Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Assistance Funding

What does this solve?

Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) victim assistance funds are federal funds that can be used to support services for victims and survivors of gun violence. Many of the services eligible for VOCA victim assistance funds are already being provided by gun violence intervention programs, such as street outreach and hospital-based violence intervention programs. VOCA victim assistance grants should be used to help reduce gun violence and support gun violence survivors.

Local community-based organizations are in need of more funding to provide responsive services to victims of gun violence. These organizations have been delivering these critical services for years, healing families and communities while preventing future gun violence.

Which states have targeted solicitations to use federal Victims of Crime Act funds for gun violence intervention or victim services funding?

8 states have adopted this policy

Local community-based organizations are in need of more funding.

A Fund for Healing: VOCA Grants for Violence Reduction Report

VOCA victim assistance grants can be used to fund community-based organizations providing services to gun violence victims and survivors. However, historically, VOCA victim assistance funds have not been granted to services focused on gun violence victims and survivors. VOCA victim assistance funding can and should be utilized to support services to gun violence victims and to help stem cycles of violence. States and cities can be proactive in directing VOCA victim assistance funds to gun violence victim services.

Among the gun violence intervention services eligible for victim assistance funding are hospital-based violence intervention programs, street outreach programs, and trauma recovery centers.

By the numbers

$225M

$225 million could be unlocked for victims of gun violence if all 50 states committed ten percent of their 2019 VOCA victim assistance funds to gun violence victim services.

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37%

A 2019 federal audit of state spending found that, in aggregate, states had failed to spend 37 percent of 2016 VOCA victim assistance allocations.

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VOCA victim assistance grants cannot be used to support gun violence intervention programs.

Many gun violence intervention organizations provide VOCA-eligible services to gun violence victims. Among these eligible services are crisis intervention, safety planning, mental health counseling, case management, and peer-to-peer support.

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Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Assistance Funding

What does this solve?

Which states have targeted solicitations to use federal Victims of Crime Act funds for gun violence intervention or victim services funding?

8 states have adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Alabama has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Alaska has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Arizona has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Arkansas has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

California has adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Colorado has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Connecticut has adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Delaware has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Florida has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Georgia has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Hawaii has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Idaho has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Illinois has adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Indiana has adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Iowa has adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Kansas has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Kentucky has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Louisiana has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Maine has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Maryland has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Massachusetts has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Michigan has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Minnesota has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Missouri has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Montana has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Nebraska has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Nevada has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

New Jersey has adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

New Mexico has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

New York has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

North Carolina has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

North Dakota has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Ohio has adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Oregon has not adopted this policy

Funding for Services for Victims of Gun Violence

Pennsylvania has not adopted this policy