Victim services agencies in Oklahoma and on tribal land could receive less financial support in 2024, but Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is asking Congress to make sure funding is maintained.
Drummond, along with 41 other attorney generals, is asking U.S. House and Senate leadership to ensure the federal Crime Victims Fund is replenished.
Domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, child advocacy centers, as well as court-appointed special advocacy programs, district attorney’s offices and other organizations apply for funding each year to provide services to victims of crime, said Phil Bacharach, the attorney general’s director of communications.
The Victims of Crime Act of 1984 has traditionally been one of the biggest sources of revenue for nonprofit victims’ support organizations in Oklahoma. However, in 2024 the fund balance is estimated to be 41% lower and has a $700 million shortfall. Funding comes from fines and penalties from federal crime offenders, not taxpayers.