OPENING REMARKS

BY

OVC-NIJ STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING FOR

EVALUATION OF STATE COMPENSATION AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

MARCH 10, 1997

GOOD MORNING. FIRST I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU, JEREMY, AND SALLY, PAM (LATTIMORE), RICHARD (TITUS), AND CYNDY (NAHABEDIAN) FOR THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF THOUGHT AND HOURS OF LABOR THAT WENT INTO PREPARING FOR THIS UNIQUE STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING. YOU HAVE ASSEMBLED A ROOMFUL OF EXTRAORDINARY TALENT AND EXPERTISE FROM ACROSS THE NATION TO ASSIST US IN DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION RESEARCH AGENDA FOR THE OVC FORMULA GRANT PROGRAMS. ALL OF US AT OVC ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH NIJ ON THIS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT PROJECT.

OVC, AS YOU KNOW, IS THE OFFICE WITHIN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT THAT WORKS TO ENSURE THAT THE NEEDS OF VICTIMS ARE MET, THAT THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD, AND THAT THE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ENCOUNTER VICTIMS HAVE THE TRAINING AND PROGRAMS NEEDED TO TREAT VICTIMS FAIRLY AND WITH DIGNITY. OUR MISSION IS PLAIN AND SIMPLY TO ENHANCE THE NATION'S CAPACITY TO ASSIST CRIME VICTIMS.

AS THE DIRECTOR OF OVC, I ADMINISTER THE CRIME VICTIMS FUND. THIS FUND IS A UNIQUE FORM OF JUSTICE DERIVED NOT FROM TAXPAYERS BUT FROM FINES AND PENALTY ASSESSMENTS LEVIED AGAINST FEDERAL CRIMINAL OFFENDERS. THE CRIME VICTIMS FUND WAS CREATED BY THE VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT OF 1984, OR VOCA, IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO PROPOSALS MADE BY THE 1982 PRESIDENT'S TASK FORCE ON VICTIMS OF CRIME. AT THAT TIME ONLY 26 STATES HAD ANY FORM OF VICTIM COMPENSATION AND THERE WERE VARYING LEVELS OF SUPPORT FOR VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. ONE OF THE MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TASK FORCE WAS THAT CONGRESS SHOULD ENACT LEGISLATION TO PROVIDE FEDERAL FUNDING TO ASSIST THE STATE PROGRAMS.

THE FUND HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY -- FROM A LOW OF $62 MILLION IN 1987 TO A RECORD HIGH OF $520 MILLION THIS YEAR. MOST OF THESE FUNDS ARE AWARDED TO THE STATES AS ASSISTANCE GRANTS, TO BE SUBAWARDED TO THE ELIGIBLE VICTIM SERVICE AGENCIES AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF CRIME VICTIMS. THROUGHOUT THE NATION, THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 10,000 ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE CRISIS INTERVENTION, COUNSELING, EMERGENCY SHELTER, CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADVOCACY; AND OTHER SERVICES TO CRIME VICTIMS. THESE ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS, RAPE CRISIS CENTERS, CHILD ABUSE PROGRAMS, HOMICIDE SURVIVORS THERAPY GROUPS, VICTIM SERVICES DEPARTMENTS WITHIN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, PROSECUTOR-BASED PROGRAMS, HOSPITALS, AND SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES. OVER 2,500 OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE SOME VOCA FUNDS.

COMPENSATION IS THE OTHER MAJOR COMPONENT OF THE VOCA GRANT PROGRAM. FROM FY86 THROUGH FY96, OVC AWARDED $637 MILLION IN FEDERAL VOCA COMPENSATION GRANTS TO 49 STATES, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS. IN FY97 ALONE, OVC WILL AWARD $74 MILLION TO THE STATE-ADMINISTERED CRIME VICTIM COMPENSATION PROGRAMS, WHICH IN TURN PROVIDE DIRECT FINANCIAL REIMBURSEMENT TO VICTIMS OF BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE CRIMES FOR OUT-OF-POCKET MEDICAL COSTS, MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING, FUNERAL AND BURIAL COSTS, AND LOST WAGES OR LOSS OF SUPPORT.

THE OVERALL GOAL OF VOCA COMPENSATION AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IS TO PROVIDE A SEAMLESS WEB OF SERVICES AND SUPPORT TO REDUCE THE HARM CAUSED BY CRIME. THESE ARE CLASSIC SOCIAL INTERVENTION PROGRAMS, INTENDED TO AMELIORATE THE EFFECT OF VIOLENT CRIME ON THE INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY. THE QUESTION WE WANT TO ANSWER IS "HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THESE PROGRAMS ARE WORKING?" WE ARE LOOKING TO THIS GROUP TO HELP US DESIGN A STUDY TO SYSTEMATICALLY IDENTIFY VICTIMS' NEEDS AND TO DEVELOP THE METHODOLOGY TO MEASURE WHETHER OUR FUNDED PROGRAMS ARE MEETING THOSE NEEDS. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY FOR US TO DETERMINE WHAT GAPS THERE ARE AND WHAT "PROMISING PRACTICES" WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE IN THE FUTURE. THE RESULTS OF THE EVALUATION WILL BE USED TO INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE POLICY AND PROGRAM PLANS.

IN PASSING VOCA, CONGRESS RECOGNIZED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP IN OFFERING NEEDED SERVICES TO CRIME VICTIMS. WE BELIEVE THAT VICTIMS HAVE BEEN WELL SERVED WITH THE $1.3 BILLION THAT WE GRANTED TO THE STATES FROM 1986 THROUGH 1997. BUT TOO MUCH IS AT STAKE TO RELY ON ANECDOTES AND REGIONAL STUDIES. IT'S TIME TO BRING IN THE EXPERTS TO DEVELOP SYSTEMATIC NATIONWIDE EVALUATION RESEARCH TOOLS APPLICABLE TO OUR PROGRAMS. WE'VE PUT A HIGH PRIORITY ON THIS PROJECT AND LOOK FORWARD TO TODAY'S MEETING.