Federal Cuts Abandon Crime Victims
Communities, neighborhoods and families will be less safe.
REVERSE THE CUTS
On April 22, the Department of Justice (DOJ) cut 365 grants to organizations working to advance safety, prevent crime, and provide services to victims. The total value of the grants affected exceeds $800 million.
Organizations operating in 116 cities and 36 states will cease or modify operations due to these cuts.
The DOJ cut 109 grants totaling $248 million dollars to organizations working to implement or improve community violence intervention.
The cuts also included 81 grants totaling $138 million to organizations providing or improving victim services.
Organizations that provide services to survivors of domestic violence and prevention services to youth outreach were also impacted.
These cuts will result in fewer crime victims getting support and safety, higher costs to businesses and taxpayers, thousands more homicides, tens of thousands more aggravated assaults, and tens of thousands more people injured in the coming years.
Community organizations are the foundations of safety.
The Department of Justice created these 365 grants because community-based programs make safety a reality. One affected program observed a 32% reduction in homicides in its five longest running sites and reductions in nonfatal shootings as large as 84%. Another program observed a 55% reduction in deaths and hospital visits due to firearm violence. Alumni of a violence prevention program affected by the cuts were 73% less likely to be arrested for a violent crime. Another affected program successfully helped survivors of domestic violence avoid more victimization. Other affected organizations were working to prevent elder abuse, combat antisemitism, and support survivors of human trafficking.
Here’s the truth about community-based organizations’ role in creating a safer society:
Cities that implement community violence intervention programs see reductions in violence and crime.
Victims who get access to services experience less revictimization, have fewer longterm mental health challenges and more economic stability.
Youth outreach programs lead to fewer kids arrested, detained, and victimized.
Domestic violence services save lives.
Every 10 additional organizations focusing on crime and community life in a city leads to a nine percent reduction in the murder rate, a six percent reduction in the violent crime rate, and a four percent reduction in the property crime rate.
Victim Services and Trauma Recovery Centers
What they are
Victim service organizations provide resources and support to victims of all kinds of crimes, including victims of gun violence, elder and child abuse and human trafficking. Trauma Recovery Centers serve as focal points where victims can access wraparound services from multiple victim service organizations, tailored to meet their needs. Some victims might need transportation to medical appointments, help understanding legal documents related to their case, childcare, access to mental health resources, or employment support. These are some of the crucial services victims receive through networks of victim service providers.
Why it matters
Victim services improve outcomes for crime victims. An evaluation of clients who received services through a Trauma Recovery Center found:
–A 56% increase in return to employment
–A 69% increase in reporting to law enforcement among sexual assault victims
–95% of participants reported feeling better emotionally
–93% reported improvements in day-to-day functioning
–90% reported improvements in relationships with family and friends
And, victim services are cost efficient:
–Trauma Recover Center services cost less than traditional fee-for-service victim services.
–92 percent of respondents in a national survey of Trauma Recovery Centers reported that services provided through their organization result in their clients being less reliant on social services
–Trauma Recovery Centers coordinate care across multiple providers and avoid service duplication.
Community Violence Intervention
What they are
Community violence intervention programs work in partnership with law enforcement to prevent violence before it happens. These community-led programs hire trusted members of the community who are trained in de-escalation tactics to reach out directly to people most likely to be affected by violence. The programs build relationships with community members, mediate conflicts before they escalate, and connect participants to resources like job training, housing support, mental health care or victim services. By working to actually prevent violence, rather than just responding to it, community violence intervention programs help communities interrupt cycles of violence and create lasting safety.
Why it matters
Violence intervention programs make communities safer.
–Wherever these programs are prevalent, communities see reductions in violence, including fewer shootings, retaliations and homicides.
–Miami-Dade County’s Circle of Brotherhood focused on violence interventions in the two ZIP codes with the most homicides. Their work contributed to an 84% decrease in homicides between 2020 to 2024 in one ZIP code and a 60% decline in the other. This organization was impacted by cuts.
–Newark Community Street Team in Newark, New Jersey intervenes in hundreds of potentially violent situations every year, helping drive the number of homicides down to a 60-year low. This organization was impacted by cuts.
–Chicago CRED reduced arrests for violent offences by 73% among people who completed the program. This organization was impacted by cuts.
–Advance Peace in Richmond, California, was associated with massive reductions in firearm violence: 55% fewer deaths and hospital visits and 43% fewer crimes. An affiliated program in Sacramento saw gun homicides and assaults decline by 22%, saving between $25 and $58 million. This organization was impacted by cuts.
–Programs by ROCA, Inc., in Chelsea, Massachusetts, benefit participants, with 89% of them showing improved emotional regulation and 96% avoiding new incarcerations. Program participants also experience lower rates of violence. This organization was impacted by cuts.
–An evaluation of Baltimore Safe Streets showed homicides were 32% lower in its five longest-running sites.
–Peacekeepers Program in Chicago experienced a 41% overall reduction in victimizations.
–A New York-based community violence intervention program evaluation found gun violence was 20% lower than it would have been in the absence of the program.
Domestic Violence
What they are
Survivors in violent relationships face many barriers when they decide to get help. Many have nowhere else to go or have children with their abusive partner. They may fear retaliation, which makes leaving the most dangerous period for a survivor—this is when they are most likely to be seriously injured or killed. Domestic violence shelters and resources offer a lifeline for safety in this critical period. Services that support victims of domestic violence include providing emergency shelter, counseling, or legal aid in filing restraining orders or navigating custody proceedings.
Why it matters
–Women who worked with intensive community-based advocates experienced less violence over time, reported higher quality of life and social support, and had less difficulty obtaining community resources. More than twice as many women receiving advocacy services experienced no violence across the two years post-intervention compared with women who did not receive such services.
–Compared to women who received standard court services, women working with law student advocates reported significantly less physical and psychological re-abuse after six weeks.
–Community-based outreach by victim advocates results in decreased distress levels and greater readiness to leave abusive relationships compared to system-based referrals.
–Shelter-based treatment for victims of intimate partner violence through Helping to Overcome PTSD through Empowerment (HOPE) was significantly associated with a lower likelihood of re-abuse over the six-month follow-up period relative to standard shelter services.
Youth Programs
What they are
Youth intervention and prevention programs offer resources and mentorship to children most likely to be impacted by violence.Why it matters
Youth outreach programs lead to fewer kids victimized, arrested, and detained.–Clients of the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative were involved in 36 percent fewer violent offenses and 20 percent fewer non-violent offenses relative to youth identified for the program and never enrolled. These programs are cost effective, saving the city five dollars for every dollar invested in the program.