State of Iowa wants to reorganize victim services

A public hearing will be held at 1:00 p.m. Monday at the Oelwein Public Library on a proposed plan to reorganize Iowa's victim services.

Federal funding for Iowa's crime victim assistance programs has declined by 18 percent, or nearly $1.5 million over the past three fiscal years.  State appropriations have declined by seven percent, or nearly $214,000, over the same time period.

As a result, the Iowa Attorney General's Office is proposing to divide the state's crime victim service areas into six regions.  Within these service areas the state would fund regional emergency shelter programs, comprehensive domestic violence programs, and comprehensive sexual assault programs.  The state would award funding on a competitive basis to programs that would best provide victim services in a region.

Funding cuts have already resulted in victim service program staff cuts across the state, reductions in the types of services the programs offer to crime victims, and the shuttering of outreach offices.  Over the past ten years, at least 11 programs have closed.  The remaining programs must now service larger areas and face inequitable divisions of both programming and funding.

The new proposal was developed with input from the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, past and current executive directors of domestic violence and sexual assault programs around the state, and other experts in the field.

"Instead of focusing heavily on funding short-term shelters, this proposal focuses on permanent housing, food, education and employment," said Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller.