Ky. departments receive grant to help violent crime victims

Services include crisis intervention and follow-up, therapy, group counseling, information and referral, court advocacy, and assistance with victim compensation claims

By Mark White
The News Journal

KENTUCKY — Gov. Matt Bevin and Kentucky Justice Secretary John Tilley announced Thursday that grant money to help victims of violent crime is more than doubling this year — all thanks to an aggressive effort to capture federal funding and pair grants with Kentucky organizations. This includes funding for an organization in Corbin and another in Williamsburg.

In total, the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet is awarding more than $14 million in grants to programs that aid crime victims, including rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters and child advocacy centers. That’s a 127 percent increase over the $6.2 million given out last year.

The funds are awarded to Kentucky under the federal Victims of Crime Act — known as VOCA — which supports public agencies and non-profit programs that provide direct services to victims. Services include crisis intervention and follow-up, therapy, group counseling, information and referral, court advocacy, and assistance with victim compensation claims, among many others.