts forensic interviews, tracks and manages cases, and assists the Wind River Indian Reservation Child Protection Team for sexual and physical abuse victims at the same time that the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office investigates and prosecutes these cases. o Post-Rape Stress Video for Indian Country. OVC is funding the development of a video to be shown to women and girls in Indian Country who have been raped. The project's goal is to reduce anxiety before and during forensic medical exams and long-term post-rape distress for female victims in Indian Country. Although similar videos exist for African American and European American women, this particular video will focus on broad cultural relevance to American Indian and Alaskan Native adult and adolescent female victims. Victim Assistance in Indian Country The Victim Assistance in Indian Country (VAIC) program awards grants to Indian tribes and tribal organizations to establish reservation-based victim assistance programs in remote areas of Indian Country. Since its inception in 1988, the VAIC program has touched the lives of thousands of American Indians and has stimulated the growth of a responsive victim assistance network that has become a permanent part of American Indian communities. Although OVC has been funding services in Indian Country for more than a decade, the level of funding has remained fairly stagnant and has not kept pace with inflation or the needs of this underserved population. Beginning in FY 1999, OVC awarded all VAIC grants on a competitive basis. Because of limited discretionary funds, OVC awarded approximately $2.4 million to support 28 of the 150 eligible tribes under federal criminal jurisdiction during FYs 1999 and 2000. VAIC programs served some 6,000 victims in 1999; in 2000, that number increased to 8,711 victims. One example of the type of program funded with federal discretionary dollars is the development of a demonstration program to assist elderly individuals who are victimized in tribal communities. With funding from OVC, the Blackfeet Child and Family Advocacy Center of Montana is attempting to provide a coordinated response to elderly victims by adapting the TRIAD approach to Indian Country. TRIAD combines the efforts and resources of law enforcement, senior citizens and organizations that represent them, and victim assistance providers to support a comprehensive network of services. VAIC Program Management An important focus for OVC continues to be to assist tribes in managing their VAIC programs and provide opportunities for sharing information and networking. Since 1999, OVC has sponsored a yearly VAIC postawards conference, which includes training for tribal finance personnel and program staff, and allows staff to network and share information and concerns with one another. During FY 2000, OVC staff initiated a series of semiannual working groups to strengthen communication and collaboration between VAIC grantees and state VOCA program administrators. Issues of mutual concern include tribal sovereignty, improving American Indian representation on VOCA decisionmaking bodies, and increasing the number of VAIC grantees who receive crime victim assistance program funding through state VOCA grants. Services for Victims of Federal Crimes OVC is responsible for funding direct services to victims of federal crimes and working to enhance services for victims throughout the federal system. Some of the ways OVC tackles this responsibility are listed below. Developing Federal Victim Assistance Programs One way OVC is working to improve services for crime victims within the federal system is to fund victim specialist positions in certain key agencies, with the goal that those agencies will eventually institutionalize and assume the funding for those positions. OVC has funded victim specialist positions for 3 years in numerous federal agencies, including the FBI, the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA), the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of State, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and DOJ's Civil Rights Division. This funding has led to increased training on the legal requirements for providing services to victims, new policies to improve how crime victims are treated, and insight into the specific needs of victims seeking assistance from a specific agency. OVC provided funds for victim/witness assistance specialist positions at FBI headquarters to incorporate and expand victim-related training into existing programs and to provide mandatory annual training to field offices. This includes training on federal victims' laws, the AG Guidelines, and emerging and advanced issues that include child sexual exploitation on the Internet and domestic and international terrorism. OVC also has funded a forensic child interview specialist position in the FBI's Crimes Against Children in Indian Country Unit. The person who fills this highly specialized position will train agents who investigate crimes against children on child development issues, competency, traumatic effects of victimization, and appropriate and effective methods for interviewing children. Additionally, OVC has funded a clinical-level victim/witness specialist in the FBI's Baltimore field office's Innocent Images Project. This specialist will help train agents to identify, contact, and interview child victims of online pornography and identify services for them. Federal Victim Information and Notification System In 1997, OVC allocated $8 million to support the development of an automated victim information and notification system for the federal criminal justice system. Under this project, victims will be notified of major case events through an automated system. OVC transferred funding to EOUSA to spearhead the project with the assistance of a working group comprising representatives from the FBI, OVC, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The group hired an outside consulting agency, PricewaterhouseCoopers, to analyze each component's requirements for an automated system, review current available systems that might be expanded to meet the specific needs of the initiative, and develop the system. The analysis was completed in January 1999. A pilot test of the notification system is scheduled