MENU TITLE: Report To Congress. Series: OVC Report SUBJECT: Program Evaluation Published: October 1997 126 pages 290,645 bytes Figures, charts, forms, and tables are not included in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file available from this Web site or order a print copy from the Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center at 800-627-6872. U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office for Victims of Crime Report to Congress October 1997 ------------------------------ U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs 810 Seventh Street NW. Washington, DC 20531 Janet Reno Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice Eric Holder Deputy Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice John C. Dwyer Acting Associate Attorney General Laurie Robinson Assistant Attorney General Aileen Adams Director, Office for Victims of Crime Office for Victims of Crime World Wide Web Site http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ The Office for Victims of Crime is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. ------------------------------ Victims of Crime Act of 1984 as Amended: A Report to the President and the Congress Office for Victims of Crime Office of Justice Programs U.S. Department of Justice This report covers activities undertaken by the Office for Victims of Crime and its grantees with Crime Victims Fund revenues during Fiscal Years 1995-1996 ------------------------------ Table of Contents MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR The Office for Victims of Crime: Helping To Provide Justice and Healing Executive Summary Chapter 1 How Criminals Pay for Victim Services: The Crime Victims Fund Deposits Into the Crime Victims Fund Fiscal Responsibility and Management of the Fund Chapter 2 Funding Services for Crime Victims: OVC's Unique Role Formula Grants Program New OVC Efforts To Improve Victim Services Through the Formula Grants Program The VOCA Victim Assistance Grant Program The VOCA Victim Assistance Grant Program Administration Victim Assistance Programs The VOCA Victim Compensation Grant Program The VOCA Victim Compensation Funds Serving Crime Victims The State Compensation Program Spotlight Discretionary Grants Program New OVC Efforts To Improve Victim Services Through the Discretionary Grants Program Discretionary Funding for Programs That Help Federal Crime Victims Federal Crime Victim Assistance Funds U.S. Attorneys' Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund FBI Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund OVC Support of Training and Technical Assistance for Victim Assistance and Compensation Grants National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards National Victim Assistance Training Conference Statewide and Regional Victim Assistance Conferences Chapter 3 Sharing Knowledge To Improve Victim Services: OVC-Funded Training and Technical Assistance National Victim Assistance Academy Discipline-Specific Training Programs Training for Law Enforcement Professionals Community Policing and Victim Services Promising Practices for Law Enforcement National Domestic Violence Teleconference Federal Bureau of Investigation Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Federal Criminal Justice Personnel Training Trainings for Prosecutors Federal Prosecutors Promising Practices for Prosecutors Protecting Victims' Rights: A Prosecutor's Priority Trainings for Court Personnel The Juvenile Justice System Juvenile Court Response to Victims of Juvenile Offenders The Judiciary Trainings for Professionals in Corrections U.S. Parole Commission and Federal Bureau of Prisons Trainings for Professionals in the Military Trainings for Professionals in the Mental Health and Medical Fields Mental Health Medical Training for Educators and Other School Personnel Training and Technical Assistance for Special Populations Vulnerable to Victimization Victims of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Victims of Sexual Assault Victims of Statutory Rape Domestic Violence Victims Community Responses to Family Violence Victims of Child Abuse Victims of Gang Violence Survivors of Homicide Victims Victims and Survivors of Drunk Driving Crashes Victims of Hate and Bias Crimes Victims With Disabilities Victims' Concerns About HIV/AIDS Victims in Rural Areas Victims of Criminal Transportation Disasters Victims in Native American Communities Attorney General's Indian Country Initiative Tribal Court Appointed Special Advocate Programs Indian Health Services Child Sexual Abuse in Native American Communities Sixth National Indian Nations Conference Children's Justice Act Discretionary Grants for Native Americans Victims of Violence in the Workplace Crimes Against Older Americans Chapter 4 Using OVC's Diverse Resources To Assist Victims of Terrorism and Mass Violence OVC Response to the Bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City OVC Assistance to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia OVC Support for the Families of Victims Killed Abroad by Terrorists Legislative Reforms Chapter 5 OVC's International Efforts on Behalf of Victims: Facing New Frontiers International Victim Assistance Training Manual International Victim Compensation Program Directory OVC Resource Center Response to International Crime Victim Issues Assistance for Kidnaped Children Taken Across International Borders Support for the World Congress Against the Commercial Exploitation of Children Assistance for Americans Victimized Abroad: OVC's Plan of Action on International Issues for FY 1997 Chapter 6 Making Government Work for Victims of Crime: Disseminating Information and Responding to Constituent Requests Enhancing Communication With the Victim Service Field OVC Resource Center OVC World Wide Web Home Page OVC Publications and Products Topic-Specific Videotapes OVC Newsletter Using Technology for Victims and Grantees Technology Grants Victim Assistance Case Automated Tracking/ Notification System Simplifying the Grant Process for Victim Assistance in Indian Country Responding to Constituent Training Requests OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center Community Crisis Response Trainers Bureau Regional Coordination Initiative Mentoring Program for VOCA Administrators Putting It All Together To Serve Crime Victims Better: Washington, D.C. Case Study District-Specific Training State Needs Assessment National Crime Victims' Rights Week Chapter 7 Future Directions Comprehensive, Quality Services for All Crime Victims Enactment and Enforcement of Consistent, Fundamental Rights for Crime Victims Securing a Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendment and Other Legislative Protections for Crime Victims Enhancing the Federal Response to Victims of Federal Crime Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century: An Action Plan From the Field Enhancing the Victims of Crime Act Utilizing Defunct National Fine Center Funds To Improve the Federal System Expanding National-Scope Training and Technical Assistance and Services to Federal Crime Victims Establishing Fellowships and Clinical Internships Expanding Definitions and Duties and Authority of the OVC Director Return of Funds to the Crime Victims Fund Authorization of Deposits to the Fund From Private Sources Conclusion Appendix A Children's Justice Act Discretionary Grant Program for Native Americans: Total Dollars Awarded to Tribes 1990 through 1997 Appendix B TRIAD Programs Appendix C United Nations Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power (full text) Appendix D Office for Victims of Crime Publications and Products Appendix E 1995 and 1996 Crime Victim Service Award Recipients Appendix F 1995 and 1996 Number of Victims Served by Program and State Appendix G Number of Advocates Trained Fiscal Years 1995-1996 ------------------------------ Message From The Director The Office for Victims of Crime: Helping To Provide Justice and Healing The past 3 years have been a time of extraordinary accomplishments for the crime victims field. The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has worked in close partnership with victim service providers and others in the field to help ensure justice and healing for crime victims. This report, as prescribed by statute, describes many of OVC's achievements made possible by funding authorized in the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, as amended. It covers activities in Fiscal Years (FYs) 1995 and 1996, as well as important initiatives undertaken in FY 1997. Some of our milestones include: o Unprecedented Federal funding for local crime victims programs. The OVC-administered Crime Victims Fund (the Fund) reached a historic level of $528.9 million in 1996. The Fund is derived from fines against Federal criminal offenders--not taxpayers. The dramatic increase in the Fund enabled OVC in 1997 to distribute three times more Federal victim assistance dollars to States than ever before. In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC grants helped to provide services to more than 2 million crime victims each year and support more than 2,800 local victim service agencies across the country. o Comprehensive services for Oklahoma City bombing victims. The enactment of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 enabled OVC to provide major support for victims of terrorist acts, including funding for additional advocates, crisis counseling, safe havens, and travel expenses to court proceedings for Oklahoma City bombing victims. o National crime victims agenda. Within the next few months, OVC will release Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century: An Action Plan From the Field (Action Plan), which has been compiled by leaders in the field and will serve as a guide to providing comprehensive victims' rights and services well into the next century. The Action Plan will update the landmark 1982 President's Task Force on Victims of Crime Final Report, describe "promising practices" used around the country to facilitate implementation of victims' rights and services, and propose numerous recommendations to improve how crime victims are treated. o Advocacy for fundamental and consistent victims' rights. OVC played a major role in supporting a constitutional amendment to ensure fundamental rights for victims of crime in accordance with the Administration's endorsement of such an initiative, and supported stronger legislation to improve victim participation and rights in all phases of the criminal justice process. o Federal system improvements. In response to a 1996 Presidential directive, OVC developed a comprehensive action plan to improve the treatment of victims in the Federal system. OVC provided victim-witness training to over 70 Federal law enforcement agencies; convened the first National Symposium on Victims of Federal Crime, which provided intensive training to nearly 1,000 key Federal employees; produced a film entitled Justice for Victims on victim-witness responsibilities to serve as a training tool for all U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) personnel; increased funding and technical assistance to DOJ components to enhance their victim-witness programs; and established Federal emergency funds for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Attorneys' Offices to ensure funding for needed victim services that could not be provided through other sources. o National Victim Assistance Academy. The OVC-funded National Victim Assistance Academy, the first Federal training center for victim advocates, is entering its third successful year by providing state-of-the-art training to victim service providers across the country at four universities simultaneously. Its comprehensive curriculum is being modified for use in State training facilities. o International leadership. OVC is playing a major leadership role in the development of an International Victim Assistance Training Manual to implement the U.N. Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power and is working closely with the U.S. Department of State to ensure quality services to Americans victimized abroad. o Reinventing Government. After listening at numerous conferences and meetings to a diverse field of customers, OVC streamlined formula grant guidelines as well as the annual grant application and award process; expanded and enhanced the automated system for reporting use of Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds; initiated an intradepartmental effort to design a joint Federal report form to reduce paperwork in the field; supported a mentor program for VOCA State administrators to provide state-of-the-art training for grantees; funded the development of compensation program standards and a needs assessment instrument that provide objective benchmarks for States to make program self-evaluation simple and straightforward; and included field-generated grant proposals in program plans that were developed with unprecedented input from the field. o Enhanced communication with the field. OVC became more accessible to constituents not only through increased participation in field activities, but also through the OVC Resource Center, a national information clearinghouse, which disseminated materials to thousands of policymakers, State and local criminal justice professionals, and other individuals. In addition, OVC launched a newsletter and a comprehensive home page on the Internet. o Providing leadership on innovative approaches that benefit victims. OVC advanced cutting-edge practices through grants that will inform the field about how technology can benefit victims; promising practices used by different professionals who interact with crime victims; and the Victim Services 2000 demonstration projects, which will provide training sites that showcase strong community partnerships and comprehensive, collaborative services for crime victims. o Collaboration with other Federal agencies. Many of OVC's projects are supported through partnerships with other agencies. These partners include other Federal agencies such as the U.S. Departments of State, Transportation, Health and Human Services, Interior, Defense, and Treasury; all of the bureaus within the Office of Justice Programs; and other DOJ components such as the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Tribal Justice, and the Office of Policy Development. A most extraordinary part of OVC's work has been constant interaction with crime victims themselves-- people like Marilyn Smith, who founded a comprehensive victim service program in Seattle for deaf and deaf-blind victims after trying unsuccessfully to find services herself as a deaf sexual assault victim; Azim Khamisa, who joined with the grandfather of the 14-year-old gang member who murdered his son to provide gang prevention programs in San Diego schools; and the many parents who came together after their children were killed or injured by drunk drivers to support Mothers Against Drunk Driving in its successful efforts to strengthen laws, provide victim impact classes, and educate the public about the devastating impact of this crime. Countless crime victims across America have turned their agony into activism--helping to establish effective prevention and treatment programs in their own communities. They will continue to be a constant source of inspiration to us in our work for they truly demonstrate that the human spirit can overcome any obstacle. The voices of victims across the country have contributed significantly not only to needed public policy and legal reforms, but also to the important work of this office each and every day. It is both an honor and a privilege to work closely at their side. Aileen Adams Director ------------------------------ Executive Summary For more than a decade, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has served as the Federal Government's chief advocate for victims of crime. OVC provides significant financial support for victim assistance and compensation programs around the country and has launched a wide range of initiatives to ensure the fair treatment of victims in our legal system and in all other areas of public life. With the passage of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA), Congress created a unique funding mechanism--the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund)--to support services for crime victims. The Fund is derived from fines and penalties paid by convicted Federal offenders--not from tax dollars. Since its inception, the Fund has generated more than $2 billion to support thousands of crime victims programs throughout the United States. Congress amended VOCA in 1988 and designated OVC as a bureau within the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to administer the Fund. OVC distributes nearly 90 percent of the Fund money collected each year to States to help fund victim compensation and assistance programs, which for many victims are a lifeline to justice and healing in a time of great need. Federal victim assistance grants support more than 2,800 local victim service agencies serving approximately 2 million victims each year. Compensation funds provide reimbursement to victims for out-of-pocket expenses resulting from crime, such as mental health and health care costs. In addition, OVC sponsors trainings on victims' issues for a wide variety of professions, including Federal, State, and local victim service providers, law enforcement, prosecutors, the judiciary, corrections officials, the religious community, and medical and mental health personnel. OVC also provides training to more than 70 Federal law enforcement agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Park Service. This report describes the accomplishments that the Office for Victims of Crime has been able to make using deposits from the Crime Victims Fund for grants and other program initiatives. It covers activities from October 1, 1994, through September 30, 1996, or Fiscal Years (FYs) 1995 and 1996, as well as initiatives OVC has undertaken in FY 1997, in response to Section 1407(g) of VOCA, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 10604(g). This section requires the Director of OVC to report every 2 years to the President and Congress on the effectiveness of OVC programs supported by VOCA. Summarized below are OVC's most significant accomplishments during FYs 1995 and 1996. The major OVC and VOCA accomplishments in 1995 and 1996 include: o Made available, through the Crime Victims Fund, $762 million to serve crime victims, the largest 2-year total in the history of the Fund. Deposits to the Fund established records in both FY 1995 ($234 million) and FY 1996 ($528 million). o Awarded $207 million in victim assistance grants to the States. Each year these grants help to provide services to more than 2 million crime victims and support more than 2,800 local victim service agencies across the country. In FY 1997, OVC distributed nearly $400 million to the States through victim assistance grants--the highest total in the program's history. o Awarded $148.5 million in victim compensation grants to the States. Total victim compensation funding rose 38 percent between FYs 1994 and 1996, and 255 percent between FYs 1986 and 1996. In FYs 1995 and 1996, more than 209,000 victims nationwide received benefits, providing critical financial assistance to reimburse victims for lost wages, funeral and medical bills, and mental health counseling fees. In FY 1997, OVC distributed $74.2 million to State compensation programs. o Advocated for victims' rights across America, including the adoption of a victims' rights constitutional amendment supported by the Administration and stronger legislation to protect the rights of victims. OVC helped to secure passage of the 1996 Antiterrorism Act, which expands OVC's authority to assist victims of terrorism and mass violence. o Funded emergency support and longer term advocacy and services for victims during mass tragedies such as the Oklahoma City and Olympic bombings. o Funded nearly a dozen "promising practices" grants that will provide the field with crucial information about excellent strategies for many different professionals, such as law enforcement, prosecutors, the judiciary, and correctional personnel, to improve victim services around the country. o Provided more than $6.4 million to 21 States for services and technical assistance projects in Indian Country under the innovative Victim Assistance in Indian Country and Children's Justice Act programs. o Supported pioneering partnerships between all levels of government and many different agencies to improve services to crime victims, including children's advocacy centers and TRIAD, a partnership between law enforcement and seniors to provide needed assistance to elderly victims. o Enhanced trainings and funding to improve victim services in the Federal system, including major support for the expansion of the FBI's victim-witness program. o Provided funding to train more than 52,000 Federal law enforcement officers from 70 Federal agencies during the past decade. o Established training and technical assistance programs that reached thousands of diverse professionals who serve crime victims, including trainings on crisis response, hate and bias crime, implementation of victim services within community policing and corrections, death notification, victim impact panels, victims' concerns with HIV/AIDS, and elder abuse and other crimes against the elderly. o Funded a project that will explore issues and challenges in responding effectively to victims with disabilities. o Launched innovative initiatives to assist State VOCA administrators, including mentoring programs, regional meetings, national conferences, and a video on victim compensation. o Funded the National Victim Assistance Academy to help professionalize the field by providing hundreds of victim advocates with 46 hours of intensive, academic-based training on victimology and victim services at four separate universities. o Supported training sites that will feature crime-victim-centered systems in which the rights and needs of crime victims are addressed and supported in a comprehensive, collaborative way from the time that a crime occurs to the resolution of the case and beyond. These Victim Services 2000 sites are incorporating promising practices from around the country and will help train others in implementing these practices. o Released a comprehensive report and action plan on providing services to victims of gang violence. o Funded videotapes highlighting promising practices in victim services and the best medical practices for forensic examinations on child victims. o Funded the development of a curriculum for adolescent victims of violent crime for youths in middle and high schools, as well as youth group settings. o Supported initiatives to help ensure implementation of the full faith and credit provisions of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994; a teleconference that provided state-of-the-art domestic violence training for victim service providers and allied professionals; and a conference to build alliances between domestic violence shelters and children's advocacy centers. o Provided technical support and assistance to the United Nations Crime Commission and its member countries committed to instituting victims' rights and services and played a leadership role in developing an international training manual on how to implement victims' rights. o Enhanced communication with other agencies and practitioners in the field of victims' rights through the OVC Resource Center, a national information clearinghouse on victims' issues. Among its many important services, the Resource Center disseminated topic-specific videotapes, training curriculums, and guidebooks developed by OVC grantees and responded to thousands of requests for information from policymakers, State and local criminal justice professionals, and private organizations. o Created the OVC home page (http://www.ojp.usdoj. gov/ovc) on the Internet and distributed OVC's first newsletter--OVC Advocate. Many OVC-supported programs grew out of important partnerships with other agencies. OVC partners include other Federal agencies as well as other bureaus in OJP and other DOJ offices, such as the Executive Office for United States Attorneys and the Office of Policy Development. Examples of these partnerships include the following: o OVC-sponsored mentoring programs have included onsite training for teams from various jurisdictions to learn about promising practices in handling domestic violence cases. These programs were sponsored jointly by OVC and the Violence Against Women Grants Office. o To enhance coordination between domestic violence programs and children's advocacy centers, OVC collaborated with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to provide onsite technical assistance. In addition, OVC is coordinating closely with OJJDP on hate and bias crime projects and victims of gang violence programs. o The TRIAD program, which is a partnership between older Americans and law enforcement personnel to improve services to elderly crime victims, has been supported by OVC, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. o OVC, in partnership with the OJP Corrections Program Office and the National Institute of Corrections, has been assisting State correctional administrators to expand the types of services their agencies offer to crime victims. o OVC's international activities and plans to respond to incidents of mass violence at home and abroad have been coordinated closely with other DOJ offices, as well as with the U.S. Department of State and the National Transportation Safety Board. o At the local level, OVC's first Victim Services 2000 site is based on a solid foundation of communitywide collaboration and cooperation. This report describes all significant OVC initiatives since the beginning of FY 1995. Chapter 1, How Criminals Pay for Victim Services: The Crime Victims Fund, provides an overview of the history and status of the Crime Victims Fund. Chapter 2, Funding Services for Crime Victims: OVC's Unique Role, describes important new developments in OVC's assistance to States through formula grants and other Federal awards. Chapter 3, Sharing Knowledge To Improve Victim Services: OVC-Funded Training and Technical Assistance, discusses new OVC training initiatives to help States provide services to particularly vulnerable groups of crime victims, including victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, drunk-driving crashes, gang violence, homicides, and hate/bias crimes, as well as disabled and older victims. Chapter 4, Using OVC's Diverse Resources To Assist Victims of Terrorism and Mass Violence, sets forth the comprehensive assistance that OVC provided to victims of terrorism and mass violence, including services for victims of the Oklahoma City bombing and the Atlanta Centennial Park bombing during the 1996 Olympics. Chapter 5, OVC's International Efforts on Behalf of Victims: Facing New Frontiers, discusses OVC's leadership role on international victims' issues. Chapter 6, Making Government Work for Victims of Crime: Disseminating Information and Responding to Constituent Requests, describes OVC's efforts to improve the services that it provides to victims of crime, victim service practitioners, and Federal, State, and local agencies working in the field. Included is a discussion of the OVC Resource Center and OVC publications and products, the OVC Training and Technical Response Center, the OVC Trainers Bureau, and a host of other projects to help communities respond to crime victims' needs. Chapter 7, Future Directions, offers OVC's vision for protecting victims' rights and improving victim services in the future. The chapter presents recent legislative and policy initiatives. OVC's efforts have dramatically changed the way victims of crime are treated at the Federal, tribal, State, and local levels and across disciplines of professionals who interact with victims in communities across the United States. The Victims of Crime Act and the Crime Victims Fund have provided a unique form of justice through which convicted Federal offenders help to support victim services (see figure 1). OVC will continue to advance its mission of providing justice and healing for all crime victims in the years ahead. ------------------------------ Chapter 1 How Criminals Pay for Victim Services: The Crime Victims Fund The Crime Victims Fund (the Fund), established by the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA), serves as the major source of funding for U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)-assisted victim services throughout the country. As the Federal steward of the Crime Victims Fund, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) provides national leadership through the management, distribution, and protection of the Fund's resources. The Crime Victims Fund consists of fines collected from persons convicted of Federal criminal offenses, forfeited appearance and bail bonds, special penalty assessments on criminal convictions, and criminal penalties for nonappearance assessed in addition to forfeitures. The Clerks of the Courts and the Administrative Office of the United States Courts receive the money deposited into the Crime Victims Fund. These deposits are the results of collection and enforcement efforts by criminal prosecutors, the U.S. Attorneys' Offices' Financial Litigation Units, and U.S. probation officers. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) also collects a substantial amount of money every year for the Fund through its Inmate Financial Responsibility Program. OVC has worked closely with the Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) to provide training on victims' issues and to help Federal prosecutors and others responsible for collecting criminal fines understand the connection between their efforts and OVC's ability to fund programs that serve crime victims. In addition, OVC recognizes innovative efforts to collect monies for the Fund by coordinating the Attorney General's Crime Victims Fund Award. The efforts of these Federal employees reflect the type of government reinvention efforts that Vice President Gore has encouraged through the Government Performance and Review Act. As mandated by VOCA, Crime Victims Fund dollars are distributed in the following manner. The first $10 million, divided between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ($8.5 million) and OVC ($1.5 million), is used to improve the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases, particularly cases of child sexual abuse in a manner that limits additional trauma to child victims. The portion administered by OVC is used exclusively to help Native American communities improve the investigation and prosecution of these cases. The remaining Fund deposits are distributed as follows: o 48.5 percent to State compensation programs. o 48.5 percent to State assistance programs. o 3 percent to discretionary funds to provide training and technical assistance and other assistance to expand and improve the delivery of services to crime victims. At least half of these funds must support services to Federal crime victims. During Fiscal Years (FYs) 1995 and 1996, an additional $3 million was taken out of the Fund to help support the National Fine Center, a U.S. Courts' project that was discontinued in 1997. Deposits Into the Crime Victims Fund In FYs 1995 and 1996, approximately $763 million from Federal criminal offenders was collected to serve crime victims--the largest 2-year total in the history of the Crime Victims Fund (see figure 2). These increased collections reflected heightened efforts by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and others to aggressively pursue fines from convicted offenders. In FY 1996, nearly $529 million was deposited in the Fund, eclipsing the previous record of nearly $234 million in FY 1995. A major portion of the Crime Victims Fund is derived from significant fines leveled against corporations. For example, in 1996, the Fund received more than $29 million from Caremark, Inc., a home health care provider that pled guilty to criminal charges stemming from its improper payment to doctors and other professionals to induce them to refer patients to Caremark. Other large fines included a payment of $15.25 million from C.R. Bard, Inc., for billing the Government for defective heart catheters; a fine of $18.5 million from an individual, Lucas West, in a U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) fraud case; a fine of $21.8 million from Lockheed in a Federal Corrupt Practices Act case involving bribery and the Egyptian government; and a $13.5 million fine from the Iroquois Pipeline Operating Company. In 1995, a $549,000 deposit was also made into the Crime Victims Fund from asset forfeitures by convicted spy Aldrich Ames. In addition, the Bureau of Prisons deposits millions of dollars collected from inmates into the Fund each year. Other major deposits are reflected in a Washington Post article, "How Penalties Become Pay-Back" (see figure 3). However, these and many other criminal fines were overshadowed in 1996 by a record $340 million fine paid by the Daiwa Bank following the settlement of its illegal trading fraud case. This single fine exceeded the record total fines collected in all of FY 1995 by more than $100 million. This increase in fines provided OVC and the crime victims field with needed resources to expand services across the country into many unserved and underserved areas, such as rural America. Despite nearly $529 million being available in FY 1997 to fund victims programs, it is unlikely that the Fund will sustain that level of funding in FY 1998. Extreme fluctuations in funding cause victim service programs created in years of substantially increased funds to subsequently shut down in years when funding sources disappear. For example, between FYs 1992 and 1993, there was a decline of more than $75 million in Fund deposits. To ensure continuity of services, OVC has worked closely with victim advocates, the Clinton administration, and Congress to implement strategies to ensure that the increased funding will be distributed by States in a sustainable, consistent manner. As described in further detail below, OVC sponsored regional meetings to assist State VOCA administrators in developing a long-range plan to expend these funds over time and develop priorities for their use. Fiscal Responsibility and Management of the Fund OVC undertook two major efforts in FYs 1995 and 1996 to guard against dramatic decreases in Fund deposits by creating a reserve fund and convening planning meetings with the States to aid in the development of strategic funding plans. In early FY 1995, OVC set aside $20 million in Crime Victims Fund deposits as a reserve fund, as authorized by changes to VOCA made by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. A provision in Title XXIII of the 1994 Crime Act allows the Director of OVC to "reserve" a portion of the Crime Victims Fund in years of excess deposits for use in future years when the Fund may decline as it has done previously. The reserve fund may also be used as a funding source to assist States in responding to acts of terrorism and mass violence. OVC Director Adams accessed the reserve fund to support substantial services to Oklahoma City bombing victims, including additional funds for victim compensation, crisis counseling, victim travel to Denver, and increased victim-witness staff. The reserve fund was created by Congress to help address the inability to predict future deposits into the Fund. This reserve will help ensure that funding levels to the States remain constant in future years. Following the Daiwa Bank fine, OVC launched an effort to help States and the crime victims field plan how the funding might best be distributed to serve crime victims. In June 1996 OVC hosted a working group with State VOCA administrators and representatives of national crime victims organizations to seek advice regarding the use of increased VOCA funds that were distributed in FY 97. The Daiwa fine meant that State victim assistance programs would receive total funds of almost $400 million in FY 1997 versus the $127 million that they received in FY 1996--a threefold increase. The working group issued several recommendations, including expanding the period States may spend funds to 3 years from the year of award. Congress implemented this recommendation by amending VOCA through a provision of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, which gives States an additional year to expend victim assistance funds beginning with grants awarded in FY 1997. In FY 1997 OVC is continuing its outreach and strategic planning efforts with the States. OVC hosted six regional roundtable meetings of State VOCA victim assistance administrators to help States develop effective funding strategies for FY 1997 (see figure 4). Some strategies encouraged by OVC include (1) expending the one-time influx of FY 1997 funds over a few years to ensure continuity in victims programs; (2) funding automated victim notification systems and other one-time technological enhancements; and (3) expanding services to assist underserved populations such as victims of gang violence, victims with disabilities, and victims living in rural areas. ------------------------------ Chapter 2 Funding Services for Crime Victims: OVC's Unique Role In passing the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, as amended, Congress created two ways to fund crime victims programs: (1) formula grants for States and territories to establish and operate crime victim assistance and compensation programs and (2) discretionary grants for States, localities, and nonprofit organizations. More than 90 percent of the Crime Victims Fund dollars support direct services to crime victims through formula grants to States and territories (see figure 5). In addition to administering funding of direct services through formula grants, OVC provides technical assistance to State formula grant recipients in identifying populations of crime victims requiring unique and specialized services. Moreover, OVC identifies and funds innovative discretionary programs that target these populations and the service providers who assist them in an effort to enhance services and to strengthen the network of crime victim services available across the Nation. For a more indepth discussion of these discretionary programs, see chapter 3. This chapter begins with an overview of the formula and discretionary grants programs, including a discussion of new OVC initiatives to enhance each program. The remainder of the chapter is devoted to illustrations of special projects developed during the past 2 fiscal years that target specific populations of crime victims, such as victims of terrorism, international crime, gang violence, and crimes on Native American lands. Formula Grants Program Crime Victims Fund dollars are allocated to the States to support victim assistance and victim compensation programs that provide immediate financial and emotional assistance to victims. VOCA victim assistance funds are distributed by States to support more than 2,800 of the estimated 10,000 State and local victim services agencies across the United States. These agencies provide an array of direct services and support to victims. These direct service efforts are supplemented by victim compensation payments to crime victims to cover their out-of-pocket expenses resulting from their victimization. New OVC Efforts To Improve Victim Services Through the Formula Grants Program Based upon numerous recommendations from the field, OVC initiated a number of important new projects to improve its victim assistance and compensation formula grants program, including: o Launching a number of innovative initiatives to assist directors of State victim assistance and compensation programs, such as a mentor program for State VOCA administrators to support the exchange of information and expertise among programs, as well as a public service announcement and video on victim compensation. o Sponsoring regional meetings for VOCA assistance administrators to provide a forum for them to exchange ideas and disseminating a report of the meetings to serve as an excellent resource for promising practices and funding strategies. o Streamlining OVC guidelines, as well as the annual grant application and award process. o Enhancing the OVC automated system for reporting use of VOCA funds. o Sponsoring training conferences for State VOCA administrators. o Collaborating with the three other primary Federal funders of crime victim services--the DOJ Violence Against Women Grants Office (VAWGO), the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the sexual assault grant program office within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention--to develop a joint Federal performance reporting instrument to reduce the reporting burdens on front-line service providers and allow them to focus their efforts on serving crime victims. o Supporting the development of compensation program standards to help set a consistent level of service to victims. o Developing an international directory of victim compensation programs worldwide. The VOCA Victim Assistance Grant Program I left my home with the clothes on my back. The shelter helped me get back on my feet. I'm happy to be among the living and to have a nonviolent home. My children are on the honor roll and they're not as withdrawn as they used to be. And they sleep soundly at night. --A domestic violence victim from Pennsylvania who received assistance through a VOCA-funded battered women's program that provides shelter, counseling, advocacy, and support services to battered women and their children. During FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC awarded $207.1 million in victim assistance grants to the States through provisions of VOCA. Total funding of these grants to States rose almost 95 percent between FYs 1994 and 1996 (see figure 6). From FY 1986 through FY 1996, 57 States and territories received more than $688 million in VOCA victim assistance grant funds. OVC has distributed nearly $400 million in victim assistance formula grants to States and territories in FY 1997--the highest award to States in the 12-year history of program funding. These grants help to provide services for more than 2 million crime victims each year and employ nearly 41,000 victim service staff and volunteers across the country. Of the victims served by VOCA-funded victim assistance programs in FY 1995, 51 percent were victims of domestic violence, 7 percent were adult victims of sexual assault, and nearly 14 percent were victims of child physical or sexual abuse (see figure 7).[1] VOCA victim assistance grants to States support a variety of local victim service agencies (see figure 8), including rape crisis centers, battered women's shelters, children's advocacy centers, victim service units within law enforcement agencies, prosecutor-based programs, hospitals, and social service agencies. These agencies and programs provide services that range from crisis intervention and emergency shelter to counseling, court notification and accompaniment, case tracking, referral for services, transportation, and a host of other critical services that help crime victims heal and participate in the criminal justice process. The VOCA Victim Assistance Grant Program Administration All 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands receive an annual VOCA victim assistance formula grant with a base amount of $500,000. The territories of Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of Palau are eligible to receive a base award of $200,000,[2] as prescribed by VOCA. The remainder of the available funds are then distributed to the States and territories on the basis of population. VOCA authorizes each State to award VOCA Federal funds to the agencies and nonprofit organizations that they believe will best meet the unique needs of crime victims in the community. States establish their own victim assistance grant application process in accordance with guidelines developed by OVC and have maximum discretion to set priorities, establish policies and procedures, identify the services and programs to be funded within the State, and determine the conditions for continuation funding. States also assess statewide crime victims' needs, target resources in those areas, and train advocates to improve services for crime victims. VOCA contains three original priority areas for State distribution of the victim assistance funds: child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault. In FY 1995, States awarded 19 percent of their VOCA victim assistance funding to support child abuse services; 36 percent to domestic violence services; and 17 percent to sexual assault services. These percentages varied only two to three percentage points in either direction in FY 1996. In addition, States awarded 22 percent of their victim assistance funds in FY 1995 to support services to underserved crime victims, such as survivors of victims of Driving Under the Influence/Driving While Intoxicated (DUI/DWI) crashes, survivors of victims of homicide, assault victims, adults molested as children, elder abuse victims, robbery victims, and other violent crime victims. Victim Assistance Programs The following are examples of programs and services supported in part by VOCA victim assistance grant funding at the local level during FYs 1995 and 1996: Family Tree's Women in Crisis is the only domestic violence shelter in Colorado's Jefferson County (population 488,300), which covers nine law enforcement municipalities. In 1995 Jefferson County law enforcement agencies made 2,113 arrests for domestic violence-related incidents, and 231 children who had witnessed or experienced domestic violence in their home entered the shelter. Of these children, 122 received counseling services, which included play therapy in individual and group sessions. During that year, more than 438 families were referred elsewhere due to lack of space in the shelter. This number is conservatively estimated to have included more than 1,000 children. Honolulu's Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Office received a total of $64,000 in VOCA funding in FYs 1995 and 1996 to provide comprehensive services to victims of drunk driving crashes and their families, as well as survivors of homicide victims. VOCA funds support a victim advocate who provides crisis counseling, court accompaniment, information and referrals, and assistance in applying for crime victims compensation. The advocate also facilitates support groups for victims of homicide and negligent homicide, as well as individual grief counseling. The Santa Fe Rape Crisis Center was started in 1974 by a handful of dedicated women. In that first year, volunteers handled 20 sexual assault cases out of their homes. After a Federal grant helped to provide staff time, the Center increased its advocacy activity. Coordination among medical, legal, and judicial areas improved services, and a full-time program specialist was added to address the growing need for community education. The Center now has a staff of 17 paid employees and 50 volunteers. The Center provides services to any individual who has been a victim of a sexual assault or attempted assault and suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder. It also provides services to the victim's spouse, parents, and family members. The Center currently provides the following services: a 24-hour crisis intervention line; medical and legal advocacy; crisis intervention; ongoing individual, group, and family therapy for children and adults; education and prevention services for both schools and the community, including the prize-winning "Hands that Hurt, Hands that Heal" prevention program for grades 4 to 6; Fatherlode, a proactive forum for males against sexual violence; StrongHeart, a forensic interviewing service for children; NO MAS (no more sexual abuse), a therapy and community education program in Spanish, serving rural northern New Mexico; an information hotline for all of northern New Mexico; and PARE, an assessment/education and treatment program for children who are sexually abusing other children. AWAKE: Advocacy for Women and Kids in Emergencies was established at Children's Hospital in Boston in 1986 with a VOCA grant. AWAKE was the Nation's first program in a pediatric setting to provide dual advocacy for both battered women and their abused children. The program was created with the belief that by providing help to battered women in conjunction with clinical services to children, both populations are more effectively served. AWAKE integrates crisis intervention and ongoing advocacy services such as risk assessment; safety planning; telephone and in-person counseling; support groups; court, educational, legal and medical advocacy; and referrals to health care services for women and their children. Through training, hospital staff in the area have greater awareness of domestic violence and child protection issues, and assessments for domestic violence and referrals to AWAKE are now routine. Interdisciplinary collaboration to treat the victims of domestic violence has become the norm rather than the exception. Protecci¢n Legal Para Menores (Legal Protection for Children) commemorates its 15th year of providing legal services and assistance to low-income, victimized, and underprivileged persons in St. Paul, Minnesota. Representation of battered women, who often are Spanish speaking, includes taking action on behalf of their children. Services for children include orders for protection and referrals to crisis nurseries. The program also seeks to obtain culturally appropriate custody orders and visitation schedules, which bring structure and stability to children's lives by eliminating random visitation and by recognizing culturally significant holidays. Because children who have been abused are much more likely to engage in antisocial and injurious behavior, staff attorneys play a critical role in children's lives by advocating for needed services. During meetings with school officials, they advocate for academic and behavioral assessments, behavior intervention plans, and academic services such as peer tutoring. Participation in counseling and support groups for the children and their families is strongly encouraged. The Fond du Lac Reservation Child Abuse Program has provided services for 9 years to children who are victims of various types of abuse, including witnessing violence in the home. The program's child abuse advocates offer in-home parenting skills training and office visits and group support to children and their families and serve as a liaison between schools and other providers on and off the reservation. Parenting skills training includes teaching cultural approaches to living and encouraging basic standards of adult individuality and responsibility. The program also helps families follow a plan to prevent continuation of abuse and provide education through videotapes, books, pamphlets, and cultural activities to cope with problems in a constructive manner. Transportation is provided to court hearings and other services when necessary. Project UJIMA (a Swahili word meaning working together to make things right) in Milwaukee is a multidisciplinary collaboration that includes Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and other community agencies that work together to provide services to victims of gang violence, as well as prevention and intervention programs for youth. It establishes a network of services to provide emergency treatment promoting physical and psychosocial recovery from violence and links victims and their families to community agencies that provide long-term psychosocial intervention after the hospital discharge. In the emergency department, peer counselors, community-based staff, and a social worker provide support to victims. In addition to medical care for wounds, home-based visits provide a complete health assessment and integrated violence prevention services. The project also has a monthly educational session for staff on cultural competence and the care of violently injured youth. The VOCA Victim Compensation Grant Program The life of a young woman from Washington State changed forever when the car in which she was riding as a passenger was struck head on by a car driven by a drunk driver. The woman sustained multiple injuries. The treatment for these injuries was long and arduous, and the woman's medical bills were huge. Her employer provided no health insurance, and the drunk driver was uninsured. The woman also lost her income for 18 months because her injuries prevented her from working during that time. The hospital where she was treated assisted her in submitting an application to the Washington Crime Victims Compensation program. The program paid $19,000 in medical bills, $15,000 in lost wages, and an additional $15,000 in permanent disability benefits for the impairments the woman sustained as a result of her injuries. The woman expressed her gratitude during a victim awareness day event. "Without this program," she said, "I would have been in debt for years. It took a lot of pressure off my family and myself. We were able to just concentrate on my getting better." While no amount of money or services can adequately compensate victims like this woman for the physical and emotional trauma caused by crime, the financial assistance provided by State victim compensation programs assists victims with some of the economic costs of crime. Without this help, lost wages and the large medical, counseling, and funeral costs associated with crime can have a devastating impact on individuals already suffering from the crime itself. As shown by a variety of measures, direct payments to crime victims rose dramatically in the past decade. Between 1986 and 1996, claims to State compensation programs across the Nation rose 102 percent. During that period, OVC distributed more than $563 million in VOCA compensation grants to States and territories, and total funding to States increased by 255 percent (see figure 9). In FYs 1995 and 1996, more than 209,000 compensation claims were approved for payment nationwide (see figure 10). OVC awarded $148.5 million in VOCA victim compensation grants to the States in those years, and total funding to States rose 38 percent between FYs 1994 and 1996. In FY 1997, OVC distributed $74.2 million. All 50 States, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam have established victim compensation programs. During this reporting period, 49 States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands were eligible to receive Federal VOCA victim compensation grant funds. The State of Nevada operates a compensation program and has recently passed legislation that will make it eligible for Federal VOCA compensation grant funds in FY 1998. VOCA victim compensation funds supplement State resources already dedicated to compensating crime victims. States receive a VOCA grant from OVC equal to 40 percent of the amount of victim compensation payments made by the State to crime victims 2 years prior to the grant year (for further information, see figure 11). Thus, the more money that States pay out in compensation to victims, the larger their VOCA victim compensation grant from OVC. Each State maintains its own administrative structure, rules, procedures, and eligibility requirements for distributing crime victim compensation; however, States must abide by general guidelines developed by OVC. Crime victims apply directly to the State for compensation for out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of crime. To receive compensation benefits, crime victims must comply with State rules, which generally require that they cooperate with the reasonable requests of law enforcement and submit a timely application to the State compensation office. States have streamlined the application process and reduced the time required to process compensation claims. In addition, States have implemented innovative outreach strategies such as placing compensation specialists at victim services centers to help victims file claims. The VOCA Victim Compensation Funds Serving Crime Victims With acceptance and growing support for victims' rights comes the responsibility to serve victims even more efficiently and effectively than in the past. State victim compensation programs have made great strides in doing so and hold themselves to a higher professional standard than ever before. In FY 1995 OVC funded the development of program standards for victim compensation grant programs. The development of these standards by the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards working with State compensation administrators, victim advocates, and crime victims is a tremendous accomplishment because the standards provide objective benchmarks that make program self-evaluation simple and straightforward. Based on an examination of the most promising practices of State compensation programs, the program standards describe basic and advanced strategies in four performance elements: Sound Financial Planning. Ensuring that each State and Federal dollar for compensating victims is maximized and recovering resources from private insurance and restitution due from convicted defendants are important functions of every State compensation program. Several States have developed efficient financial management systems that maximize funding through collections from offenders, private insurance policies, and other parties. In Iowa, for example, county attorneys are authorized to attach a restitution lien to a defendant's property or other assets at the time of indictment so that the assets cannot be divested after conviction. The State initiated contempt of court proceedings against defendants who become delinquent in their restitution payments. Iowa now recaptures a full 15 percent of their payouts, primarily by mailing notification letters to county attorneys when the victim files a claim and then again after the victim receives compensation benefits. Iowa has also implemented strategies to offset income taxes and garnish and assign wages. Effective Public Outreach. Getting the word out to victims about the availability of compensation benefits and program application requirements is critically important for victims to access program services. Not all compensation programs have public relations budgets but, even in the absence of staff and financial resources, programs have implemented innovative steps to increase public outreach. Arkansas, for example, does a laudable job with public outreach. In addition to providing statewide training, the State's compensation program distributes notification cards to crime victim service providers, law enforcement officials, and the State's victim- witness coordinators on how to file a claim for victim compensation. Program staff also prepare monthly news releases with information about the compensation program and awards that have been made to residents. Arkansas' most creative public awareness project is the Smart Choices, Better Chances program, which educates elementary school students about juvenile violence and the State's crime victim compensation program. Claims Processing. How well claims are processed speaks volumes about a State's commitment to serving crime victims effectively and efficiently. Compensation programs are using technology not only to improve claim processing but also to monitor program performance. Efficient claims processing is most easily accomplished through automation. The New Mexico victim compensation program uses a software system that allows staff to enter all claim information into a data base when the claim is opened. Thereafter, correspondence to the claimant, law enforcement agency, court officials, and service providers can be generated through the data base. The program's director monitors staff case loads and productivity by generating reports, monthly claims processing statistics, and program performance data using the same system. Finally, through New Mexico's restitution data base, program staff monitor compliance with restitution orders, generate delinquency notification letters to offenders, and issue periodic restitution reports. Decisionmaking. Having the ability to make sound decisions and sensitive notifications is an essential part of providing quality services to crime victims. It is difficult, if not impossible, to render fair decisions without a written manual of policies and procedures such as the one produced by this project. In addition, the decentralization of decisionmaking has vastly improved final claim determination outcomes and made the process much more time efficient. For example, when the Massachusetts victim compensation program converted from a court-based to an administrative program in 1994, the decisionmaking process was shortened from 104 weeks to 25 weeks while the number of claims approved for payment increased by 30 percent and payout to victims increased by 25 percent. The Massachusetts compensation program staff review the claims and make recommendations. Decisions are made according to the statute, which clearly outlines eligibility requirements and benefits. Training and technical assistance in each area described above is readily available through OVC's Mentor Program, Trainers Bureau, or Regional and Statewide Training Initiatives discussed further in chapter 6. The State Compensation Program Spotlight Colorado's victim compensation program is administered by 22 judicial districts throughout the State. Each judicial district has a crime victim compensation board appointed by the district attorney, with staff support attached to the district attorney's office. This decentralized funding strategy allows Colorado to process compensation claims in 32 days on average and make payments in 18 days. The national average for claims processing is 6 months. Administrative oversight is provided by the Department of Public Safety, the State's recipient of VOCA compensation grants, which makes funding allocations, provides training and technical assistance, develops a uniform data base of information, and formulates program standards. In FY 1995, judicial districts in the State awarded 4,734 compensation claims totaling $5.5 million. The three largest numbers of claims and dollar awards were made to victims of assault (1,181 claims totaling $2,030,741), domestic violence (1,176 claims totaling $911,412), and child sexual abuse (1,163 claims totaling $983,847). Discretionary Grants Program Although most OVC funds to support victim services are distributed by formula to the States, OVC awards a small fraction of Crime Victims Fund dollars in discretionary grants to national and State organizations to improve national-scope training and technical assistance, as prescribed by VOCA. As discussed subsequently in this report, especially in chapter 3, these discretionary grants support training for victim service professionals and pay for projects designed to identify and fill gaps in services within specific States or local communities. Finally, discretionary monies are used to help develop national goals and strategies for meeting victims' needs today and in future years. Each year, OVC develops a discretionary program plan that identifies the training and technical assistance initiatives to be funded on a competitive basis in the coming fiscal year. Many projects identify promising practices in the areas of law enforcement, prosecution, corrections, probation and parole, victim assistance in rural areas, professional education, and workplace violence. Additional projects focus on promising practices in juvenile court, the collection of restitution, and the use of emerging technologies. OVC develops program and training materials for these projects that can be replicated and implemented across the country. New OVC Efforts To Improve Victim Services Through the Discretionary Grants Program In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC continued its efforts to expand the knowledge of victim service providers regarding the most effective and promising practices in victim services. Several OVC-funded discretionary projects in FY 1996 focused on helping communities create victim-centered environments that provide comprehensive services for all crime victims. The development of these Victim Services 2000 sites is described further in chapter 7. The following list describes new OVC discretionary projects that improved the delivery of services to victims of crime in FYs 1995 and 1996: o Expansion of the National Victim Assistance Academy, which offers comprehensive, cutting-edge training to victim service providers to improve training in the victim services field. In FY 1996, 110 students graduated from the Academy and Federal attendance rose to 15 from 6 in FY 1995.