Three decades ago, the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, charged with assessing the treatment of crime victims throughout the Nation, concluded that "The innocent victims of crime have been overlooked, their pleas for justice have gone unheeded, and their wounds—personal, emotional, and financial—have gone unattended." ¹ The task force's findings led to the passage of the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) of 1984—landmark legislation that established the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund) to provide stable funding for victim assistance programs and change the landscape of a criminal justice system that was unwelcoming and all too often hostile to victims' interests. VOCA marked the beginning of a new era for victims and those who support them.

While great progress has been made since the 1980s, the pursuit of fairness and justice for victims has not proceeded without significant challenges. Time and circumstance—while offering a fledgling profession the opportunity to build a solid foundation for serving victims, their families, and communities—have also presented horrific examples of man's inhumanity to man. Time and again, the victim services field has been challenged to uphold the promise of VOCA.

Today the Fund, which is administered by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC),² provides hope and help to some 4 million victims annually, primarily through major funding streams that support direct assistance to victims and compensation for financial losses associated with the victimization. In fiscal years (FYs) 2011 and 2012, nearly $1.2 billion supported a broad range of victim services, from emergency food and shelter to crisis counseling and advocacy. The beneficiaries of these services included victims of VOCA-designated priority crimes―domestic violence, sexual assault, and child maltreatment—although the needs of victims of these pervasive crimes now outstrip available resources.³ Meanwhile, new types of crime have emerged and proliferated as a result of changes ushered in by technology, globalization, and evolving demographics throughout our society.  More