Attorney General Alan Wilson revealed on Wednesday that over $26 million in federal and state grants will be allocated to organizations in South Carolina that assist crime victims.
The South Carolina Public Safety Coordinating Council approved the grants earlier this year, and the projects will begin on October 1, 2024.
The Department of Crime Victim Assistance Grants in the Attorney General’s Office is distributing grants in four different types.
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- Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants
- Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grants
- State Victim Assistance Program (SVAP) grants
- Supplemental Allocation for Victim Services (SAVS) grants
“These state and local agencies and non-profit groups do so much to help people who are going through traumatic circumstances. With these funds we are able to support agencies throughout the state as they assist victims of violent crime in their recovery,” said Attorney General Alan Wilson.
Private non-profit organizations, sheriff’s offices, police departments, solicitor’s offices, and state agencies will have the opportunity to receive the grants.
The Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office has been granted a VAWA award of $45,382 to provide assistance to a criminal domestic violence investigator.
Project R.E.S.T., a non-profit organization serving Cherokee, Spartanburg, and Union counties, has been awarded two grants totaling $838,413 from VOCA (Victims of Crime Act). The funds will be utilized to offer shelter and supportive services to victims of domestic violence, as well as provide victim and legal advocacy, and therapeutic services to survivors of sexual assault.
The Dee Norton Center Lowcountry Children’s Center, located in Charleston, has been awarded a VOCA grant of $524,846 to offer child advocacy services.
“The grant staff of the Crime Victim Services Division in the Attorney General’s Office is honored to work with the hundreds of caring, dedicated professionals who help victims of crime every day in South Carolina,” said Barbara Jean “BJ” Nelson, Director of the Division. “Our goal is to have the most effective, and the most compassionate, victim service system in the United States.”
The majority of the funding, about 61%, is derived from federal grants, while the remaining 39% is provided through state funding.
The US Department of Justice administers both VOCA and VAWA.
Funding for VOCA comes from the Federal Crime Victims Fund, which utilizes non-taxpayer money. On the other hand, Congress allocates funding for VAWA.
It is important to note that VOCA funds are derived from federal fines and penalties, rather than taxpayer money. Furthermore, these funds do not add to the national debt or deficit.