[3] o Development of a new Training and Technical Assistance Center, which will funnel needed training resources to local, State, tribal, and Federal agencies to strengthen their capacity to serve victims. o Programs to improve the response of communities and the juvenile justice system to victims of juvenile offenders and gang violence. o Development of a comprehensive plan to expand victim-witness training to the FBI and the EOUSA's Office of Legal Education, as follows: Federal Prosecutor Training. OVC funded the detail of an attorney-instructor position at the EOUSA's Office of Legal Education to instruct Federal prosecutors on victims' rights legislation, case law and policy, and prosecutors' duties and responsibilities to Federal crime victims. Federal Law Enforcement Training. OVC funded skills development training of FBI victim-witness coordinators and provided funding for a full-time victim assistance instructor position at the FBI. OVC also continued basic- and advanced-level victim assistance training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center for nearly 11,000 law enforcement officers from 74 Federal agencies. Multidisciplinary Teams. OVC funded training for 94 Federal criminal justice multidisciplinary personnel serving on 28 multidisciplinary teams at the National Symposium on Child Sexual Abuse. Regional Training for Native Americans. OVC funded U.S. Attorneys' Offices to support training for seven regional training seminars for more than 350 Federal and Native American victim service providers addressing Federal victims' rights issues and compliance with statutes and guidelines. To ensure that victim service providers from across the Nation were aware of the opportunity to receive this funding, OVC distributed more than 4,000 discretionary grant program plans and application kits in FYs 1995 and 1996. Discretionary Funding for Programs That Help Federal Crime Victims In addition to providing funding to States for crime victim services, VOCA funding also supports direct services to victims of Federal crimes. This section describes OVC's discretionary funding initiatives in FYs 1995 and 1996 that supported services to this previously underserved population. A priority for discretionary funding in FYs 1995 and 1996 was supporting services for crime victims in Native American communities and Nations. More than $5.7 million was committed during that period to provide direct services to crime victims on Native American lands. Since 1988, the first year OVC awarded discretionary funds for direct services in Indian Country, $6.6 million have been awarded through the Victim Assistance in Indian Country (VAIC) program. Funding was awarded on a competitive basis with continuation funding to tribes and service providers, a strategy that allowed tribes already receiving funds from OVC to build upon existing programs. In addition, $665,000 was allocated for the Children's Justice Act and VAIC training and technical assistance programs, described below, to Native American owned and operated organizations. The funding was used to support cross-cultural skills development and training for Federal criminal justice personnel in Indian Country as well as the Sixth National Indian Nations Conference, which was held in San Diego, California, in January 1997. Crime Victim Fund dollars also supported training for tribal judges, children's advocacy centers in Indian Country, court-appointed special advocates (CASA) in Indian Country, and the development of monographs on victims' issues in Indian Country. Working closely with VOCA victim assistance programs, VAIC fills a critical gap--the lack of victim assistance programs "on reservation" and in remote parts of Indian Country. To date, VAIC has supported 52 reservation-based victim service programs, providing such services as crisis intervention, domestic violence shelters, court advocacy networks, and court transportation. In FY 1995 OVC provided almost $730,000 to State governments to support 36 VAIC programs in 18 States. These programs served 7,266 victims. Approximately 15 percent of the 1995 funds supported child abuse services, 52 percent supported domestic violence services, 4 percent supported adult sexual assault services, and more than 29 percent supported services for victims of other types of crime such as drunk driving crashes (see figure 12). In FY 1996 OVC provided $767,000 in VAIC funding to 18 States to support 37 programs. OVC provides training and technical assistance to the tribes, through a grant to the National Indian Justice Center, to assist in implementing the VAIC programs. In recognition of tribal sovereignty and the government-to-government relationship between the Federal Government and tribes, in 1997 OVC is soliciting applications directly from tribes. Previously OVC gave funding to the States, which then made awards to tribes to establish on-reservation victim assistance programs. Federal Crime Victim Assistance Funds VOCA emphasizes the importance of fair treatment for crime victims who participate in the Federal criminal justice system. To that end, OVC reserves a portion of the discretionary monies from the Crime Victims Fund to provide emergency services to victims of Federal crimes. The programs described in this section were established to help victims participate in criminal justice proceedings and to ensure provision of crucial services such as crisis counseling, transportation to court, short-term child care, and temporary housing and security measures when these services are unavailable through other means. U.S. Attorneys' Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund In FY 1996, OVC finalized and distributed its Guidelines for Use of the Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund to all U.S. Attorneys' Offices. The guidelines, developed with input from a DOJ working group, set forth procedures for accessing funds to provide direct services to Federal crime victims in the absence of other resources. The guidelines include lists of allowable and unallowable costs, an explanation of the steps for requesting funds, and a description of the mechanism by which funding is made available. The Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund is accessible to U.S. Attorneys' Offices through an interagency agreement with EOUSA. The following list provides several examples of how the fund was utilized: o The U.S. Attorney's Office in the Middle District of Tennessee made a request on April 12, 1996, on behalf of two victims of arson and civil rights violations. The crime was committed in August 1994 when the defendant set fire to two homes and a lodge building, burning them to the ground. Though the owners of the homes and lodge were protected with insurance, one home was rented by a man and woman who were not covered and lost everything. OVC assisted by providing payment for temporary lodging and emergency clothing while the victims sought longer term living arrangements. o In October 1995, OVC coordinated with the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maine, to fund airfare to allow the brother of a murder victim to attend the parole hearing of the murderer. The hearing, held at a Federal prison in Michigan, was postponed and rescheduled three times at the last minute by the offender. These postponements forced family members of the victim to cancel travel arrangements each time. Parole was denied to the murderer following the brother's statement explaining the devastating impact of the crime upon the victim's family. o In October 1995, OVC worked with the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Hawaii, to pay crisis counseling expenses for a victim who was sexually assaulted at sea. The FBI victim-witness coordinator in Washington, the victim's State of residence, helped to find services for the victim. FBI Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund This program, established by OVC in FY 1996 using $100,000 in VOCA discretionary funds, extends the Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund to the FBI. The program, which provides direct services to Federal crime victims, will be transferred to the FBI once special accounting procedures have been established. Money in the fund may be used by field offices to pay for crisis intervention; emergency food, shelter, or clothing; emergency legal assistance such as filing restraining orders; and transportation for emergency services. Examples of how the fund has been utilized during FY 1997 include the following: o The FBI field office in Little Rock, Arkansas, paid transportation expenses to allow the mother of a 14-year-old kidnap victim to travel to Detroit, Michigan, to recover the victim. o The FBI field office in Omaha, Nebraska, paid expenses to allow for the recovery of a 12-year-old male victim who had been kidnaped and taken to South Carolina by a documented sex offender. o OVC funds were used by the FBI field office in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to pay for counseling expenses for victims in a violent bank robbery. The robber had taken a bank employee hostage and shot at police several times during the escape. The hostage and bank employees were extremely traumatized by the events. The field office contracted with a psychologist who had been a victim of a bank robbery to provide crisis counseling for the staff of the bank. OVC Support of Training and Technical Assistance for Victim Assistance and Compensation Grants National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC continued its support of the annual national training conferences organized by the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards (NACVCB). OVC staff conducted workshops on OVC's role and responsibilities for assisting State efforts to compensate victims of violent crimes, VOCA statutory requirements, and training and technical assistance that are available to improve services to crime victims. In FY 1995, more than 140 compensation program directors, staff, and board members came together to share program implementation strategies. The NACVCB training conference in FY 1996 was the largest ever, with more than 200 compensation specialists from 49 States. OVC staff members and representatives from six countries also participated. Special sessions for program managers, claims specialists, and board members focused on improving practical job skills and enhancing program performance. The agenda included training on topics such as restitution recovery, automation, contributory conduct, financial planning for compensation programs, domestic violence, child abuse, Native American victims, and board development for victim compensation programs. National Victim Assistance Training Conference In FY 1996 OVC, in cooperation with both the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) and the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA), hosted a National Technical Assistance Conference for VOCA victim assistance administrators. The conference took place during National Victims Rights Week to highlight victims' issues and capitalize on expert resources in Washington during the week. Approximately 75 participants attended plenary sessions and workshops on topical issues such as information technologies and cultural diversity. To enhance State coordination of victim services, representatives from VAWGO described promising approaches adopted by the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) State grant recipients in meeting the VAWA statutory requirements for serving underserved populations, as well as opportunities for VOCA victim assistance and VAWA program resources to complement State efforts to deliver services to crime victims. Statewide and Regional Victim Assistance Conferences In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC awarded 23 grants totaling $416,000 to agencies to conduct statewide and regional victim assistance conferences. The conferences brought together crime victim service providers, victim advocates, criminal justice professionals, statewide coalition members, and others who serve crime victims and enforce victims' rights for the purpose of providing cutting-edge training, developing multidisciplinary partnerships and protocols, and encouraging networking among the participants. ------------------------------ Chapter 3 Sharing Knowledge To Improve Victim Services: OVC-Funded Training and Technical Assistance The Victims of Crime Act of 1984 authorizes the Director of OVC to use a small percentage of the Crime Victims Fund to award grants for training and technical assistance. Since its inception, OVC has provided valuable assistance to State and local jurisdictions and to a broad array of professionals who interact with crime victims. Training and technical assistance is of particular value in the field of crime victim services because of the extraordinary circumstances in which those services are provided. Victims of crime suffer severe physical, psychological, and financial hardships, and they require informed, sensitive treatment by personnel from various disciplines that deliver victim services. OVC has committed considerable time and resources to ensure the provision of high-quality assistance to victims and the development of professional competence. This chapter highlights major OVC-funded training and technical assistance initiatives for FYs 1995 and 1996. Whenever possible, OVC delivers training in a multidisciplinary setting to improve the coordination of services and to maximize the sources of funding for training. The initiatives described below include projects organized in collaboration with agencies spanning the Federal criminal justice field, including the FBI, DOD, BOP, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), and the Department of Health and Human Services. National Victim Assistance Academy The centerpiece of OVC's efforts to train crime victim advocates and allied professionals is the National Victim Assistance Academy. In FY 1995 OVC funded the first Academy through a grant to a consortium of national victim assistance organizations. The purpose of the grant was to make high-quality, college-level educational training available to a diverse group of victim service providers across the country from Federal, tribal, State, and local settings. The Academy represents the first step toward instituting annual training with a core curriculum and creating an academic setting for training candidates. The first Academy was convened in August 1995 at the George Washington University campus, in Washington, D.C. Thirty-two students representing local, State, and Federal victim service agencies from 21 States and the District of Columbia completed the course. These uniquely qualified individuals, all of whom have made a long-term commitment to victims' rights and services, were selected from across the Nation on the basis of geographic and cultural diversity, as well as diversity within their respective victim assistance disciplines. OVC funding allowed students to attend the week-long session free of charge, and 22 students earned three graduate or undergraduate academic credits from California State University at Fresno, Department of Criminology. A special feature of the Academy was the use of compressed video uplink to a second classroom of Academy students in Fresno, California, as well as a state-of-the-art interactive session on how victim service providers can master the information age, with real-time online instructions on using the Internet. The second Academy was held in July 1996 simultaneously on three campuses: the University of Maryland at College Park; Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas; and California State University at Fresno, California. Each site accommodated approximately 40 students for a total of 120 students, 12 of whom were Federal victim-witness personnel. The third Academy, held during July 1997, was expanded to four campuses, reaching 180 students. To refine the Academy concept, a train-the-trainers program for 30 experienced professionals was conducted in Washington, D.C., in December 1996. The program provided specialized training for a select group of professionals who had completed the 45-hour Academy course and who exhibited potential to serve as future Academy faculty in OVC-sponsored or State-sponsored Academy courses. The Academy's 45-hour, academic-based, rigorous course curriculum emphasizes foundations in victimology and victims' rights and services, as well as new developments in the field of victim assistance. The curriculum is continuously enhanced by adding new chapters to address emerging issues and underserved victim populations. For instance, the Academy curriculum was expanded to address topics such as bank robbery, white-collar crime/fraud, the military response to victimization, and disabled and Native American victims. OVC is already receiving requests from State and local practitioners to utilize the Academy curriculum and instructors to support training at the State and local levels. Discipline-Specific Training Programs Training for Law Enforcement Professionals Law enforcement officers are often the first responders to crime victims. Any effort to improve the quality and sensitivity of the criminal justice system's response to crime victims begins with training for personnel in this discipline. In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC initiated a number of projects to provide such crucial training. OVC funded domestic violence training at a national Women in Policing conference; the OVC Director provided training for law enforcement officers on victims' issues over the Law Enforcement Training Network; and the OVC curriculum on hate and bias crime and elder abuse was widely used by law enforcement around the country. In addition, OVC training projects included: Community Policing and Victim Services Pilot training sessions for OVC's "Implementation of Victims Services Within Community Policing" project were held in four cities--Seattle, Washington; Gaithersburg, Maryland; Charlotte-Mecklenberg, North Carolina; and Denver, Colorado. These cities were selected because of geographic differences and their various methods of applying community-oriented policing activities. Promising Practices for Law Enforcement The way in which law enforcement officers treat victims in the wake of a victimization can have a profound impact on how well and how quickly victims recover from traumatic events. This project is identifying and documenting innovative policies, procedures, practices, and programs used by law enforcement agencies to respond to the needs of crime victims. A compendium of promising practices and an OVC Bulletin will be completed in FY 1997. National Domestic Violence Teleconference OVC cosponsored and participated in a national teleconference to train law enforcement officials on promising practices when handling domestic violence cases. This teleconference was viewed at 165 locations in 45 States across the country, by nearly 4,000 criminal justice professionals and victim advocates. A second teleconference in June 1997 covered the issue of domestic violence and its impact on children. Federal Bureau of Investigation Under the Attorney General's Guidelines on Victim and Witness Assistance (AG Guidelines), the FBI has a number of important responsibilities for ensuring that the rights and needs of Federal crime victims are met. OVC's work with the FBI has evolved into a full-fledged partnership based on the FBI director's support of the FBI's role in meeting victims' needs and rights. During FYs 1996 and 1997, OVC provided intense technical assistance and funding to the FBI to enhance services to victims of Federal crime. In FYs 1995 and 1996, VOCA supported funding for a number of training programs for FBI victim- witness coordinators. OVC has undertaken the following activities to help the FBI fulfill its responsibilities under the AG Guidelines and strengthen the FBI victim-witness program: o Funded two temporary positions to help staff the FBI Headquarters Victim-Witness Assistance Program for a period not to exceed 3 years. A victim-witness assistance specialist will provide dedicated staff for training and technical assistance conferences and seminars, serve as a liaison with field offices, conduct site visits to monitor implementation of victim-witness assistance responsibilities, and oversee other appropriate quality control issues. Another victim-witness assistance specialist will provide new agent training in Quantico, Virginia, and help produce training videos and manuals as well as conduct conferences and seminars. o Funded trainings in FYs 1995 and 1996 for the 56 FBI administrative staff members who were assigned collateral duties as victim-witness coordinators. o Assisted the FBI, with input from EOUSA, the Office of Policy Development, and victims organizations, in updating the FBI victim-witness brochure, which contains general information on victims' rights and services. This brochure, accompanied by another FBI pamphlet under development, will be given to every victim identified in FBI investigations. o Funded two model victim-witness programs in FBI field offices in Tampa, Florida, and Salt Lake City, Utah, to provide comprehensive victim services. The program in Salt Lake City will address the needs of Native American victims, and the program in Tampa will address white-collar crime targeting elderly victims as well as violent crime. The programs will be replicated elsewhere in the field after their demonstration. As noted in chapter 2, OVC recently established Federal Crime Victim Assistance Funds for the FBI to assist victims in participating in the criminal justice system when no other resources are available to help with transportation, child care, and other needed support. Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Since 1986 OVC has provided funding to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) to provide victim-witness training to Federal law enforcement officers at its campuses in Glynco, Georgia, and Artesia, New Mexico. Over the past decade, 52,632 Federal law enforcement officers have received training on victim-related topics such as interviewing techniques, financial fraud, and white-collar crime. FLETC also conducts regional training sessions and develops victim-witness training manuals, lesson plans, audiovisual materials, articles for publication, and other training products. FLETC training is provided to law enforcement officers from more than 70 Federal agencies. Federal Criminal Justice Personnel Training In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC provided $1,915,000 in funding for thousands of Federal criminal justice personnel to receive OVC-sponsored training (see figure 13). For example, OVC sponsored teams of Federal prosecutors, investigators, victim-witness coordinators, and tribal service providers to attend the National Symposium on Child Sexual Abuse in Huntsville, Alabama. Selection criteria were based on the number of child abuse cases prosecuted in the participants' districts, their use of multidisciplinary teams, and special considerations such as large numbers of Indian reservations or military installations under Federal jurisdiction. Other training sessions attended by Federal criminal justice personnel with VOCA support included: o OVC's Crime Victims and Corrections initiative, which has provided training on victims' issues for 200 military personnel. o The Dallas Crimes Against Children Seminar in FY 1996, which provided training for 31 Federal law enforcement officers. o OVC's Military Communities Assisting Crime Victims Conference, which provided training for 1,400 military personnel. o OVC's Dual-Track Conference with EOUSA, which supported training for 100 victim-witness coordinators. o OVC's Multijurisdictional Child Exploitation program, which supported training for 150 Federal law enforcement investigators, prosecutors, and victim-witness coordinators. o Trainings provided by the National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse, which delivered courses to 112 Federal prosecutors on prosecuting child abuse cases effectively. OVC also sets aside funding for various Federal agencies to enhance their capacities for responding to victim and witness needs. The funds were used to support requests for training and production and distribution of brochures, pamphlets, videotapes, and other materials that explain victims' rights and agency responsibility for implementing victim programs and enforcing rights. Trainings for Prosecutors Prosecutors' offices have the most contact with victims during the adjudication of cases. OVC has invested considerable resources in improving the types and quality of services provided to victims by these offices. In this section examples are given of OVC-funded projects involving prosecutors that were begun in FYs 1995 and 1996. OVC sponsored many diverse trainings for Federal, State, and local prosecutors. Federal Prosecutors Federal prosecutors are charged with ensuring that victims' rights are taken into consideration during the adjudication stage of the justice system. All 94 U.S. Attorneys, their assistants, and victim-witness coordinators must abide by the provisions contained in the Federal Crime Victims' Bill of Rights and the AG Guidelines. These responsibilities range from protecting victims from the accused offender to enforcing orders of restitution. OVC has supported a variety of training and technical assistance opportunities for staff from U.S. Attorneys' Offices. Examples of this training support include: Office of Legal Education Victim Rights and Legal Issues Instructor. In this project, OVC initiated support to help the Office of Legal Education provide victims' rights and responsibility training for Federal prosecutors, including supporting the development of a draft litigation curriculum and presenting classroom instruction on Federal victims' rights legislation, case law, and policy. The Office of Legal Education received $100,000 in Federal VOCA funds to hire a trainer on victims' rights. District-Specific Training. OVC's district-specific training program assists U.S. Attorneys' Offices in complying with Federal crime victims' legislation and in improving services to Federal crime victims in their districts. In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC approved 10 training requests under this project and expended $150,000. The training supported by this funding provides discipline-specific, day-long workshops as well as conference support for regional, multidisciplinary programs and scholarships for conference participants. Federal Prosecutor and Victim-Witness Coordinator Travel. OVC provides funding to allow victim-witness coordinators and prosecutors from U.S. Attorneys' Offices to attend OVC-sponsored or victim-related training conferences across the country. These funds are made available through an interagency agreement with EOUSA and cover travel-related expenses. In addition, OVC funded three model program initiatives during FYs 1995 and 1996 to help U.S. Attorneys in three districts--Eastern District of Wisconsin, Northern District of California, and the District of Columbia--develop comprehensive crime victim programs and services, create specialized services for child victims of crime during prosecution, and identify promising practices in serving white-collar crime victims. Each model program will serve as a demonstration site and support replication of program efforts through training, videotapes, and written manuals and publications. OVC and EOUSA have had a longstanding partnership to address the needs of crime victims during prosecution. In FY 1996 OVC funded a position in EOUSA for a violence-against-women specialist. This position provides training and technical assistance to victim- witness coordinators and Assistant U.S. Attorneys throughout the country on the relevant provisions of VAWA, including the battered immigrant women provisions. Since coming on board, the specialist has conducted five training events and trained 199 victim-witness coordinators and Assistant U.S. Attorneys. OVC will continue to support training and collaboration efforts for Federal prosecutors in FY 1997. In early FY 1997, for example, OVC and the Office of Community Orientated Policing Services (COPS) cosponsored EOUSA's Law Enforcement Victim Witness Coordinator Conference, which brought together U.S. Attorneys and their Law Enforcement Coordinating Council victim-witness coordinators from all districts to discuss the importance of treatment of victims within the Federal criminal justice system. The OVC Resource Center (OVCRC) established an onsite distribution center that provided 34 documents and close to 4,000 pieces of informational materials for victims and participants. Other FY 1997 activities include support for three to four new demonstration projects in U.S. Attorneys' Offices, a symposium to improve the response of Federal victim-witness coordinators to the rights and needs of elderly victims of telemarketing scams and frauds and crisis response team training for Federal victim-witness coordinators. Promising Practices for Prosecutors This project will identify the elements of exemplary victim-related prosecutorial practices; find existing practices, programs, or models of excellence that contain these elements; prepare detailed descriptions of promising practices; and prepare a plan for disseminating this information to prosecutors' offices nationwide. A compendium of promising practices and an OVC Bulletin will be completed in FY 1997. Protecting Victims' Rights: A Prosecutor's Priority OVC is funding the American Prosecutors Research Institute (APRI) to develop a handbook for prosecutors on establishing and improving prosecutor-based victim services programs. As part of the project, APRI will also develop a directory of existing prosecutor-based victim services programs throughout the country. Trainings for Court Personnel In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC developed a number of programs to help the judiciary and court personnel improve services to victims. The Juvenile Justice System OVC devoted much energy to finding ways to improve the juvenile justice system's response to crime victims in FYs 1995 and 1996. OVC worked closely with OJJDP to develop the National Juvenile Justice Plan, which was released in FY 1996. Based on OVC input, the plan includes recommendations for better treatment of victims of juvenile offenders in the juvenile justice system. OVC worked to ensure that those recommendations balance concerns for those harmed by juvenile offenders with concerns for the juvenile offenders themselves. A separate section of the Plan recommended that the rights of victims of juvenile offenders mirror the rights of victims of adult offenders. These include the right to notification, the right to make an impact statement, and the right to receive restitution. The Plan also includes other victim-friendly recommendations, such as the inclusion of crime victims and their advocates in community coordination efforts and opportunities for juvenile offenders to understand and make reparations for the long-term damage they have caused. Juvenile Court Response to Victims of Juvenile Offenders In addition to its efforts with OJJDP, OVC is funding a project to identify and describe promising practices that assist and support the rights of victims in juvenile courts. The project will develop a training and technical assistance package to assist juvenile court personnel and probation staff in incorporating the promising practices into their court systems. An assessment report profiling promising practices and legislation will be compiled, as well as a training curriculum, trainers' manual, and related technical assistance materials. A number of short informational pamphlets on specific topics related to victims' rights and services in the juvenile court process will also be produced. The Judiciary Judges also need training on crime victims' issues that arise in court, and OVC has developed programs to meet those needs. In FY 1995, for example, OVC developed its Tribal and Federal Judges initiative in collaboration with the DOJ Office of Policy Development and the Federal Judicial Center. This project will update a Judge's Benchbook with materials relevant to physical and sexual abuse of Native American children; develop a training conference using the new materials; and support scholarships for tribal judges to attend the conference. In addition, OVC has developed initiatives to train juvenile court judges on important victims' concerns and victims' rights legislation. In FY 1997, OVC convened a working group of a dozen judges to provide recommendations on how the judiciary can be more sensitive to victims. Trainings for Professionals in Corrections Services for crime victims should not end with the incarceration of the offenders. Many victims wish to be notified of changes in the offenders' status and to have the opportunity to appear at hearings. During the past few years, OVC has made great headway in improving the response of the corrections community, including the prison, probation, and parole systems, to the rights and needs of crime victims. Until quite recently, many victims and victim advocates have considered corrections to be the "last frontier" of the criminal justice system. This view began to change in the late 1980s, when leading members of the corrections community expressed a desire to assist their agencies in becoming more aware of the needs of crime victims and developing services to address those needs. In 1991, in response to the new openness of some corrections officials to victim issues and services, OVC funded two national, corrections-based training and technical assistance programs. One focused on institutional corrections and the other on community corrections. These projects provided training and technical assistance in the following areas: o Integrating victims into agency goals and practices. o Understanding the victim experience and assessing crime's impact. o Collecting and managing restitution payments. o Incorporating other victim services. o Work-related staff victimization. o Educating offenders about the impact of crime. o Victim/offender programs. o Building networks with local victim service agencies. o Legal rights of victims. By late 1994 the two projects had provided intensive training to 15 State corrections programs, DOD correctional officials, and BOP. In addition, training and technical assistance were provided to approximately 20 additional States. The projects also achieved major accomplishments through their work with affiliated professional associations, including establishing standing victims committees with the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) and the Association of Paroling Authorities International, and developing new standards for essential victim services and recommendations for victims of juvenile offenders with the American Correctional Association. OVC continued to build on these efforts to create systemic change in FYs 1995 and 1996. Major corrections-related activities included a project to improve the correctional system's response to the needs and rights of crime victims; a project to identify, disseminate, and encourage the replication of innovative policies, procedures, and programs developed by probation and parole agencies to respond to the needs of crime victims; funding for seminars to assist in the development of programs where victims, as one aspect of their recovery process, tell offenders about the impact of crime on their lives, families, and communities; funding for seminars to address agencies whose staff members regularly deal with offenders; and funding for train-the-trainers seminars on victim assistance efforts within probation, parole, and other community corrections agencies and programs. U.S. Parole Commission and Federal Bureau of Prisons In FY 1996, through an interagency agreement with the U.S. Parole Commission, OVC provided $54,000 to fund a victim-witness coordinator position to provide services for victims and witnesses wanting to attend Federal parole revocation hearings and receive notification of the results of those hearings. The coordinator also is responsible for coordinating with BOP when offenders are returned to prison to ensure that victims of the original Federal offenses are notified of the offender's return to prison, any subsequent parole considerations, and the offender's eventual release. A survey and evaluation are being conducted to identify helpful information for State systems seeking to replicate this effort. In FY 1997 OVC, the Parole Commission, and BOP began discussing a possible expansion of the Bureau's Victim-Witness Notification Program to enroll victims and witnesses of crimes committed while offenders are on parole. Notification will be provided when parole is revoked and the parolee is returned to Federal correctional custody. Enrollment to the Bureau's program is currently made by victim-witness coordinators in U.S. Attorneys' Offices, who may not become involved in the parolee's new crime. To remedy this, a separate entry system is being set up through the OVC-funded victim-witness coordinator at the U.S. Parole Commission, who will handle these enrollments and victim notification. In addition, OVC is working with the BOP Planning Group on Victim Issues to develop a long-term strategy to respond in a comprehensive and integrated way to the needs of crime victims, their communities, and victimized staff members. OVC's Trainers Bureau sponsored a facilitator who provided a review of the breadth of corrections-based victim services and the most promising practices currently in place across the country. Trainings for Professionals in the Military In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC continued its longstanding and successful relationship with DOD in providing assistance to the military services in implementing responsive victim assistance programs. The OVC-DOD collaboration is an outstanding example of interagency cooperation that has produced systemic change and a model strategy for the Federal criminal justice system to emulate. In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC and DOD worked in tandem to develop policies, programs, and procedures that benefit crime victims and cosponsored training for the military victim assistance community. Major initiatives included a course in 1995 at the Army Health Sciences Academy on handling multivictim child abuse cases; three training conferences on assisting crime victims attended by teams of prosecutors, investigators, social and mental health professionals, and chaplains from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines; a series of train-the-trainers sessions, cosponsored by the California Youth Academy, for 80 military instructors who will teach an "Impact of Crime" class to inmates at military correctional facilities; and a collaboration with the Army Criminal Investigative Division (CID) to discuss possible OVC-CID victim-witness assistance efforts. Trainings for Professionals in the Mental Health and Medical Fields Mental Health Through an OVC grant, the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape developed and pilot-tested a training manual entitled Victim Empowerment: Bridging the System--Mental Health and Victim Service Providers. Requests for further training opportunities with this curriculum has led OVC to support five training seminars for mental health and victim service providers in FY 1997. The manual consists of a trainer's guide and student materials on the trauma of victimization, posttraumatic stress disorder, rape trauma, integrating awareness of victimization into treatment, and the therapy relationship. Medical The development of a videotape highlighting best medical practices for forensic examinations of child victims is currently under way through a grant to Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center. Dr. Astrid Heger, executive director of the Center for Vulnerable Children, and other pediatricians and physicians who work with child victims are members of the project advisory committee. The video will be produced in 1997 and will feature use of technology to provide needed medical services from urban areas to underserved rural populations. The film will be distributed to hospitals and medical facilities across the country, as well as to children's advocacy centers and other organizations at the Federal, tribal, State, and local levels to improve investigations and reduce trauma to child victims. Training for Educators and Other School Personnel At the front end of the continuum of disciplines and professionals that interact with crime victims and potential crime victims are schools and teachers. In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC funded a number of initiatives to better equip schools to teach school children about victimization and grief. They include: o Healing Hearts, Mending Minds, a multipurpose curriculum for adolescent victims of violent crime for use in middle and high schools and youth group settings. o Videotapes and a guidebook to help victim assistance professionals, school counselors, and youth program personnel respond to grieving children who have survived or witnessed homicide or other violent crimes, including domestic and spousal abuse. o School-based projects to assist preteen and teenage victims and witnesses of gang violence and other crimes committed by juveniles. o A compendium of best criminal justice system practices for handling cases of adolescent victims of sexual assault. OVC also has sought to enhance the training of professionals who work with crime victims by improving crime-victim-related course work and training at graduate schools. With OVC funding, the Allegheny-Singer Research Institute (ASRI) and Victims Services, Incorporated, of New York (VSNY) are collaborating to produce a multidisciplinary victim assistance core curriculum that can be adapted by graduate and undergraduate schools to integrate victim assistance information into existing courses or to develop new specialized courses that focus on crime victimization. Training and Technical Assistance for Special Populations Vulnerable to Victimization In addition to general victim training, OVC funded training in FYs 1995 and 1996 for a variety of service providers who assist victims of particular types of crimes, including victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, victims of child abuse and child sexual abuse, survivors of homicide victims, victims of hate/bias crimes, victims with disabilities, victims with HIV/AIDS, victims in rural areas, victims and survivors of drunk driving crashes, and elderly victims. In particular, the passage of VAWA spurred renewed commitment to combating gender-based crime in America. OVC has devoted considerable discretionary resources to help States develop tools and strategies to improve services to women who are victimized by violence. OVC worked closely with VAWGO and DOJ's Violence Against Women Office to develop the programs for victimized women described below and to coordinate their activities. The following discussion provides a sampling of training made available to agencies and organizations that provide services to specific victim populations. Victims of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Victims of Sexual Assault In FY 1996, OVC funded a project to develop comprehensive training for rape crisis counselors and victim advocates responsible for providing services and securing rights for adult victims of sexual assault. The Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation will provide a training curriculum that presents effective service delivery strategies, including crisis counseling, support groups, criminal justice advocacy, outreach, and referral services. OVC also plans to incorporate the curriculum into the training offered at the National Victim Assistance Academy. Victims of Statutory Rape In FY 1997, OVC sponsored, in conjunction with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the DOJ Office for Policy Development, a focus group to explore key issues in prosecuting cases of statutory rape and assisting victims of this crime. The focus group comprised prosecutors, policymakers, and victim advocates from across the country. Information gleaned from the meeting will assist the American Bar Association (ABA) in identifying promising practices in the enforcement of statutory rape laws, and OVC funding is supporting the publication of a compendium of statutes, implementation efforts, and programs. OVC also funded an FY 1997 project to address young teenage girls who are sexually victimized by older men. With OVC support, ABA's Center on Children and the Law will develop a compendium of best criminal justice system practices in handling cases of adolescent sexual assault. Domestic Violence Victims In FY 1995, recognizing the necessity of protection for battered women victimized across State lines, OVC provided discretionary funding to develop model policies, procedures, and tools for implementing the full faith and credit provision of VAWA. The Battered Women's Justice Project (BWJP) is a training and technical assistance initiative that promotes consistent enforcement of civil and criminal protection orders in State and tribal courts throughout the country. BWJP is undertaking an indepth, State-by-State analysis of enforcement efforts and providing training and technical support for State and Federal prosecutors, law enforcement, and courts. A pilot project in Kentucky to implement the VAWA full faith and credit provisions was funded jointly by OVC and the COPS Office. This project is an intrastate as well as an interstate enforcement effort that will help ensure that domestic violence victims in Kentucky receive a consistent level of services from trained law enforcement and court personnel, even in the event victims travel to or relocate in another State. Community Responses to Family Violence In FYs 1996 and 1997, OVC funded ABA and the American Medical Association (AMA) to conduct a series of regional conferences in FY 1996 involving multidisciplinary teams to address the issue of family violence. These teams included a variety of criminal justice and medical professionals, including victim advocates and law school clinics. Victims of Child Abuse OVC primarily supports direct services to victims of child abuse through the formula grants programs to States. However, the agency has also supported a number of discretionary programs to assist child victims. In FY 1996 OVC funded a conference for spousal and child abuse service providers to identify recommendations for developing a collaborative response to domestic violence and child abuse. The conference focused on the impact of domestic violence on children and the development of strategies for intervention and services. OVC continues to work with other DOJ and Federal agencies to fund a focus group to identify the unique needs of children who have witnessed spousal abuse and to explore ways to address those needs collaboratively. In FY 1996 funding was awarded to establish a hospital-based emergency shelter to provide temporary housing for victims of spousal assault and their children. This groundbreaking pilot program will serve as a demonstration site for other communities interested in creating collaborative opportunities among medical, law enforcement, and victim advocacy professionals to address the advocacy and short-term shelter needs of domestic violence victims. This type of arrangement provides unique opportunities for private insurance companies and other third-party sources to support services for domestic violence victims. Protocols and procedures for documenting program development will be produced for replication, as well as a detailed report documenting program effectiveness. OVC and OJJDP also jointly funded a project that developed a protocol to improve multijurisdictional child exploitation investigations and prosecutions and to work toward establishing a victim assistance component to child exploitation task forces. The project coordinated the provision of victim services with investigations and prosecutions of multijurisdictional child exploitation task forces in four sites--Boston, Chicago, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. The project included training sessions for multijurisdictional team members by Search and IBM on computer crimes against children. In FY 1996 OVC worked with other bureaus within OJP to develop the Safe Kids/Safe Streets Project, which coordinates Federal, State, and local resources into a comprehensive prevention and intervention program for child victims and their families. This program seeks to: o Create system reforms to improve services for abused children. o Provide training and technical assistance support to practitioners who serve child victims and their families. o Strengthen a continuum of family support services to ensure that assessment, counseling, and victim assistance services are available. o Ensure the uniformity of evaluation protocols across sites. o Provide prevention education and public information. Currently OVC is providing training, technical assistance, and training materials on improving services for child victims in six communities serving as demonstration site grantees. Assistance is focusing on expanding the availability of medical services to sexually and physically abused children and mentoring or training programs for communities wishing to establish children's advocacy centers. New technologies, specially trained nurse practitioners, and coordinated forensic examinations and other medical services to child victims will be used at these sites to improve medical services for young victims. Victims of Gang Violence Victims of gang violence and their survivors often are afraid to exercise their rights as victims because of the retaliation and intimidation that commonly accompany such violence. Victims of gang violence also face the stigma of blame for the violence they experience or are dismissed as contributing to the crime. With increased legislative and programmatic focus by Federal, State, and community agencies to combat gang violence, OVC has stepped up its efforts to assist victims and survivors of gang violence in the following ways. Working Group and Symposium. In May and August 1996, OVC and OJJDP convened a Victims of Gang Violence planning group to consider strategies for assisting these victims. The planning group included representatives of organizations that provide services to victims of gang violence, a supervising parole agent, a municipal court judge, and actual victims of gang-related violence. The group discussed and presented a number of recommendations (see figure 14), including the following: o Establish a national network of professionals and volunteers concerned with victims and witnesses of gang violence to provide vision, support, and direction to Federal, State, tribal, and local initiatives. o Create comprehensive vertical assistance units for victims of gang violence that offer multilingual services, emergency crisis response services, accompaniment throughout the criminal justice system, and training for service providers. o Support hospital-based counseling and prevention programs that provide services to gang violence victims. Protocols that address security and safety for hospital personnel and victims will be included as part of these programs. o Establish school-based counseling and prevention programs addressing gang violence. These programs should include antiviolence curriculums, support groups, and conflict resolution/peer mediation modules. o Provide Federal funds for training sites that showcase promising practices such as comprehensive victim assistance programs based in prosecutors' offices, hospitals, and schools. o Develop training curriculums that include cross- disciplinary information for professionals who deal with victims and witnesses of gang violence. Training should be provided for first responders on how to deal with survivors at the crime scene; funeral directors on how to deal with gangs before, during, and after funeral services; all criminal justice personnel including police, prosecutors, and judges; mental health professionals; compensation providers; and teachers. o Develop protocols for debriefing all crisis responders to victims of gang violence, including emergency medical technicians and law enforcement personnel, who face serious threats to their physical and emotional well-being when not provided with ongoing opportunities for debriefing following critical incidents. o Establish policies, protocols, and programs including both emergency and short-term relocation programs, security measures in courthouses and at correctional facilities, and secure transportation to ensure safety for victims and witnesses of gang violence and those who assist them at the Federal, State, tribal, and local levels. Furthermore, prosecutors should be encouraged to use every legal measure to ensure the safety of such witnesses before, during, and after case disposition. o Assess the availability of Federal resources for victims of gang violence and provide funding to encourage the proliferation of promising practices that reduce gang violence and assist victims. All federally funded gang intervention and suppression programs and planning groups should include services for victims of gang violence. o Establish an ongoing working group on victims and witnesses of gang violence to provide assistance in the development of training curriculums, selection of demonstration sites, and implementation of the above recommendations. A complete symposium report was published in 1996. Copies are available from OVCRC (see appendix D). In FY 1997 OVC is committed to addressing many of the recommendations set forth by the planning group. OVC is working with OJJDP and other DOJ components to ensure that federally funded gang programs include needed services for victims of gang violence. OVC also intends to support an expanded planning group with diverse representation to identify resources needed to assist victims of gang violence and those who serve them. In FY 1996, OVC committed $175,000 to a field-initiated project that is developing technical assistance materials to help victim service providers improve assistance to victims of gang-related crimes. The funding will assist the grantee in identifying and documenting the successful ways agencies and communities are serving victims of gang violence and their families. A package of technical assistance materials will be developed and pilot tested in at least two jurisdictions. In addition, OVC has committed FY 1997 funding to establish two demonstration programs in a school or community to provide replicable comprehensive services to young victims and witnesses of gang violence and other juvenile crimes. OVC funds will also support the development of a victim service component at OJJDP gang demonstration sites. Survivors of Homicide Victims In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC funded several important initiatives to help train diverse service providers regarding victim-sensitive death notification. Those programs are described below. In addition, OVC has encouraged States to cover mental health counseling costs for survivors of homicide victims who live outside the State where the victim was killed. The few States that do not currently cover these costs are reconsidering their policies. To complement VOCA victim assistance funding to States that support services to surviving family members of homicide victims, OVC is funding the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia program in FY 1997 to develop, test, and refine a curriculum for mental health clinicians, doctors, prosecutors, and others who provide services to homicide victims. Many professionals do not have specialized training in treating this underserved population of victims. Victims and Survivors of Drunk Driving Crashes In FYs 1995 and 1996, nearly $4 million in VOCA victim assistance funded 1,144 drunk driving programs across the Nation. OVC is committed to providing technical assistance to State VOCA administrators so that funds can be used to support victim impact panels in trainings of all victim service providers, in schools, and in correctional facilities. Studies have shown that participation in these panels is part of the healing process for many crime victims. In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC provided funding to MADD for two important initiatives: train-the-trainer courses on death notification and training for correctional facilities to establish victim impact panels. The death notification curriculum was funded in 1995 as a field-initiated project at $100,000. Different curriculums were developed for the professionals who are first responders or who provide services to homicide survivors: law enforcement, mental health counselors and victim advocates, medical personnel, clergy, and funeral directors. These curriculums have resulted in specialized training for professionals and improved services for crime victims. With the support of OVC's grant, 437 professionals attended four seminars and 216 attended an extended train-the-trainer seminar. The seminars focused on sensitive and supportive techniques for notifying people of the deaths of loved ones and included current research on the homicide survivor experience, information on first-responder stress, and a 19-step notification procedure. Each seminar also included a panel of homicide survivors who talked about their notification experiences. After attending one of these trainings, numerous agencies, primarily law enforcement, changed their policies to become more victim oriented. An unanticipated benefit of this very successful project was that the International Association of Chiefs of Police developed a model policy on death notification for police departments around the country. This project is continuing in 1997, enabling MADD to provide four more regional training and train-the-trainer events. Another important project in which MADD participated was begun as part of the Victim Assistance in Community Corrections grant. MADD and the California Youth Authority (CYA) joined forces to develop a national "Victim Impact Classes/Panels for Offenders" training seminar. Funded at $32,427, in 1995, the seminar combined the information from MADD's Victim Impact Panel Program for Drunk Drivers and CYA's Victim Impact Classes for Offenders. The training was in such demand and so successful that the organizations received additional funding in 1997 to conduct three train-the-trainer seminars and one advanced training seminar on implementing the victim impact curriculum. This highly effective curriculum integrates classroom instructions about the impact of crime with firsthand, personal accounts of victimization. This project has been jointly funded by OVC and BJA. Also in FY 1997, OVC is continuing to work closely with the board of directors for MADD and has continued to fund train-the-trainer courses on death notification and training for correctional facilities to establish victim impact panels. Victims of Hate and Bias Crimes In FY 1995, OVC published a curriculum to train law enforcement professionals about appropriate response to victims of hate and bias crimes. The curriculum, developed by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), has been presented at a number of State and national conferences and training seminars through a regional training seminar series funded by OVC. In response to the enthusiastic reception to the curriculum in FY 1997, OVC funded a train-the-trainer seminar series to expand use of the curriculum. EDC is updating the existing training curriculum, recruiting a cadre of trainers, and presenting three training sessions. Trainers must commit to disseminating the information to allied professionals in community, State, and national arenas as a condition of their participation. OVC recently began working with the Community Relations Service (CRS) at DOJ to explore ways CRS field staff can utilize OVC-funded local victim-witness programs for victims of hate and bias crimes. Victims With Disabilities Individuals with physical and developmental disabilities face increased vulnerability to crime victimization. This population is often acutely underserved by victim assistance and criminal justice personnel. In response, OVC has awarded funding for a project that will explore issues and challenges in responding effectively to victims with disabilities and identify practices and strategies for further action. A symposium, report, and participant- developed action plan will be issued in FY 1997. OVC is also working to expand services for deaf and deaf-blind crime victims. In 1996, Marilyn Smith, executive director of Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services (ADWAS) in Seattle, Washington, received the National Crime Victim Service Award--the highest Federal honor for victim advocacy. This award ceremony is coordinated by OVC. ADWAS is the first and only organization in the country dedicated to providing victim assistance services to deaf and deaf-blind victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. The program offers a 24-hour crisis line, counseling, shelters, and legal advocacy, as well as training for both deaf and hearing crime victim advocates. OVC is working closely with ADWAS to develop similar programs in other parts of the country. In addition, OVC has supported other efforts to serve victims with disabilities. In May 1996, OVC provided funding to the Delaware Department of Justice through the OVC Trainers Bureau to support a statewide forum to address the specialized population of developmentally and physically disabled crime victims. During this event, attendees that included attorneys, social workers, educators, private counselors, and crisis intervention workers received training on better serving disabled crime victims, focusing on clinical perspectives, practical applications for the criminal justice system, screening and assessment, community resources, advocacy, and special needs of the disabled. Victims' Concerns About HIV/AIDS OVC has supported the development and dissemination of a comprehensive training manual and trainer's guide that includes an overview of the medical, legal, and counseling aspects of HIV/AIDS. In the next phase of the project OVC will fund six training seminars for service providers on addressing victims' concerns, developing networks with the health and legal communities, and referring victims who are concerned about exposure to HIV/AIDS to appropriate services. Victims in Rural Areas In FY 1996, OVC funded a program to identify model victim assistance programs, practices, and strategies for rural communities. This initiative includes an examination of criminal justice system policies and practices, private nonprofit agency programs and services, and financial, medical, and psychological assistance available to rural crime victims. Emphasis is on multidisciplinary and multisystems approaches to serving rural populations, and a compendium of promising practices and an OVC Bulletin on the topic will be widely disseminated. Victims of Criminal Transportation Disasters In June 1995, OVC began working with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to consider strategies for better assisting family members of victims and survivors of aircraft crashes, including crashes caused by criminal acts. OVC, DOT, and NTSB later met with representatives of 10 major airlines. DOT and NTSB representatives also met with survivors and families of victims from four airline crashes to listen to their experiences and recommendations. The family members expressed outrage at their treatment by the airlines and outlined 16 recommendations for improving airline and governmental response to airline disasters. Testimony from family members at congressional hearings following the ValuJet crash revealed the great need for interagency coordination both in investigating airline disasters and in providing services to families of victims. In September 1996, President Clinton directed NTSB to coordinate the roles of the Departments of Justice, Defense, and State, and other Federal agencies in providing victim services. Subsequently, Congress passed the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996, establishing the responsibility of NTSB in all domestic aviation disasters as "a point of contact within the Federal Government for the families of passengers involved in the accident and a liaison between the air carrier . . . and the families" (Title VII of Public Law 104-264, Congressional Record H11303). Because of its history of advocacy on behalf of crime victims and its early work with survivors of airline crashes, OVC was designated by the Attorney General as the lead agency within DOJ to work with NTSB on a coordinated government protocol for aviation disasters. In conjunction with other DOJ components including the FBI, OVC developed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to ensure that the needs of victims and survivors are addressed in a sensitive and appropriate manner in the event of an aviation disaster resulting from criminal activity. The MOU was signed by the Attorney General Reno and Chairman Hall of NTSB and became effective on January 28, 1997. It is the first step toward developing a coordinated Government response to aviation disasters. In April 1997 OVC was designated to represent DOJ on an interagency task force, chaired by DOT, that will prepare a Report to Congress with recommendations and guidelines to assist air carriers, Federal and State agencies, and independent mental health agencies in responding to airline disasters. The report is due in October 1997. Victims in Native American Communities OVC supports a number of training efforts in Indian Country to improve the delivery of services to crime victims. Initiatives undertaken in FYs 1995 and 1996 are described in this section. Attorney General's Indian Country Initiative In FY 1996, Attorney General Reno established an Indian Country Justice Initiative to address the most serious problems hindering vigorous Federal enforcement of major crimes in Indian Country. The initiative focuses on systematically examining the intersection of the Federal and tribal justice systems, working with residents of the Laguna Pueblo and Northern Cheyenne Reservations. OVC has made major contributions to this initiative by providing $273,000 in FY 1996 to support comprehensive services for the two tribes. OVC funding is supporting Children's Justice Act programs, court-appointed special advocates, victim-witness coordinators, and training and technical assistance at each site. OVC will continue funding the program in FY 1997 and working closely with the Office of Tribal Justice on all Native American initiatives. Tribal Court Appointed Special Advocate Programs While there are approximately 550 certified CASA programs in all 50 States, very few operate in the 170 court systems of federally recognized tribal governments. In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC, in cooperation with OJJDP and the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association, provided $103,635 to support the development of CASA programs in Indian Country so that tribal courts could assign advocates to represent the best interests of children. This program is especially important in Indian Country because a tribal court may serve as a Native American child's only recourse to protection and justice. Funding supported a total of four tribal CASA programs as well as a symposium. In FY 1997, the CASA program will be expanded to four additional tribes. Indian Health Services In FY 1996, OVC began working with the Indian Health Service (IHS) to convene two training seminars on issues relevant to American Indian Child Protection Teams (CPTs) and multidisciplinary teams to develop strategies for addressing child abuse issues. The seminars will provide comprehensive and practical information on coordination efforts (such as ensuring continuity of care for child victims, developing appropriate child protection protocols, communicating with law enforcement agencies, and conducting effective forensic examinations and interviews) between tribes and tribal programs and a host of Federal agencies, including OVC, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and IHS. Child Sexual Abuse in Native American Communities In FY 1996, OVC collaborated with the Federal Judicial Center and the Department of Justice Partnership Project to provide legal education training to 78 tribal and Federal judges about the handling and adjudication of child sexual abuse cases occurring in Indian Country. The first training session brought together tribal judges from the Phoenix and New Mexico areas as well as Federal judges from the 10th Circuit of the U.S. District Courts. Training will also be provided to tribal judges from the Northwest and Midwest Plains regions, including Federal judges from the Eighth and Ninth Circuits in FY 1997. OVC also sponsored, with BIA, a conference on prosecution and investigation of child abuse and domestic violence in Indian Country (formally titled "One Tipi, One Fire: Protecting Family Traditions") in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in September 1995. Federal funding for the conference enabled 70 Native American service providers to attend and participate through scholarships offered by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices from the districts in Kansas and Oklahoma. The conference featured sessions on effective forensics; cognitive/graphic and medical interviewing techniques when dealing with child victims of abuse; victim assistance strategies in dealing with family violence; effective sexual assault protocols through the medical nurse examiner programs; and juvenile crime and gang activity issues in Indian Country. Sixth National Indian Nations Conference The Sixth National Indian Nations Justice for Victims of Crime Conference was held in San Diego in January 1997. The 3-day conference drew approximately 450 participants, targeting an audience of victim service providers, health and mental health professionals, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and judges from the tribal, Federal, State, and local levels. The conference focused on victims' issues within the criminal justice system as well as service delivery and advocacy strategies. With the goal of providing skills-building training to participants, the conference offered four tracks of training--one for victim advocates, one for criminal justice professionals, one for tribal leaders, and one for judicial personnel. In addition, the conference served as a forum for promoting communication among tribal, Federal, and State officials, exchanging information on best practices, and showcasing model programs. As an extension of the conference, OVC hosted a day-long focus group to address the emergence of gang violence in Indian Country. Children's Justice Act Discretionary Grants for Native Americans Disclosure of extensive child sexual abuse in reservation boarding schools and several multiple- victim child molestation cases on Indian reservations resulted in an amendment authorizing OVC to use Children's Justice Act (CJA) funds in Indian Country to improve the handling of child sexual abuse cases. This amendment (contained in the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988) authorized OVC to make grants directly to tribes for a 3- to 5-year period to help Native American communities improve the investigation, prosecution, and handling of cases of child sexual and physical abuse in a manner that increases support for and reduces trauma to child victims. The CJA program is the only Federal program for tribes that focuses exclusively on lessening the trauma to Native American children who participate in criminal justice proceedings. CJA funds are awarded to federally recognized tribes through a competitive grant process. Tribal organizations have used this funding to enhance investigative and prosecutorial practices, encourage more efficient case coordination, and improve services. Since its inception in 1988, the program has provided $6,629,745 to support 40 tribes and tribal organizations, including 12 new programs in FY 1996, and supported training to assist tribes with program development and implementation. In FY 1995, approximately $1,038,500 was available