for the spring/summer of 2001 in Tampa, Florida, and the full system is expected to be deployed in the field in the fall of 2001. Approximately 1,200 DOJ staff will be trained on the system before it is deployed to the field. Federal Crime Victim Assistance Funds The purpose of the Federal Crime Victim Assistance Funds (FCVAF) is to provide limited funding for support services of an emergency nature to federal crime victims and their families when no other resources are available. The funds are not intended to create a separate system of services for federal crime victims, but to ensure that funds are available to pay for needed items and services, such as food, clothing, shelter, transportation, forensic medical exams, and emergency legal assistance. OVC provides this emergency assistance through the FBI and EOUSA. The FBI has used the fund to allocate victim resources in the following cases: o An employee was abducted from her workplace during an armed robbery and transported across two state lines. The victim subsequently escaped from her captor. FCVAF were approved for emergency food and lodging for the victim until she was able to return home. o A man defrauded a local bank and then unlawfully took his children to another country. A complaint was filed charging the suspect with bank fraud, money laundering, and parental kidnaping. A warrant was issued for his arrest. The suspect was located and arrested, and the children were taken into protective custody by the foreign authorities. FCVAF were approved for airfare for the children and mother, who accompanied them back to the United States. o A man committed a home invasion robbery and then forcibly abducted one of the occupants, taking her to another state. An investigative lead enabled the FBI to capture the suspect and rescue the victim. FCVAF were authorized to pay for airfare for the victim to return home. Meanwhile, EOUSA has used the fund to serve victims in the following cases: o For travel expenses to a trial for family members of an abduction victim. o For travel and lost work expenses to attend a prisoner's competency hearing for family members of a prison guard who was killed by a prisoner. o For mileage, lodging, and food for a family to attend a trial that was moved from one jurisdiction to another significantly farther away. Services for Remote and Underserved Victims OVC continually strives to improve access to services for all victims of crime, including victims living in rural areas, victims with disabilities, and victims who have immigrated to this country or who are not familiar with the language and customs of the United States. The following are some of OVC's recent efforts to address the needs of these crime victims. Services for Victims in Rural Areas Approximately one-quarter of all Americans live in rural areas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2000. In 1997, violent crimes dropped 6.2 percent in cities with populations of more than 1 million, while rural counties experienced a 3.1-percent increase, the FBI reported in its 1998 Uniform Crime Reports for the United States. Crime victims in rural areas face significant challenges in obtaining the services they may need in the aftermath of crime. Not only do victims often have to travel long distances to obtain specialized services and participate in the criminal justice system, but in many cases, the health, mental health, and other services they need simply do not exist. OVC has undertaken several initiatives in the past 2 years to address these issues. OVC began negotiating with the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry to support a demonstration project in one rural community to address the mental health needs of crime victims. The goal of the project is to develop a community-based program that implements effective practices for delivering integrated volunteer and professionally administered mental health services to crime victims and that will serve as a model for other rural jurisdictions across the United States. OVC also has entered into discussions with the Rural Caucus of the National Association of Counties about victim issues in rural America. The Rural Caucus is made up of about 100 county officials. Services for Immigrant Populations In recent decades, the United States has experienced the largest influx of immigrants in history. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, by the mid-1990s the number of foreign-born people in the United States reached a historic high. A recent report by The Urban Institute estimates that immigrants now constitute approximately one-third of the annual U.S. net population growth. Immigrant crime victims often face language and cultural barriers as they attempt to access victim services and participate in the criminal justice system. Although many victim service providers are striving to provide more culturally competent services to immigrant crime victims, many victims are still unable to obtain the services they need. OVC has funded about 10 projects during FYs 1999 and 2000 targeted at improving services for immigrant populations, including battered immigrant women, migrant and seasonal farmworkers, foreign travelers victimized in the United States, and victims of trafficking, telemarketing fraud against Latino elders, and immigration fraud. OVC also has funded positions within the federal system to provide services to victims of worker exploitation and immigration fraud. Recent OVC-funded programs include the following: o A multiyear demonstration program to improve victim services for immigrant crime victims. Aided by an OVC grant, the Court-Appointed Special Advocates of Maryland will develop, implement, and evaluate a replicable model for comprehensive and culturally appropriate victim services for crime victims from immigrant communities. o A training program for attorneys, law enforcement officers, and victim advocates about the factors they should consider when working with crime victims of diverse backgrounds. Diversity is defined broadly to include race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, and physical and mental ability. The National Multicultural Institute developed this program with an OVC grant. The program is a success and the grantee has developed a 4-day training of