WWW.USDOJ.GOV

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AWARDS MORE THAN $15 MILLION TO HELP VICTIMS

WASHINGTON, D.C. The Justice Department announced today that it has awarded more than $15 million to New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia to help victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and their families. These new grants include funds to compensate victims and to support state and local programs that offer various forms of assistance. The awards were made through the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), a component of the Department's Office of Justice Programs (OJP).

"Although no amount of assistance can restore the lives of the victims and their families, we can use the resources available to help repair the physical and emotional damage caused by this tragedy," said Attorney General John Ashcroft. "These grants will help New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia continue their exemplary work to aid and care for the victims of these horrific attacks."

OVC awarded a total of six grants -- one victim compensation award and one victim assistance award to each of the three states. All grants were awarded to an agency designated by the state. The states will use the victim compensation awards to supplement their own compensation efforts, which reimburse victims for expenses such as medical and mental health treatment, funeral costs or lost wages. Victim assistance funds will be used to support organizations that provide critical victim services, which include information and referrals, emergency shelter and emergency transportation.

Funding for these grants comes from OVC's Antiterrorism and Emergency Fund, which was authorized by the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, as amended by the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. OVC may provide funding to supplement resources available in responding to incidents of terrorism or mass violence. Awards are authorized in cases where services cannot be adequately provided with existing funds. New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia each received its regular Fiscal Year 2001 Victim Compensation and Assistance Awards earlier this year.

"These awards are just one of many actions the Administration is taking to assist in the recovery from these tragic events," added Ashcroft.