Victims of Crime Act Grants: Better Reporting Needed for Compensation and Assistance Programs
GGD-92-2
Published: Oct 23, 1991. Publicly Released: Nov 22, 1991.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Justice's (DOJ) implementation of the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) victim compensation and victim assistance grant programs, administered by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), which provide federal monetary compensation and support services to victims and families of victims of violent crime, focusing on: (1) whether the grants are meeting legislative objectives; and (2) the procedures in place for administering those programs and evaluating program results.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Justice | The Attorney General should require the Director, OVC, to ensure that the revised state performance reporting format has eliminated the problem of inaccurate and inconsistent data. |
DOJ monitored data collected on new forms for a few years and concluded that previous problems with inaccurate and inconsistent data have been corrected.
|
| Department of Justice | The Attorney General should require the Director, OVC, to require states to document and report VOCA funds expended in the four priority areas. |
DOJ is prohibited by OMB from collecting detailed financial reports on state line item expenditures. To monitor VOCA expenditures in the four priority areas, DOJ conducts periodic on-site inspections that examine state files and subgrant budget information. If grantees are not meeting requirements, DOJ intensifies monitoring, offers technical assistance, and places special conditions on grantees.
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Topics
Comparative analysisCrime victimsDamage claimsData integritystate relationsGrant administrationProgram evaluationProgram managementReporting requirementsVictim compensation