trainers program for graduates of the 1-day training who want to teach others how to work with these victims. o A training program to improve the capacity of health care providers to respond to the needs of victims of family violence when working with migrant and seasonal farmworkers. An OVC grant will support this training, which is being developed by the Migrant Clinicians Network, Inc. o A program to assist people trafficked into the United States from other countries for the purpose of forced labor and slavery-like practices. The Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, located in Southern California, will provide this assistance with funding from an OVC grant. OVC has also held national and regional focus groups and developed a video to raise awareness of this issue among victim service providers, federal law enforcement personnel, and prosecutors. Services for Victims With Disabilities For the past 2 years, OVC has continued efforts to ensure that comprehensive, quality services are available to crime victims with disabilities. Efforts have included focus groups and publications to inform victim service providers, criminal justice professionals, researchers, and others of the barriers that hinder victims with disabilities from fully participating in the criminal justice process and obtaining the help they may need. As part of this effort, OVC has provided the following funding support: o A grant to the Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Service (ADWAS) of Seattle, Washington, for a "Justice for Deaf Victims Training and Technical Assistance Project." The goal of this project is to build on the successful ADWAS model of services for deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and to create similar services in five other U.S. cities. OVC funding laid the foundation for ADWAS to develop a national coalition of replicated programs. o A grant to the American Association of University Affiliated Projects to develop an online searchable database of information describing training programs and products that focus on crime victims with disabilities. Users will find information on resources pertaining to persons with disabilities who are victimized, including books, videos, training manuals, and training programs. The database, which became available this summer, is for use by service providers, educators, victim assistance professionals, criminal justice personnel, researchers, and people with disabilities. o A grant to Video Action, Inc., to support the development of an instructional video and complementary resource materials to help victim assistance practitioners in both system-based and private, nonprofit agencies serve crime victims with disabilities more effectively. o A grant to the National Sheriffs' Association to develop a concise guide for law enforcement on responding to crime victims with disabilities. This pocket guide will provide brief, instructional tips on the best ways to respond legally, professionally, and compassionately to crime victims who have Alzheimer's Disease, mental illness, mental retardation, or who are deaf or hard of hearing. o A grant to the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), in partnership with The Arc of the United States, to improve services for crime victims with mental retardation. The grantee is developing two guidebooks, one for the victim assistance community and one for the disability community, to improve the identification of and response to crime victims with mental retardation. ---------------------------- Professional Development and Training Chapter 3 Objective: To improve the knowledge, skills, and abilities of professionals working with crime victims. Victims come in contact with a host of people after a crime, including victim advocates and practitioners in the fields of criminal justice, health, mental health, social services, emergency response, education, and faith, among others. Since its inception, OVC has helped advance the victims' movement by supporting initiatives designed to gain understanding of victims' needs, train the diverse individuals and organizations that serve victims, and support and replicate promising practices. In recent years, as the victim assistance community has grown and developed, OVC has worked with states, universities, and others to professionalize the field of victim services. At the same time, OVC has provided many opportunities for multidisciplinary training and developed coalitions and partnerships with specific professional communities to provide cutting-edge, profession-specific education and training on victim issues. This chapter outlines a selection of professional development and training programs that OVC funded during FYs 1999 and 2000. Professional Development Initiatives Since its modest beginnings in the 1970s, the victim assistance movement has grown rapidly into a full-fledged field dedicated to meeting the physical, financial, and psychological needs of crime victims. More than 10,000 programs, many of which receive funding from OVC, exist across the country to support and assist victims in the aftermath of crime. As the field has developed, OVC has provided opportunities for members of this diverse field to come together to address standards and common approaches to serving victims. The following are two examples of OVC's work in this area. Victim Assistance Professional Development Consortium While the victim services field has matured considerably over the past two decades, the rapid development of ideas, services, and programs has made it difficult to merge the various approaches for serving victims. In an effort to marry different approaches and provide a framework for consistent, quality services to crime victims, OVC funded the Center for Child and Family Studies at the University of South Carolina to develop a National Victim Assistance Standards Consortium (NVASC). The consortium is a multidisciplinary group of experts from the field that convened to examine standards and credentialing in victim assistance. A major goal of the consortium was to reach across geographic and philosophical divides to forge a common ground in victim services professional development. Among the tasks performed by the group were drafting a common definition and mission to span the field of victim assistance. The group also examined existing standards drafted by state agencies, coalitions, and local service organizations. The consortium identified core individual and program standards- -the common ground suitable for use in a variety of victim service settings. Members also identified points of divergence, in which specialized standards are more appropriate to meet unique task demands. Overall, the NVASC standards are intended as a resource for victim service practitioners, assistance programs, and communities. National Training for VOCA Assistance Administrators Around the Nation, VOCA assistance programs are administered by various state agencies, including criminal justice agencies, health and human service agencies, financial administration and grants management agencies, and governors' offices. An association of VOCA victim assistance administrators is under development and will be formally established in October 2001. Its mission will be to provide technical assistance and training to ensure effective and efficient use of VOCA funds in all states. The association also will provide an avenue for enhanced communication between VOCA administrators. OVC awarded a grant to the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards (NACVCB) to provide training and technical assistance to state VOCA administrators. That initiative brought more than 300 VOCA compensation and assistance administrators and staff from 50 states to the National Training Conference in Chicago in September 1999. The conference was instrumental in helping participants explore ways to improve the delivery of services to crime victims. With supplemental funding for this project, NACVCB developed a Web site for VOCA administrators, a newsletter for VOCA victim assistance administrators, and a national training conference for VOCA victim assistance administrators. NACVCB also developed a resource center for VOCA victim assistance administrators. Multidisciplinary Training Programs and Conferences OVC has found that one effective way of educating and training practitioners from a wide variety of professions is to host multidisciplinary training programs and conferences. In the wake of a crime, professionals from many different disciplines often come together to address the myriad needs of crime victims. Through multidisciplinary training programs and conferences, OVC provides an opportunity for practitioners to come together in a classroom setting to address general rights and services for crime victims and the specific needs of certain populations. National Victim Assistance Academy The National Victim Assistance Academy (NVAA) has been the centerpiece of OVC's efforts to provide academically based learning opportunities for crime victim advocates and allied professionals. NVAA is sponsored by OVC in collaboration with a coordinated group of cosponsors including the Victims' Assistance Legal Organization, Inc. (VALOR); California State University-Fresno; the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center at the Medical University of South Carolina; the University of New Haven's Center for the Study of Crime Victims' Rights, Resources, and Remedies; and the Center on Violence and Victim Studies at Washburn University in Kansas. Students attending the 1-week course have the opportunity to earn undergraduate or graduate credits offered in multiple academic disciplines. One-third of all academy students opt to take the course for college credit. The academy offers two distinct levels of training and education: o The Foundation Level Academy. NVAA foundation level training is offered annually during the summer at selected universities. NVAA is a comprehensive, 40-hour, academically based course in victimology, victims' rights, and victim services for victim service providers and allied professionals. o The Advanced Topic Series. Advanced topic workshops consist of 20-24 hours of academically based training and education in selected concentrations, including specific areas of victimization and victim assistance and training/education skills and techniques. Since 1995, approximately 1,600 students from all 50 states, 4 U.S. territories, and 6 foreign countries have completed NVAA. The academy is held at university sites nationwide, which are linked via teleconferencing for selected portions of the curriculum, giving all students interactive access to national speakers and unifying the training effort. Each university site hosts a core faculty that includes national leaders in the academic, nonprofit, direct service, and governmental and public policy sectors of victim assistance. The number of students increased from a class of 268 students in 1998 to more than 350 each year in 1999 and 2000. The academy curriculum now contains more than 36 topics and is updated each year. An NVAA Web site was developed to link all academy material (www.nvaa.org), and a toll-free phone number was established (1-877-748-NVAA) to answer frequently asked questions free of charge. At the 1999 academy, the U.S. Attorney General praised NVAA for providing vital, comprehensive, and standard-setting training and education on victim issues, not just for criminal justice professionals but for all professionals whose lives touch victims. State Victim Assistance Academies Building on the success of NVAA, in 1999 OVC funded five states to develop effective strategies for establishing State Victim Assistance Academies. OVC's goal for this project is to encourage the development of a network of state academies capable of meeting the foundation level educational needs of a broad range of victim assistance providers and allied professionals. The five states funded in 1999 were Colorado, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah. Each state has successfully completed the planning phase of the project and is now holding its own state academy. To help other states interested in developing state academies, OVC is publishing a compendium of planning guides developed by the five pilot states. OVC also provides trainers through its Training and Technical Assistance Center who offer technical assistance and teach at state-sponsored victim assistance academies. Federal Symposium Following months of planning, OVC sponsored the Third National Symposium