Cuts in federal dollars could affect thousands of crime victims across Tennessee

JACKSON, Tenn. — Cuts in federal dollars could affect more than 10,000 victims of crime across the state.

A proposal set before Congress aims at cutting $700 million for the Victims of Crime Act Victims Fund.

If passed, this would affect thousands of victims in Tennessee, including the loss of specially-trained Victim Witness Coordinators.

“We have approximately 45 of these Victim Witness Coordinator positions across the state,” said District Attorney General Mark Davidson. “They serve some 10-thousands victims of crime across all sorts of areas, from domestic violence, to human trafficking, to child sex crimes.”

Officials say oftentimes, victims of crime are unaware of what to do in critical situations.

“These are people that are there to walk you through the process which can be a challenging process,” Davidson said.

Tennessee’s District Attorneys met in Nashville Wednesday with a goal to shift federal funding to state funding, ultimately transferring the Victim Witness Coordinator positions over to the state’s payroll.

“So these are extremely important positions, they work day to day on the ground, in the court system with these victims of crime, to help them get through court hearings, to help them get restitution, to help them get criminal injury compensation funds from the state, so these are vital resources,” said Davidson.

Last year, 75% of victims who received assistance from advocates were encountering the court system for the first time.

“This is on the ground work. This is critical work,” Davidson said. “It’s very important work to help these victims of crime.”

According to information provided at the Tennessee District Attorney General Conference, since 1984, millions of victims have been provided crucial resources and support through the VOCA Victims Fund.

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