FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? OVC

TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2002???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 202/307-0703

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AWARDS MORE THAN $40 MILLION TO HELP VICTIMS OF SEPTEMBER 11 TERRORIST ATTACKS

WASHINGTON, DC ? The Justice Department announced today that it has awarded more than $40 million to California, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia to provide mental health counseling for victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks, their families and crisis responders who helped victims of the attacks.? These new grants include funds to compensate victims for counseling services and to support state and local programs that offer various forms of counseling.? In February, the Justice Department awarded Massachusetts $2 million for the same purpose.

?While the devastation of the terrorist acts was immediate, the recovery can be long and painful,? said Attorney General John Ashcroft.? ?The new grants will help these five states continue their fine work to provide long-term aid and care for the victims of these horrific attacks.?

With the grants announced today and the award made earlier to Massachusetts, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), a component of the Department?s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), has awarded a total of seven grants to the six states. All grants were awarded to an agency designated by the state.? The states will use the victim compensation awards to supplement their own compensation efforts and to reimburse victims for mental health counseling related expenses. Victim assistance funds will be used to support organizations that provide mental health counseling.

Funding for these grants comes from the Fiscal Year 2002 Defense Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, which provided OVC with funds to support September 11-related counseling expenses.

?With the grants we?ve announced today, we are able to help the states that were most heavily impacted by the attacks on September 11,? said OVC Director John W. Gillis.

Last fall, OVC provided more than $15 million from its Antiterrorism and Emergency Fund to provide immediate support to New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia to help victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and their families.

A list of grants announced today is attached.?? OVC also has a Victims and Family Assistance Website, which can be found at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/terrorismvictimassistance or through the Justice Department Website at www.usdoj.gov.? Information also is available for victims of the terrorist attacks and their families through OVC's Family Assistance Call Center at 1-800/331‑0075.?

Additional information about OVC, its programs and resources are available through the OJP Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc and from the OVC Resource Center at 1-800/627-6872.

Media should contact OJP?s Office of Congressional and Public Affairs at 202/307-0703.?

OVC 02105?????

?????????????????????????????????????????????? OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME

????????????????????????????????????? MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING AWARDS

???????????????????????? IN RESPONSE TO SEPTEMBER 11 TERRORIST ATTACKS

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? California

Type	Amount	Agency	Contact	Phone Number
Compensation	$200,000	California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board	Richard Anderson	916/327-0394

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? New Jersey

Type	Amount	Agency	Contact	Phone Number
Assistance	$8,529,710	New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety	Theresa Martinac	609/588-4535

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? New York

Type	Amount	Agency	Contact	Phone Number
Compensation	$5,887,500	New York Crime Victims Board	Jennifer Pirrone	518/457-17791
Assistance	$9,408,800	New York Crime Victims Board	Anne Marie Strano	518/457‑1779

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Pennsylvania

Type	Amount	Agency	Contact	Phone Number
Assistance	$750,000	Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency	James Thomas	717/787-2040

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Virginia

Type	Amount	Agency	Contact	Phone Number
Assistance	$15,486,000	Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services	Mandie Patterson	804/786‑3923

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Massachusetts**

Type	Amount	Agency	Contact	Phone Number
Assistance	$2,000,000	Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance	Brenda Noel	617/727-0115

**Awarded in February 2002