[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 46 (Monday, April 18, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E677]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN SUPPORT OF THE VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT FUND

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. STEVE CHABOT

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 18, 2005

  Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, too often the dignity and respect that crime 
victims deserve are lost in the system, a system that is supposed to 
ensure justice for all.
  Last October Congress passed and the President signed into law the 
Justice For All Act which brought some justice back to victims through 
an established and enforceable set of rights, including the right to be 
present during proceedings, the right to confront assailants in 
proceedings, and the right to be notified about the release or escape 
of the perpetrator from custody.
  If these funds are diverted from the Victims of Crime Act Fund, crime 
victims will suffer again.
  The Victims of Crime Act Fund, VOCA, was established by Congress in 
1984 as a way to ensure the continued support and protection for the 
victims of crime. It is funded through fines, forfeitures, and fees 
assessed against criminal defendants and is directed toward states 
where it is used to provide services to those organizations that serve 
crime victims. It is not funded through general tax revenue.
  In my own district in Cincinnati the organization ProKids is one such 
organization that benefits from VOCA funding. ProKids trains special 
court appointed advocates to serve as a voice for children who have 
been abused or neglected. VOCA funds provide a substantial portion of 
the organization's operating budget, without which the protection that 
ProKids provides to children will end.
  We cannot continue to deny those who suffer most from crime. I urge 
my colleagues to oppose using these funds for any purpose other than 
for which Congress intended.

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