“In partnership, we are reaffirming our commitment to supporting victims of crime and ensuring that every Marylander has access to the resources they need to heal and seek justice,” said Gov. Moore. “When people feel safe and feel like justice will be served, we have a better chance of getting convictions, closing cases, and restoring trust between our communities and the forces sworn to protect them. Today, we take a step toward each of these goals.”

For the first time in six years, the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy implemented a fully competitive and open Victims of Crime Act funding process. The transformative, more competitive process helps ensure the responsible allocation of taxpayer dollars, increases the diversity of service providers and recipients, increases geographic diversity, and allows new organizations an opportunity to compete for public funding.

“Victims of abuse, trauma and violence need resources and support to transform dire circumstances into hopeful futures,” said Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy Executive Director Dorothy Lennig. “This competitive process has allowed new organizations to access funding—including breaking down barriers that may have previously existed for newer or smaller service providers—so we are able to expand our reach and help more Marylanders.”

Grants offer crucial support for families of homicide victims, covering expenses such as payments to crime victums, forensic exams for sexual assault survivors; sexual assault survivor advocacy services for domestic violence; and victims legal services. Over 85% of applicants received funding, with representation from every jurisdiction in Maryland. 

“Victims of Crime Act funds are a vital lifeline throughout Maryland for more than 100 victim service providers and tens of thousands of survivors each year,” said LifeBridge Health Center for Hope Executive Director Adam Rosenberg. “Thanks to the Victims of Crime Act and Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy statewide support, Center for Hope helps domestic violence victims escape life-threatening situations, provides child victims of abuse tools to reclaim their childhoods, and partners with community members to free neighborhoods plagued by gun violence. The funds fill an enormous gap in service that no other funder can support.”

“Victims of Crime Act funding has provided the financial support for Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence to implement its holistic crisis to self-sufficiency model to rural domestic violence victims,” said Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence Executive Director Jeanne Yeager. “Victims receive short- and long-term support with housing, legal, mental health, transportation and employment, as well as assistance with food, basic needs, and other barriers that they face. Victims of Crime Act funding has helped many victims increase their safety, emotional healing and ability to meet basic needs.” 

Information about Victims of Crime Act and state-supported funding is available through the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy’s interactive grant map, available at goccp.maryland.gov.

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The following organizations received VOCA funding through GOCPP

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Crownsville, MD – The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy (GOCPP) has updated its interactive map showcasing the distribution of public safety grants across Maryland for FY 2025. This update continues the agency’s commitment to transparency and accessibility as the State’s designated distributor of state and federal public safety grant funds.

The refreshed map, available at https://gocpp.maryland.gov/grants/interactive-grant-map/, now displays the latest information on grant awards for state fiscal year 2025. Visitors can explore a detailed county-by-county breakdown of all awarded grants, including contact information, links to grantee websites, grant amounts, and concise project summaries for each recipient.

“We are pleased to provide this updated resource to the public, showcasing our ongoing investments in community safety and victim services throughout Maryland,” said GOCPP Executive Director Dorothy Lennig. “This map not only demonstrates our commitment to transparency but also serves as a valuable tool for those seeking assistance or looking to understand how public safety funds are being utilized in their communities.”

The interactive map offers several key features:

• Comprehensive overview of grant distribution across the state
• Detailed information on each grantee and their funded projects
• User-friendly interface allowing easy navigation and filtering of data
• Up-to-date contact information for funded organizations

This tool is particularly useful for:

• Residents seeking local public safety resources
• Journalists researching public safety initiatives
• Policymakers evaluating the impact of grant funding
• Organizations interested in applying for future grant opportunities

GOCPP encourages local governments, nonprofits, and community organizations to explore the updated map to learn about current funding allocations and to consider applying for future grant opportunities.

For more information about GOCPP and its grant programs, please visit our website and sign up for alerts to receive updates on our upcoming trainings, programs, and funding opportunities.

