ATLANTA — Citing a severe reduction in federal funding for the Crime Victims Fund, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced $13.2 million would be allocated from the state’s grant budget from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council’s Victim Services program.
According to Gov. Kemp’s office, the $13.2 million will be taken out of the remaining funds from the American Rescue Plan Act awarded to Georgia for the coming fiscal year.
In a statement about the funding, Kemp said the administration of President Joe Biden had chosen to take the funds away from crime victims.
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“Once again, the federal government is failing to deliver on promises made to the people of Georgia,” Kemp said. “While the Biden administration has made the unfortunate decision to shortchange victims of violent crime, I’m proud that the state is able to step in, fund this vital program, and provide the support these individuals need.”
The governor said nearly $20 million was being taken out of Georgia’s program, as compared to the previous year’s funding.
The cuts mentioned by Kemp’s office are for the fiscal year 2024 federal government budget.
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According to documents published by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Crime Victims Fund Obligation Limit implemented by U.S. Congress for the coming budget plan was lowered to $1.2 billion.
Additionally, the overall fund obligation cap was set at $700 million, compared to the previous year’s $1.9 billion.
In effect, the budget will be reduced by about 37% from the previous year, marking a second year in a row with numerically substantial cust to the Crime Victims Fund. In 2022, the budget was set at $2.6 billion, meaning the current enacted budget was already reduced by 27% in 2023.
“This follows significant cuts by the federal government to the Crime Victims Fund, also known as Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds, despite a continued and heightened need for services as a result of increases in crime during and following the COVID-19 pandemic,” Kemp’s office said in their announcement.
The office said so far, Georgia has spent roughly $68.24 million on VOCA since its inception as part of ARPA.
Funding provided by Georgia for victims of violent crime are intended to assist more than 200 nonprofits and local governments which offer help to victims across Georgia that Kemp’s office said would have been negatively impacted by the cuts.
The organizations include domestic violence shelters, human trafficking programs, community-based domestic violence programs, sexual assault centers, child advocacy centers, hospital-based violence intervention programs, elder abuse programs, and more.
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