to support new and continuation CJA programs. In FY 1996, approximately $1,413,000 supported new and continuing CJA programs (see appendix A). The following CJA programs are examples of projects currently funded by OVC through CJA. The range of services they provide, as well as priorities for future program development, are described. Chugachmiut. The Chugachmiut CJA program is located in the Chugach region of Alaska. The Chugach region comprises seven Native Alaskan villages along the southern coastal area between Icy Bay and Prince William Sound to the southwest tip of the Kenai Peninsula. Chugachmiut received a grant to implement systems for recognizing child abuse, intervening in child abuse cases, and protecting children in the villages. Many villages are accessible only by air or sea travel, and this isolation causes gaps in service delivery. The CJA grant allowed project staff to assist each village in establishing CPTs, offer training to village residents, increase community awareness and education, create a directory of service referrals, and develop a data collection and tracking system for reporting, referring, and responding to child sexual abuse. This is the first effort made by the grantee and the villages in this region to establish clearly defined lines of authority and roles for agencies responsible for responding to child abuse victims. Chugachmiut is focusing on establishing written protocols and procedures to formalize a CPT established in each community. Lac du Flambeau Tribe. The Lac du Flambeau Tribe used its grant to increase the quality and scope of services provided to child sexual abuse victims. Because the tribe is located within a P.L. 280[4] State and the State and county have jurisdiction for investigating and prosecuting child abuse cases, one of the tribe's first priorities was to conduct an assessment of the relationship between the local county social services, the sheriff's department, the tribal police, and the Indian Child Welfare Program in providing services to the tribal community. The evaluation revealed that many cases were dropping through the cracks and that no services were being provided to child victims. However, the findings have opened the line of communications between the tribal council and county and State officials to seek concrete actions to improve coordination, enforcement, and victims' rights for child abuse victims. As a result, the tribal investigator has become a member of the County Sexual Assault Team. The Indian Child Welfare Program and the County Department of Social Services have developed a working agreement that defines the responsibilities of each department in child abuse and neglect investigations, and staff from the tribe's Family Resource Center are working with the County Board Indian Affairs Committee to develop further collaboration efforts between tribal and county agencies. In September 1996, OVC hosted its first postaward training conference for Native American CJA grantees in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The training provided specific information and instructions on the implementation of CJA projects and information on the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases for representatives from 20 tribes. The training was supported through OVC's CJA training and technical assistance initiative and will continue in 1997. Victims of Violence in the Workplace Violence in America has invaded the workplace, putting at risk the safety, productivity, and health of workers. Research indicates that this type of violent crime is on the rise. Identifying major issues and challenges involved in responding effectively to workplace violence is a program priority for OVC. OVC has awarded a grant to the National Victim Center to identify promising programs and techniques for providing immediate and long-term assistance to primary and secondary victims of workplace violence. The findings will be highlighted in a report containing strategies for further action to improve the capacity and preparedness of employers and victim service providers to respond to the unique needs of these victims. A transfer-of-knowledge symposium was held in early 1997 as part of the project. In a related project, OVC is funding a project in FY 1997 to enhance workplace responses to victims of domestic violence. This project will identify, describe, and disseminate promising practices and protocols for assisting domestic violence victims in the workplace. OVC will release a blueprint for galvanizing the workplace, a central force in most Americans' lives, to ensure that employers and unions provide a secure workplace for victims of domestic violence and assist them in obtaining the services they need to end violent relationships. By providing protection and services in the workplace, where victims frequently are vulnerable, the project fills a gap in the community's response to domestic violence. Crimes Against Older Americans Dotti Burkett, Elder Service Office and TRIAD leader in Seminole County, Florida, had an unexpected encounter. She was describing her work to some patrons while having her hair done at the beauty salon when an elderly woman began questioning her about training for law enforcement officers on elder issues. The woman asked how programs for seniors and law enforcement are funded. Dotti explained by describing her program's reliance on inkind assistance and donations. The woman asked Dotti for a wish list of activities she would initiate if she had $1,000, and then $2,000. Dotti answered that she would use the money to develop professional training materials as well as other opportunities for outreach. The next day, Dotti's boss, Sheriff Don Eslinger, called her into the office and began questioning her about who she'd met recently who had been particularly interested in her TRIAD activities. The anonymous woman in the hair salon turned out to be the wife of a very wealthy entrepreneur, and she made a $10,000 donation to support TRIAD training. It was the first cause to which the woman had made an unsolicited donation. She was impressed deeply not only with the scope of TRIAD but also with Dotti's enthusiasm and commitment. OVC has been very active in the expansion of the TRIAD program throughout the country. TRIAD is a multidisciplinary approach to preventing and addressing elderly crime victimization by combining the efforts and resources of law enforcement, senior citizens and organizations that represent them, and victim assistance programs. OVC has funded TRIAD training conferences and supported a cooperative agreement between the National Sheriffs' Association (which sponsors the national TRIAD program), the Administration on Aging at the Department of Health and Human Services, and BJA. VOCA funding has supported regional training programs addressing crimes against older Americans and training for law enforcement agencies on effective responses to crimes against older Americans. Nine regional TRIAD training conferences were held in FYs 1995 and 1996 (see figure 15), as well as three national TRIAD conferences at which hundreds of copies of a law enforcement curriculum, "Improving the Police Response to Elder Abuse," funded by OVC in FY 1993 were distributed. The training conferences brought together law enforcement, senior leaders, adult protective services, social services, and victim assistance professionals in an effort to create an awareness of elderly victim issues and to create TRIAD programs across States. Since July 1992, when OVC first became involved with TRIAD, the program has grown from 56 county programs in 20 States to 433 county programs in 46 States, in addition to programs in Canada and England (see appendix B). In a related effort to assist older American victims, the OVC Director and staff participated in an April 1996 satellite broadcast sponsored by Radio Shack. The broadcast was sent to 140 Radio Shack training sites across the Nation, at which law enforcement, community professionals, volunteers, and community leaders discussed elder abuse and strategies for eliminating it. ------------------------------ Chapter 4 Using OVC's Diverse Resources To Assist Victims of Terrorism and Mass Violence The need for coordination in victim services is never more apparent than in the wake of horrifying acts of terrorism and mass violence that can impact many victims and entire communities. Several such incidents occurred during the time covered in this report: the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City; the bombing of Centennial Park during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta; and the 1996 bombing of the U.S. military barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. OVC's experiences in the aftermath of these crimes showed the value of interagency collaboration in meeting victims' needs, not only immediately following the bombings but also in developing long-term strategies to respond effectively to future acts of terrorism. OVC staff expended a great deal of time and energy in FYs 1995 and 1996 to ensure that victims of terrorism receive prompt and effective services from the agencies that respond to such incidents. On April 24, 1996, President Clinton signed into law the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act. This new legislation amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to (1) provide for a new VOCA eligibility requirement that States compensate residents who are victims of terrorist attacks in foreign countries and (2) provide that, in the event of foreign or domestic terrorist acts or mass violence, a State may be eligible to receive a supplemental grant from OVC's reserve fund. In the wake of prominent incidents of terrorism both in the United States and elsewhere that have received worldwide attention, OVC has worked to coordinate its efforts with other Federal, State, and local agencies and to ensure that lessons learned from those responses form the basis for responses to incidents in the future. OVC Response to the Bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City Perhaps more than any crime in recent memory, the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995 forced Americans to experience the nightmare of domestic terrorism and crime victimization. But the tragedy also reminded us that we can meet the needs of crime victims. OVC played an important role in responding to this devastating crime--a role that continues in close collaboration with national and international victim advocates. The services offered to victims in the Oklahoma City bombing case in many ways demonstrate the range of services that OVC provides--crisis response to communities; technical assistance to Federal law enforcement and prosecutors; assistance for victims in obtaining needed services; coordination between victim assistance agencies; and funds to help victims participate in criminal justice proceedings and receive needed counseling. Crisis Response. By the end of the day of the bombing, emergency funding from OVC had put a nine-member crisis response team on the ground in Oklahoma City to work with victims. Ultimately, OVC provided funding for three crisis response teams, sending a total of 43 crisis responders trained by the National Organization for Victim Assistance to help debrief thousands of surviving family members, children, and teachers at schools, as well as emergency rescue and medical personnel and clergy. Enhancing Emergency Response Through Collaborative Partnerships. OVC has worked closely with the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Western District of Oklahoma. In the weeks following the bombing, OVC staff helped the office develop brochures for victims that described their rights and services they could obtain. In addition, OVC provided funding for services for victims taking part in criminal justice proceedings, including $200,000 to help victims attend the trial of Timothy McVeigh in Denver, Colorado. Compensation for Victims of the Bombing. Under provisions of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act passed by Congress in 1996, OVC provided $78,000 in supplemental funding to the Oklahoma victim compensation program, which had exhausted its own funds compensating victims of the bombing and other crimes. Mental Health Counseling for Bombing Victims. OVC worked with the Human Services Division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Emergency Services and Disaster Relief Branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that counseling programs were available to bombing victims in Oklahoma as well as in Denver during the trial. As the first trial got under way, OVC committed $566,311 to support four initiatives that responded to the U.S. Attorney's Office assessment of likely victim and witness needs during the trial: Funding for Victim Travel. OVC committed approximately $200,000 to supplement the United Way-coordinated Victims and Survivors Travel Service Fund. The Fund was initiated through a public/private partnership at the request of Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating to defray victims' travel expenses to attend the trial in Denver. OVC helped draft policies and procedures to ensure that these funds were used as effectively and efficiently as possible. Crisis Counseling Services. OVC awarded $234,930 to the Oklahoma District Attorney's Council for Project Heartland, which supported crisis counseling services for victims attending the trial's closed-circuit televised broadcast. The grant supports three mental health professionals who served victims at safe havens in Denver and Oklahoma City. The safe havens established in Denver and Oklahoma City provided a place for victims to retreat from the trial. Trained crisis counselors and therapists, as well as members of the clergy, were available to respond to their needs. In addition, the victims and surviving family members of the victims received trial debriefings each day. Additional Victim-Witness Advocate Positions in U.S. Attorneys' Offices. OVC committed nearly $99,000 to support two temporary victim-witness advocate positions within the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Western District of Oklahoma and one temporary advocate position in the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Colorado. The advocates helped the Victim Assistance Unit notify the roughly 2,900 victims and witnesses regarding the status of the case. They also provided criminal justice advocacy and coordinated victim participation at the trial through closed-circuit televised broadcast. Identification and Coordination of Local Resources. OVC also provided $32,000 to support two experienced victim advocates who were responsible for identifying and coordinating local resources for survivors and families of the victims who traveled to Denver to attend the trial. The Oklahoma City bombing focused the attention of the Federal Government on the need for a more coordinated response to large-scale crises, and many agencies worked together to implement collaborative response protocols. For example, OVC and EOUSA developed a protocol to ensure that Federal investigative and DOJ prosecutorial staff afford victims of Federal crimes all of the rights and services to which they are entitled under Federal law. This protocol, a cooperative agreement between OVC, EOUSA, and the FBI, outlines actions each agency must take to fulfill the requirements of the Attorney General's Guidelines on Victim and Witness Assistance. The success of the crisis response team that focused on addressing the needs of children in Oklahoma City schools was the impetus for the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, and OVC to award a cooperative agreement to NOVA to help school districts around the Nation develop a crisis response capacity to major crises affecting students within their communities. OVC also has sought to establish more formalized relationships with non-DOJ emergency responders, such as the American Red Cross and FEMA, to develop protocols that would direct their response to crime victims. In FY 1996, OVC, EOUSA, and the American Red Cross signed a Letter of Intent that set forth the terms of a coordinated crisis response protocol in the event of a future catastrophic crime. OVC also initiated a similar protocol with the Response and Recovery Directorate of FEMA involving the Public Safety Officer's Benefit and the Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance programs of BJA. OVC continues to play an active role in ensuring that the rights of the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing are protected and that victims receive the services and support that they require. OVC Assistance to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia Leadership in preparing for terrorist acts can mitigate the harm caused when they occur. OVC's efforts prior to the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, is one example. OVC worked with BJA, NIJ, and the coordinator of Olympic Public Safety Operations to provide training and funding for additional technical assistance in the areas of security planning, crime prevention, and awareness for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. At the request of the Atlanta victim-witness assistance program, OVC funded community crisis response training for nearly 100 victim advocates across the State of Georgia. The training was provided by NOVA and focused on crisis intervention techniques, posttrauma counseling, group debriefing techniques, and cross-cultural issues in crises. In turn, the advocates developed a comprehensive crisis response plan in conjunction with the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. OVC, in conjunction with the Olympic Public Safety Operations office, also funded the development of a short training videotape for law enforcement officers on the importance of responding compassionately to victims of crime. Shown to law enforcement officers during roll calls, the videotape outlined the protocol for working with the victim-witness advocates and volunteers assigned to different Olympic venues throughout the State. OVC also funded the creation of brochures that were distributed by law enforcement officers and victim advocates to people attending the Summer Games. The brochures described the criminal justice system process and how to access local victim assistance services. As a result of OVC's efforts, crime victim services were incorporated into the law enforcement and administrative protocols adopted by the Olympic Games Committee. These preparations proved to be crucial following the bombing of Centennial Park during the Games. OVC-trained victim advocates were quickly dispatched to local hospitals, providing information about compensation benefits and services to victims and their families in the hours and days following the blast. OVC Support for the Families of Victims Killed Abroad by Terrorists Crime and victimization are increasingly recognized as international issues. Citizens of the United States work and travel abroad, and the United States is a popular destination for foreign visitors. With new technologies such as the Internet, communicating across the globe is as simple as communicating across town, giving OVC the ability to respond more quickly to the needs of citizens victimized abroad. After President Clinton signed the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act on April 24, 1996, OVC Director Adams met with more than a dozen victims who attended the signing ceremony at the White House. Victims of terrorism and family members whose loved ones were killed abroad by terrorists expressed several concerns regarding their treatment by Federal agencies and their efforts to gain more information about the incidents in which they or their family members were involved. They expressed dissatisfaction with notification procedures about the death of their loved ones, the red tape they must contend with when trying to find out information about their cases, the lack of regular communication about case status from responsible government officials, and the lack of coordination between governmental agencies involved in these cases. They also expressed great appreciation for the opportunity to meet one another and to discuss their cases and their concerns, which helped diminish their sense of isolation. Following the meeting, OVC provided information to each participant regarding services available for them in their States. In addition, OVC's 1997 Program Plan contains a grant that provides funding for these victims to meet in Washington, D.C., to advise OVC and the State Department on how to improve services. Legislative Reforms Two OVC legislative recommendations that were enacted in 1996 have been crucial in facilitating OVC's comprehensive response to victims of terrorism. Congress amended VOCA to provide $500,000 in additional funding to assist the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing in attending trial proceedings in Denver. In addition, the Antiterrorism Act permits the OVC Director to access the reserve fund authorized by Section 1402(d)(4) to assist victims of terrorism and mass violence. This new authority has enabled OVC to provide the wide range of needed services described in this chapter. ------------------------------ Chapter 5 OVC's International Efforts on Behalf of Victims: Facing New Frontiers Issues of victimization are becoming increasingly global as society becomes more mobile and as Internet access provides new opportunities for communication and, unfortunately, crime across national borders. OVC has recognized a growing need for improvement of victim services internationally, as well as better coordination and information sharing around the world. Accordingly, a number of initiatives were begun in FY 1996 to improve international awareness of and responsiveness to victims' issues. International Victim Assistance Training Manual In May 1996, OVC staff served as technical advisers on victims' issues at the Fifth Session of the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Vienna, Austria. OVC's participation in the meeting provided a unique opportunity to advance the American mission on behalf of crime victims in the international arena. Through OVC's efforts, the U.S. delegation cosponsored, with six other countries, a resolution to help implement the 1985 United Nations Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power (see appendix C). The Declaration, considered the Magna Carta for crime victims around the world, includes fundamental victims' rights such as the right to justice and fair treatment, restitution, compensation, and assistance, as well as various rights for victims of abuse of power. While these rights have been adopted in many countries, other countries have done little to support victims' rights or respond to their needs. The purpose of the resolution was to provide a mechanism through which the United Nations could promote full implementation of the Declaration. The resolution called for the United Nations to develop an International Victim Assistance Training Manual that could be used by all countries. The resolution directed that two meetings of international experts be convened to develop such a manual, and on August 10-12, 1996, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, OVC hosted the second Expert Group Meeting on Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power in the International Setting. The meeting was organized with the support of the U.N. Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division and held in conjunction with the 22d Annual North American Victim Assistance Conference sponsored by NOVA. Participants included a distinguished group of leaders in the victims movement from 14 countries. OVC Director Adams served as chairperson of the meeting, which focused on building on earlier work to prepare a draft of the International Victim Assistance Training Manual. A draft of the manual was submitted to the Sixth Session of the U.N. Crime Commission in 1997, and a final draft will be submitted for consideration at the Seventh Session in 1998. The 3-day meeting in Oklahoma not only provided the opportunity for OVC to take a leadership role in the development of the International Victim Assistance Training Manual, but also served as a forum for OVC to begin discussions regarding international coordination and reciprocal training and technical assistance. International Victim Compensation Program Directory An increasing number of countries provide victim compensation to foreign nationals; however, international victimization poses administrative obstacles both for victims seeking compensation and for programs providing financial assistance. In response, OVC developed an International Victim Compensation Program Directory in FYs 1995 and 1996 to identify the scope of compensation programs in other countries and to complement the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards' directory of U.S. compensation programs, which was developed using OVC funding. The directory provides basic eligibility and application information about compensation programs worldwide. Working with the State Department through consular staff, OVC is in the process of updating and expanding the directory (see figure 16). OVC Resource Center Response to International Crime Victim Issues OVCRC is a dynamic information resource that responds to queries on a variety of victim issues from victim service agencies, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from around the world. OVCRC receives requests by telephone, fax, written correspondence, and e-mail, as well as from visitors to OVCRC's main facilities in Rockville, Maryland. In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVCRC responded to requests from Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Great Britain, Israel, Korea, Mexico, and other countries on a variety of subjects including child abuse, domestic violence, rape and sexual assault, victim compensation, and victim- offender mediation. OVCRC has recently expanded its international outreach by establishing an International Victims Resources section on the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) home page (http://www.ncjrs.org) on the World Wide Web. Assistance for Kidnaped Children Taken Across International Borders Since 1985 DOJ and the State Department have had a cooperative agreement with OJJDP's National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to track kidnaped children taken across international borders and to help their parents obtain lawful custody under the Hague Convention's treaty on international child abductions. This joint initiative recently was renewed with a new service that greatly aids parents seeking to recover abducted children: OVC will absorb travel-related reunification costs for American parents who can prove that substantial economic hardship prevents them from recovering their children from overseas. Parental abduction cases often involve international marriages that are dissolving, with one parent returning to the native country with offspring who are too young to give legal consent. Many parents exhaust their life savings on telephone calls, attorneys, and private investigators in the search for their children. OVC established a fund to help parents accompany their children back to the United States when they do not have adequate resources to reunite with them abroad. Support for the World Congress Against the Commercial Exploitation of Children OVC staff helped prepare the U.S. Delegation to the World Congress Against the Commercial Exploitation of Children held in Stockholm, Sweden, on August 27-31, 1996. OVC provided funds for the development of an important new publication, Child Sexual Exploitation: Improving Investigations and Protecting Victims--A Blueprint for Action, which was distributed at the conference. Since the World Congress, OVC has participated in a working group comprising representatives from the President's Interagency Council on Women, the State Department, the Department of Labor, DOD, the U.S. Customs Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Education, and various DOJ agencies to develop a coordinated Federal strategy for prevention of, investigation, and intervention in cases of commercial exploitation of children. Assistance for Americans Victimized Abroad: OVC's Plan of Action on International Issues for FY 1997 OVC staff worked with the State Department to develop detailed informational materials on OVC's services and on existing State-level victim compensation and assistance programs. The State Department sent an "ALLDAC" cable with this information to all embassies and consulates overseas. This material provides a ready reference for embassy and consular staff members to use when they are contacted by Americans who have been victimized abroad and are looking for information about the services and compensation available upon their return to the United States. Recent terrorist attacks and the adoption of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 focused attention on the globalization of crime and the internationalization of victimization. Many Americans subject themselves to the jurisdiction of foreign criminal justice systems when traveling, as do millions of visitors to the United States. Consistent with the mandates set forth in Section 1411 of VOCA, OVC continues to collaborate with the State Department and the United Nations to provide services to Americans victimized abroad and to help other countries develop victim assistance programs. OVC's action plan for FY 1997 includes: o Coordinating with the State Department, relevant DOJ components, and other interested agencies to improve governmental response to victims of terrorism abroad. o Continuing to play a leadership role in drafting the International Victim Assistance Training Manual to help countries around the world implement the U.N. Declaration on victims' rights. o Coordinating with the State Department and other DOJ components with international responsibilities to develop a training and technical assistance program to provide more effective and sensitive responses to Americans victimized abroad. o Coordinating with the State Department to provide training for foreign countries in developing crime victim assistance programs. o Working with the State Department, the United Nations, and the "P-8" (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) to extend the integration of crime victim issues into international discussions of crime. OVC has established itself in a short time as a leader in international victims' issues. Activities in this area provide valuable opportunities for cooperation with other nations on crucial areas of victim assistance and participation in the criminal justice system. The United States has much to learn from other countries and cultures, and an equal amount to offer. As the U.S. economy becomes more global, it is increasingly important that OVC be able to provide information, assistance, and training that will help Americans victimized overseas obtain the support and assistance they need. ------------------------------ Chapter 6 Making Government Work for Victims of Crime: Disseminating Information and Responding to Constituent Requests OVC's commitment to making sure that victims of crime have access to the best services available includes improving systems that interact with crime victims and providing timely information and diverse materials on issues that make a real difference in their lives. OVC uses an array of resources to respond to requests from victims, victim advocates, service providers, grant recipients, and policymakers for publications and videotapes, referrals to sources of advocacy and services, and specialized training and curriculums. OVC is also committed to using technology to improve the response to victims and their advocates in a variety of ways, including improving the delivery of training, simplifying and speeding up the application process for victim assistance and compensation grants, and ensuring that victims are informed of their rights and the services available to them. Enhancing Communication With the Victim Service Field OVC Resource Center Dissemination of this information is usually accomplished through the OVC Resource Center (OVCRC) in Rockville, Maryland. Other information is disseminated through training programs and in response to direct requests to OVC. OVC provided $261,000 in FY 1995 and $350,000 in FY 1996 to support OVCRC activities. OVCRC serves as a national clearinghouse of information concerning victim and witness assistance programs, victim compensation programs, and private-sector organizations that assist victims. OVCRC establishes liaisons with national, State, local, and private sector organizations whose activities are directed toward improving services for victims and maintains directories of State, local, and private sector programs, resources, and experts. OVCRC provides timely and relevant information for research, advocacy, policy, program, and legislative support, including statistics, descriptions of promising practices, grant-funding sources, and referrals to appropriate service organizations (see figure 17). OVCRC also provides information at professional conferences, training programs, and commemorative events such as National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW). As a component of NCJRS, OVCRC shares information resources with all OJP clearinghouse programs, including the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), National Institute of Justice, and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. In addition, NCJRS offers a clearinghouse for the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The combined NCJRS clearinghouse program houses the largest criminal justice reference collection in the world, including more than 9,000 victim-related documents and audiovisual materials. The entire collection can be abstracted and searched electronically as needed. OVCRC users can also obtain information through the NCJRS World Wide Web home page and other Internet-based sources; these sources make victim-related information available 24 hours a day. OVCRC can be reached at (800) 627-6872. Internet access is available through http://www.ncjrs.org/ovchome.htm and the e-mail address is askncjrs@ aspensys.com. OVC World Wide Web