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

TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 2001?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 202/307-0703

 

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AWARDS MORE THAN $90 MILLION TO STATES

TO COMPENSATE CRIME VICTIMS

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. ? The Justice Department?s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) announced today that all 50 states and three territories have received a total of $90.6 million in FY 2001 funds to support victim compensation programs.? With the FY 2001 grants, OVC has now distributed almost $1 billion in victim compensation funds since Fiscal Year 1986. Money for these annual awards comes from the Crime Victims Fund, which is supported solely by fines paid by federal criminal offenders -- not taxpayers.

?No amount of money can truly compensate victims for the pain and suffering they endure, but these funds can provide critical support to help with crime-related expenses,? said Attorney General John Ashcroft.? ?This support, however, can serve as a lifeline that helps victims heal and continue with their lives.?

State compensation programs receive annual grants equal to 40 percent of the state?s total payout to crime victims in the previous year.? Compensation programs work similarly to private insurance, providing reimbursement to, or on behalf of, crime victims for expenses such as medical costs, mental health counseling, funeral and burial costs, and lost wages, as a result of being a crime victim.

The Crime Victims Fund is supported by fines collected by United States Attorneys, the U.S. Courts and Bureau of Prisons.? Fines collected in one year are deposited into the Fund and are available for grant awards the following year.?

Over 90 percent of Fund deposits are distributed annually by OVC to states and territories to support state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. Remaining funds are used for training and technical assistance and national demonstration projects.

OVC is the federal government?s chief advocate for crime victims and their families. OVC provides funding for approximately 4,100 victim assistance programs serving 2.5 million crime victims each year and state victim compensation programs that serve an additional 200,000 victims.

A list of the FY 2001 victim compensation grant awards each state received is attached.??? More information about the Crime Victims Fund and OVC is available on OVC?s Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc and from the OVC Resource Center at 1-800/627-6872. Individuals can call OVC at 202/307-5983 for information about their state victim compensation agencies.? A list of these agencies is available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/state.htm.

Information about other Office of Justice Programs (OJP) bureaus and program offices is available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov.? Media should contact OJP?s Office of Congressional and Public Affairs at 202/307-0703.? ????????

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? # # #

 

OVC 01120

 


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

??????????????????????????????? FY2001 STATE VICTIM COMPENSATION GRANTS

 

 

STATE

 

STATE?S PREVIOUS YEAR PAYOUT TO VICTIMS

 

AWARD AMOUNT

 

 

ALABAMA

 

$4,743,903

 

$1,898,000

 

ALASKA

 

$1,020,781

 

?????????? $408,000

 

ARIZONA

 

$1,256,413

 

?????????? $503,000

 

ARKANSAS

 

???????????????????????? $870,420

 

?????????? $348,000

 

CALIFORNIA

 

??????????????????? $48,234,581

 

????? $19,294,000

 

COLORADO

 

$6,530,059

 

$2,612,000

 

CONNECTICUT

 

$1,452,605

 

?????????? $581,000

 

DELAWARE

 

??????????????????????? $445,492

 

?????????? $178,000

 

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

 

$1,148,009

 

?????????? $459,000

 

FLORIDA

 

??????????????????? $11,352,404

 

$4,541,000

 

GEORGIA

 

$3,519,864

 

$1,408,000

 

HAWAII

 

$1,141,997

 

?????????? $457,000

 

IDAHO

 

$1,116,508

 

?????????? $447,000

 

ILLINOIS

 

???????????????????? $24,272,656

 

??????? $9,709,000

 

INDIANA

 

$2,614,976

 

$1,046,000

 

IOWA

 

$2,327,546

 

?????????? $931,000

 

KANSAS

 

$2,685,467

 

$1,074,000

 

KENTUCKY

 

??????????????????????? $668,737

 

?????????? $267,000

 

LOUISIANA

 

??????????????????????? $972,833

 

?????????? $389,000

 

MAINE

 

??????????????????????? $217,836

 

???????????? $87,000

 

MARYLAND

 

$3,585,609

 

$1,434,000

 

MASSACHUSETTS

 

$2,228,933

 

?????????? $892,000

 

MICHIGAN

 

$1,488,900

 

?????????? $596,000

 

MINNESOTA

 

$1,470,986

 

?????????? $588,000

 

MISSISSIPPI

 

$1,009,129

 

?????????? $404,000

 

MISSOURI

 

$3,293,214

 

$1,317,000

 

MONTANA

 

??????????????????????? $562,279

 

?????????? $225,000

 

NEBRASKA

 

??????????????????????? $254,481

 

?????????? $102,000

 

NEVADA

 

$2,177,853

 

?????????? $871,000

 

NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

????????????????????????? $69,840

 

???????????? $28,000

 

NEW JERSEY

 

$4,483,098

 

$1,793,000

 

NEW MEXICO

 

??????????????????????? $921,246

 

?????????? $368,000

 

NEW YORK

 

?????????????????? $13,646,778

 

$5,459,000

 

NORTH CAROLINA

 

$2,744,190

 

$1,098,000

 

NORTH DAKOTA

 

??????????????????????? $291,845

 

?????????? $117,000

 

OHIO

 

$8,506,853

 

$3,403,000

 

OKLAHOMA

 

$1,889,866

 

?????????? $756,000

 

OREGON

 

$1,982,239

 

?????????? $793,000

 

PENNSYLVANIA

 

$3,478,479

 

$1,391,000

 

RHODE ISLAND

 

$3,353,535

 

$1,341,000

 

SOUTH CAROLINA

 

$5,248,591

 

$2,099,000

 

SOUTH DAKOTA

 

???????????????????????? $305,036

 

?????????? $122,000

 

TENNESSEE

 

$3,822,184

 

$1,529,000

 

TEXAS

 

??????????????????? $27,105,231

 

?????? $10,842,000

 

UTAH

 

$2,783,225

 

$1,113,000

 

VERMONT

 

???????????????????????? $336,259

 

?????????? $135,000

 

VIRGINIA

 

$1,823,010

 

?????????? $729,000

 

WASHINGTON

 

$8,329,694

 

$3,332,000

 

WEST VIRGINIA

 

???????????????????????? $832,640

 

?????????? $333,000

 

WISCONSIN

 

$1,615,836

 

?????????? $646,000

 

WYOMING

 

???????????????????????? $254,072

 

?????????? $102,000

 

GUAM

 

????????????????????????????? $7,765

 

??????????????? $3,000

 

PUERTO RICO

 

??????????????????????????? $15,075

 

??????????????? $6,000

 

VIRGIN ISLANDS

 

????????????????????????? $182,902

 

????????????? $73,000

 

TOTAL

 

$226,693,960

 

$90,677,000

??