on Victims of Federal Crime in Washington, D.C., in January 2001. The symposium's theme was "Putting Resources to Work for Victims." The symposium examined today's changing environment in the victim services field at the federal level and focused on approaches that will improve services to victims of federal crime. Most of the 1,100 participants were federal employees who provide services to federal crime victims. The symposium content and logistics were developed by an advisory committee of representatives from various federal agencies, including DOJ, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Navy Personnel Command, BOP, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, DEA, and the Treasury Department. Topics covered at the symposium included international terrorism, human trafficking and slavery, refugee survivors of torture, children exposed to methamphetamine labs, Internet crimes, financial fraud, and issues facing survivors of homicide victims. National Indian Nations Conference OVC sponsored the Seventh National Indian Nations Conference in September 1999, the goal of which was to improve the skills of multidisciplinary professionals in responding to the rights and needs of American Indian crime victims. The conference brought together state, tribal, and federal professionals who work on behalf of crime victims in Indian Country, and provided training to victim service providers, prosecutors, law enforcement officials, judicial personnel, social service personnel, and health and mental health professionals on best practices in establishing victim assistance services in Indian Country. The Eighth National Indian Nations Conference will be held in 2002. National Economic Crime Summit In May 2000, OVC and the Bureau of Justice Assistance were cosponsors of the National White Collar Crime Center's (NWCCC's) National Economic Crime Summit. More than 1,000 people from different disciplines attended the summit, including fraud investigators, electronic commerce representatives, victim advocates, and DOJ staff. OVC also sponsored scholarships for federal victim/witness coordinators from U.S. Attorneys' Offices to attend the summit to improve their understanding of the complexities of fraud-related investigations and prosecutions and to gain insight into the unique needs of fraud victims. OVC staff moderated panels on victims of fraud, telemarketing fraud against the elderly, and national programs and federal offices that offer support to victims. In conjunction with the summit, OVC released a new bulletin, Victims of Fraud and Economic Crime. To further educate administrators and policymakers on the rights and needs of fraud victims, OVC was asked to contribute an article to NWCCC's magazine, The Informant, on what resources and federal funds are available to assist victims of fraud and economic exploitation. Training for Specific Professions Each discipline that comes in contact with crime victims has its own educational and training requirements and a lexicon that is unique to that profession. The following are examples of OVC's recent efforts to provide indepth, discipline-specific training to certain professional groups. Training for the Health Care Community The health care community is often the first to come into contact with crime victims who have been physically injured. The way in which victims are treated by health care providers can affect not only their physical health but also their mental health. Three of OVC's recent projects targeting the health care community are listed below. o Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs)/Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs). Providing sensitive health care to victims is critically important in the aftermath of a sexual assault. Since the 1970s, more than 500 SANE programs have been developed across the country to address the numerous inadequacies of the traditional medical model for conducting the sexual assault medical evidentiary exam. Accompanying this growth in SANE programs has been the need for standardized, scientifically based training and technical assistance to guide nurses, physicians, and others in a community who wish to develop a SANE program. In response to this need, OVC funded the Minnesota-based Sexual Assault Resource Service (SARS) to develop a comprehensive SANE Development and Operation Guide that addresses the many legal, clinical, and operational issues involved in developing and administering a SANE program. OVC also has funded SARS to provide technical assistance to communities interested in developing a SANE program and to develop a multidisciplinary training program on "Building Skills for Sexual Assault Response Teams." o American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Because the majority of sexual assaults go unreported, many victims do not receive immediate medical care and only later consult physicians for health concerns arising from the assault. In 1999, OVC funded ACOG to develop, field test, and distribute to each of its 846 residency programs a curriculum on the provision of compassionate care to women with histories of sexual assault. This curriculum will provide instruction on screening victims, short- and long-term physical and psychological consequences of sexual violence, guidelines for followup care, recommendations for modifying clinical practices to avoid retraumatization, and guidance on establishing a copractice with mental health practitioners when warranted. The grantee anticipates that the curriculum will reach more than 1,100 young physicians, and subsequent ACOG practice guidelines will incorporate the information developed as a result of this project. These combined efforts will result in improved medical services for victims of sexual assault. o Family Violence Intervention Model for Dental Professionals. OVC provided grant funding to the University of Minnesota's Program Against Sexual Violence and School of Dentistry to target a gap in existing knowledge and interventions in the field of family violence. Highlighting the fact that dental professionals are a relatively new but critical part of the medical response to family violence, this project has focused on educating new dental professionals, providing ongoing training for practicing dentists and their