TRENTON – Agencies are encouraged to apply for grants to help victims of crime, with $60 million being made available through the state.
The announcement came from Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal, who stated that new policies have made the application process for the New Jersey Victim Assistance Grant (VAG) Program easier.
Agencies can now apply for up to $400,000 for a 24-month grant, which is $100,000 more than the previous limit, he said in a press release.
Meanwhile, the application process has been simplified, and can be done online.
“While New Jersey strives to reduce violent crime in our communities, we have also increased our efforts to provide services to those who are victims of crime, particularly those who suffer as a result of gun violence,” said Attorney General Grewal. “Even in a state with some of the country’s strongest gun regulations, gun violence continues to take lives and has devastating effects on communities, families and survivors. Today we are increasing the funds available to organizations to provide essential services to victims and making the process to apply for those funds easier. These changes are the result of our efforts to strengthen the state’s handling of victim services.”
New Jersey Victim Assistance Grant Program funds programs that answer the physical as well as emotional needs of crime victims, and help them get stability and safety. They also assist victims navigate the criminal justice system.
This year, the priority will be on services to victims of gun violence, including providing the victim with: emotional support, grief counseling, crime scene clean-up services, supportive services that help the victim stabilize their lives after victimization, safety planning and intervention and interruption services that address the psychological impact of the injury. The VAG program does not support activities that prevent future victimization, which are ineligible for funding under federal guidelines.
Eligible applicants include private, nonprofit organizations and public agencies that provide crime victim services. Public agencies must provide services to crime victims and cannot be part of a law enforcement agency or a prosecutor’s office.
Applications are due on or before 11:59 p.m on June 28th, 2019.
For more information, consult nj.gov/oag/grants/FY18-VOCA-VAG_NOAF-Competitive.pdf and nj.gov/oag/grants/01_FY18-VOCA_Program-Guidelines.pdf
