"I believe the way to fight crime more effectively
is by giving the victim more power and rights."

—A victim who received services from a
VOCA-funded program in Minnesota

Information is power. And the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is dedicated to helping you empower victims. OVC provides quick and easy access to funding information, training and technical assistance, publications, skill-building tools, and other vital information resources to enhance victim services.

Formally established in 1988 through an amendment to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) of 1984, OVC's mission has always been to enhance the Nation's capacity to assist crime victims and provide leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims of crime.

OVC works with international, national, tribal, state, military, and local victim assistance and criminal justice agencies, as well as other professional organizations, to promote fundamental rights and comprehensive services for crime victims.

Make a difference by accessing the right information. OVC provides many of the tools you need—through the OVC Resource Center (OVCRC), the OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC), and the OVC Web site (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc).

Whether you are drafting policies on domestic violence, searching for up-to-date research on child abuse, investigating a story on hate crime, or seeking statistics on the nature of victimization in the United States, turn to the OVC Resource Center for accurate and reliable justice information.

As a component of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), OVCRC has direct access to the most comprehensive criminal justice library in the world.

OVCRC produces, collects, maintains, and disseminates comprehensive information and resources for victim service providers and allied professionals. When you ask OVCRC for help, our knowledgeable information specialists will provide a response tailored to your needs. They will also make suggestions about additional or related resources and even assist you with research.

Ask OVCRC for

• Up-to-date research and statistics.
  
• Victim-related publications.
  
• Other information resources and referrals.

For assistance call 1-800-851-3420 (TTY 1-877-712-9279) or send an e-mail to askovc@ojp.usdoj.gov. Information about victim-related issues is also available from OVCRC 24 hours a day through the Internet (visit www.ncjrs.org) and Fax-on-Demand service (call 1-800-851-3420 and follow the instructions to receive a listing of available publications).

...about individualized tools and strategies.

Ask OVC TTAC for help building and enhancing the skills you need to provide victim-sensitive services. Using experts from the field, OVC TTAC can help you expand your understanding of victims' issues, assess your program needs, and establish sound policies—plus provide the support necessary to help you achieve your goals.

OVC TTAC tailors assistance to your program's individual needs. Through consultation with TTAC's professional staff, mentors, and expert consultants, help is available to identify and secure speakers for conferences and workshops, provide training on victims' issues, find facilitators for focus groups and strategic planning meetings, and access other tools and skill-building activities aimed at effectively working with crime victims.

OVC TTAC offers scheduled trainings developed by OVC's discretionary grantees and maintains an annual calendar of training events.

For help in meeting all your training and technical assistance needs, just ask OVC TTAC. Log onto www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc for the latest OVC TTAC resources, call 1-866-682-8822, or send an e-mail to ttac@ovcttac.org for more information.

Ask OVC TTAC for

• Technical assistance and training tailored to strengthen your program.
  
• Experts to speak at your next conference or victim-related event.
  
• Onsite victim service consultants to help you when you need assistance.
  
• State-of-the-art training.

...about the latest online resources.

The OVC Web site is the primary source of skill-building tools for victim service providers and allied professionals. Online you can find general resource publications, documents related to current critical issues, and conference opportunities for victim services and allied professionals to help you strengthen your program.

Visit the OVC Web site to

• Download publications quickly and easily.
• Learn about available grants and other funding opportunities.
• Access the NCJRS broad Calendar of Events.
• Submit queries and requests to OVC via the Ask OVC e-mail service.
• Link to national victim service organizations.
• Search the extensive NCJRS document collection.
• Obtain specialized products such as program guides, information packages, and videos.
• Locate an OVC-funded program that provides assistance to victims at the state or local level.
• Access information on current issues.
• Access applications for grants and training and technical assistance.

...about the changing profile of crime
victimization in America.

To keep up with the changing profile of crime in the United States and against American citizens abroad, OVC collects information from the field regarding new and emerging needs of crime victims. OVC identifies unmet needs and develops policies, protocols, and guidelines—which are then passed along to you via OVC publications, conferences, trainings, and technical assistance to improve your ability to serve victims of crime.

OVC provides these resources to the field through its Web site as well as through OVCRC and OVC TTAC. OVC also provides general resources to help victim service providers heighten awareness and effect change in their communities.

Visit the OVC Web site (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc) for the latest information on crime victim laws, policies, and programs.

OVC is committed to helping you assist crime victims. Contact OVC to take advantage of the many resources available to help you provide comprehensive, quality services to victims of crime.

OVC is committed to:

• Enacting and enforcing consistent, fundamental rights for crime victims.
• Providing crime victims with access to comprehensive, quality services.
• Integrating crime victims' issues into all levels of the Nation's educational system.
• Supporting, improving, and replicating promising practices in victims' rights and services.
• Ensuring that the voices of crime victims play a central role in the Nation's response to violence.

Mission Statement

The Office for Victims of Crime is committed to enhancing the Nation's capacity to assist crime victims and to providing leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims of crime. OVC works with national, international, state, military, and tribal victim assistance and criminal justice agencies, as well as other professional organizations, to promote fundamental rights and comprehensive services for crime victims.

Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)
U.S. Department of Justice
810 Seventh Street NW.
Washington, DC 20531
Phone: 202-307-5983
Fax: 202-305-2440

OVC Web site: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc

OVC Resource Center
1-800-851-3420
(TTY 1-877-712-9279)
OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center
1-866-OVC-TTAC
(TTY 1-866-682-8880)

Back to Welcome to OVC