Audit of the Office of Justice Programs Victim Assistance Funds Subawarded by the Rhode Island Public Safety Grant Administration Office to Refugee Dream Center, Providence, Rhode Island

• NCJ Number: 309385
• Date Published: August 2023
• Length: 30 pages

Annotation

This report presents results of an audit of Office of Justice Programs Victim Assistance Funds Subawarded by the Rhode Island Public Safety Grant Administration Office to Refugee Dream Center, Providence, Rhode Island.

Abstract

This audit of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Victim Assistance Funds Subawarded by the Rhode Island Public Safety Grant Administration Office (PSGAO) to Refugee Dream Center (RDC), Providence, Rhode Island, by the DOJ Office of the Inspector General audit review3e how RDC used Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds to assist crime victims and assess whether it accounted for these funds in compliance with select award requirements, terms, and conditions. Auditors determined that RDC should improve its overall management by developing and implementing written policies and procedures for its operations. Auditors were not able to substantiate specific subaward-related activities. The report found no indication that RDC was not providing services to refugee victims of crime. However, RDC’s case management system did not collect and track performance specific to the VOCA-funded Breaking Barriers program. In addition, RDC lacked comprehensive written policies and procedures and did not have a well-designed process to ensure accurate reporting of program progress. During testing, the auditors determined that all salary and fringe benefits costs charged to the subawards were not adequately supported or were based on budgeted percentages. The auditors questioned the total $342,048 in personnel and fringe benefits as unsupported. Additionally, RDC could not demonstrate that it met its match requirement, and the auditors questioned $114,046 as unsupported. OJP provided funds to the Rhode Island Department of Public Safety and administered by the Rhode Island PSGAO Office to make subawards to support victim assistance programs in Rhode Island. The purpose of RDC’s subawards was to fund its Breaking Barriers program.