ancillary staffs, and integrating dental staff throughout the country into coordinated community responses to family violence. Training materials developed include a curriculum and two videos, which have been highlighted in the Family Violence Prevention Fund's Health Resource Center newsletter and the journal Northwest Dentistry. With funding provided by the grant, and later with funds from the OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center, the project staff have provided this unique training to dental professionals nationwide. Training for the Mental Health Community Victims often suffer psychological, physical, and social trauma as a result of crime. There is a continuing need for more information about the mental health needs of crime victims and for education and training for mental health practitioners on this topic. In FYs 1999 and 2000, OVC undertook the following projects in this area: o Training for Social Workers. In March 1999, OVC funded the Texas Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and the University of Texas to develop a national demonstration project on victim issues. The goals of the project were to raise awareness of the effect of violent crime on adult victims and their families, develop linkages between crime victim assistance professionals and social workers, and create a training workshop that introduces social workers to crime victims' rights and services. The project was continued in FY 2000 and is now moving to rural states. o Training for Mental Health Providers on Terrorism and Mass Violence. OVC and the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are developing training for mental health providers on assisting victims of terrorism and mass violence. CMHS already delivers excellent training and technical assistance to mental health providers on working with disaster victims. CMHS has conducted an assessment of current research, literature, and practice regarding the mental health needs of terrorism victims. CMHS is also incorporating the specific issues around mass victimization resulting from criminal acts into existing training programs and will present a modified training to victim assistance providers on the mental health needs of terrorism victims and make appropriate referrals. o Developing Guidelines for the Mental Health Treatment of Child Victims. OVC provided funding to the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center at the Medical University of South Carolina to develop practical guidelines for the mental health assessment and treatment of child victims of intrafamilial physical and/or sexual abuse. The guidelines were developed using current research and professional knowledge on assessment and treatment efficacy. The development process included input from the mental health community to ensure clinical utility, scientific integrity, and broad support from the child abuse field. o Institute for Professional Training on Mental Health Treatment for Child Victims and Witnesses. OVC also has funded the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center at the Medical University of South Carolina to develop a model training program to improve the mental health response to children who are victims of or witnesses to violence. An improved response requires mental health professionals who are knowledgeable about the initial and long-term consequences of violence and who have been trained in the most scientifically sound and clinically effective approaches to be available for assessing and treating victimized children. Young people, particularly teens, commit about 18 percent of crime but make up 33 percent of crime victims. Each year, about 3 million incidents of abuse and neglect are reported to child protective agencies. In addition, it is estimated that 40 percent of children witness serious violence in their lifetime. Research clearly documents the detrimental effects of exposure to violence on children. Effective intervention with child victims and witnesses is one of the most critical means of minimizing the effect of violence on children. o Homicide Support Project. OVC has funded the Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC) to develop a multidisciplinary approach to assisting families in the aftermath of a homicide. This approach is intended to reduce long-term psychological trauma; help family and friends cope with their grief and teach them how to regain control of their lives; and create a model for the criminal justice system, mental health care providers, and public and private crime victim agencies to share information, coordinate services, and find more efficient ways to assist this fragile population. Once completed, VMMC will work with other programs nationwide to establish similar multidisciplinary teams to replicate this approach. Training for the Corrections and Probation and Parole Community When OVC first stepped forward to take the issues of crime victims into the correctional arena, it did so amid an atmosphere of misunderstanding and suspicion. At times the mere mention of victim services to corrections officials and of corrections to victim advocates provoked an anxious or angry response. In partnership with corrections practitioners, however, there has been extraordinary success in breaking down barriers and changing attitudes and correctional practices across America. This systemic change affects thousands of correctional employees and even more victims of crime whose offenders are sentenced to some type of correctional supervision. A recent OVC project in this area is described below. o Corrections-Based Victim Services. In May 2000, OVC sponsored a Second National Corrections-Based Victim Services Colloquium. Two representatives from the victim units of each state's adult department of corrections met in Washington, D.C. They discussed issues, identified promising programs and practices, and strengthened collaborative relationships to improve services to crime victims. In FYs 1999 and 2000, a number of OVC-funded projects in the corrections field came to fruition. The products from these projects, listed below, are important resources for educating and training correctional employees and others about victim issues. o Promising Practices and Strategies for Victim Services in