Home Page In FY 1997, OVC designed and unveiled its own World Wide Web home page (see figure 18). A variety of information regarding OVC, its programs, funding, and other activities is updated regularly and made available to the public. The OVC home page is available at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc. OVC Publications and Products In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC produced and disseminated a wide range of materials for victims of crime and the individuals who provide services to them. These products included curriculums, videotapes, brochures, fact sheets, bulletins, monographs, and other materials. For a full list of OVC publications available, see appendix D. In FYs 1995 and 1996, OVC distributed 94 resource packages to U.S. Attorneys' Offices with state-of- the-art information on HIV/AIDS, victims of bank robbery, and victims of white-collar crime. OVC produced and disseminated monographs on issues affecting victims in Indian Country as well as information on crime victims for military personnel. OVC developed conference planning guides, program standards, and videotapes highlighting resources and assistance available to crime victims. Topic-Specific Videotapes OVC funds the development of topic-specific videotapes that bring innovative training and technical assistance to the State and local levels. In FY 1997, for example, OVC is funding the development of a videotape that captures the most promising comprehensive approaches to serving crime victims. This videotape will illustrate the importance of inclusive, collaborative, and coordinated approaches to serving victims, and will provide visual examples of creative practices at work. Most videotapes supported by OVC funds are available to the public through OVCRC. OVC Newsletter In FY 1997, OVC began publishing the OVC Advocate, a newsletter that will be produced twice a year and distributed throughout the country. The newsletter summarizes news affecting the crime victims field, OVC efforts, grants programs, innovative programs in the States, legislative updates, training and technical assistance opportunities, and human interest stories. It has become an important means of quickly getting information out to the field on a variety of topics. Using Technology for Victims and Grantees The application of emerging technologies to assist in organizational management, enhance case management and tracking information, and improve communications holds great promise to assist crime victims and to improve all systems that provide services to them. OVC is funding projects to examine different facets of these technologies to assist crime victims. At the same time, OVC has integrated new technologies into its efforts to disseminate information to the field. Technology Grants As part of this commitment to support technological innovation, OVC is funding a project to give victim service providers opportunities to identify, utilize, and exchange information about promising technologies that can help them and the constituents they serve. Summary descriptions of the most promising strategies and practices using technology for victims will be developed. In addition, a 2-day symposium for a limited group of crime victim advocates, assistance providers, and experts in technology will be convened. In addition, OVC is supporting a project to implement customized victim notification technologies in FY 1997. Victim notification of key criminal justice proceedings is a crime victim's basic right and a cornerstone of victim participation. It is also an area in which emerging technologies can benefit victims. A number of States have implemented automated systems that give victims timely notification of court dates, case decisions, and information regarding any change in their offenders' status. These systems replace absent or inconsistent victim notification procedures that, in some cases, have resulted in tragedy. The purpose of this project is to assist jurisdictions in implementing customized, automated victim notification systems. A grantee will develop a resource package that outlines the various options available for victim notification. Using that resource package, the grantee will then provide intensive technical assistance to three to five jurisdictions that are legislatively mandated to provide victim notification. Victim Assistance Case Automated Tracking/ Notification System OVC is supporting the development, testing, and use of a specialized computer program that will track victim, defendant, case, and service agency information within the Federal system. The system will: (1) send victims timely notifications regarding the status of investigations; (2) track services provided to victims; (3) analyze data and collect information; and (4) transfer information available to each agency with victim-witness responsibilities along the criminal justice continuum. Simplifying the Grant Process for Victim Assistance in Indian Country OVC has also made a commitment in FY 1997 to collaborate with VAWGO to simplify the grant process for victim assistance in Indian Country. Specifically, the two funding agencies will pilot test an administrative initiative which will allow tribes eligible to receive Victim Assistance in Indian Country and Violence Against Women grant funds to submit a single application for Federal funding. Further, OVC and VAWGO will combine Federal grant monitoring and training and technical assistance efforts. This initiative is being undertaken not only to streamline the grant application process but to provide a central point of contact for Native American representatives interested in Federal funding to assist crime victims. If successful, this administrative mechanism will maximize resources, minimize duplicative grantmaking and oversight efforts, and improve overall customer service. Responding to Constituent Training Requests OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center OVC is in the process of consolidating a number of State and local training and technical assistance services into one comprehensive Training and Technical Assistance Center. As a result of this effort, OVC's Trainers Bureau, Community Crisis Response program, conference support initiatives, and information and product development will be managed through one contract. Four current ongoing programs are highlighted in this section. Community Crisis Response Despite the best prevention efforts by schools, communities, and law enforcement, crime occurs. When it does, immediate crisis response services help address the trauma of victimization. Crisis response can take many forms, from victim advocates who respond to crime scenes with law enforcement to full crisis response teams. VOCA-funded victim assistance programs often offer crisis counseling services for victims as well. The Community Crisis Response program was established to improve services to victims of violent crime in communities that have experienced crimes resulting in multiple victimizations. The program seeks to improve services to multiple victims of violent crime by providing training and short-term technical assistance in communities; responding to the specific needs of agencies and communities in crisis situations in a timely manner; increasing coordination among Federal, tribal, State, and local agencies to provide effective victim assistance services; and maximizing available resources and reducing duplication of effort. The program funds individuals or teams of trained responders to assist victims through debriefings and training in the aftermath of significant criminal incidents, and through it OVC can provide rapid response victim assistance training and technical assistance previously unavailable to communities. During the reporting period, four crisis response teams were deployed to assist victims in the aftermath of an incident of mass victimization involving a drunk driving crash, a shooting spree on a reservation, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the murder of two high school students. OVC allocated $33,884 to these four crisis response requests, and more than 15,000 victims were served. In addition, to develop a stronger crisis response capacity in communities around the country, OVC supported a series of four regional community crisis response training conferences in FY 1996. The conferences were held in Arizona, Arkansas, New York, and Oregon. Training at each site was provided to approximately 100 law enforcement officials, victim service providers, and local community organizers who demonstrated interest in establishing crisis response teams in their communities and States. To be selected to receive the training, participants provided letters of recommendations from appropriate community officials indicating their support of and willingness to establish and maintain a community crisis response team. The training series has been extended in FY 1997. Trainers Bureau The OVC Trainers Bureau supports a cadre of trainers and speakers capable of providing services and expertise at training conferences and other training and technical assistance opportunities around the country. The Trainers Bureau was established to stimulate the development of professional expertise in the field of victim services by identifying outstanding experts and model programs, policies, and practices; to make this expertise available to agencies through high-quality training, short-term technical assistance, and mentoring opportunities; and to cost effectively deliver assistance by targeting specific, priority needs. The Trainers Bureau offers expertise on a wide range of general and specific victim-related topics such as the legal rights of victims, the trauma of victimization, and criminal justice advocacy (see figure 19). The Trainers Bureau has provided funding for 186 short-term technical assistance projects in 33 States since its inception in 1994. The consultants used by the Trainers Bureau conduct workshops and provide effective onsite technical assistance to address a range of needs. The following list provides a brief sampling of some activities supported during the reporting period: o The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana hosted a statewide victim assistance training seminar for clergy to mobilize religious organizations on behalf of crime victims. The goal of the training was to add clergy and congregations to the list of service organizations and individuals responding to the needs of crime victims. OVC provided funding for a trainer and training materials for 105 clergy advocates, volunteers, and other professionals affiliated with churches. o In Orange County, California, the California Center for Judicial Education and Training presented a judicial education program on understanding sexual violence. Judges, commissioners, and referees from throughout California received the most current information on a range of topics: victims' reactions to sexual assault, rape-related posttraumatic stress disorder; sanctions for sex offenders; and societal attitudes toward rape. Two lead trainers for this session were supported by the Trainers Bureau. o The Trainers Bureau provided specialized training for the Southern Ute Indian tribe, which brought together all tribal staff responsible for addressing family violence. The training focused on the law enforcement response to victims of domestic violence and establishment of a multidisciplinary tribal effort. The Southern Ute Victim Service Program believes that the training will produce more effective responses to victims of child abuse, child neglect, and spousal abuse on the reservation. o The Texas Crime Victims' Compensation Division, in coordination with several local and State agencies, hosted the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault Conference. Trainers Bureau support provided a 1-day workshop on issues of gang violence, in particular, sexual assault by gang members and against gang members as a "rite of passage" into a gang. o The Trainers Bureau supported consultants from the Westchester County, New York, Department of Probation to present a workshop on ensuring that the criminal justice system works for victims at the 23d National Conference on Juvenile Justice. The consultants provided information on several innovative programmatic approaches supported by victim-oriented policies and training models. The conference was jointly sponsored by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the National District Attorneys Association. Other Trainers Bureau-supported technical assistance projects have addressed development of protocols for multidisciplinary response to domestic violence, sexual abuse of children, and incidents involving multiple victims; white-collar crime; elder abuse investigation and prosecution; workplace violence and staff victimization; victim issues for clergy; and cross-cultural issues in victim services. Regional Coordination Initiative In FY 1996, OVC launched the Regional Coordination Initiative (RCI), a project that seeks to create a network of trainers and technical assistance providers who will enhance victim services by planning, managing, and conducting innovative regional training events. The initiative, which was modeled after the National Institute of Corrections' successful Regionalization Initiative, expands State and local training opportunities and identifies training and technical assistance needs in each of four regions working with VOCA victim assistance and compensation administrators, victim-witness staff of U.S. Attorneys' Offices, and statewide victim coalition representatives. Working with a cadre of regional field coordinators, OVC developed a detailed action plan to identify training needs, recruit trainers, and establish regional training opportunities. Mentoring Program for VOCA Administrators In FY 1996, OVC embarked on an ambitious effort to provide technical assistance to improve the delivery of services and administration of VOCA-funded victim services programs at State and local levels. The Mentoring Program for VOCA Administrators provides peer counseling training and technical assistance to States--an effort which permits an administrator from one State to offer assistance to an administrator in another State on a diverse range of topics. One example of how the program has been used is a collaborative effort of the Iowa Crime Victim Assistance Program, the Iowa Department of Justice, and the Iowa Office of the Attorney General to provide onsite technical assistance to the Kansas Crime Victims Compensation Board on automating their compensation processing and tracking system. Putting It All Together To Serve Crime Victims Better: Washington, D.C., Case Study OVC has applied an array of VOCA training and technical assistance resources to address the service delivery and programmatic and budgetary crises that occurred when the District of Columbia's victim compensation program was shut down in FY 1995. By working with local officials and using the training and technical assistance programs described in this chapter, OVC provided critical technical support to help city officials reinstate the program. OVC's victim assistance mentoring program allowed the Iowa Department of Justice and the Iowa Attorney General's Office to provide assistance to Washington, D.C., government officials. The technical assistance included (1) modifying and installing Iowa's automated compensation claims processing and tracking system; (2) reviewing the compensation program statute, current practices, and operational policies; (3) recommending changes in the program's organizational structure; and (4) preparing a final report of the technical assistance visit with findings and recommendations. OVC staff also worked with the Washington, D.C., Crime Victim Compensation Working Group, a public-private partnership composed of representatives from the District of Columbia's Department of Human Services; Washington, D.C., City Council representatives; the Victim/Witness Unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office, Catholic University's Columbus School of Law, Washington Hospital Center, and the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards. The partnership assisted the District of Columbia in reestablishing a viable, efficient, and responsive compensation program. In addition, OVC worked with representatives from the mayor's office and a cadre of local victim advocates and service providers to improve the delivery of victim services and administration of VOCA victim assistance funding. Through this collaborative effort the administration of the VOCA victim assistance grant program was transferred to the D.C. Office of Grants Management. Through this effort, for the first time since the inception of the VOCA victim assistance program, VOCA victim assistance grants are being awarded to local victim service organizations. District-Specific Training OVC's district-specific training program assists U.S. Attorney's Offices and other Federal agencies to comply with Federal crime victims' legislation and to improve services to Federal crime victims. The training supported by this funding provides discipline-specific, day-long workshops, as well as full conference support for regional, multidisciplinary programs and scholarships for conference participants who otherwise might not be able to attend. Illustrations of district-specific training sessions involving Native American tribes in FYs 1995 and 1996 are given below. Durango, Colorado, August 1995. The Four Corners Indian Country Conference is a collaborative effort sponsored by OVC, BIA Law Enforcement Services, and the U.S. Attorneys' Offices for the Districts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The conference focused on stopping the cycle of violence and featured multidisciplinary training about issues of juvenile justice, child abuse, domestic violence, gangs, cultural awareness, and victim assistance. OVC awarded $15,000 in funding to allow 70 Native American service providers to attend the conference. Phoenix, Arizona, June 1996. OVC provided district- specific funding to EOUSA to help the Office of Legal Education conduct its annual Native American Issues Seminar for Assistant U.S. Attorneys who prosecute cases in Indian Country. A significant portion of the agenda was devoted to complex issues relating to Native American victims of crime. Sioux Falls, South Dakota, July 1996. With BIA, the South Dakota Department of Social Services, and the U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Districts of Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, OVC sponsored the Building Partnerships to Protect Children Conference. The conference offered culturally sensitive, skills-building workshops on such topics as interdisciplinary investigations, interviewing techniques, medical evaluations, court preparation, multijurisdictional issues, and victim compensation. OVC provided scholarships for 80 Native American participants. State Needs Assessment OVC, along with representatives from BJA, NIJ, BJS, and the Census Bureau, is working with the Nebraska Victims Compensation and Assistance programs to jointly fund the development of a comprehensive victim services needs assessment instrument. Once finalized, the instrument will be disseminated to help other States identify gaps in victim services, as well as measure the effectiveness of current victim service delivery. National Crime Victims' Rights Week Each year since 1982, National Crime Victims' Rights Week has been formally designated and commemorated at the Federal level during the month of April. NCVRW gives the nation the opportunity to acknowledge the pain and suffering of crime victims and to applaud the numerous reforms that have been instituted to advance their rights and respond to their unique needs. OVC, DOJ, and the White House, working in conjunction with State, local, and private agencies, help to develop NCVRW events, including the National Crime Victim Service Award for which OVC annually solicits nominations from nearly 3,000 victim advocates and service providers in the field. Similarly, OVC sends out numerous letters soliciting nominations for Crime Victims Fund Awards. These awards honor individual Federal employees or teams whose work within DOJ and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has substantially increased Crime Victims Fund collections. Selections are based on individual dedication, achievement, and innovative or creative methods for increasing Fund deposits. Both awards are given during NCVRW. The recipients for FYs 1995 and 1996 are listed in appendix E. Ceremonies commemorating the 1995 National Crime Victims' Rights Week took place April 23-29. President Clinton met with the 1995 Crime Victim Service Award winners in the Oval Office prior to a ceremony in the White House's famous Roosevelt Room. Attorney General Janet Reno presented the Crime Victims Fund Awards and signed the revised Attorney General's Guidelines on Victim and Witness Assistance on April 26. Ceremonies commemorating the 1996 National Crime Victims' Rights Week took place on April 24-30. On April 24, Crime Victim Service award recipients met with the President and the Vice President at the White House and attended the signing of the Antiterrorism Law. Presentation of the Victim Service Awards took place on April 25 at a ceremony in the Great Hall of the Department of Justice, and the Attorney General presented 17 Crime Victims Fund Awards during a ceremony at DOJ on April 29. To assist local communities in planning NCVRW activities, OVC funds the development of an annual NCVRW Resource Guide, which is distributed to more than 3,000 national victims organizations, local victim assistance programs, U.S. Attorneys' Offices, governors, State attorneys general, and others who work with crime victims. In FYs 1995 and 1996, the NCVRW Resource Guide was developed by the Victims' Assistance Legal Organization (VALOR), with support from OVC. OVCRC in Rockville, Maryland, distributed copies of the Guide as well as Guide materials on computer disks. Artwork for the Guide was provided by students from the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C. ------------------------------ Chapter 7 Future Directions OVC now has more than 10 years of experience developing and implementing policies and programs. That experience and an enhanced effort by OVC during the past 3 years to listen to input from the field has proven that government, now more than ever, must listen and respond to the voices of victims and those who serve them. Although appreciative for what VOCA has allowed them to achieve, crime victims and their advocates have identified gaps not only in the system of victim services, but also in the criminal justice response to victims. Some of these major gaps in victim services and rights are reflected below, along with recommendations for legislative and policy reforms to address them. OVC's 1997 goals, which reflect its priorities for the future (see figure 20), are also set forth. In addition, many OVC strategies for the future are described in the July 1996 Report to Congress. These strategies, which are not recounted in detail here, include OVC's support for expanded rights for victims, particularly victims of juvenile offenders; innovative ways of providing medical examinations for victims; use of technology in serving victims; professionalization of the field; culturally appropriate services for victims; and improved services for Federal crime victims and other specialized victim populations. This chapter sets forth five of OVC's most significant goals for the future, as well as strategies for accomplishing them. The goals include: o Comprehensive, quality services for all crime victims. o Enactment and enforcement of consistent, fundamental rights for crime victims. o Enhancing the Federal response to victims of Federal crime. o Publication of Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century: An Action Plan From the Field. o Enhancing the Victims of Crime Act. Comprehensive, Quality Services for All Crime Victims While enormous strides have been made during the past two decades to establish comprehensive services and rights for crime victims, only a fraction of the Nation's nearly 39 million crime victims have access to services such as emergency financial assistance, crisis and mental health counseling, shelter, victim compensation, and information and advocacy within the criminal justice system. Despite major increases in the Crime Victims Fund, many of America's crime victims remain either unserved or underserved: o In many rural areas there are no services for crime victims who must travel hundreds of miles to find a safe shelter, counseling, or other specialized services. o Because a substantial number of crime victims, particularly victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse, often do not report the crime, countless victims never access victim assistance and compensation programs. o Certain victims, such as many burglary and white-collar crime victims, do not receive needed assistance, such as counseling services, because most services are focused on victims of violent crime. For example, despite the fact that thousands of elderly crime victims lose their life savings to telemarketing fraud, few programs have been developed to help these victims. o Disabled crime victims, who are victimized at an unusually high rate, have great difficulty in accessing services to meet their needs. For example, most victim assistance programs are unable to communicate effectively with deaf victims. o Victim service providers are often not equipped to meet the needs of victims from diverse cultures and victims who speak foreign languages. As a result, these victims are not adequately informed of the services available to them or of their rights in the criminal justice system. o Many domestic violence shelters turn away countless battered women and their children because of a lack of space. New York's largest victim service provider, Victim Services, estimates that each day about 70 domestic violence survivors in New York cannot be provided with the shelter they need. o Even when services are available, many victims are afraid to access them because they fear retaliation by the offender or revictimization by the system. This group includes many victims of domestic violence and child abuse, as well as victims of gang violence who must continue to live in neighborhoods with ongoing gang activity. As the Nation prepares for the year 2000 and beyond, it is especially important that all programs and agencies work to reduce barriers to accessibility, including those related to physical and mental disabilities, language and communication, age, competence, and geographic location. Victims' advocacy organizations must define a comprehensive system of victim services. It should include immediate trauma and emergency response, short- and long-term psychological counseling, and shelter, as well as advocacy throughout the criminal, tribal, military, and juvenile justice systems. Crime victims should also have access to diverse sources of financial recovery including emergency financial assistance, crime victim compensation, restitution, and civil legal remedies. A system of comprehensive services requires dedicated resources. A step toward that goal was the enactment of the Victims of Crime Act in 1984, which established a creative, nontraditional funding mechanism, relying on the collection of fines and penalties from convicted Federal offenders, rather than Federal tax-based appropriations. However, many criminal justice officials and victim advocates continue to assert that the lack of comprehensive services in every community for victims of crime is primarily due to inadequate funding. New and creative sources of funding must be found to ensure quality services to all crime victims. OVC continues to work to address the issues of unserved and underserved victims and will continue to do so in many different ways, including encouraging States to use increased Federal formula monies to expand services into underserved and unserved areas and highlighting successful local initiatives that can be replicated; publishing a "promising practices" compendium on victim services in rural areas; funding a focus group to develop strategies and an action plan for improving services to victims with disabilities, as well as additional projects to expand these services; and funding trainings, materials, and a film regarding sensitive services to victims from diverse cultures, including topic- specific monographs for serving Native Americans. In addition, OVC funding of an evaluation of VOCA programs will provide important information about underserved victim populations upon which to base future funding decisions. OVC, through its discretionary and formula grants, has helped to build an important base of programs that provide comprehensive services: o Community Crisis Response. OVC has funded regional trainings to help communities make available trained crisis responders to provide services when incidents of mass violence occur. o Education and Training. OVC has funded curriculums for grade schools regarding victim services and prevention strategies, curriculums for colleges and graduate schools for professionals who interact with crime victims, and trainings for thousands of professionals across the country on how to provide comprehensive, collaborative services for victims. o Multidisciplinary Services. OVC has provided funding for many children's advocacy centers and other comprehensive victim service centers where diverse professionals work together so that services are coordinated and victims are not revictimized by the system. o Promising Practices To Provide Victim Services. OVC is in the process of identifying promising practices from around the country to inform diverse professionals of effective ways of ensuring that victims' rights are protected and that they receive needed services. These services will include promising practices for medical, mental health, spiritual, and criminal justice personnel, as well as service providers who work in rural areas, with victims with disabilities, and with culturally diverse victims. o Victim-Oriented Community Policing. OVC is funding regional trainings for community police officers on providing comprehensive victim services. o Community-Based Prosecutors. OVC has provided funds to a number of prosecutors' offices that are community based and are working closely with communities to develop more effective prosecutorial strategies, including community impact statements as part of their prosecutions. o Victim-Sensitive Judges. OVC has provided numerous trainings and is developing a bulletin to increase the sensitivity of judges to the rights and needs of crime victims. o Victim-Oriented Corrections. OVC has funded numerous trainings to ensure that correction agencies across the country view victims as their "customers" and integrate victim input into their programs and policies, as well as into probation and parole hearings. One of OVC's major challenges for the future is to work with victim service providers across the country and national victim organizations to integrate into every community all of the victim-centered programs that OVC has launched with its grantees, as well as other "promising practices." To help accomplish its goal of comprehensive, quality services for all crime victims, OVC this year initiated its Victim Services 2000 program which will fund several urban and rural training sites that provide the comprehensive, promising victim practices described in our publications and funded through our grants. These sites will help diverse communities replicate victim-centered programs. Enactment and Enforcement of Consistent, Fundamental Rights for Crime Victims Tremendous strides have been made to enact victims' rights laws across the country to ensure that victims can be present at, are informed about, and can be heard during relevant criminal justice proceedings. Serious deficiencies nonetheless remain in the Nation's system of victims' rights. The rights of victims vary significantly among States and at the Federal level; there are few rights for victims in many juvenile justice systems; victims of nonviolent crimes are often treated like second-class citizens; and a recent national study indicates that State victims' rights frequently are not enforced. Securing a Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendment and Other Legislative Protections for Crime Victims In the years ahead, OVC will continue to work to secure sound legislative protections that would ensure the provision of fundamental rights of participation for crime victims in the criminal justice system. Chief among these efforts is OVC's support of an amendment to the United States Constitution that would secure for victims the rights to be informed, present, and heard during the criminal case that affects them; the right to restitution; and the right to reasonable protection from the offender. In June 1996, President Clinton endorsed efforts to anchor these rights in the Federal Constitution, noting: When someone is a victim, he or she should be at the center of the criminal justice system, not on the outside looking in. Participation in all forms of government is the essence of democracy. Victims should be guaranteed the right to participate in proceedings related to crimes committed against them. OVC has been working within the Justice Department and through it with sponsors and supporters of the victims' rights amendment proposals in Congress. In keeping with the President's goal that the amendment be self-executing, we are working to ensure that it contains language to secure the following rights, all of which were specifically identified by the President as necessary for an effective amendment: o The right to notice of public court proceedings and the right to not be excluded from them. o The right to make a statement to the court, if present, about bail, plea acceptance, and sentencing. o Rights relating to parole proceedings. o The right to notice of the offender's release or escape. o The right to appropriate restitution. o The right to reasonable conditions of confinement and release to protect the victim from the defendant. o The right to notice of these rights. Attorney General Janet Reno noted the importance of extending constitutional rights to crime victims in her speech at the annual conference of the National Organization for Victim Assistance in August 1996: Some have questioned the need for a victims' rights constitutional amendment. I certainly do not support amending the Constitution lightly, but I have long been an advocate for treating victims with dignity and respect. Now, after carefully reviewing the issue of a Federal constitutional amendment with all the lawyers in the Department of Justice, it is clear to me that the best way to secure consistent and comprehensive rights for victims is by including those fundamental rights within the U.S. Constitution. In the constitutional amendment, crime victims should have the right to be informed of, and to not be excluded from, public court proceedings; the right to be heard, if present, by the court about release from custody, sentencing, and pleas; the right to be heard by the parole board when it considers an offender's release; and the right to appropriate restitution. What victims want is a voice, not a veto, in our criminal justice system. Today victims' rights vary significantly from State to State. The Federal Government, adult and juvenile justice systems, and the military all provide different rights for victims. Victims' rights should not depend upon the State in which they live, whether the crime is Federal or State, or whether it occurs on a military base or in Indian country. Fundamental rights for victims should apply in every forum. The Attorney General reiterated these points in testimony supporting a Federal constitutional amendment before the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 16, 1997, and the House Judiciary Committee on June 25, 1997. While State victim statutes and constitutional amendments have led to positive reforms, a recent study conducted by the National Victim Center (NVC) revealed that the States have failed to implement their statutory and constitutional rights for victims in a significant number of cases. Under a grant from NIJ, NVC studied implementation of victims' rights laws in four States. Two States were selected because they had strong statutory protection of victims' rights, and the other two because they had weaker protections. The survey of over 1,300 crime victims, the largest of its kind ever conducted, found that many victims are denied their rights, even in States with stronger legal protections. The survey concluded that State protections alone appear to be insufficient to guarantee the provision of victims' rights. Key findings included: o Nearly half of all victims, even in the two strong protection States, did not receive notice of the sentencing hearing--notice that is essential to enable victims to exercise their right to make a statement at sentencing. o Although both of the strong protection States had laws requiring that victims be notified of plea negotiations, and neither of the weak protection States had such statutes, victims in both groups of States were equally unlikely to be informed of such negotiations. The laws requiring notification of plea negotiations were simply not being enforced in nearly half of all violent crime cases. o Substantial numbers of victims in both strong and weak protection States were not notified of other important rights and services, including the right to be heard at the bond hearing, be informed about protection, and discuss the case with the prosecutor. Further, although many victims today do not report crime or participate in the criminal justice system, the passage of Federal constitutional rights for victims may well encourage increased participation in and satisfaction with the system. A Federal constitutional amendment is needed to: o Establish a consistent floor of fundamental rights for crime victims in all justice systems. o Correct the existing imbalance between defendants' constitutional rights and the current haphazard patchwork of victims' rights. o Secure for victims the same kind of participatory rights guaranteed others elsewhere in the Constitution. o Encourage victims' participation in the criminal justice system. Passage and ratification of a victims' rights constitutional amendment would eliminate the current patchwork of victims' rights that exists across the States and would help ensure that officials within the criminal justice system protect victims' rights and treat victims with the dignity and respect they deserve. While pursuing a victims' rights amendment, OVC has worked with other DOJ components to develop important legislation that would better protect the rights of crime victims. Consistent efforts throughout 1996 culminated in June 1997, when the Department of Justice transmitted to Congress a comprehensive legislative package containing needed criminal justice reforms. The proposed legislation would: o Improve victims' participation in all phases of the criminal justice process. o Provide a mechanism for appellate review of decisions excluding victims from the courtroom or denying them their right of allocution. o Give victims who miss work to attend proceedings the same protection accorded to jurors against adverse action by employers. o Authorize pretrial detention of defendants who seriously threaten victims, regardless of the nature of the charge. o Strengthen victims' rights to restitution and compensation and the remedies for collecting and enforcing restitution. o Effect important changes in the Victims of Crime Act, the statute governing OVC, and the administration of the Crime Victims Fund. Passage of such changes is essential to maintaining a vital and responsive criminal justice system. Enhancing the Federal Response to Victims of Federal Crime In 1996, the President directed DOJ to take a number of important steps to improve the treatment of victims in the Federal system and "to hold the Federal system to a higher standard of victims' rights than ever before." He directed DOJ to (1) undertake a systemwide review and to take all necessary steps to provide for full victim participation in Federal criminal justice system proceedings, including the establishment of a nationwide automated information and notification system; (2) work with other Federal agencies whose missions involve them with crime victims to ensure that a common and comprehensive baseline of participation for victims can be achieved; (3) review existing Federal statutes to see what further changes ought to be made; and (4) work with State officials and victim advocates to identify best practices and resources necessary to help achieve a uniform national baseline of protections for victims. OVC is responding to this directive in a number of ways, and the implementation of the Presidential directive remains a top priority. Among OVC's efforts are: o Helping to review existing Federal statutes. The legislative proposals in response to the President's directive are described in the previous section of this report. o Suggesting legislation, which DOJ is supporting, to use the $21 million returned to the Crime Victims Fund from the defunct National Fine Center for enhancements of the Federal system, including paying for the implementation of a computerized information and notification system. o Developing general victims' rights training for all employees and assisting other DOJ agencies in developing specialized training. OVC developed a 10-minute training video regarding victim-witness issues for all DOJ employees and sponsored the first-ever National Symposium on Victims of Federal Crime in February 1997 for more than 1,000 Federal criminal justice personnel. o Providing substantial technical assistance to all relevant DOJ components to ensure that each has a comprehensive plan to comply with all Federal victims' rights statutes, as well as informational materials for victims that are comprehensive and reflect the status of the current law. o Providing increased funding to many DOJ components, such as the FBI, to expand their victim-witness programs by providing additional high-level staff, increased trainings on victim-witness issues, and victim assistance funds that can be used to provide emergency assistance to meet the needs of Federal crime victims. o Developing a plan for identifying and disseminating promising practices that includes diverse grants for these purposes, as well as the publication of Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century: An Action Plan From the Field (Action Plan) described in the next section. o Producing an annual Best Efforts Report, which has provided crucial information to components about needed enhancements in services to crime victims. This year's report highlights many promising practices utilized by some components and their field offices. The purpose of providing this information is to help other components replicate effective practices. o Providing funding for several FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys' Offices to establish model programs that can be replicated, such as a crisis response team that provides assistance to victims of bank robberies and community-based personnel who notify the community of drug cases and solicit "community impact statements." o Working closely with many other Federal agencies, including the State Department, the United States Information Agency, and the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Transportation, and Treasury to help improve victim services. Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century: An Action Plan From the Field For the past 3 years, OVC has been working closely with the field to assist in the development of Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century: An Action Plan From the Field. This document, which OVC hopes to publish before the end of the year, will provide several hundred recommendations to improve the criminal justice and community response to victims' needs. It is being written to update the landmark 1982 Final Report of the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime (Final Report), which set forth 68 recommendations to improve treatment of crime victims in America. The Action Plan will also contain examples of promising practices designed to assist crime victims, criminal justice and allied professionals, and policymakers. It is our hope that the Action Plan will serve as a guide to providing comprehensive victims' rights and services well into the next century. Recommendations will include proposals for improving victims' rights, including juvenile justice system reforms, and new directions for criminal justice system agencies, including law enforcement, prosecutors, the judiciary, and corrections. The Action Plan will also provide new directions for victim service providers and allied professionals, including the victim service community, the medical community, the mental health community, the religious and spiritual community, the education community, the business community, the media, and the bar. In addition, it will contain recommendations regarding needed reforms in financial recovery for crime victims. This significant document will incorporate the collective wisdom, experience, and research contributed by literally hundreds of individuals throughout the past 3 years. Enhancing the Victims of Crime Act OVC has recommended, with DOJ concurrence, the proposed amendments to the Victims of Crime Act set forth in this section. Utilizing Defunct National Fine Center Funds To Improve the Federal System In FY 1996, Congress moved to halt continuing efforts to establish the National Fine Center (NFC), including a centralized Federal criminal debt collection tracking system. In time, it was believed that the project would increase deposits to the Crime Victims Fund. Since 1989, the Administrative Office for the United States Courts (AOUSC) has received $25.2 million from the Crime Victims Fund to support the implementation of the NFC. The project, however, came under intense scrutiny by DOJ, the General Accounting Office, Congress, and national victims' organizations due to problems and delays associated with the program's implementation and feasibility. When Congress terminated the NFC project in early 1997, the provision in VOCA requiring the transfer of money from the Crime Victims Fund was not repealed. Hence, OVC, by statute, must continue to transfer or hold in abeyance $3 million each year for a defunct project. In addition, OVC is unable to obligate and expend $21 million returned from AOUSC for crime victims' programs without specific statutory language authorizing the Director of OVC to do so. OVC has received proposals from the FBI, EOUSA, the U.S. Marshals Service, and DOD in response to a 1996 Presidential Directive calling for the Attorney General to take action to improve the Federal criminal justice system's response to crime victims. Working in close collaboration with national victim advocacy organizations and other Department of Justice components, OVC plans to use this money to support a comprehensive victim notification system, develop model victim-witness programs, and support an internal victim-witness tracking system. To do so, however, OVC requires statutory authority. Expanding National-Scope Training and Technical Assistance and Services to Federal Crime Victims OVC is recommending that the allocation of Fund monies for national-scope training and technical assistance be increased from 3 percent to 5 percent. When VOCA was enacted, 5 percent of the Crime Victims Fund was allocated for national-scope training and technical assistance and services for victims of Federal crime. However, amendments to VOCA decreased the amount of funds set aside for discretionary training projects. Today, a minuscule 3 percent of the Fund is available to train and provide technical assistance to victim advocates and allied professionals and to support services to victims of Federal crimes across the Nation. Justification for increasing the discretionary allocation is supported by (1) congressional actions that have Federalized violent crimes and increased the victim-witness responsibilities of Federal law enforcement and prosecutors; (2) an increase in white collar crime in recent years; (3) VOCA's recently enacted demonstration authority; (4) an increase in the types and the scope of services provided to victims by State and local criminal justice agencies, as a result of both recently passed State legislation mandating victim services and increasing victims' rights and a desire of these agencies to become more responsive to individuals and communities suffering from crime; and (5) an increase in deposits to the Crime Victims Fund. Further, efforts to provide funding support for crime victim training at the State and local levels, as well as the proposed amendment to provide program evaluation authority in VOCA, necessitate an increase in discretionary funding. Establishing Fellowships and Clinical Internships As OVC expands its outreach to the field and seeks to develop innovative national-scope programs, authority is needed to allow the Director of OVC to utilize the expertise of State and local policymakers and practitioners. This new authority would greatly aid OVC's ability to identify promising practices through the knowledge and expertise gleaned from fellows and interns. Without specific statutory authority, however, OVC is unable to recruit policymakers and practitioners in the victims field using VOCA discretionary program dollars. OVC has benefited from expertise in specific victim areas through short-term contract employees. Unfortunately, this mechanism is inefficient and does not allow OVC to secure ongoing input from the field. Expanding Definitions and Duties and Authority of the OVC Director The definition of "State" should be broadened to include Federal law enforcement agencies in the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This amendment would give the OVC Director flexibility to authorize formula and discretionary funding to the U.S. Attorneys' Office to support services, and training and technical assistance for victims whose crimes are prosecuted in Superior Court under the laws of the District of Columbia and local crimes prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the Virgin Islands. In 1996 Congress amended VOCA to ensure that people victimized by crime would not, as part of an eligibility determination, be denied public assistance because they received compensation benefits. Since then, however, victims and victim advocates have complained that public assistance has been denied to victims in cases in which a personal asset was enhanced to assist a victim in functioning after a disabling crime. For example, State compensation programs award benefits to construct ramps or convert automobiles to accommodate a victim who has lost a limb or been disabled as a result of a crime. In these cases, public assistance guidelines value these structural and technical modifications as "assets," causing victims to be disqualified for public assistance and other benefits. Legislation is needed to clarify that compensation should not be treated as "income" or as assets or resources in eligibility determinations in any Federal, State, or local government program. Taking this step would ensure that victims are no longer disqualified for public assistance by Federal or federally supported benefit programs because they received crime victim compensation benefits. Return of Funds to the Crime Victims Fund An amendment to VOCA is needed to require States to reimburse the Crime Victims Fund for any payments made to victims with Federal Antiterrorism Act dollars awarded from the Fund when victims or the State later receive additional funds to cover these expenses from other sources, such as insurance companies. Nationwide, State compensation programs are reimbursed for some of their expenses as a result of payments they receive through insurance, civil action, or restitution from defendants. When dollars specifically drawn from the Crime Victims Fund are returned to the State, the State should in turn reimburse the Fund so that limited resources are available to assist other victims of crime. This money could then be recycled by OVC to assist other States in responding to terrorism or mass victimization. Authorization of Deposits to the Fund From Private Sources In this time of government cutbacks and growing interest in meeting the needs of crime victims by tapping public, private, and individual resources, OVC needs the authority to accept deposits into the Crime Victims Fund from the private sector. Private sources provide another avenue to support victim services and victim rights without relying upon taxpayer dollars. For example, a consortium of mental health clinicians who interviewed mass murderer Jeffrey Dahmer developed a training video for other clinicians on how to diagnose personality- type disorders. The consortium did not want to profit from the sale of the tapes, but instead wanted to donate the proceeds, above cost, to the Fund. Because VOCA does not authorize deposits into the Fund from sources other than fines, penalties, and bond forfeitures, OVC could not accept the donation, and an important opportunity to supplement the Fund was missed. Conclusion Congress' vision in enacting the 1984 Victims of Crime Act was the catalyst for many significant reforms in victim rights and services. Much has been accomplished for crime victims in the past 13 years-- but much remains to be done. Nearly 39 million Americans are victimized by crime each year, and even with the recent, unprecedented growth of the Crime Victims Fund, OVC is able to reach and provide services to only a fraction. OVC has a continuing responsibility to ensure that services are available for all these individuals and that their rights are both meaningful and secure. To discharge this responsibility, Congress, the Administration, and OVC must make the issues identified in this chapter a top priority--including securing the provision of comprehensive quality services and consistent fundamental rights for all crime victims. OVC looks forward to continuing its close work with Congress over the coming years to accomplish our common goals. ------------------------------ Appendix D Office for Victims of Crime Publications and Products The U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) operates the Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center (OVCRC). OVCRC provides victim-related information to individuals and organizations interested in the welfare of crime victims. OVCRC also collects, maintains, and disseminates information about national, State, and local victim-related organizations, and about State programs that receive funds authorized by the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). To place an order or for additional information on the publications and products in this list, please call OVCRC at 1-800-627-6872. In addition, many of the publications on this list are available on the World Wide Web at http://www.ojp.usdoj/ovc/ or http://www.ncjrs.org. Fact Sheets Community Crisis Response Fact Sheet This fact sheet describes the Community Crisis Response (CCR) program to improve services to victims of violent crime in communities that have experienced crimes resulting in multiple victimizations. It describes CCR's goals, objectives, program strategy, and selection criteria. (FS000148) Free The Office for Victims of Crime Fact Sheet This fact sheet describes the mission and major responsibilities of the Office for Victims of Crime. (FS000181) Free State Crime Victims Compensation and Assistance Grant Programs Fact Sheet This fact sheet describes two major formula grant programs, victim compensation and victim assistance, which are administered by the Office for Victims of Crime in the U.S. Department of Justice. This fact sheet also includes a listing of phone numbers for all compensation and assistance programs in the United States and U.S. territories. (FS000178) Free Trainers Bureau Fact Sheet This fact sheet provides an overview of the Office for Victims of Crime Trainer's Bureau, including program goals, services provided, topics covered, application information, and selection criteria. (FS000077) Free Victims of Crime Act: Crime Act Victims Fund Fact Sheet This fact sheet provides an overview of how monies are deposited into and dispersed from the Crime Victims Fund authorized by the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 and administered by the Office for Victims of Crime. (FS000082) Free What You Can Do If You Are A Crime Victim This fact sheet describes the rights of crime victims, how victims can obtain help, and how victims may work for positive change. It also contains a list of suggested toll-free resources that can assist victims of crime. (FS000176) Free Special Reports 1982 President's Task Force on Victims of Crime: Final Report The President's Task Force devised this list of recommendations (with commentary) to help crime victims receive the financial, medical, and legal help they need. The recommendations are directed toward Federal and State governments, criminal justice agencies, and private agencies (hospitals, schools, mental health agencies, etc.). (NCJ 087299) Free Child Sexual Exploitation: Improving Investigations and Protecting Victims: A Blueprint for Action Guidelines presented in this document are designed to guide collaboration among Federal, State, and local agencies involved in the investigation and prosecution of child pornography and prostitution cases and in the provision of services to young victims of these crimes. (NCJ 153527) Free Office for Victims of Crime: Report to Congress 1996 This document contains a complete description of grants, programs, and initiatives funded by the Office for Victims of Crime using monies deposited in the Crime Victims Fund. This statutorily required document contains information regarding activities funded during Fiscal Years 1993 and 1994. (NCJ 161869) Free President's Child Safety Partnership--Final Report 1987 This final report by the President's Child Safety Partnership identifies and addresses issues in child victimization throughout the United States, offering recommendations for how the private sector, the community, parents, concerned citizens, and every level of government can increase child safety. (NCJ 106484) Free Victims of Gang Violence: A New Frontier in Victim Services (OVC Special Report) This report describes State efforts to develop and provide crime victim compensation services and to comply with the mandates of the 1984 Victims of Crime Act. (NCJ 163389) Free Training Curriculums/Manuals Death Notification: Breaking the Bad News with Concern for the Professional and Compassion for the Survivor--A Seminar for Clergy and Funeral Directors This training curriculum, developed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, provides tips for training adults, an annotated literature review, and overhead and handout templates geared toward training clergy and funeral directors about how to deliver a thorough and compassionate death notification. (NCJ 162362) Free Death Notification: Breaking the Bad News with Concern for the Professional and Compassion for the Survivor--A Seminar for Crime Victim Advocates This training curriculum, developed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, provides tips for training adults, an annotated literature review, and overhead and handout templates for training counselors and victim advocates about trauma, death, and death notification. (NCJ 162360) Free Death Notification: Breaking the Bad News with Concern for the Professional and Compassion for the Survivor--A Seminar for Law Enforcement This training curriculum, developed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, provides tips for training adults, an annotated literature review, and overhead and handout templates geared toward enhancing the awareness of law enforcement to the emotional hazards of the work they do and how to provide compassionate and thorough death notifications. (NCJ 162363) Free Death Notification: Breaking the Bad News with Concern for the Professional and Compassion for the Survivor--A Seminar for Medical Professionals This training curriculum, developed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, provides tips for training adults, an annotated literature review, overhead, and handout templates geared toward training medical professionals about death notification. (NCJ 162361) Free HIV/AIDS and Victim Services: A Critical Concern for the 90's This manual provides information about HIV/AIDS, its impact on victims of crime, its impact on the workplace, and how victim assistance professionals can respond. (NCJ 161415) Free Improving the Police Response to Domestic Elder Abuse: Participant Training Manual This training manual for improving the police response to domestic elder abuse is designed to increase student's understanding of police officers' relevant legal mandates, the process of aging, and the aspects of domestic elder abuse that police are likely to encounter. (NCJ 148831) Free National Bias Crimes Training for Law Enforcement and Victim Assistance Professionals: Participants Handbook The purpose of this curriculum is to familiarize law enforcement and other victim services personnel with the nature of bias crimes, appropriate actions to deter and respond to such crimes, and effective ways of assisting victims. (NCJ 155179) Free National Victim Assistance Academy Text The National Victim Assistance Academy is a university-based foundation-level course of study in victim assistance and victimology. The 45-hour, academic-based, rigorous course curriculum emphasizes foundations in victimology and victims' rights and services, as well as new developments in the field of victim assistance. The comprehensive Academy Text covers 32 different subject areas and serves as the course curriculum. (NCJ 164870) Available through OVCRC Document Loan Program or Photocopying Service Victim Empowerment: Bridging the Systems--Mental Health and Victim Service Providers This resource manual for a curriculum on victim empowerment, with attention to rape victims, contains a collection of articles and information written from either mental health or victim-services perspective. (NCJ 161862) Free Training Guidebooks Looking Back, Moving Forward: A Program for Communities Responding to Sexual Assault This training guide is designed to help communities develop a training program for responding to sexual assault and write a protocol based on community needs and resources. (NCJ 153768) Improving the Police Response to Domestic Elder Abuse: Instructor Training Manual This training manual provides general information to promote a prompt and thorough law enforcement response to incidents of suspected abuse of elderly persons. (NCJ 147558) Free National Bias Crimes Training for Law Enforcement and Victim Assistance Professionals: A Guide for Training Instructors This guide trains instructors in teaching a 21/2-day curriculum designed to enhance the services that police and victim-assistance professionals provide to victims of bias crimes. (NCJ 155130) Free Working With Grieving Children After Violent Death: A Guidebook for Crime Victim Assistance Professionals The guidebook is a companion piece to the Working With Grieving Children video. It is designed to serve as a quick reference for victim-assistance professionals in their work with children, parents, schoolteachers and counselors, clergy members, and others as they address the needs of grieving children. (NCJ 165814) Free Videos After the Robbery: Crisis to Resolution In tracing robbery from crisis to resolution, this video is designed to help bank robbery victims cope with the emotional trauma of victimization and to inform victims about the criminal justice process. (NCJ 162842) Free Bitter Earth: Child Sexual Abuse in Indian Country This video examines the incidences, patterns, and responses to child sexual abuse in Native American communities. (NCJ 144998) B.J. Learns About Federal and Tribal Court This video instructs Native American children in the jobs performed by tribal and Federal Court personnel and answers questions about court procedures likely to be asked by child witnesses. (NCJ 139730) Free Crime Victim Compensation: A Good Place to Start Directed mainly toward criminal justice personnel, this video provides basic information about crime victim compensation programs, eligibility requirements, benefits, and procedures. (NCJ 162359) Free Financial Assistance for Victims of Crime in Indian Country This video provides information to Native Americans on the nature of victim compensation benefits available to victims of violent crime, eligibility criteria, and how to apply for the benefits. (NCJ 146081) Free In Crime's Wake This documentary training video and accompanying guidebook cover a series of five topics designed to help law enforcement personnel incorporate victim assistance into their everyday work. The topics covered include domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse. (NCJ 144523) $13.00 Justice for Victims This video describes the services offered by the Department of Justice agencies to Federal crime victims. It explains the role of Federal agencies to enhance and protect the rights of victims and witnesses in the criminal justice process. (NCJ 165039) Free Looking Towards the Future: A National Teleconference on Promising Practices for Crime Victims This video is a teleconference broadcast from the National Organization for Victim Assistance 23d Annual North American Victim Assistance Conference in Houston, Texas, on August 18, 1997. The historic broadcast focused on many of the "promising practices" that benefit crime victims--new, effective ways to ensure that victims' rights are enforced and that needed services are provided. (NCJ 166817) Free Sworn to Protect This six-part series contains information on conducting sensitive child abuse investigations for law enforcement agencies. Included are the role of the law enforcement in child maltreatment investigation; issues of sensitivity and victim trauma; and indicators of physical, emotional, and sexual child maltreatment. The series also contains information on conducting investigations, interviewing the child, interviewing the suspect, and making a successful case in child abuse investigations. (NCJ 161411) Free Working With Grieving Children This 27-minute video discusses the effects on children of a loved one's violent death. This video contains interviews of children who have lost a loved one through violence and offers explanations on coping with loss. (NCJ 165927) Free Young Once, Indian Forever This video presents the perspective of Native American Indians who were abused as adults. It addresses tribal leaders, tribal justice personnel, and social service providers regarding the problems of domestic violence and child abuse on Indian reservations, the measures needed to address the problem and prevent the abuse of children in the future, and exemplary programs and services. (NCJ 164621) Free Other Materials 1996 Victims' Rights Sourcebook: A Compilation and Comparison of Victims' Rights Legislation This document, developed by the National Victim Center, provides information about more than a dozen legislative rights in each State and can be used to compare the basic legal protections that exist for crime victims. Current through 1995. (NCJ 165359) Free Attorney General's Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance These guidelines establish procedures to be followed by the Federal criminal justice system in responding to the needs of crime victims and witnesses. (NCJ 156278) Free Civil Legal Remedies for Crime Victims Crime victims are increasingly pursuing civil remedies to redress their physical, psychological, and financial injuries by recovering lost wages, hospital costs, counseling expenses, property damages, and other costs associated with victimization. (NCJ 156985) Available through OVCRC Document Loan Program or Photocopying Service Office for Victims of Crime Conference Planning Guide The conference planning guide was developed for persons who are interested in providing education and training to professionals serving victims of crime. The guide is intended to help develop conference planning skills and give an overview of the elements of a successful conference and common practices accepted by meeting planners