A.G. and Crime Victim Advocates ask Lawmakers: Maintain Current Levels of Crime-Victim Funding

Attorney General Tom Miller is asking the Legislature to maintain at least current levels of state

funding for 31 local crime victim programs all over the state, and for the crime victim compensation

program, which helps pay certain expenses for victims of violent crime.

“We are asking the Legislature to directly provide $4 million for 31 programs around the state that

come to the aid of victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault, so we don’t have to deplete

compensation funds used to aid individual crime victims,” Miller said.

“Last year the local programs provided critical services to more than 26,000 victims, including more

than 5,000 children, and individual victim compensation served 5,249 victims,” Miller said. “We

urgently need to avoid cutting those programs below current levels.” [Go to map of local programs.

Go to list of local programs.]

Miller said for the last few years the Legislature has directed that funding for the local victim

services programs be taken from reserves in the state’s Crime Victim Compensation Fund. That

fund is designed primarily to pay specified out-of-pocket expenses for individual victims of violent

crime – such as funeral expenses of someone who is murdered, or medical costs not covered by

insurance for an assault victim. But Miller said reserves in the Compensation Fund no longer can

sustain full funding of both the compensation program for individuals and state funding for the 31

local programs around the state.

“Something has to give,” Miller said. “We have advised the Legislature for several years that the

Compensation Fund, which comes from various fines and penalties paid by criminals, would not

always be able to fully fund both programs. Now we’ve hit that crunch time. We need the

Legislature’s direct appropriation of funds again – as it did in years past – for the crucial network of

local programs all over Iowa.” [Go to AG's letter to lawmakers, Oct. 17, 2008.]

Miller said the 31 programs are located in 27 communities, but they serve the whole state. “These

programs already are stretched thin with current funding, and they ought to receive more support.

They do a heroic job. But I know these are difficult times for everyone, and I ask the Legislature at

least to maintain current funding of these programs,” he said.

“If the Legislature doesn’t directly fund the local programs as it did in the past, and again requires

the local program funding primarily from the Compensation Fund, then there will not be enough in

that fund to pay compensation for individual victims of assault, victims of drunk drivers, survivors of

murder victims, and so many other victims of violent crime,” Miller said.

“It is difficult for me to ask for this funding in these hard financial times, but I believe this is a matter

of justice and a matter of safety. It’s a matter of justice because Iowa has a long record of assisting

victims of crime, and not just punishing and rehabilitating criminals,” he said.

“And it’s a matter of safety and security and recovery for victims,” Miller said. “These programs give