Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost led a bipartisan coalition of 41 other state attorneys general in sending a letter to congressional leaders urging the authorization of bridge funding for the federal Crime Victims Fund, also known as the VOCA Fund.
Created by Congress in 1984, the VOCA Fund provides federal support to state and local programs that assist victims of crime.
Joined by a bipartisan coalition of 41 other state attorneys general, AG Yost is spearheading an effort calling on Congress to authorize much-needed bridge funding for the federal Crime Victims Fund (also known as the VOCA Fund). pic.twitter.com/j9dlM18DHe
— Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (@OhioAG) February 7, 2024
Funding from the program goes toward supporting medical care, mental health counseling, lost wages, courtroom advocacy, and temporary housing for victims and survivors of crime. The funding also goes towards federal, state, and tribal victim-service programs, crime victim compensation, discretionary grant awards, victim specialists in U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the FBI, and the federal victim-notification system.
Citing information from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, Yost (pictured above) said funding for the program this fiscal year is projected to be $700 million lower than in fiscal year 2023 – a 41 percent decrease.
Revenue for the VOCA Fund is generated from offenders convicted of crimes, not from taxes, as Congress passed the VOCA Fix Act in 2021, which allows monetary recoveries from federal deferred prosecutions and non-prosecution agreements to replenish the fund.
As a result, the VOCA Fix Act “hasn’t produced enough revenue to shore up fund balances, leading to the severe funding shortage that is expected for this fiscal year,” according to Yost’s office.
Without action by Congress, the coalition of attorneys general argues, many victim-service programs nationwide may be forced to close due to lack of funding.
“To sustain critical services and support for victims of crime, it is vital for Congress to provide short-term funding while the Fund is replenished by criminal fines, forfeited bail bonds, penalties, and special assessments collected by federal courts, federal prosecutors, and the Bureau of Prisons,” the coalition wrote in its letter to congressional leaders.
Last year, Yost’s office administered VOCA-funded assistance to 326 agencies statewide, which aided more than 321,000 Ohioans.
“Catching the bad guys and putting them behind bars is only half the equation of justice,” Yost said. “Caring for the victims of crime is perhaps the more important half. It’s time for action.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Dave Yost” by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
