Proposed federal funding cuts could wipe out victim services and paralyze the criminal justice system      

Article from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

[MAY 5, 2005]  CHICAGO -- Drastic federal funding cuts proposed in the president's 2006 budget could have a devastating impact on the administration of criminal justice in Illinois.

President Bush's proposed fiscal 2006 budget calls for total elimination of Justice Assistance Grant and Juvenile Accountability Block Grant funding and for rescission of monies from the Crime Victims Fund, which supports the Victims of Crime Act.

Municipalities across Illinois rely heavily on these resources to fight drug and violent crime, effectively supervise sex offenders on probation, address the needs of at-risk juveniles, and provide much-needed services to domestic violence and sexual assault victims of all ages.

The fiscal 2005 Justice Assistance Grant appropriation was $536.5 million after deducting earmarks, a significant decrease from 2004 appropriations of $632 million and about $800 million in 2003. The president's proposal to now eliminate all Justice Assistance Grant funding threatens the extinction of a multitude of criminal justice initiatives, from specialized sex offender probation and programs targeting methamphetamine use and production to court services that provide screening, drug treatment and anger management services to at-risk juveniles. In addition, the state will be unable to meet the basic officer safety and communication equipment needs of smaller rural police departments.

The loss of these important programs will result in fewer arrests and prosecutions for drug offenses and a decrease in offender drug treatment services and other innovative programs designed to reduce recidivism. Justice Assistance Grant funding also provides vital flexibility to state and local governments to meet the new and shifting demands on the criminal justice system. This flexibility is particularly important post-9/11.

Elimination of Juvenile Accountability Block Grant funding will result in a loss of about 80 juvenile justice programs throughout Illinois. No other source of funding exists to support innovative programs such as teen courts, victim offender mediation and juvenile detention centers that focus on building life skills and providing educational and vocational training. These program cuts will have a serious negative impact on high-risk youth, which could result in future incarceration and recidivism problems that will overburden already stretched correctional resources.

Victim services also are at risk. Victims of Crime Act funds administered by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority provided services to more than 100,000 victims statewide during the last fiscal year. Illinois receives more than $14 million per year from the Crime Victims Fund to support 140 Victims of Crime Act programs that provide essential therapy and counseling to domestic violence and sexual assault victims, homicide survivors, and child victims of sexual and physical abuse, in addition to victim advocacy to ensure that vital services are coordinated between law enforcement, prosecutors and counselors.

Diverting money from the Crime Victims Fund (fines paid by convicted offenders) to other unrelated areas would significantly affect the availability of these services. Victims of Crime Act funding is the backbone of victim service organizations throughout Illinois. The elimination of reserves in this funding will seriously obstruct the state's ability to continue to provide services to crime victims and eliminate the hope of expanding services and reaching additional victims. Without these funds, crime victims will be further victimized by the financial burdens and emotional injury resulting from the initial crime.

The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority has administered these and other federal programs for more than 20 years. We appreciate Congress' commitment to ensuring that state and local governments have adequate resources to address criminal justice issues. We strongly urge Congress to continue that commitment by maintaining full funding of the Justice Assistance Grant and Juvenile Accountability Block Grant programs and opposing rescission from the Crime Victims Fund.

[Lori G. Levin, executive director, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority]