Funds for Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) slashed by Bu**sh**

Congress's 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act will cause further devastating reductions in state VOCA victim assistance grants. The bill set the 2008 cap on total Crime Victims Fund spending at $590 million, the lowest cap in six years. Along with increases in other VOCA uses and new assessments being charged to the Fund, state VOCA victim assistance grants are likely to be about $81 million less than they were in 2007.

But wait, there's more... if the Administration's 2009 budget request is approved, victim assistance grants will suffer even more cuts...another $53 million, which would make total cuts of $159 million (40 percent) since 2006...PLUS...there would be no money for victim services in the Fund at the beginning of 2010.

Victim advocates are working to restore VOCA assistance funding by asking Congress to set the 2009 VOCA cap at a level that returns state VOCA assistance grants to the amounts received in 2006.

>>Click here for more detailed information to "Restore VOCA Funding"<<

* Senate VOCA Appropriations Letter
* House VOCA Appropriations Letter
* Rep. Poe VOCA House Floor Statement and Budget Testimony
* Members of Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittee .
* Find out how to contact your Representatives and Senators.
* VOCA "Lockbox" Legislation.

more: http://www.navaa.org/

Attorney General Milgram Calls on Congress to Restore Funding Cut from Front-Line Victim Assistance and Anti-Crime Programs - Urges Lawmakers to Reject Bush Administration Plan to Eliminate Programs in FY‘09

TRENTON – Attorney General Anne Milgram today called on Congress to reverse federal budget cuts that reduced Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants by tens of millions of dollars this year – including a potential $2.3 million cut for New Jersey – and reduced anti-crime grants under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program by $350 million nationally.

On the heels of those cuts, President Bush recently released his Fiscal Year 2009 budget request, which calls for elimination of some programs. It would replace the reliable formula-based grants awarded under Byrne-JAG with a reduced program using a competitive award process. The STOP Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grant program – which provided $3.2 million for victim assistance in New Jersey in FY 2006 and $2.8 million in FY 2007 – would face a similar fate. VOCA would remain at a reduced level, and surplus VOCA funds would be diverted for other budget purposes. VOCA funding comes exclusively from fines, forfeitures and fees levied against federal criminal offenders. It is supposed to be used strictly for victim assistance.

Attorney General Milgram urged Congress to restore the grant funding that has been cut already and reject the Bush Administration budget proposals for FY 2009. During a recent trip to Washington, Milgram and other state attorneys general met with President Bush and U.S. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey. Attorney General Milgram appealed personally to the president to restore the funding cut from the grant programs. She joined other attorneys general in writing Congressional leaders to ask them to put back the Byrne-JAG funds cut in FY 08.

more: http://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases08/pr20080311a.html

Federal Budget Cuts Threaten Help For Rape Victims

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Chicago crisis counselors who have been helping rape victims for years are now facing a crisis of their own. Funding is running out for services that treat women who are victims of sexual assault.

As CBS 2's Susan Carlson reports, Chicago's only rape crisis hotline is operated out of the YWCA and has been providing support for hundreds of thousands victims since 1998.

Counselor Alicia Oeser feels she's making a difference in many women's lives.

"When someone verbally expresses that to you and they tell you how grateful they are that you were able to answer that phone," she said.

But thanks to 2008 federal budget cuts in the Violence Against Women Act and the Victims of Crime Act, she'll soon be out of a job.

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/rape.victims.hotline.2.707936.html

Battered Women's Network Decries Cuts to Domestic Violence Programs

April 7, 2008 -- CHICAGO --The Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network, in conjunction with U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D) and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D), expressed outrage at the current Presidential Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2009. The request, released in February, would cut $120 million in often life saving DV services created and provided by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA.)

This funding “is not a priority for the President’s administration”, Durbin said at a news conference at the offices of the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network.

In addition to cuts to the VAWA programs, President George W. Bush slashed the $2 million balance in the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fund. The VOCA Fund has made it possible for victims of violent crimes such as domestic violence, sexual assault and molestation to get the counseling and other support they need.

“These cuts come at a time when from the year 2006 to 2007 the domestic homicide rate in the city of Chicago doubled”, said CMBWN executive director Dawn Dalton. “We need to ask you, who in your circle doesn’t receive the resources they need because funding is being cut?”

http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/48745507_battered-womens-network-decries-cuts-domestic-viol

Mental-health providers face challenges

This year all providers of essential health and safety services in California are facing an extremely challenging budget year due to proposed funding cuts. But the burden of making up for serious budget deficits can fall disproportionately hard on small community-based nonprofit agencies that receive some state or federal funding.
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Family Services of Tulare County is a good illustration of this point. Family Services has been providing services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse since 1983.

In the City of Tulare they provide long-term transitional shelter for battered women and their children, a domestic-violence support group held at Hillman Health Center, and a parenting-skills education class held at Lincoln School. Family Services also has agreements with Tulare Police Department and Tulare District Hospital to respond in person if called to help a victim.
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Additionally, the state funding cut would hit Family Services' essential victims services especially hard because they are also receiving federal cuts to the Victims of Crime Act, which helps their domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse treatment programs.

more: http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080501/OPINION02/805010308