Announcement: The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is pleased to announce the availability of Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant funds from the U.S. Department of Justice. The purpose of VOCA grant funds is to support the provision of services to victims of crime. Services are defined as those efforts that respond to the emotional and physical needs of crime victims, assist victims of crime to stabilize their lives after victimization, assist victims to understand and participate in the criminal justice system, and provide victims of crime with a measure of safety and security. Eligibility to apply for VOCA funds is limited to victim assistance programs administered by state or local government agencies or not-for-profit corporations registered in Florida, or a combination thereof. The funding cycle for the VOCA grant funds under this notice is October 1, 2012 through September 30, 2013.

Organizations currently funded through a VOCA grant (2011-2012): may submit a Letter of Intent. The Letter of Intent may be accessed at the Office of the Attorney General’s website: http://myfloridalegal.com, under the heading of Programs, click on Crime Victims’ Services, then click on Advocacy and VOCA Grants.

Agencies that wish to expand services to additional judicial circuits must submit an application for each judicial circuit. The VOCA application may be accessed at the Office of the Attorney General’s website: http://myfloridalegal.com, under the heading of Programs, click on Crime Victims’ Services, then click on Advocacy and VOCA Grants.

Organizations not currently funded through a VOCA grant (2011-2012): may participate in the annual competitive grant process which involves submission of an application followed by an application review. An application may be accessed at the Office of the Attorney General’s website: http://myfloridalegal.com, under the heading of Programs, click on Crime Victims’ Services, then click on Advocacy and VOCA Grants.

Deadline: The deadline for applying for a VOCA grant under this notice is no later than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time), Friday, February 24, 2012. Required documents submitted by fax or e-mail will not be considered.