Sex trafficking

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...

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 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...

Good afternoon, everyone! Domingo [Herraiz], thank you for that introduction and to the IACP for hosting today’s event and inviting me to be here with you today.

I’m so honored to be joining you all here on day 2 of this training. As you all know combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Office for Victims of Crime, the Department of Justice, and...

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...

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...

Good afternoon, everyone!

I’m so glad that we could all get together today and commemorate World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.

I’d like to begin by thanking everyone at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for putting together such an important event and inviting me to speak.

Today is a day dedicated to comprehensive and coordinated approaches to preventing and combating human trafficking.

This goal...

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...

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’...

Each May we pause and pay tribute to the local, Tribal, state, and federal law enforcement officers who have devoted their lives to safeguarding our own. Attorney General William P. Barr asks all Americans this week “to join me in saying ‘thank you’ to our nation’s federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement officers. Their devotion and sacrifice to our peace and security will not...

Model Standards Seek to Enhance Crime Victim Services

OVC's Achieving Excellence: Model Standards for Serving Victims & Survivors of Crime e-publication seeks to enhance victim service providers' competency and capacity to provide ethical, high-quality responses to crime victims. These model standards also seek to meet the demands facing the field today. The e-publication includes three sets of standards:

• The Program Standards recommend guidelines, policies, and...