| Program Name (Prefix) | Victim/Witness Assistance Program (VW) |
| Current year status of grant | Competitive Non-Competitive |
| Competitive vs. Non-competitive History | Legislation mandates that every county in the State of California be provided funding for comprehensive (Victim/Witness Assistance) centers for victim and witness assistance. |
| Number of years program in existence | 26; 1980 to present |
| Administering Section | Victim/Witness Section |
| Authorizing Legislation | California Penal Code Section 13835 et seq. |
| Oversight Committees/Task Forces | N/A |
| Funding Source(s)/Funding Level(s) | Victim/Witness Assistance Fund - $10,811,513
Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) - $8,734,488
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) - $459,612 |
| Funding Cycle | Start:July 1, 2006 |
 | End:June 30, 2007 |
| Where at in funding cycle? 26 of continuous |
| Program Description/Purpose | This program helps victims and witnesses of all types of crime by maintaining local centers that provide comprehensive assistance, including all legislatively mandated services. Victim/Witness Centers are in place in every county in the state with 44 projects in District Attorney’s Offices, eight in probation departments, four in community- based organizations, one in a county office and one in a county sheriff’s office. |
| Program Objectives | The projects are required to provide 14 mandatory services:
- Crisis Intervention;
- Emergency Assistance;
- Resource and Referral Assistance;
- Direct Counseling;
- Victim of Crime Claims;
- Property Return;
- Orientation to the Criminal Justice System;
- Court Escort;
- Presentations and Training For Criminal Justice Agencies;
- Public Presentations and Publicity;
- Case Status/Case Disposition;
- Notification of Family/Friends;
- Employer Notification/Intervention; and
- Restitution.
|
| Who is eligible? | Local units of government, community based organizations. |
| Other Additional/Relevant Information (products developed, annual reports, evaluation, etc.) | The concept of providing assistance to victims has been in existence in California since 1965, when the state developed the nation’s first Victim Indemnification Program.
In late 1977, The California Council on Criminal Justice (CCCJ) identified victim/witness assistance as one of its top program priorities. A survey conducted by the former Governor’s Office of Criminal Justice Planning (OCJP) in 1978 identified nineteen projects delivering a variety of services to victims and witnesses. The Legislature authorized the former OCJP to administer the program. The former OCJP was abolished and on January 1, 2004, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services assumed responsibility for this program. |