Victim Services Resources: Updates & New Ideas

1. Victim Services Resources: Updates & New Ideas Michael Dever, BJA; Anne Hamilton, OVW; Steve Derene, VOCA; Sheriff Ronnie Baldwin, Cross County AR

2. Victim Services Resources: Goal • To provide attendees with: • Viable resource options for seed money to launch SAVIN and SAVIN enhancements; • Resource options for the more challenging reality of sustained funding for these critical services; • Updates on federal funding and practical options for state-level fiscal support; and, • Opportunity for collaborative information-sharing

3. Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (SAVIN) Program and Funding Michael Dever, BJA Policy Advisor April 9, 2008

4. Optional SAVIN Notification Types • Offender Custody Status • Jails and/or Prisons • Release, escape, furlough, work release, transfer • Court Events • Hearing reminders/changes, pre-trial conferences, etc. • Final Disposition • Post Incarceration • Community Corrections • Parole/Clemency Hearings • Sex Offender Movements • Orders of Protection • Attempts to purchase firearms • Services, terms/conditions, hearing events, pending expiration

5. SAVIN: Guidelines & Standards Document • Purpose to: • 1) help States understand the benefits of the SAVIN Program; • 2) help States implement successful SAVIN Programs; and • 3) establish national standards on how to build and operate systems to support the SAVIN Programs. • Found on-line at: • www.it.gov/documents/ijis_savin_guidelines_standards.pdf

6. Key SAVIN Principles • Be Victim Focused • Be Safety Driven • Provide for Victim/Survivor Confidentiality • Provide for Autonomy • Users’ right to access or decline services at any point without explanation or consequences

7. SAVIN Solicitation Requirements • Statement of the Problem • Project Design • Capabilities/Competencies • Budget and Staffing- 50% Match • Cash and In-Kind • Assessment-Outcome Measures • Service Usage • Feedback from practitioners and users • Sustainability

8. SAVIN Funding FY 2005-2007 • BJA currently funds 27 statewide systems for development or enhancements: AL-AR-CA-CO-DE- ID-IN-IA-KY-LA- MO-MS-MT-NC-ND- NY-OK-PA-SC-TN- TX-UT-VA-VT-WA- WI-WY • BJA Grant awards total over $24.7 million to-date

9. SAVIN Funding FY 2008 • 19 Applications received for either development or enhancement funding • $500,000 cap on enhancement funding • $2,250,000 cap on development funding • Grant award announcements expected by July 2008

10. Reporting Requirements • Narrative Progress Reports (semi-annually) • Financial Status Reports (quarterly) • Performance Metrics (semi-annually) • Monitoring Visits (periodic) • Audits (periodic)

11. BJA Contact Information • Senior Policy Advisor David Lewis • Phone: 202-616-7829 • Policy Advisor Michael Dever • Phone: 202-616-9188 • State Policy Advisors: http://www.ojp.gov/BJA/resource/stcont.pdf

12. Office on Violence Against Women Ms. Anne Hamilton, Program Specialist, Office on Violence Against Women

13. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) • Purpose of VAWA • Role of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) • Relevant VAWA Funding Options • Services, Training, Officers and Prosecutors (STOP) • Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies & Enforcement of Protective Orders Program (Arrest) • Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Program (Rural) • Technical Assistance (supports all OVW grantees)

14. OVW-STOP Grants • STOP grants are intended to support states and territories to develop and strengthen the criminal justice system responses to violence against women and to support enhanced victims’ services. • State level multidisciplinary collaboration re distribution • Restrictions: 25% Law enforcement; 25% prosecution; 5% court; 30% victims’ services; 15% discretionary (per VAWA) • 75% federal award; 25% state and/or sub-grantee match • Possible SAVIN Options • Automated protective order notification and/or firearm alerts • Funding cycle: 2 years

15. OVW-GTEA Grants • Arrest grants are intended to encourage states, local, and tribal governments and state, local and tribal courts to treat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking as serious violations of criminal law requiring coordinated involvement of the entire criminal justice system • Certification eligibility • Purpose areas of Arrest program • Possible SAVIN Options • Automated protective order notification and/or firearm alerts • Funding cycle: 2 years

16. OVW-Rural Grants • Rural grants are intended to support projects that enhance the safety of child, youth, and adult victims and to address and prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking in rural jurisdictions • definition of Rural area • purpose areas of Rural program • Possible SAVIN Options • Automated protective order notification and/or firearm alerts • Funding cycle: 2 years

17. OVW-Technical Assistance • The Technical Assistance (TA) grants are intended to advance the goals of OVW by providing grantees and others in the field with the training, expertise, and problem-solving strategies they need to meet the challenges of addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking. • Possible SAVIN options • Grant application to provide SAVIN-related TA • Request to receive OVW TA for existing or planned SAVIN services • Funding cycle: 2 years

18. Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Steve Derene, Executive Director, National Association of VOCA Assistant Administrators (NAVAA)

19. Crime Victims Fund • Revenues from Federal Criminal Fines. • Annual cap (since 2000) on obligations. • Fund supports: • Children’s Justice Act • Federal set-asides (USAO, FBI, VNS) • OVC Discretionary Grants (T/TA; federal crime victims) • State compensation grants • State victim assistance grants • OJP management and administration; OAAM • Antiterrorism Emergency Reserve – above cap • State Victim Assistance Grants • Whatever’s left over • Declining since 2006

20. VOCA State Victim Assistance Grants • State grants: • base amount + population percentage. • Purposes: • emotional and physical needs of crime victims; • stabilize their lives after a victimization; • understand and participate in the criminal justice system; and • safety and security. • Direct victim services • Administrative and training – up to 5% • “promote innovative approaches to serving crime victims such as through the use of technology.”

21. VOCA Victim Assistance Grants Subgrants • Minimum allocations (10%) • Subgrant eligibility requirements • Public or private nonprofit • Non-VOCA financial support • Use volunteers • Assist w/compensation • Community coordination • No discrimination against victims disagree w/prosecution • Allowable costs include • Advanced Technologies, including “automated victim notification systems.”

22. VOCA Funds for automated victim notification systems • 2007 survey of 56 VOCA administrative agencies; 27 responses. • Does not used VOCA funds = 15 • Previously used VOCA funds = 7 • Currently use VOCA funds = 5

23. Use of VOCA Funds • Source: 3 subgrant funds only; 2 subgrant and administrative funds. • Scope: 3 Statewide and local programs; 2 Statewide only. • Sponsoring agency: • 3 statewide programs = Prosecutors’ and/or Sheriffs’ Associations • one = VOCA agency and state DV coalition • one = state university. • All use state funds as match; one also uses volunteer hours. • All but one subgrant includes direct services in addition to notification.

24. Viable Options for Seed & Sustained Funding Sheriff Ronnie Baldwin, Cross County, Arkansas

25. Victim Services Resources: Updates & New Ideas Open Collaboration Opportunity Full Panel & Conference Attendees