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Organizations across the country that rely on funding to support victims are sounding the alarm and calling on lawmakers to take action to replenish and support stagnant crime victim funds.
The Crime Victims Fund is federal money that goes to each state. The state distributes funds to organizations that provide services to crime victims. Created by the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, the fund uses no taxpayer dollars but is made up of fines and fees collected through the prosecution of federal crimes.
“The biggest part of what keeps this company afloat is state and federal funding,” said Carol Merna, CEO of the Peoria Abuse Prevention Center. “It’s the fuel that powers our cars. So we’re trusting the states to be as generous as possible, and so is the federal government.”
Merna estimates that federal funding makes up about 80 percent of the resources needed to maintain the center’s free services. She said most of the funding comes from a grant from the Crime Victims Fund.
Funds available from this source have steadily declined since 2017, according to data from the Federal Office for Victims of Crime. In 2021, Congress unanimously passed a bill called the “VOCA Amendment.” The amendments allowed several new sources to contribute to the fund, but did not stop the decline.
The president’s fiscal year 2024 budget caps awards nationally at $1.2 billion, down from $1.9 billion in 2023 and $2.6 billion in 2022. For comparison, the award caps in 2018 and 2019 were $4.4 billion and $3.3 billion, respectively.
“This year, the Abuse Prevention Center alone received a $550,000 reduction,” Merna said. “And if we’re forced to take another 40%, that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to feel it. Our survivors are going to feel it, and we’re going to feel that. I don’t want something like that to happen.”
Abuse Prevention Center
In particular, if funding continues to decline, it will impact the center’s treatment services, children’s services and advocates who visit local hospitals as the first point of contact for victims of violent crime.
But Merna said the most notable service funded by VOCA is the center’s 24-hour crisis hotline.
“We want to make sure our programs find a way to continue these services without significant reductions,” said Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence President and CEO. said one Vicky Smith.
Organizations like the Coalition Against Domestic Violence partner with the Illinois Office of Criminal Justice Information to act as a pass-through, distributing federal funds to agencies that specifically work with domestic violence survivors.
“We don’t have enough money to even maintain the funding we’re getting at this point,” Smith said. “Therefore, there is great concern that there will be even more significant cuts.”
All of this is happening alongside a surge in domestic violence. The World Health Organization has sounded the alarm about increasing levels of domestic violence in the midst of the pandemic. Smith says this is a disturbing trend that shows no signs of reversing.
Smith said the organization compiles a report on domestic violence deaths. In 2022, she says, that number has dropped to between 40 and 50, but in 2023, that number has more than doubled. Smith doesn’t know that the numbers are completely representative, since the data is collected by the organization through media reports and public records.
“Our program is reporting more calls for service,” Smith said. “And the type of violence they’re seeing is more violent and more dramatic.”
In Peoria, Melna said abuse prevention centers are still feeling the effects of the pandemic.
“People who have experienced stress or abuse during that time may take longer to seek help,” she says. “We are only now beginning to see those who have been affected by the pandemic. So while we are happy that people are finding their voices, it is essential that we continue to respond to them.” is.”
Smith said if funding continues to decline, the biggest impact will be on donor jobs. Advocates in the field of domestic violence victim services have a variety of roles, including helping victims navigate the justice system as well as accessing resources such as counseling and child care that victims may not be aware of. We support.
“One of the things we’ve learned over time is that the more advocates we have, the more successful people are at using the justice system to get their needs met,” Smith said. said. “It’s about safety, protective orders, family court filings, custody, visitation, all that kind of stuff.”
Fewer advocates mean fewer domestic violence victims are safe, Smith said.
Crime Victim Support Office
Local legislators are aware of the concerns from these organizations. 17th District Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL) and 16th District Representative Darin LaHood (R-IL) both sign a bipartisan letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget. did. The letter requests bridge funding to increase the Crime Victims Fund as part of the 2024 budget.
“We are looking at all possibilities to provide remedial funding,” Sorensen told WCBU. “The reason we’re doing this is that it’s not enough to say there’s a funding gap.”
Sorensen did not offer specific funding fixes, but said it is important to find solutions that prevent further cuts to these programs.
“The City of Peoria Abuse Prevention Center and other victim service organizations are critical to supporting vulnerable populations and those in need throughout central Illinois,” Lahoud told WCBU. said in an emailed statement. “I will continue to advocate in Congress for funding and grants to strengthen services for survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, and other abuses.”
As Congress navigates a budget impasse to meet a Friday, March 8 deadline and avoid a government shutdown, Merna says she’s unsure whether an effective solution to the funding problem will be found.
The president’s budget projects $1.2 billion. In the spending bill, he expects $1.2 billion. As mentioned earlier, $1.9 billion is the number needed to match last year’s funding amount, but it was still a significant reduction from the previous year.
“When survivors can seek help and find a path to hope and peace, communities are safer when people can receive help,” Merna said.
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