Rally and Press Conference in Support of Victims’ Services on January 14, 2025

MCEDV, the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Legal Services for Maine Elders, legislators, advocates, survivors, and other allies on January 14th at 11:30 AM at the Maine State House in support of funding for victims’ services in Maine.

Victim services are critical public health infrastructure, supporting survivors of crimes, easing burdens on the criminal justice system, and strengthening our communities. Yet once again, the funding for these services is at risk of huge cuts because of shortfalls in the federal Crime Victims Fund. Without action by the Maine legislature, victim advocates will lose their jobs, legal support for abuse survivors will be eliminated, and Maine’s only dedicated shelter for trafficking victims will close. These are just a few of the many impacts of inaction on this issue.

This issue was addressed last year in Governor Janet Mills’ supplemental budget as a one-time fix. But these cuts are expected to continue for several years while the federal government works on a solution. Without predictable, ongoing funds to fill this gap, VOCA cuts will continue to be at risk for the foreseeable future.

Learn more about the impact of the VOCA funding crisis in our VOCA Cuts Pager 2024-2025.