and the convention industry. (NCJ 166593) Free ------------------------------ Appendix E 1995 Crime Victim Service Award Recipients Augustus A. "Dick" Adams Dick Adams has been an effective champion of crime victims' rights since 1982, when a repeat offender shot and killed his only son, Richard, execution style, during a robbery. Despite the ordeal of the criminal court case, Dick quickly became a visible and involved activist for systemic change in his State. In 1984, he co-founded the North Carolina Victim Assistance Network (NC/VAN), an umbrella organization that provides hands-on aid to thousands of crime victims through its network of victim service providers and criminal justice professionals. In 1985, he retired from the Dupont Corporation to work full time and without compensation for NC/VAN. Under Dick's leadership, NC/VAN has worked closely with state legislators to draft legislation that created a statewide Crime Victims Compensation Fund; established a Fair Treatment for Victims and Witnesses Act; and provided for a vast increase in the number of victim-witness positions throughout the State. Sensitive to the financial burden of crime on victims, Dick has consistently pressured the State legislature for a steady increase in the appropriations for the State's Victims Compensation Fund. In recognition of his outstanding leadership on this issue, Dick was appointed to Chairman of the Victims Compensation Board in 1988, a position to which he has been reappointed several times. As the sole victim representative on North Carolina's Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission, Dick ensures that its policies and laws are formulated with victims' concerns in mind--such as preventing the early release of violent criminals back into the community. Finally, in 1989, Dick spearheaded a statewide movement to formulate and win support for a victims' amendment to the State's Constitution. Due in large part to his efforts, the General Assembly approved the amendment for ratification by the electorate. A crime victim wrote in support of Dick, "I marvel at his compassion, honesty, humility, and human touch. He has enabled all of us crime victims to stand tall and to persevere. We are in his debt." Lucy Berliner, M.S.W. Lucy Berliner is a nationally known expert on child physical and sexual abuse. In 20 years of extraordinary service, she has made unparalleled contributions to child abuse research, training, and treatment, and has earned widespread recognition for her tireless child advocacy. She currently serves as Director of the Harborview Sexual Assault Center in Seattle and as a clinical social work professor at the University of Washington. In her work as a researcher, Lucy has conducted some of the most important research studies on child victimization to date. These studies, which address the effects of child victimization and the effectiveness of interventions, have set a standard for treatment in countless clinical settings across the Nation. Her scholarly accomplishments are found in more than 40 articles and book chapters, as well as in the journals she co-edits, including the Journal of Interpersonal Violence and Child Maltreatment and Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment. Lucy has also contributed to three award-winning films, one of which, "Double Jeopardy," continues to be cited as a model to assist children going to court. In addition, she has delivered hundreds of lectures, training workshops, and teaching seminars to child advocates, therapists, and other professionals around the country. Countless child victims--most of whom will never know her name--have benefited from her many achievements. Lucy is also dedicated to service. She finds time for active membership in the Board of Trustees of the National Center on Missing and Exploited Children; the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children; and the Washington State Crime Victims Compensation Advisory Committee, among others. Despite her varied and demanding research undertakings, Lucy remains first and foremost a clinician who spends most of her days "in the trenches," working with child victims and their families. One of Lucy's colleagues took time to write a support letter while attending to a critically ill, hospitalized mother: "The reason that I am departing from my bedside vigil is that my mother, a victim of child physical and emotional maltreatment herself, would want me to honor the country's most important professional who works with crime victims....On behalf of countless child victims, like my mother, who have so needed their voices heard, I heartily endorse [Lucy's nomination for this award]." Bonnie Clairmont Bonnie Clairmont has been an effective advocate for battered women and other sexual assault victims in the Native American community for the past 14 years. A skilled educator and leader, Bonnie was one of the first Native American women in the country to speak out and organize the Native American community to provide culturally appropriate education and services for victims. In 1981, Bonnie began her career in the battered women's movement at Women's Advocates, a shelter in St. Paul, Minnesota. This led to her instrumental role in the creation of Women of Nations, the first organization to address the issue of battering in the Native American community. In 1992, Bonnie initiated the development of the Eagle's Nest Shelter, which provides culturally appropriate shelter services for battered Native American women. Bonnie became the Director of the Division of Indian Work Sexual Assault Project in Minneapolis in 1985, where her commitment to sexual assault victims and her community activism skills led her to organize a community response to a series of brutal murders of Native American women. Bonnie has developed a culturally specific training curriculum for a wide variety of programs that serve Native American sexual assault victims, and she has served on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault as well as on the Attorney General's Task Force on Sexual Violence in 1988. Since 1989, Bonnie has served as a staff member of Sexual Offense Services of Ramsey County. Her nominator said of her achievements, "Not only does Bonnie demonstrate incredible commitment to the Native American community, but she embodies cultural diversity with such understanding, sensitivity, and dedication that she is able to be understood and respected in all cultures." Joyce Cowan Joyce Cowan has been a driving force in the domestic violence field for the past 11 years. As the Executive Director of Family Rescue, Joyce has become widely known for her innovation, visionary leadership, and dedication to women and children who have experienced domestic violence. Under her leadership, Family Rescue has become the largest and most comprehensive program for survivors of abuse in Illinois and sets a standard for the Nation. Family Rescue programs include emergency housing, walk-in services, and two nationally recognized model programs: Ridgeland Transitional Housing, which offers a 2-year program of affordable housing with onsite supportive services including counseling, day care, and a before and after school program; and the Domestic Violence Reduction Program, which specially trains teams of police officers, counselors, and advocates to provide immediate crisis intervention services and followup response to families at risk of domestic violence. Joyce has also been a leader in the Illinois statewide coalition against domestic violence, and has spearheaded the development and analysis of legislation, training initiatives, and information sharing to improve services for domestic violence victims across the State. In January of this year, Joyce's pioneering work in the field of domestic violence was highlighted on the NBC National Evening News with Tom Brokaw. Her nominator asserts that "personal sacrifice, hard work, and perseverance are a way of life for Joyce!" Rita Figueroa Rita Figueroa survived two sons, aged 16 and 17, both of whom were murdered in separate incidents in the late 1970s--one by a juvenile and the other by an adult. After the murders, Rita committed herself to making the community of East Los Angeles safer by helping other families victimized by gang violence and working with young offenders. She helped found the Concerned Mothers group, an affiliate of the California Youth Authority's Gang Violence Reduction Project. The Project involves the residents of gang-infested neighborhoods in developing alternatives to gang membership for their children, supporting parents of high-risk youth, and assisting parents when tragedy occurs. Rita has been an active member of the Concerned Mothers group for 12 years and has assisted countless families who have suffered from homicides and drive-by shootings. Her work also reaches delinquents housed in the Los Angeles County Juvenile Hall and the California Youth Authority's custody facilities. As a volunteer, Rita is a regular participant in the Gang Reduction Awareness program and the Impact of Crime on Victims course in which offenders are educated about the trauma suffered by victims of crime. Survivors like Rita personalize crime, sensitizing both the public and offenders to the devastating impact of violence on victims. In this way, she motivates others to better their communities and their own lives. Her nominator said of Rita and her work with gang members, "She's dedicated to talking to the boys. She wants to help them find some peace in their hearts." Suzanne McDaniel Suzanne McDaniel is one of the few victim advocates to have served crime victims at the local, State, and national levels. As one of the first prosecutor- based Victim Assistance Directors in the State of Texas, Suzanne helped establish the first community interagency council on sexual assault and family violence. In recognition of her exemplary work at the local level, Suzanne was called upon by the Governor to create the State's centralized resource office--the first of its kind in the Nation. As Director of the newly created Texas Crime Victims Clearinghouse, Suzanne drafted many of the State's groundbreaking publications on crime victim issues, while coordinating an exhaustive array of training conferences and speaking engagements for the benefit of victims, advocates, and allied professionals. Suzanne's extensive experience brought her to the attention of the State Attorney General in 1991, when she became the State's Crime Victim Information Officer. Her new post gave Suzanne an opportunity to extend her leadership as one of the State's most knowledgeable and effective policy advocates. As a legislative liaison, Suzanne provided guidance that helped to ensure the passage of numerous legislative and regulatory initiatives, including passage of the State's Constitutional Amendment for Victims. Suzanne's role as a key policy leader for crime victims' rights was affirmed by her appointment as the legislative liaison for the State coalition of victim organizations (VOTERS). From coordinating field hearings for the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime to her 10 years of service on the National Organization for Victim Assistance board, Suzanne has established herself as one of the Nation's most accomplished advocates for victims. A crime survivor wrote, "Suzanne... feels everyone is important and needed in the fight to improve assistance for crime victims...I have never heard her say, `It's not my job.' In fact, she has never been shy about poking her nose into things and offering assistance--her enthusiasm and dedication are boundless!" Dr. Brian K. Ogawa Dr. Brian K. Ogawa is an ordained minister and an internationally known writer, consultant, and lecturer on victim issues. Since 1982, he has served as Director of Maui's Victim/Witness Assistance Division. In that time, Brian's work in the areas of culturally appropriate services, Morita therapy, and victimology have earned him a well-deserved reputation as a "pioneer" in the victims' movement. Brian has published several groundbreaking books, the proceeds of which are donated to victims' programs from Washington, D.C., to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. His treatise, The Color of Justice, was perhaps the first book to describe the significant challenges facing the American criminal justice system as it seeks to serve culturally diverse victims of crime. He has also written Walking on Eggshells for domestic violence victims and To Tell the Truth for child victims of physical and sexual abuse. Brian serves in a leadership capacity with the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), the oldest national network of victim service providers across the country. In addition, he has served in an advisory capacity to numerous projects on victim issues, including national-scope projects funded by the Office for Victims of Crime that focused on victims of hate crime and on the clergy response to crime victims. His training seminars on multicultural issues have reached policymakers, advocates, researchers, and criminal justice professionals at the international, national, State, and local levels. As Director of Maui's Victim/Witness Assistance Division, Brian goes beyond the call of duty to counsel, support, and assist crime victims. The efforts of his Division were recently cited in the Annual Report of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Commission for an increase of 235% in crime victim compensation claims from Hawaii. Perhaps most reflective of Brian's commitment is the statement made by a crime victim in her letter of support: "I hold in my heart only admiration...and deepest gratitude to [Brian]...he helped save my life... when I thought it didn't matter anymore; he took the time and made sure I knew that I did matter." Deborah Spungen, MSS, MLSP, CTS Ms. Spungen was spurred to victims' rights activism following the 1979 murder of her oldest daughter, Nancy, by a punk rock musician. Engulfed in a media ordeal and without support services, Ms. Spungen turned tragedy into a personal commitment to help surviving family members of homicide victims. She began her efforts in Philadelphia in 1980, organizing the city's first support group for homicide survivors. After 6 years of unpaid work to sustain the support groups, she received a small grant to launch Families of Murder Victims (FMV) in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. FMV provides counseling, court accompaniment, support groups, assistance with compensation claims assistance, and advocacy to over 1,800 crime victims each year. FMV was the first homicide survivor organization to receive Federal funding support provided through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) victim assistance program. In 1991, Deborah expanded her efforts to include violence prevention. She is co-founder of the Student Anti-Violence Education (SAVE) Project, which annually provides a 30-week violence prevention curriculum to more than 2,000 fourth through eighth grade students in inner city schools in the Philadelphia and Chester school districts. Deborah authored the best-selling And I Don't Want to Live This Life, the story of her daughter's murder and her family's survival in the aftermath of the crime. Her new book, HOMICIDE: The Hidden Victims, will be published in 1997. A highly sought-after spokesperson and effective trainer on victim issues, Deborah has appeared on over 350 radio and television programs, and has provided training on victim issues to criminal justice professionals around the country. A supporter wrote of her work, "Deborah has given generously of her time and personal life to bring victim concerns to the public on radio, television, print media and public gatherings, both lay and professional. Her name has become synonymous with victim advocacy." Cheryl and Norma Bess (Daughter and mother) Office for Victims of Crime "Special Courage Award" When 15-year-old Cheryl Bess left for school in October 1984, neither she nor her mother, Norma, knew that their futures would shortly be changed forever. Cheryl was abducted off the street by Jack Oscar King, a repeat sex offender on parole for the rape and attempted murder of a 9-year-old girl. Jack King drove Cheryl to a southern California desert where he attempted to rape her, doused her in acid, and left her to die. For eight hours she wandered blindly before being rescued by an aqueduct worker. She told herself she could not die; her death would be too hard for her mother to bear. Her abductor was apprehended and sentenced to 32 years. In reality, he will probably serve 15 years, based on California's sentencing system at the time; his estimated release date is May 12, 2000. Recently, Cheryl testified in support of newly enacted California laws which mandate longer sentences for sex offenders, longer time required (85%) before parole consideration, and life sentences for "3 strikes"--provisions that parallel those in the Federal Crime Act. For Cheryl, however, it is too late. Had these laws been on the books in the 1980s, Cheryl would not be blind and deaf in one ear. As she told the California Assembly Public Safety Committee, "I am living proof of what a criminal can do." Cheryl is an excellent student and wants to become a teacher and a musician. She finished high school, attends Saddleback Community College in Mission Viejo, continues to pursue her musical interests, and is frequently the lead singer in a Christian rock band at her church. She is experienced in public speaking, and as a college student hosts a weekly 3-hour radio show on a public radio station, KSBR, preparing her script in Braille. Cheryl is always ready to provide inspiration to other crime victims. At the California Crime Victim rally convened to support the tougher law last summer, Cheryl told the over 500 participants that she must "speak for all the abducted children who never came home and for all the murdered victims who no longer have a voice." At the National Organization for Victim Assistance annual conference last fall, she-- alongside her mother--told 1,000 attendees at a Victim Speak Out that "once you face death, anything is possible." And at the Los Angeles Crime Victim Memorial event in November, her singing of "Wind Beneath My Wings" inspired more than 400 crime victims, most of whom were survivors of homicide victims. Norma Bess works full-time in support of Cheryl. She has nursed her through countless operations and recovery, and cared for her physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Most importantly, she has instilled in her the confidence that she can accomplish anything. 1996 Crime Victim Service Award Recipients John and Pat Byron Mr. and Mrs. Byron's daughter--Mary--was murdered on her 21st birthday by a former boyfriend the day after he posted bail on a charge of raping her. Mary had asked to be notified of his release since she had been stalked by him and feared for her life. No notice was provided. After Mary's murder, the Byrons committed their lives to ensuring that victims throughout their State would be notified regarding the release of their offenders. Their dedication and advocacy led to the development in Louisville of the VINE system, which stands for Victim Information and Notification Everyday. The system allows victims to register anonymously and be notified by a computerized call-back system upon the release of a specific inmate. On March 25, 1996, the Governor of Kentucky signed legislation enacting this system statewide. Kentucky Governor Paul Patton recently said about the Byrons, "Their courageous leadership in Kentucky paves the way for other States to adopt similar notification systems that will save countless lives." Frances Davis Frances Davis has survived extraordinary tragedy. In separate incidents in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of New York, each of her three sons was killed by gunfire. Ms. Davis turned her pain into service, and in 1993 created her own all-volunteer organization called Mothers of All Children. Ms. Davis recruits, trains, and inspires her volunteers, who then provide other survivors of homicide victims with bereavement counseling. They also help organize community violence prevention activities such as "Shoot Hoops, Not Guns"--basketball tournaments for youth. Frances Davis deals with her grief and her loss by continuing to participate on victim impact panels before young people at high schools and detention centers throughout the northeast. She is a national role model for other crime victims whose powerful stories can be part of stopping the cycle of youth violence. Her nominator, Dr. Lucy Friedman said, "Frances has helped lead other survivors out of despair and shown them how advocacy can provide a constructive channel for their rage. I have no doubt that the work she has done with kids has saved many lives." Dorothy L. Mercer, Ph.D. In 1983, Dr. Mercer was hit by a drunk driver. In the years that followed the crash, Dorothy was forced to begin her Ph.D. work in counseling psychology over again because of the severe brain injury caused by the crash. Dr. Mercer has become a nationally recognized trainer and consultant on crime victims' issues, particularly related to drunk driving and closed head injuries. Her pioneering research on the results of victims serving on impact panels confirmed the beneficial effects for both the victims and the offenders who participate. Dr. Mercer's writings, including a brochure, "Don't Call Me Lucky," which is an account of her own personal struggle, and a book, Injury: Learning to Live Again, have inspired many victims to make the transition from victim to survivor to victim advocate. According to the Director of Victim Services for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Janice Lord, "Dr. Mercer, through her writings, training, and personal example, has influenced thousands of victims and advocates over the last decade. Her writings will continue to be valuable forever." Shirl Pinto Shirl Pinto was a witness to family violence as a child on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Lame Deer, Montana. For 16 years, she has been serving her people, first as a Head Start teacher and now as the director of Healing Hearts, a domestic violence program. Healing Hearts serves approximately 35 women and children each month, and Shirl Pinto is the only paid staff. Ms. Pinto is on call for victims of domestic violence 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. She routinely responds to police calls late at night, drives victims over 100 miles to the nearest shelter, incurs personal expenses to buy them meals or other necessities, and often shares her own home with them. One volunteer noted that the whole community counts on her. Ms. Pinto also is a forceful voice in Montana for the needs of Native American crime victims and is working for stronger domestic violence laws within the Northern Cheyenne tribe. Statewide, Healing Hearts has established a network with other Indian reservations in Montana, sharing information and assisting women from other tribes. Says Montana Attorney General Joe Mazurek, "Her greatest accomplishment is the women she has helped...those who are able to now support others and donate their time to the Healing Hearts program." Marilyn Smith More than 25 years ago, Marilyn Smith, deaf since the age of 6, was brutally raped. With no services for the hearing impaired, her recovery was long and lonely. Honoring a vow she made to herself, Ms. Smith has worked since 1980 to provide deaf women and children who have been violently assaulted access to a supportive healing environment where they could receive understanding and appropriate services. In 1986, Ms. Smith founded the Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services (ADWAS), which operates a 24-hour crisis line, provides safe homes for battered women, and offers counseling to sexually abused deaf children. ADWAS's mission is unique in this country and probably the world. Through Marilyn Smith's leadership, her program has developed training for deaf and hearing crime victim service providers, and also provides materials such as "Sexual Assault, It Happens to Deaf People Too," "Domestic Violence, Deaf People are Hurt Too," and "Date Rape and Acquaintance Rape, What Deaf Teenagers Should Know" to victims and service providers. Says Wendy Reed, the former President of ADWAS, "Marilyn is definitely a pioneer--a deaf woman in the hearing world, fighting for and winning equal and accessible services for deaf victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault." Marilyn also was chosen as one of the "community heros" to carry the Olympic Torch as it went across America in 1996! Teens On Target Fidel Valenzuela and Sherman Spears In an effort to reduce the epidemic of violence among youth, Teens on Target was created in collaboration with municipal, public, and private agencies within the Cities of Oakland and Los Angeles, California. Teens on Target organizes gunshot victims, many of whom are paraplegic, to address the consequences of violence, speak at schools, and counsel other shooting victims. The victims use their leadership skills to encourage other victims not to seek revenge, but instead to seek nonviolent solutions. Their workshops reach over 4,000 young people each year. Two youth leaders, Fidel Valenzuela, who heads Teens on Target in Los Angeles, and Sherman Spears, the project coordinator in Oakland, have been selected to receive the Crime Victim Service Award on behalf of Teens on Target. In his nomination letter, the Mayor of Oakland, Elihu M. Harris, stated that, "Mr. Spears and Mr. Valenzuela, survivors of two of this country's most violent neighborhoods, are now using their energy, talent, and leadership skills to help other children escape violence." David Beatty David Beatty's name is synonymous with national leadership in public policy to benefit crime victims. During the past 10 years, his work at the National Victim Center has focused on providing policymakers, service providers, and other victim advocates with information, training, and hands-on consultation in the fight to legally establish victims' rights at the State and national levels. For example, Mr. Beatty instituted a legislative database of more than 27,000 victims' rights statutes, the only comprehensive compilation of victim legislation in the United States. He has also helped crime victim advocates organize successful constitutional amendment campaigns in many of the 20 States that have enacted an amendment. His pioneering work in civil legal remedies includes developing a civil legal remedies resource center for crime victims, with a directory of attorneys to assist them, and co-authoring the innovative Civil Justice for Crime Victims Training Curriculum, which is used nationwide. Victim advocate Roberta Roper, whose daughter was a homicide victim, pays the highest tribute to David when she notes, "Honoring David with this national recognition is a way for all crime victims, like myself, to thank him for his gift of effective advocacy for all of us." Connie Lee Best, Ph.D. For two decades, Dr. Best, through her teaching, clinical supervision, academic research, and publications, has helped to shape compassionate public policy and greatly improve training programs for rape crisis counselors, police, physicians, military personnel, and others who work with sexual assault victims. Dr. Best created the Nation's first multidisciplinary assistance program for hospitalized crime victims, and pioneered research in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She served as a co-investigator for the national study, "Rape in America: A Report to the Nation," which was a groundbreaking study documenting the extent of violence against women, particularly adolescents. Dr. Best, a Commanding Officer in the Naval Reserve, has been an outspoken advocate and trainer for victims' rights within all branches of the military, and serves on the Executive Committee of the Department of Defense Advisory Committee on Women, which advises Secretary of Defense William Perry. Said Senator Hollings, "For more than 20 years, Connie has fought with great heart and courage on behalf of violent crime victims....Without the dedication shown by Connie and those like her, people in my hometown and across the Nation would be considerably worse off. She has earned this top Justice award." Heidi Hsia, Ph.D. Dr. Heidi Hsia has been the Director of the Division of Services for Victims and Their Families for Montgomery County in Maryland. Her work has had a dramatic impact on improving crime victims' rights and services throughout Maryland. Dr. Hsia was an important leader in increasing the rights of sexual assault victims to receive HIV information; passing a bond to support domestic violence centers; and producing an educational program in Spanish on legal options of abused women. On the national level, Dr. Hsia is a noted trainer on multicultural issues. In 1989, she planned the first judicial education program on Minority Women as Crime Victims, and for over 10 years has trained people on the needs of Asian crime victims, including abuse among the Asian elderly, and cultural barriers in the criminal justice system. On the international level, Dr. Hsia has served as a consultant to the United Nations Development Program. Says Nominator Dr. Illeana Herrell, "Dr. Hsia has creative ideas, academic credentials, and an impressive list of publications, but what is most worthy of recognition is the energy and patience that she has devoted to inspiring her own staff, municipal leaders, and other members of her community to work as hard as she has to enhance victim services and establish victim rights." Barbara J. Hart For over 20 years, Barbara Hart has been a leader in the fight to provide greater protections to battered women and their children. She has helped to create numerous organizations across the nation that advocate for increased safety for victims of domestic violence, including the Women's Legal Clinic at George Washington Law School; the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the first statewide domestic violence coalition in the nation; the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and the Leadership Institute for Women, which designed a training curriculum for lay and professional women aimed at ending violence against women. Ms. Hart has conducted studies and written position papers, model policies, and protocols that have dramatically influenced public policy on violence against women in Pennsylvania, nationally, and internationally. In nominating Barbara Hart, Thomas W. Corbett, Jr., the Pennsylvania Attorney General, said, "Barbara Hart has been a central catalyst for much of the creative and critical thinking that has been invested over the last 20 years in reducing violence against women. The impact of her involvement on the lives of domestic violence victims is immeasurable, but there is no doubt that her efforts have laid the foundation for much of the important reforms that have been achieved." Jerry Tello According to the Los Angeles Times, "Una Familia Buena y Sana" (A Strong and Healthy Family) is no ordinary theatrical presentation. An unprecedented drama dealing with a subject that is often taboo among Latinos, the play is about a family's ordeal when they discover that their children have been sexually abused by a relative. Jerry Tello, a psychologist who is credited nationally with creating model prevention programs, developed the project after he reviewed child sexual abuse prevention programs and found that "there was nothing available for Latinos, nothing culturally sensitive or linguistically relevant." The play, which was viewed by thousands of school children, is just one example of Jerry Tello's contributions. Over the past 24 years, Mr. Tello has worked in Los Angeles to help victims of child abuse, sexual assault, and family violence, particularly within the Latino community. He has pioneered programs in detention facilities to help break the cycle of violence. Mr. Tello has a statewide and national reputation for excellent and innovative training on these issues, and many of his written works are in both English and Spanish. Jerry Tello was one of the first and only males to work at the East Los Angeles Rape Hotline. His expertise regarding multicultural issues and Latino males have made him a valuable asset to the California Youth Authority's Gang Violence Reduction Project. He was also the lead consultant for the innovative Young Men as Fathers Parenting Program, designed for incarcerated delinquents, and co-authored the Preparing for Positive Parenting program for paroled young felons. These two programs are widely acknowledged to be groundbreaking in helping to prevent the cycle of violence. He presently is co-chair of the National Compadres network, an organization that promotes the positive, responsible involvement of Latino males in their family and community. Says Walt Jones, Program Manager for the Young Men as Fathers Program, "Jerry was brave enough in the mid-1970's to confront the secret of sexual violence in his community, and he continues to be a powerful voice against violence and for strong, caring families." ------------------------------ Endnotes 1 Because VOCA victim assistance grants cover a 2-year period, FY 1995 is the most recent year with complete data on victims receiving services supported by VOCA victim assistance funds. Data are not yet available on the number of victims served with FY 1996 funds. 2 The base award to States and territories was increased in 1997 to $500,000 as a result of an amendment to VOCA in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. The exceptions are the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Republic of Palau, which receive a base award of $200,000. 3 In FY 1995, the first year of the Academy, 32 students completed the 45-hour course of training and 600-page curriculum. 4 Six States--Alaska, California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Wisconsin--were given jurisdiction over offenses committed by or against Indians in the areas of Indian Country within these States. In these States and specific jurisdictions specified in Public Law 83-280 (18 U.S.C. 1162, 28 U.S.C. 1360), the State or Territory has the same force and effect within Indian Country it has elsewhere within the State.