Opinion: Support for crime victims requires investment from all

We raise private funds and recruit volunteers to help us do our work, but we cannot meet the demand for services without public funds.

Johna Sullivan
Guest columnist

Over the next two years, 28,000 fewer crime victims will be served by Iowa programs if we do not secure additional funding for victim services. I implore state legislators to support crime victims, starting with a $2.5 million increase in victim services funding this year. The capacity of local programs to support victims is threatened by catastrophic cuts in federal Victims of Crime Act, VOCA, grant dollars to Iowa.

In the past year, Crisis Intervention & Advocacy Center supported 1,835 victims of abuse in a 10-county service area. Our services are free and confidential. If these cuts are not stopped, we would be forced to lose multiple staff, close outreach offices, and serve fewer victims.

We raise private funds and recruit volunteers to help us do our work, but we cannot meet the demand for services without public funds. We have no other options for funding in Iowa to replace these losses. Crime victims need state legislators to invest additional resources toward addressing unmet needs. No matter how much federal funding Iowa receives, state funds support the foundation of Iowa’s victim service delivery network. State funds enable programs to provide comprehensive services.

RELATED: Congress must restore VOCA money to aid crime victims

Federal VOCA grants are the largest non-taxpayer source of funds for victim services nationwide. VOCA grants support service providers like us, but also support state victim compensation funds that help survivors with crime-related costs, victim notification systems, and victim witness coordinators.

In 2017, Iowa legislators slashed state funding for victim services by 25%, citing generous federal VOCA funding as the rationale. The federal victim fund is now low on deposits. Congress is currently advancing legislation to replenish the fund, but deposits could be low for several years. Local programs cannot absorb this loss in funds.

Cuts to funding mean fewer staff and services available to fewer victims. Imagine the impact of homicide on a family and community. After helping survivors navigate the legal system and the reality of making funeral arrangements, the hard work of healing begins.

Beyond the obvious importance of meeting individual needs, when agencies like ours help a crime victim avoid homelessness, maintain stable employment, and keep children in school, it eases the workload of other community service providers. Assisting law enforcement at crime scenes, supporting victims during criminal investigations, and helping survivors navigate legal proceedings enables the criminal legal system to better serve victims. In short, helping victims recover improves economic stability, which helps communities.

At Crisis Intervention & Advocacy Center, we center the voices of survivors, so I will end with the voice of one survivor thanking us:

“You all reached out, asked no questions and helped me become safe. I was tired, alone, and scared, and I put myself last. You all are wonderful people. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for caring and believing in me when I did not have anyone else. With all you guys have done for me and my children, I know we will get back to ourselves again.” 

Johna Sullivan is executive director of Crisis Intervention & Advocacy Center based in Adel

Johna Sullivan is executive director of Crisis Intervention & Advocacy Center in Adel.