This report presents the findings and methodology of a grant audit that evaluated the design and implementation of the crime victim assistance program of the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety (NJ DLPS).
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) completed an audit of four victim assistance formula grants awarded by DOJ's Office of Justice Program's (OJP's) Office for Victims of Crime to NJ DLPS. These formula grants, which totaled $177.5 million for fiscal years 2014-2017, were provided from the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) to improve crime victim services in New Jersey. As of April 2020, NJ DLPS had drawn down a cumulative amount of $111.2 million for all the grants examined in the current audit. The audit assessed grant management in the following areas: 1) program planning and execution; 2) program requirements and performance reporting; 3) financial management; and 4) monitoring of sub-recipients. The audit concluded that NJ DLPS has not met all of the grant requirements. It did not perform well in the following areas: 1) obligating and expending funds within the project period; 2) awarding funds to sub-recipients in a timely manner; 3) monitoring compliance with priority-area funding requirement; 4) ensuring annual performance reports were complete and accurate; and 5) administering and monitoring sub-recipient awards. The audit also identified $75,334 in questioned costs. Despite these weaknesses, however, the audit concluded that NJ DLPS conducted adequate strategic planning, increased the number of projects funded, and broadened the scope of services provided to crime victims. Also, an adequate financial system was in place. The audit presents recommendations to OJP regarding how it can improve grant management and remedy questioned costs. 4 tables and appended audit details and responses to the draft audit report