The mission of the Mayor’s Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants (VSJG) is to advise the Mayor on policies and practices in order to improve both the administration of justice in the District and the provision of services and support for victims of crime. VSJG is also responsible for overseeing the programmatic strategies and coordinating the grant-making efforts of the Office of Victim Services (OVS), the Justice Grants Administration (JGA), and the Access to Justice initiative in order to ensure the coordinated programmatic and grant-making efforts of those offices.
Summary of Services
The Office of Victim Services (OVS) administers grants to agency-based and community-based organizations to support victims of all crime, and provides coordination and leadership around multi-disciplinary efforts to develop a continuum of care for all types of crime victims. Some of this support includes providing safe temporary transitional housing for victims of domestic violence; coordinating with area hospitals to ensure that victims are able to receive advocacy and medical forensic services; maintaining outreach programs to residents, visitors, campuses, and military personnel regarding the dynamics and impact of victimization from violent crime; and providing crisis intervention services and advocacy for victims of homicide, sexual assault, and domestic violence. OVS also represents the Executive Office of the Mayor on local coordinating bodies, such as the D.C. Victim Assistance Network and Sexual Assault Response Team.
The Justice Grants Administration (JGA) administers grants to agency-based and community-based organizations with an emphasis on improving District public safety, and juvenile and criminal justice issues. JGA’s programs have focused on truancy prevention, re-entry of returning citizens, juvenile diversion mentoring, and anti-gang efforts. JGA is responsible for gathering stakeholder input and identifying cross-cutting funding priorities each year; identifying subgrantees that are well-positioned to advance these funding priorities; and providing financial, administrative, and programmatic oversight, training, and technical assistance to ensure program outcomes are achieved. JGA also represents the Executive Office of the Mayor on the D.C. Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee and responds to the District’s effort to substantially comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and Prison Rape Elimination Act.
The Access to Justice initiative contains two primary activities: the Access to Justice program provides financial assistance to organizations and individuals who provide direct civil legal services to low-income and underserved District residents; and the Poverty Lawyer Loan Repayment Assistance program provides educational loan repayment assistance to lawyers who live and work in the District of Columbia and are employed in areas of legal practice that serve low-income residents.
