In 2004 U.S. residents age 12 or older experienced an estimated 24 million crimes, according to findings from the National Crime Victimization Survey. Of these victimizations, approximately 22 percent (5.2 million) were crimes of violence; approximately 78 percent (18.7 million) were property crimes; and approximately 1 percent were personal thefts.

OJP's Office for Victims of Crime provides funding for some 5,500 victim assistance programs serving 4 million crime victims each year and state victim compensation programs that serve an additional 180,000 victims. Fines collected by U.S. Attorneys, the U.S. Courts, and the Bureau of Prisons are deposited into the Crime Victims Fund, which is supported solely by fines, penalties, and bond forfeitures paid by federal criminal offenders, not taxpayers. Passed in October 2001, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act) provided authority for the deposit of gifts, bequests, or donations from private entities into the fund beginning in fiscal 2002. These funds are available for grant awards the following year.

Funds deposited into the Crime Victims Fund in fiscal 2005 totaled $668 million. For fiscal 2005, Congress authorized OVC to spend $625 million for programs and $50 million for the Antiterrorism Emergency Reserve. In fiscal 2006, $143,657,000 will be awarded for victim compensation. The remainder goes for victim assistance, statutory set-asides to support costs associated with victim-witness personnel in U.S. Attorneys' offices, victim specialists at the FBI, support for the Victim Notification System, and discretionary activities such as demonstration projects, training, technical assistance, program evaluation and compliance, fellowships, clinical internships, and other assistance to improve and expand the delivery of services to federal crime victims.

Program Funding Opportunities