Justice and Public Safety Cabinet awards more than $5.3 million

in grants to crime victims’ groups

Frankfort, KY –West Kentucky will benefit from an award of more than $5.3 million dollars from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet to crime victims' groups across the state. Secretary J. Michael Brown announced the grants to provide crisis intervention, advocacy, counseling, shelter and other assistance to victims of crime. The money is allocated through the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), which relies on criminal fines, forfeitures and assessments instead of taxpayer dollars to support victim services.

“These funds will go to help those most directly and severely affected by crimes,” said Secretary Brown. “Whether it is emergency shelter or counseling, we need to do all we can to assist people who have suffered as the result of criminal victimization.”

A total of 62 projects have been funded statewide. “Our goal is to help as many crime victims as we can, as broadly as we can,” said Brown. “We are reaching out to victims, to help them get their life back in order.”

This year’s award decisions were particularly difficult due to recent reductions in federal funds, according to Tanya Dickinson, Branch Manager for the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet’s Grants Management branch. In order to maintain ongoing program services the Cabinet had to supplement the FY2008 Victims of Crime Act funds with de-obligated, old year federal grant funds, Dickinson said. She added that, if federal funding awards continue to decline, next year’s funding cycle will be particularly difficult and result in additional reductions to vital programs.