SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, law enforcement and prosecution leaders, victim service providers and advocates joined together at the Capitol to urge Governor Newsom and the California Legislature to fund critical victim services in the wake of unprecedented federal funding cuts. This broad coalition of speakers underscored that investing in crime survivors is an investment in public safety, and California cannot afford to balance its budget on the backs of victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking.
Speakers, including legislators, elected prosecutors and service providers, called for state leaders to allocate $260 million dollars for crime victim services in the state budget.
Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo, who represents the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys, is leading the one-time funding request. She urged her peers in the California Legislature to support crime victim services and highlighted how essential the services are, explaining, “Every day survivors of violence, abuse, and tragedy summon the courage to reach out for help. And every day victim service providers are there to answer the call and offer safety, healing, and hope. These services are not luxuries, they are lifelines.”
Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton shared how funding for victim services is essential to the work of law enforcement: “As District Attorneys, as law enforcement, as public servants—we are the first responders in the aftermath of violence. When a crime occurs, it’s our duty to stand with the victim, to listen, to support, and to ensure their path to healing is protected. But we cannot do this without stable, ongoing VOCA funding.”
Cristine Soto DeBerry, the founder and executive director of Prosecutors Alliance Action, saw during her time as a public defender and as Chief of Staff in a district attorney’s office why helping victims heal is so essential to public safety: “When we provide crime survivors with the support they need to heal, it creates a ripple effect in our communities. They can rebuild their lives, create stability for themselves and their family, and participate in the justice system to seek accountability for the person who harmed them.”
Without an allocation of $260 million in one-time funding from the state, programs say they may have to scale back essential services: cutting shelter beds, limiting helpline hours so they can no longer provide 24/7 crisis support, and cutting the service providers who conduct forensic examinations in the wake of sexual violence, among other areas.
Bonnie Rice, a Sexual Assault Project Coordinator with REACH in Riverside and whose adoptive daughter was trafficked as a toddler by her biological parents, urged Governor Newsom to fund services. “I have repeatedly witnessed the impact rape crisis centers have in empowering survivors to take back their lives and overcome sexual violence and abuse. Without this funding, survivors like my daughter will not make it. Families like mine will not recover.”
Daniel Buchanan, Executive Director of Empower Tehama, a victim services and child advocacy center in rural Tehama County, called it a moral obligation to fund victim services. “California has the power to step up where the federal government has failed. We can create a stable funding stream that ensures no child in California has to wait for help, drive hours for services, or go without the support they need to heal. The question isn’t whether we can afford to fund these programs. The question is whether we can afford not to.
Prosecutors Alliance Action, Smart Justice and VALOR call on Governor Newsom and the California Legislature to ensure this year’s final budget provides the $260 million needed to protect survivors and the organizations that support them.
For video footage of the press conference, click here. For photos of the press conference, click here.
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Prosecutors Alliance Action brings together the voices of prosecutors, victim advocates, and allies to advocate for prosecutorial reform and policy solutions that advance long-term safety and well-being in all communities.
Smart Justice California educates and empowers policymakers to champion meaningful criminal justice reforms that promote safety, human dignity, and healthy communities.
ValorUS® (VALOR) is a California-based, national anti-violence organization and California’s sexual assault coalition committed to advancing equity and ending sexual violence. Since our founding in 1980, we have continued to build dynamic relationships across a diverse range of communities, institutions and systems, and mobilize our network of survivors and advocates to influence change. Through leadership, prevention, and advocacy, we are fearlessly pursuing a world free from violence where the dignity of every person is valued and respected. For more information, visit valor.us.