Leahy Announces $1.5 M. In Grants
To Help Vermont Crime Victims

Leahy-Backed Programs Provide Funds For Essential Services
To Crime Victims In Vermont

WASHINGTON (Monday, April 24) – The Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services (VCCVS) has been awarded nearly $1.5 million in federal funding to support programs for crime victims in Vermont, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Monday.  The funds come from the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Victim Assistance program.

The Center for Crime Victims was awarded $230,000 under the VOCA Victim Compensation program on April 3, and Monday also was awarded $1,269,000 under the VOCA Victim Assistance program.  The programs will allow the Center for Crime Victims to improve current crime victim services and develop additional services to aid victims of crime.  Specifically, the victim compensation grant supports victims in meeting the costs incurred as a result of a crime, including medical bills, counseling services, and lost wages.  Leahy, a former prosecutor, is the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees the Justice Department and its anti-crime programs, and he has long been a leading advocate for crime victims.

“These programs are a lifeline for crime victims when they need help the most,” said Leahy.  “The Vermont Center for Crime Victims provides critical avenues of support for victims of crime throughout our state.  These funds help ensure that victims are not lost in the system but instead get the assistance and counseling they deserve and need to get their lives back on track.”

The grants will provide funding to community-based organizations that provide assistance to crime victims, including 16 domestic violence programs across the state, and child advocacy centers.  Crime Victims Fund grants serve roughly 4 million victims of crime around the country each year, including 17,000 Vermonters.  Earlier this month, Leahy was joined by more than 20 Senate colleagues in asking the Appropriations Committee to again oppose proposals by the Bush Administration to rescind more than $1.2 billion from the Fund’s balance.  Since 1999, Leahy has secured more than $22.7 million in grants for the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services.

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