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For Immediate Release

Ellicott City, MD — On Tuesday the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy (GOCPP) hosted its 8th Annual Victims’ Rights Conference at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City. The event brought together more than 500 victim service professionals and advocates from across the state to celebrate achievements, share best practices, and advance the cause of victim rights. The Conference took place during 2024 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

This year’s conference featured an inspiring keynote address by Disability Advocate Kris McElroy. Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller also attended the conference. She presented three outstanding victim services advocates with awards at the conference.

These awards underscored the invaluable role played by individuals and organizations in supporting and empowering victims of crime.

The event also included a series of professional development workshops covering a wide range of topics relevant to victim services, including Post-Conviction Victim Services, Support Services Guidance for Mass Casualty Incidents, and Exploring the Complexities of Sexual Violence in the Transgender Community. Attendees had the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions, network, exchange ideas, and enhance their skills to better serve the needs of victims and survivors.

“We are thrilled to host another successful Victims’ Rights Conference, bringing together dedicated professionals and advocates committed to supporting victims of crime,” said Rebecca Allyn, GOCPP Manager of Victim Services Initiatives. “This event serves as a platform to recognize the remarkable achievements of service providers and to strengthen our collective efforts to ensure that victims receive the support and resources they need to rebuild their lives.”

For more information about GOCPP’s victim service programs, including victim compensation, sexual assault treatment reimbursement, sexual assault kit tracking, and more– please visit our website.

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For Immediate Release 4/11/2024

Crownsville, MD – On Wednesday, the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy (GOCPP) hosted a highly successful Reentry Simulation event in Maryland. The simulation was attended by a diverse group of more than 70 state and local government professionals, as well as representatives from nonprofit organizations that support individuals returning to the community after incarceration.

The Reentry Simulation, held during Second Chance Month, is designed to give participants a firsthand understanding of the significant obstacles faced by men and women attempting to navigate the system upon their release from incarceration and return to their communities. Over the course of two hours, each participant assumed the identity of a returning citizen and experienced the challenges of the first month of post-release life.

Participants were given “Life Cards” that detailed their criminal background, living situation, job status, and weekly tasks they had to accomplish to avoid being sent back to prison. They then navigated a series of 15 stations representing the various agencies and organizations a returning citizen must interact with, such as the DMV, probation office, employer, and social services.

“Working in reentry requires empathy,” said Carly Seidman, GOCPP Justice Reinvestment Coordinator, who helped organize the event. “This simulation is designed to help our colleagues in the field more readily identify with the challenges faced by the people we are supposed to be supporting through their journey back into the community.”

The event was widely praised by attendees for its ability to vividly illustrate the inherent challenges and uncertainty of the reentry process. Participants left the simulation with a deeper understanding of the need for comprehensive, individualized support to help returning citizens overcome the many hurdles they face.

“In between our simulated weeks, we set aside time to ask the group about the challenges they had just encountered,” Brandi Cahn, GOCPP Assistant Director of Justice Reinvestment, said. “We wanted that dialogue to develop while their setbacks were still fresh. It really drove home how hopeless and confusing our current reentry system can feel for those trying to navigate it. And those discussions really helped highlight where change could be made to the reentry process in which we are all working.”

For more information about reentry programming and services taking place throughout the State, visit www.goccp.maryland.gov and sign up for the Justice Reinvestment Act newsletter.

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For Immediate Release 12/12/2023

Annapolis, MD – The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services (GOCPYVS) announced Monday it was awarded a $5.1 million grant from the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Byrne SCIP/BSCI) to support efforts aimed at reducing gun violence in Maryland. 

The grant, authorized by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, will assist the state in reducing gun violence, temporarily keeping guns out of dangerous hands, and saving lives by targeting risk factors that lead to gun violence.

In June 2022, the federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was signed into law by President Biden as a result of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and 2 teachers lost their lives. The act authorized several new federal funding streams, including the Byrne SCIP, to protect children, keep schools safe, and reduce the threat of gun violence across the country. Maryland has received $5,124,825 for combined federal fiscal years 2022 and 2023 and is anticipating an additional $2.5 million per year for the next three fiscal years.