Corrections. Developed by the National Center for Victims of Crime in cooperation with national correctional associations, this compendium provides a comprehensive overview of correctional practices used in responding to victims and offers a wealth of ideas on establishing and enhancing corrections-based victim services. o Promising Victim-Related Practices and Strategies in Probation and Parole. Developed by the American Probation and Parole Association in cooperation with the Council of State Governments, this document focuses on the function of probation and parole agencies and how they can effectively serve crime victims. o Guidelines for Victim-Sensitive Victim-Offender Mediation: Restorative Justice Through Dialogue. This is the first of a collection of documents developed by the Center for Restorative Justice & Peacemaking that cover important issues related to restorative justice. The other published documents are the National Survey of Victim-Offender Mediation Programs in the United States; the Directory of Victim-Offender Mediation Programs in the United States; Family Group Conferencing: Implications for Crime Victims; and Multicultural Implications of Restorative Justice: Potential Pitfalls and Dangers. o Victim Issues for Parole Boards. This video and guidebook set shares the perspectives of victims and parole board members about the value of victim participation in the parole decisionmaking process. It features examples from California, Massachusetts, and South Carolina, where special efforts have been made to increase victim participation. Training for First Responders to Terrorism and Mass Violence Cases OVC is funding the development of a training curriculum and exercises for first responders that will focus on the impact of terrorism and other mass casualty crimes on victims. The training will include psychological reactions, stress management, the needs of victims, available resources, statutory rights of victims, and secondary trauma in first responders. It also will feature components for agency heads, planners, and frontline first responders. Training for both groups will be delivered through the Office of State and Local Domestic Preparedness Support. The curriculum will be available through the Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other avenues. Products will include a training curriculum, video, and brochure on what emergency response officials should know about terrorism/mass casualty crime victims; a bulletin for medical examiners and others who work with families of mass violence victims; and a handbook for first responders to victims of terrorism. ---------------------------- Evaluation Chapter 4 Objective: To evaluate victim service strategies to determine their effectiveness in meeting the needs of crime victims. Evaluation is an essential component in determining the effectiveness and efficiency of programs that serve victims of crime. Since 1996, OVC has been authorized under VOCA to fund program evaluation. OVC has undertaken a number of major evaluation projects, often in partnership with NIJ, to improve the programs and services funded with VOCA dollars. This chapter discusses four evaluation projects that OVC initiated during the past biennium. National Evaluation of State VOCA Compensation and Assistance Programs In 1984, VOCA established CVF to supplement state victim compensation and assistance programs. Between 1986 and 2001, OVC disbursed more than $3.2 billion in formula grants to these programs. OVC and NIJ commissioned The Urban Institute and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to evaluate state victim compensation and assistance programs. The goal of this multiyear evaluation, which is still ongoing, is to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of state programs at delivering a seamless web of support to help victims in their struggle to recover from the financial, emotional, physical, and psychological effects of criminal victimization. The evaluation has several phases and gathers information from state administrators, advocates, members of advisory bodies, local service providers, and victims who have accessed compensation and assistance services. In the project's first phase, which is now complete, The Urban Institute and SANDAG surveyed all state administrators regarding current policies, practices, contentious issues, and areas needing improvement. Overall, findings in the first phase indicate that state programs are generally functioning well but could improve operations in planning, training, outreach, and coordination. Survey results show that the most pressing problem facing state administrators of assistance programs is the difficulty in long-range planning given the fluctuations in funding levels from year to year, due to variations in deposits into CVF. Survey results also indicate the need to develop policies for future uses of funds collected but not available for distribution for victim programs. OVC is doing a number of things in response to the issues raised by the first phase of the evaluation. For example, OVC used the evaluation to formulate ideas for revising the victim compensation and victim assistance program guidelines (see chapter 1). OVC also used this information for planning future discretionary grants and training and technical assistance efforts. OVC has undertaken a major effort to work with states on strengthening their management capabilities, strategic and financial planning, and training and technical assistance. Victim Services 2000 Evaluation OVC developed the Victim Services 2000 concept in 1997 with the goal of improving the range, quality, and accessibility of services for victims of crime. Since that time, OVC has funded four VS2000 demonstration sites representing both urban and rural communities across the country (see chapter 1 for more details on VS2000). Two of these sites have been successful in implementing their planning strategy while the other two have not. To determine whether VS2000 was successful in developing integrated victim services models that provide a template for planning and implementing comprehensive, coordinated, and accessible services to victims, an evaluation of the program was necessary. Through NIJ, a contract was awarded to Caliber Associates to conduct the evaluation. This