Through its Federal Crime Victims Division (FCVD), the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is committed to protecting the rights of victims and to coordinating victim services offered by the Federal Government and other agencies.
One initiative of the FCVD is the Victim Assistance in Indian Country Program that makes awards directly to Indian tribes under Federal criminal jurisdiction. This program establishes reservation-based victim assistance services in remote areas of Indian Country where limited services are available for crime victims. Since 1988, the OVC has awarded $8.2 million to fund more than 52 programs that include such activities as hiring victim advocates, establishing a 24-hour crisis hotline, recruiting victim service volunteers, transporting victims in an emergency, and providing bilingual counseling services. The Children's Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities makes awards directly to federally recognized tribes to facilitate the investigation, prosecution, and handling of child physical and sexual abuse cases. The Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund assists all victims in need of immediate help, the FCVD provides Federal criminal justice personnel with numerous training opportunities on effective intervention with Federal crime victims, and the OVC monitors Federal agency compliance with the Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance. In addition, the FCVD prepares and disseminates information through the OVC Resource Center regarding services to Federal crime victims.