It’s time to prioritize crime victims in Indiana’s budget
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As the General Assembly marks the halfway point of its 125th session, legislators have a consequential responsibility ahead of them: crafting Indiana’s budget for the next two years.
Indiana’s budget rightfully addresses taxes, infrastructure, education, healthcare, public safety and a myriad of other issues impacting our state and our future.
But there is a looming shortfall ahead, that if unaddressed, will hurt crime victims and those who support them. Funding for the Department of Justice’s Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) has decreased by 40% since 2019 and more cuts are expected in the coming years.
Why does this matter? VOCA funding is critical to the nearly 200 local programsthat serve victims of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. If these funds are not replenished, that means victims won’t have therapy, case management, legal advocacy, transportation, shelter and more.
Cuts to VOCA would negatively affect child advocacy centers, domestic violence shelter programs, rape crisis centers and education and prevention initiatives in our communities. Jobs, like social workers, advocates, health care providers, lawyers and law enforcement would be lost.
Consider this: fewer victim advocates means that victims may have to navigate a complicated legal system on their own, deterring them from filing charges and pursuing justice. A mother and her children might have to stay longer with their abuser, because the nearby shelter had to close. Victims of sexual violence may not have access to a sexual assault response team and the vital healthcare and support it provides.
It’s a long list of possibilities, and none of them make our state safer, healthier and a better place to live.
At the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault, we have been working with our partners to identify solutions that will support crime victims in a more sustainable way, and, offers more control of these funds at the state level.
We partnered with Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point, on a bill to replenish the VOCA funds that came to Indiana from the federal government. While the bill did not receive a hearing, I applaud her for stepping up to ensure victims are protected and supported during a life-changing and altering time. We are continuing to work with our legislators and partners to ensure we fight for funding for crime victims by identifying other pathways within the budget.
Some at the legislature may wonder why funding for victims is so necessary. They may point to issues with taxes or funding shortfalls as reasons not to act. But let me be clear: crime impacts all of us.
If you think you are immune, you are not. Three in five women and one in four men in Indiana have been victims of sexual violence at some point in their life. One in three Hoosier women have been raped in their lifetime. These aren’t just numbers, they are people where trauma has created a ripple effect in their lives, their families and their communities.
I hope you will join us in advocating for victims during this legislative session by contacting your legislator. Please visit protectindianacrimevictims.org to learn how you can help. We can’t do it alone. But together, we can make a difference.