evaluation will produce the following: ---------------------------- Figure 7 is not included in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file available from this Web site or order a print copy from Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center at 800-627-6872. ---------------------------- o Process Evaluation of VS2000. To better understand why some communities are successful with planning and others are not and to identify the impact of strategic planning on agencies, communities, and individuals, a process evaluation of the planning phase of VS2000 is under way. All four original sites are included in the evaluation even though only two were successful. The findings will help OVC and the VS2000 sites develop effective, but realistic, assistance for communities nationwide that want to adopt the program model. o Assessment Instrument Development. Caliber Associates will develop, test, and implement an assessment instrument or instruments to evaluate whether the service provider training components are achieving their intended or desired outcomes. o Logic Model Training. Caliber Associates will provide a 1-day training session to help representatives from the two successful sites develop "logic models" of their programs. The logic model is an exercise that can guide both program design and refinement and evaluation design. The logic model training is also another tool that enables OVC and VS2000 sites to assist communities nationwide. Pan Am Flight 103 Evaluation In May 2000, the Scottish court in the Netherlands began the mass murder trial against two Libyans accused of the December 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. One of OVC's major efforts in FYs 1999 to 2000 was to provide trial support and victim assistance services to surviving family members of the victims who died in the bombing (see chapter 1 for more information). In FY 2000, OVC funded the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center to evaluate whether surviving family members used and were satisfied with OVC's services and other services offered by the Scottish court and police. Three hundred adult relatives of the Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie case were interviewed during the first phase of this evaluation. Preliminary results indicate that most family members were satisfied with the treatment by the Scottish police and with the quality of OVC services. Specifically, 77 percent of family members were very satisfied with the services offered by OVC and fewer than 3 percent reported being somewhat or very dissatisfied. When family members were asked about specific services provided by OVC, the majority were aware of the international telephone line, Web site, family liaison officers, a secure waiting area at Kamp von Zeist, Netherlands (where the trial was held), case brief meetings with the Lord Advocate and his team, closed-circuit viewing of the trial proceedings, and the Lockerbie Trial Briefing Handbook. However, only 43 percent of relatives knew that OVC had made funds available to pay for mental health counseling and only 8 percent had used these funds. A second wave of interviews is under way. Recommendations will be made based on the complete findings after further data analyses are completed. Study of Victims' Rights and Services in an American Indian Tribe OVC recently transferred funds to NIJ to document promising approaches to ensuring victims' rights in Indian Country. An indepth study of victims' rights and services will be done at one tribal site to determine what progress has been made toward establishing victims' rights and providing services to American Indians. The study will serve as a model that can be used by OVC and others to collect similar information at other tribal sites. It will include an analysis of what services are provided to victims; victims' perceptions of their rights; the services they think should be provided and what services they think are provided; an identification of factors that enhance and hinder the delivery of comprehensive services to victims; and recommendations of promising strategies for improving services for American Indian victims. ---------------------------- Information Exchange Chapter 5 Objective: To facilitate the exchange of information in the crime victims field at the local, state, national, and international levels. Information is power, and providing up-to-date information and materials to help empower victims and victim service providers is a crucial goal of OVC. To accomplish this goal, OVC offers training and technical assistance, conference support, publications, and other vital information resources through three channels--the OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center, the OVC Resource Center, and the OVC Web site. OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center OVC's Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) was created in 1998 to serve as a centralized access point for OVC's training and technical assistance resources and to funnel needed resources to local, state, tribal, and federal agencies to strengthen their capacity to serve victims. TTAC provides these services through a variety of means designed to make access to OVC resources more user-friendly, efficient, and cost-effective. TTAC focuses on training agencies and organizations on various topics; providing technical assistance in areas such as program development, management, evaluation, and policy and procedure development; operating a speaker's bureau to identify speakers for conferences, focus groups, and other meetings; and maintaining a consultant pool of experts to support OVC's initiatives across the country. TTAC received 191 requests for assistance in its second contract year, May 1999 to April 2000, which represents a 7-percent increase from the first year. Of those requests, 112 were from the field, including private victim services organizations, local and state agencies, departments of corrections, U.S. Attorneys' Offices, federal agencies, and American Indian organizations. Topic areas for the requests included training and presentations on restorative justice, traumatic grief, domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, sexual assault, clergy and victims, cultural competen