Victim Assistance Professional Development Fellowship Program

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is pleased to inform you that we are now accepting applications under the “Victim Assistance Professional Development Fellowship Program.”

This is a new opportunity to expand the capacity of individuals in the victim assistance field through the Fellowship Program. As many as four people can become part of OVC’s team in Washington, D.C., and work in the areas of victim assistance and compensation, tribal communities, underserved crime victims, and evidence-based training and technical assistance.

Applications must be submitted by July 9, 2009, through OJP’s online Grants Management System at https://grants.ojp.usdoj.gov. Applicants are encouraged to begin the process in advance of the deadline.

This competitive program will award $80,000 - $125,000 each, for up to four fellowships, to provide direct operational assistance to crime victim organizations and agencies; design and develop innovative initiatives; implement a training strategy; and assist with evaluation and capacity building efforts. OVC fellows will also be responsible for crafting articles and speeches on specific topics covered in their fellowship category area.

The fellowships are for a 12-month period, with options for 2 more years. Individuals, not organizations, are invited to apply for this program. For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, contact Meg Morrow, Attorney-Advisor, at 202-305-2986 or meg.morrow@usdoj.gov.

Those interested in the Fellowship Program are encouraged to read the full solicitation for requirements and eligibility. The solicitation is available on the OVC Web site at http://ovc.gov/ ____________________________________________________________________

Brought to you as a benefit of membership in the National Center for Victims of Crime...

National Center for Victims of Crime
News and Policy Update
August 16, 2007

Contents:
1. Federal Update: Bipartisan group of Representatives introduces National Domestic Violence Month resolution.
2. State Update:
a. North Carolina restricts use of polygraph tests on sexual assault victims.
b. Oregon extends statute of limitations for serious sex crimes with DNA evidence.
c. New York increases emergency victim compensation awards.
3. New Resources:
a. COPS Office and National Center for Victims of Crime release Teen Action Toolkit .
b . BJS releases report, "Black Victims of Violent Crime."

1. Federal Update:

Bipartisan group of Representatives introduces National Domestic Violence Month resolution.
On July 31, 2007, Congressmen Ted Poe (R-TX) and Jim Costa (D-CA), together with 36 other Representatives, introduced H. Res. 590 to support the goals of National Domestic Violence Month. The resolution notes the scope and impact of domestic violence in the United States and expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should continue to raise awareness of domestic violence and its devastating effects on families and communities.

2. State Update:

a. North Carolina restricts use of polygraph tests on sexual assault victims.
On July 28, 2007, North Carolina Governor Mike Easley signed legislation prohibiting a criminal or juvenile justice agency from requiring a sexual assault victim to take a polygraph test as a precondition to conducting an investigation. The new law requires that before a victim can be polygraphed, the agency must inform the victim that: (1) the test is voluntary; (2) the polygraph results are inadmissible in court; and (3) the victims decision to take or refuse a polygraph test will not be the sole basis for a decision by the agency not to investigate the matter. If an agency declines to prosecute an alleged assault after the victim refuses to take a polygraph test, the agency must provide the victim a written explanation for its decision. The legislation was enacted to bring the state into compliance with the federal Violence Against Women Act of 2005.

b. Oregon extends statute of limitations for serious sex crimes with DNA evidence.
On July 27, 2007, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski signed legislation amending the statute of limitations for certain sex crimes where DNA evidence is recovered. In such cases, the law extends the statute of limitations from 12 to 25 years from the time the crime was committed. This extension applies to cases of first- or second-degree rape, sodomy, or unlawful penetration; or first-degree sexual abuse. Under the new law, prosecution of a crime beyond the general 12-year statute of limitations must commence no later than two years after the defendant is identified by DNA evidence.

c. New York increases emergency victim compensation awards.
New York's legislature has increased the maximum amount (from $1,500 to $2,500) that the Crime Victims Board can award for emergency assistance. The Crime Victims Board can make such emergency awards if claimants are deemed potentially eligible for compensation benefits but would suffer undue hardship if they did not receive immediate payment. For example, the Crime Victims Board can make emergency awards toward funeral costs, certain medications such as HIV post-exposure treatment, and similar immediate expenses.

3. New Resources:

a. COPS Office and National Center for Victims of Crime release Teen Action Toolkit .
The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing (COPS Office) and the National Center for Victims of Crime have released the Teen Action Toolkit: Building a Youth-led Response to Teen Victimization. The toolkit is a resource for educators, law enforcement personnel, outreach workers, victim service providers, youth workers, teens, and others who might be interested in starting a youth-led effort to improve local policies, outreach, and services for adolescent crime victims. It includes handouts and exercises that can be used in working with teens.
Download the toolkit at www.ncvc.org/tvp .

b. BJS releases report, "Black Victims of Violent Crime."
The U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics has released a new report, "Black Victims of Violent Crime," which examines violent crime experienced by non-Hispanic blacks. The report includes comparisons of these victimization rates with those of other racial/ethnic groups. It also examines crime characteristics, including weapon use, offender race, police reporting, and police response to violent crime incidents. The report notes that while blacks accounted for 13 percent of the U.S. population in 2005, they were victims in 15 percent of all nonfatal violent crimes and nearly half of all homicides. The Full report is available at : http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/bvvc.pdf .