Millions of dollars could disappear from funds supporting crime victims

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Millions of dollars could disappear from a fund that benefits thousands of crime victims in Tennessee. Now, district attorneys are stepping in to appeal to lawmakers.

The federal government could cut funding to programs that have benefited crime victims for decades. The Victims of Crime Fund, created by the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), could be short by about $700 million in this year’s budget.

This could result in the elimination of direct services such as Victim Witness Coordinators. This is a role that Mallory Cross has helped many people over the past three years.

“Most of the time, they don’t understand the process and need someone to understand it for them. And usually they’ve been through a traumatic event, so all kinds of emotions are going on. ,” Cross said.

District attorneys in Tennessee are using federal VOCA grants to fund 45 specially trained Victim Witness Coordinator (VWC) positions. These VWCs support crime victims navigating the court system by assisting with protection and restraining orders, accompanying them to court, and referring them to services.

“In fact, I had to talk to her from the bathroom to get her into court for a jury trial. She had no family or friends. “If it wasn’t for the witness coordinator, I don’t know if she would have gone through this process,” Cross said.

Of the more than 10,000 victims these coordinators served in 2023, about 75% were encountering the court system for the first time and are currently working on their case to lawmakers, state officials said. Ta. District attorneys visited the State Capitol for VOCA Advocacy Day.

District Attorney General Jared Effler told News 2, “We are asking legislators to transition some of these positions to state-funded positions,” adding that without funding, many He said he was in danger. “As district attorneys, we are concerned that if these federal budget cuts are implemented and state funding is not able to bridge the gap, there will be underserved victims. .In my opinion, that shouldn’t happen in Tennessee,” Effler said.

Cross said she is cautiously optimistic and hopeful that something can be done to protect what she claims is a vital resource.

“It’s a beautiful moment to see a domestic violence victim take back the power that was taken away from her abuser,” Cross said.