The grant will fund various projects or initiatives aimed at reducing gun violence at the intersections of domestic violence and behavioral health, including:

• Extreme risk protection order (ERPO) programs,
• Specialized court-based programs such as drug, mental health, and veterans treatment courts,
• Behavioral health deflection for those at risk to themselves or others,
• Funding for law enforcement agencies to safely secure, store, track, and return relinquished guns and
• Other firearm violence reduction programs or initiatives

The agency has also convened a new board to help guide its work, which includes 11 members with expertise in education, nonprofit services, law enforcement, and public health. The board’s first meeting was held Monday, December 11, 2023.

GOCPYVS Executive Director Dorothy Lennig expressed her enthusiasm about the new grant funding and the public safety experts recruited to serve on the grant’s Advisory Board. 

“Reducing gun violence is a top priority here in Maryland. This funding will allow us to expand our efforts to reduce gun violence and save lives in communities that are struggling with violence, as well as protect those that are in danger of being harmed by intimate partner violence,” Executive Director Lennig said. “We have a stellar team that I’m excited to lead as Chair of the Advisory Board. The individuals who stepped forward have the experience we need to steer these critical public safety dollars to programs that will stem the tide of gun violence throughout the State.” 

The Byrne SCIP Advisory Board is comprised of the following members:

• (Chairperson) Dorothy Lennig, Esq., Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services 
• Honorable John Morrissey, Chief Judge, District Court of Maryland
• Major Andy Johnson, Assistant Bureau Chief – Criminal Investigation Bureau, Maryland Department of State Police
• Darren Popkin, Executive Director, Maryland Chiefs of Police and Maryland Sheriff’s Associations
• Jeanne Yeager, Executive Director, Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence
• Steve Kroll, State’s Attorneys’ Coordinator, Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association
• Natasha Dartigue, Public Defender, Office of the Public Defender
• Shannon Frattaroli, Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
• Jane Krienke, Senior Legislative Analyst, Maryland Hospital Association
• Spencer Cantrell, Senior Advisor for Implementation and Federal Affairs, Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions
• Felicia Carroll, Community Member and Member of the Caucus of African-American Leaders

For more information about the agency’s initiatives, please visit the agency’s website at www.goccp.maryland.gov.

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Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, & Victim Services rolls out map for the public to see public safety programs and services throughout the State

For Immediate Release

Crownsville, MD – The public now has access to a comprehensive interactive map of the programs and services funded by the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention Youth & Victim Services (GOCPYVS). The agency is exclusively designated by the federal government to receive and distribute public safety grant funds. As the “agency of designation,” GOCPYVS is best known for its $300M state and federal public safety grant portfolio that is used to make strategic investments in local law enforcement agencies, victim services, reentry programs, community crime prevention, and much more.

Individuals may visit https://gocpp.maryland.gov/grants/ to view a county-by-county breakdown of all awarded grants. In addition to location information, the map lists contact information, links to the grantee’s website, grant amount, and a brief project summary for each awardee.

GOCPYVS Executive Director Dorothy Lennig says the map is an effort to bring greater transparency to the agency.

“It is imperative that taxpayers, journalists, and policymakers can easily understand exactly how and where these funds are being deployed,” Lennig said. “We also want to expand access to the programs we’re funding in communities across the State. If someone, for example, is struggling with domestic violence or re-entry issues, we want them to know that there are resources available.”

Members of the media are encouraged to visit the map to learn more about the organizations and programs at the center of their reporting. And users can use the map’s filtering features to pinpoint relevant grantee information.

GOCPYVS encourages local governments and nonprofits that are interested in expanding their public safety programming to visit the grants page to learn more about funding opportunities, the application process, and the timeline for awarding grants.

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Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services
Convenes 7th Annual Maryland Crime Victims’ Rights Conference

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Today, the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services  convened the 7th Annual Maryland Crime Victims’ Rights Conference. At the conference, victim service professionals gathered to learn about new and emerging best practices and laws that impact victims of crime in Maryland. In addition, the Governor’s Victim Assistance Awards were presented to recognize outstanding service to crime victims.

“In Maryland, we are sending a loud and clear message that we will uplift and support those who are in need,” said Gov. Wes Moore. “Victim service professionals work tirelessly to support Marylanders who are impacted by crime, and we are proud to acknowledge outstanding achievements by those that have gone above and beyond in fulfilling their mission.”

