Advocates rally behind bill proposing $30 million in state funding for crime victims
The VICTIM Act seeks to alleviate strains caused by federal funding cuts, organizers say.
27 R.I. victim service organizations are working with legislators to advocate for the bill’s passage.
Media by Kaiolena Tacazon | The Brown Daily Herald
By Michelle Bi
Senior Staff Writer
On Feb. 12, Rhode Island legislators and victim service organizations held a kickoff press conference at the State House Library to advocate for the passage of the Victims of Crime Trauma Informed Mobilization, or VICTIM, Act.
The act would set aside $30 million in annual state funding to fund organizations that provide services to “minor victims of child abuse, sexual assault survivors, elder abuse victims, domestic violence victims and survivors of human trafficking, community violence and gun violence,” according to the bill. The VICTIM Act was introduced in both chambers of the Rhode Island General Assembly earlier this month.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that over 40% of Rhode Island women and men have experienced domestic violence — stalking, sexual violence or physical violence by an intimate partner — in their lifetimes.
The Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence — an organization composed of 10 full and affiliate agencies — received over 12,000 helpline calls in 2023 alone, according to Lucy Rios, the coalition’s executive director.
Sojourner House, an organization providing services to abuse victims, is another group organizing support behind the bill. Domestic violence is a “public health epidemic,” said Vanessa Volz, president and CEO of Sojourner House.
Last week’s press conference was hosted by 27 organizations that provide a variety of victim services. According to the act, victim service organizations provide a variety of resources, including support at and immediately following crimes, emergency housing, a 24/7 statewide hotline, restraining order advocacy, court support and more.
These services are “not luxuries,” said Savanna, a victim of domestic violence whose last name has been omitted for safety concerns. “They’re vital resources.”
Volz added that these organizations provide “longer term sustainable solutions to help victims move on with their lives.”
The proposed VICTIM Act comes in the wake of significant cuts to federal funding for crime victims, Volz said. The 1984 Victims of Crime Act, a federal law which distributes funds via state programs and provides financial assistance to victims of violent crime, was cut by 40% last year.
The funding proposed by the act is “crucial” for the state right now, Savanna added.
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