Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and

Delinquency

Office of Victims
Services
Annual
Report

2010-11



Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency
Telephone: 717-705-0888 P.O. Box 1167 www.pccd.state.pa.us
Fax: 717-705-0891 Harrisburg, PA 17108-1167
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VICTIMS SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Mission

VSACs mission is to serve in an advisory capacity to the Pennsylvania Commission
on Crime and Delinquency and to assure that the voices, needs and perspectives
of all crime victims/survivors will be considered in the development of services,
service standards, policies, funding priorities, legislation and outcomes.


Vision

VSACs vision is for a society that accepts the responsibility of
meeting the diverse needs of all crime victims/survivors by
acknowledging that they were harmed and by marshalling the
resources necessary to help victims rebuild their lives.

Victims Services Advisory Committee Membership

Reverend Dr. Anne K. Ard, Chair
Executive Director
Centre County Womens Resource Center

Vice-Chair, Vacant

Ms. Valerie Bender
Research Associate
National Center for Juvenile Justice

Ms. Barbara Clark
Executive Director
Network of Victim Assistance

Ms. Peg Dierkers
Executive Director
PA Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Ms. Denise Getgen
Chief of Consumer Protection
Designee of the Department of Aging Secretary

Ms. Carol Lavery
Victim Advocate
Office of the Victim Advocate

Ms. Angie Logan
Executive Policy Specialist
Designee of the Department of Public Welfare
Secretary


Honorable James B. Martin
District Attorney
Lehigh County

Lieutenant David E. Relph
Bureau of Criminal Investigation
Designee of the State Police Commissioner

Ms. Rebecca Shaver
Executive Director
Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Dr. Walter Howard Smith, Jr.
Executive Director
Family Resources

Ms. Donna VandeMortel
Executive Director
Victim Services Division, Cumberland County

Honorable Mardiann Vincent
Deputy Secretary
Designee of the Department of Corrections
Secretary

Honorable William Harvey Wiest
Judge
Northumberland County Court of Common Pleas

Ms. Louise B. Williams
Victim/Survivor, Lancaster City Council
President
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2010/11 Office of Victims Services Annual Report

The Office of Victims Services (OVS) is comprised of two programs, the Victims Compensation
Assistance Program and the Victims Services Program. The mission of the OVS is to assure that
the voices, needs and perspectives of all crime victims/survivors will be considered in the
development of services, service standards, policies, funding priorities legislation and
outcomes.

Created by Act 139 of 1976, the Victims Compensation Assistance Program is committed to
helping victims and their families through the emotional and physical aftermath of a crime by
easing the financial burden imposed upon them. Victims will always be treated with dignity,
compassion and respect as they are assisted through the victims compensation process.

2010-11
Number of New Claims Received 8,771
Average Processing Time for Claims in Weeks 7.13
Number of Emergency Awards Paid 335
Dollar Amount of Emergency Awards Paid $348,372.35
Number of Supplemental Awards Paid 5,347
Dollar Amount Paid on Supplemental Claims $4,542,338.35
Total Paid $14,889,282.42


The Victims Services Program administers state and federal funds in order to provide grants,
training, and technical assistance to community-based and system-based programs that work
to serve victims of crime.

The chart below reflects the number of victims and witnesses provided their rights and services
by victim service providers in the district attorneys offices, juvenile probation departments,
and community based victim service agencies throughout Pennsylvania. Services range from
accompaniment and courtroom orientation to notification, restitution, victims compensation
assistance, transportation, child care, counseling, assistance with Victim Impact Statements and
victim communication with the offender. The numbers under VOJO represent victims of
juvenile offenders and the numbers under RASA represent victims of adult offenders.



2010
VOJO 56,479
RASA 170,583



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OVS Identified Challenges

The field of victim services has historically faced varied challenges. As OVS moves forward, we
continue to recognize the challenges and seek to design and implement effective solutions that
enhance services to victims of crime.

Challenge: Unprecedented state and federal funding cuts for victim services.

The Victims Services Advisory Committee was charged with studying and making
recommendations related to the organizational capacity and sustainability of victim services
over the next 5-10 years.

Challenge: To decrease the administrative burden on grant recipients.

The Data Collection, Reporting and Outcomes Project (DCROP) is a collaborative initiative
amongst State Funders that aims to provide all victim service programs a streamlined,
standardized data collection, reporting and outcomes system.