News and announcements

On Wednesday, September 30, 2020, Office for Victims of Crime Director Jessica Hart participated in a roundtable with anti-trafficking professionals, including Governor Brian Kemp; First Lady Marty Kemp; Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan; Georgia Attorney General Carr; GRACE Commission members; U.S. Attorneys BJay Pak, Charlie Peeler, and Bobby Christine; and Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vic Reynolds.

The panel was convened to discuss combating human trafficking through public/private partnerships, as well as...

To commemorate National Campus Safety Awareness Month, Office for Victims of Crime Director Jessica E. Hart released a video message.

“In the wake of the pandemic, it is more important than ever to commemorate this month as National Campus Safety Awareness Month and to commit ourselves to raising awareness about the safety on college and university campuses across the country” states Director Hart.

This...

On Monday, September 21, 2020, Attorney General Barr and Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump announced the release of nearly $100 million in Office for Victims of Crime funding during a meeting at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. 

This funding, which includes the $35 million in funding for housing assistance announced during a recent White House event, will go towards...

September is National Preparedness Month

President Trump has proclaimed September as National Preparedness Month. In his proclamation, the President states “we cannot always know when the next crisis will occur, but we can know that we will be prepared by committing ourselves to a culture of resilience.”

OVC’s Helping Victims of Mass Violence & Terrorism: Planning, Response, Recovery, and Resources toolkit provides communities and...

On Wednesday, September 9, 2020, Office for Victims of Crime Senior Advisor for Victims Services and Human Trafficking Program Director Bill Woolf spoke at the Human Trafficking Prevention and Awareness Summit, hosted by the Louisiana First Foundation.

Mr. Woolf discussed the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking nationwide, led by the Office for Victims of Crime, including the Improving Outcomes for Child and...

On Monday, August 31, 2020, Office for Victims of Crime Director Jessica E. Hart spoke at the 2020 Victims of Crime Act Administrators National Training Conference. This annual event hosts state Victims of Crime Act Administrators who manage formula victim compensation and assistance grant programs—the cornerstone of support for victims throughout the Nation.

Director Hart spoke about the importance of developing productive relationships with Administrators and...

On Monday, August 31, 2020, Office for Victims of Crime Senior Advisor for Victims Services and Human Trafficking Program Director Bill Woolf spoke at a webinar hosted by the National Elder Multidisciplinary Team (E-MDT) Training and Technical Assistance Center for E-MDT grantees.

He discussed the commitment of the Office for Victims of Crime to serve older victims of financial fraud, including the March 2020 launch of...

On Thursday, August 27, 2020, Office for Victims of Crime Principal Deputy Director Bill Woolf spoke at the 2020 Virtual Law Enforcement & Human Trafficking Conference.

Principal Deputy Director Woolf, a former detective and human trafficking task force lead investigator, provided information to law enforcement personnel about the involvement of gangs in sex trafficking. He discussed the economics of sex trafficking and how gangs recruit...

On Wednesday, August 26, 2020, Office for Victims of Crime Director Jessica E. Hart spoke at the FY 2019 Enhanced Collaborative Model Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking Grantee Orientation.

In her remarks, Director Hart addresses the challenges faced by human trafficking task forces to identify and serve victims during the pandemic and highlights the commitment by the Trump Administration and the Department of Justice...

Thank you, Darlene [Hutchinson]. On behalf of Director Jessica Hart and the entire Office for Victims of Crime, it’s a privilege to join you and your fellow Alabamians today.

I want to take this opportunity to give a big shout-out to Darlene for all the incredible work she has done on behalf of crime victims in Alabama over the course of her career. I know...

Office for Victims of Crime Principal Deputy Director Bill Woolf spoke at the Alabama State Victim Assistance Academy, hosted by the Alabama Attorney General’s Office. This event provided comprehensive training to approximately 130 victim service providers from Alabama.

On behalf of Director Hart, Principal Deputy Director Woolf expressed his gratitude for the hard work and dedication of Alabama’s victim service providers while facing the challenges...

COVID-19 has impacted nearly every aspect of life for Americans, and this is especially true for those working on the frontlines with victims of human trafficking. On Thursday, August 20, 2020, Director Hart visited two grantees, Survivor Ventures and Samaritan House, to hear how they are continuing to provide transitional housing services to human trafficking survivors during a pandemic that is stretching resources and presenting...

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act recognizes the importance of holding traffickers criminally accountable, protecting victims, and preventing victimization from occurring in the first place.

As the leader of the Department of Justice’s response efforts to combat human trafficking, the Office for Victims of Crime is pleased to announce the launch of an art initiative—Represent Resilience: Learning from Yesterday, Building a Stronger Tomorrow—to commemorate...

Attorney General William P. Barr, Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katie Sullivan, and Office for Victims of Crime Director Jessica Hart announced $35,104,338 in funding to 73 organizations in 34 states to provide safe, stable housing and appropriate services to victims of human trafficking.  Attorney General Barr made the announcement during a roundtable at which grantees and survivors highlighted the...

The Office for Victims of Crime is the largest federal funder of efforts to combat domestic human trafficking. Combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Administration, for the Department of Justice, and for the Office for Victims of Crime.

Watch this video message from Office for Victims of Crime Director Jessica E. Hart about a recent consolidation of law enforcement, juvenile justice, and...

Good afternoon, everyone! It’s my pleasure to join you all today.

I’d like to begin by thanking Silvia Torres on my team that is here with us today and a big thanks to Equal Justice Works and Justice in Aging for putting this together and inviting me to speak.

For more than three decades Equal Justice Works has guided law students and lawyers into public...

In her message to the field, Office for Victims of Crime Director Jessica E. Hart states that “National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is a time to renew our commitment to serving all victims of crime, to acknowledge the achievements in victim services and allied professions, to honor those who have gone above and beyond in their service to others, and to remember crime...

2021 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

In 2021, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week will be commemorated April 18–24. The theme—Support Victims. Build Trust. Engage Communities.— emphasizes the importance of leveraging community support to help victims of crime.

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Submit Your Nominations for the 2021 National Crime Victims’...