Victims Services Grants

On August 10, 2021, Governor Ralph Northam signed a budget bill that directs American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds as follows: "$12,199,930 to the Department of Criminal Justice Services (140) to support services to victims of crime including, but not limited, services for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, victims of elder abuse and child abuse, and victims of crime. The Department shall use these funds to support sexual assault and domestic violence applicants of the Victims Services Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2022 such that the amounts reduced from the competitive grant applications for this grant period, due to lack of funding, are fully restored."

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is now accepting applications for the Virginia Hospital-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Program (HVIP).

The purpose of this grant program is to support rape crisis centers and other nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations that provide core services, direct intervention, and related assistance to victims of sexual assault.

These funds provide financial support to local victim/witness programs and statewide victim assistance programs designed to provide direct services, information, and assistance required by Virginia’s Crime Victim and Witness Rights Act.

The purpose of the VSDVVF is to provide funding to assist in protecting and providing necessary services to victims of and children affected by sexual violence, domestic violence, stalking, and family abuse.

In 1994, the United States Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act (codifies at 42 U.S.C. 3796gg through 3796gg-5). VAWA includes the Services, Training, Officers, Prosecution (STOP) grant program.

The primary purpose of VOCA funding is to support the delivery of direct services to victims of crime.