This year’s conference was held at the Maryland Judicial Center in Annapolis. More than 350 victim service professionals and stakeholders attended the conference in-person or virtually. Topics discussed included a range of services provided to crime victims, including: survivor-led community health and wellness, victim confidentiality, financial abuse prevention, public benefits for survivors, legislation, truth in sentencing, assisting homicide survivors, serving LGBTQ+ victims, and trauma-informed care.

The 2023 Governor’s Victim Assistance Award recipients are:

• Secretary of State Susan Lee: Throughout her tenure in the Maryland General Assembly, then-Senator Lee fought vigorously to pass laws protecting victims of crime. In 2022, she led the passage of Senate Bill 20, a landmark law that allows statements from child witnesses and other victims of crime to be admitted as evidence. And in her role as Secretary of State, she oversees critical programs including the Address Confidentiality Program which protects victims’ privacy.
• Natasha Guynes: As the founder and director of HER Resiliency Center, Ms. Guynes leads a team that provides essential support and guidance to vulnerable young women as they heal and return to normalcy and self-sufficiency in their lives. In her own life, Ms. Guynes has overcome poverty, victimization, and other challenges to become a champion and inspiration for the many victims she counsels and supports.
• Richard Hoffman: For more than a decade, Mr. Hoffman has aided Maryland’s crime victims as a victims’ ombudsman addressing victims’ complaints within the criminal justice system and as a leader at the Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center. Mr. Hoffman recently retired from his role at center, leaving a lasting legacy of support and care for crime victims.

Today’s conference follows Governor Moore proclaiming Crime Victims’ Rights Week in Maryland. The annual commemoration acknowledges the work being done to support crime victims and our continued commitment as a state to serving victims. And just this week, Governor Moore signed the state budget which allocates $35 million to support victim services providers throughout the state. This year’s conference was hosted in partnership with the Maryland State Board of Victim Services and the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

About the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services
The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services serves as a coordinating office that advises the governor on criminal justice strategies. The office plans, promotes, and funds efforts with government entities, private organizations, and the community to advance public policy, enhance public safety, reduce crime and juvenile delinquency, and serve victims. Learn more by visiting our website at goccp.maryland.gov and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Governor Wes Moore Proclaims April 3 as
Crime Victim and Advocate Commemorative Day

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Today, Governor Wes Moore proclaimed April 3 as Crime Victim and Advocate Commemorative Day, which is recognized annually to honor Maryland’s crime victims and the advocates who support them. Today’s proclamation follows the governor’s budget recommendation earlier this year which allocates $35 million to support victims of crime in Maryland in the upcoming fiscal year.

“When we talk about building a Maryland that leaves no one behind, we’re also talking about supporting those that have been impacted by crime as they heal and return to normalcy in their lives” said Governor Moore. “We’re proud of the significant resources our administration provides for crime victims in Maryland, and we are proud to honor the contributions of countless advocates who work daily to support vulnerable Marylanders.”

Victims of Crime Act funding supports a range of services including direct advocacy, case management, crisis and hotline support, counseling, support groups, court and hospital accompaniment, legal representation, shelter, transitional housing, and forensic medical exams.

Every year, memorial services mark the beginning of Maryland’s observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, observed this year April 23-29. The 33rd Statewide Memorial Services for Crime Victims and Their Families will be held on Sunday, April 23. View details for Maryland’s four regional memorial services here.

The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services and the Maryland State Board of Victim Services will also host the 2023 Maryland Crime Victims’ Rights Conference on April 27. The annual conference is an opportunity to learn about promising practices and emerging issues from experts in the field in an effort to better serve Maryland crime victims. For more information, view the agenda and register to attend here.

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About the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services
The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services serves as a coordinating office that advises the governor on criminal justice strategies. The office plans, promotes, and funds efforts with government entities, private organizations, and the community to advance public policy, enhance public safety, reduce crime and juvenile delinquency, and serve victims. Learn more by visiting our website at goccp.maryland.gov and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

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