The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is seeking applications for its Victim Witness Grant Program.
Donor Name: Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services
State: Virginia
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/06/2024
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The purpose of the Victim Witness Grant Program (VWGP) is to provide financial support to local victim witness programs and statewide victim assistance programs designed to provide direct services, information, and assistance as required by the Virginia Crime Victim and Witness Rights Act.
The primary purpose of VOCA funding is to support the delivery of services to victims of crime. The federal VOCA Rule defines direct services to victims of crime as “efforts that:
- respond to the emotional, psychological, or physical needs of crime victims;
- assist victims to stabilize their lives after victimization;
- assist victims to understand and participate in the criminal justice system; OR
- restore a measure of security and safety for the victim
VWGP funds can be used to provide victims of crime with direct services related to the following
service categories as defined by VOCA:
- Information and referrals
- Examples include providing information about the criminal justice process and victims’ rights; referrals to other victim service programs; and referrals to other services, supports, and resources
- Personal advocacy and accompaniment services
- Examples include accompaniment to emergency medical care and forensic examinations; accompaniment to criminal justice system-related events; individual advocacy; and intervention with employers, landlords, schools, and others on behalf of the victim.
- Emotional support and safety services
- Examples include crisis intervention; safety planning; hotline services; individual counseling; support groups; and other therapeutic services.
- Shelter and safe housing options
- Examples include providing emergency shelter; providing transitional housing; arranging safe housing; and other relocation assistance.
- Criminal and civil justice system assistance
- Examples include notification of criminal justice events; and accompaniment to court hearings, to meetings with law enforcement and prosecution, and to other criminal justice system-related events.
Project Period
The grant period for subawards made under these guidelines is for state fiscal year (SFY) 2025: July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. For purposes of this solicitation, applicants must submit one budget that will be used for the 12-month grant period.
Eligible Projects
Eligible projects must:
- Provide services directly to victims of crime.
- Utilize the Victims Services Data Collection System (VSDCS) to document direct services provided by grant funded staff and volunteers.
- Promote within the community collaboration efforts to serve and aid crime victims and leverage resources.
- Assist victims of crime in seeking crime victim compensation benefits. Recipients of the VWGP must assist victims in seeking Virginia Victims Fund (VVF) benefits, including maintaining a supply of VVF brochures and applications, establishing procedures to identify clients who may be eligible for compensation, ensuring that all VOCA-funded staff are familiar with VVF, assisting clients with the application process, and checking on claim statuses
- Utilize volunteers in grant funded project activities and maintain documentation onsite of volunteer efforts.
- Provide program information to agencies that assist with victims of crime in the service delivery area.
- Maintain statutorily required civil rights statistics on victims served by race or national origin, sex, age, and disability, within the grant period and permit access to any documents, papers, and records to determine that the subgrantee is complying with applicable civil rights laws.
- Provide services to crime victims at no charge.
- Maintain confidentiality of victim information
- Provide services to victims of federal crimes on the same basis as victims of state/local crimes.
Eligibility Criteria
- Current eligibility is limited to the continuation of funding to local units of government and certain state agencies. Local units of government may subcontract with a private, non-profit service provider, if all local, state, and federal procurement and/or subrecipient policies are followed. Localities may submit joint applications to support regional victim witness programs serving multiple localities.
Each eligible state agency seeking funding to support statewide victim assistance programs may submit only one application.
For more information, visit DCJS.
