A long-unsolved problem
The deficit is the consequence of a problem that has long gone unsolved in Washington, D.C., Berry said.
In the 1980s, then-President Ronald Reagan established the Victim of Crime Act (VOCA). VOCA directed the fines and fees collected in federal white-collar crime cases (crimes committed by businesses and government) into the Crime Victims Fund (CVF). Those dollars were then allocated to each state and territory based on their populations and census data to support advocacy and supportive services for survivors of criminal acts such as domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and neglect, armed robbery, and drunk driving.
In the context of domestic violence, VOCA funding can pay the salaries of advocates (individuals who work with victims through the criminal justice process) and cover shelter-based services. In the Hoosier State, the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute determines funding for more than 350 survivor-serving agencies through a competitive grant process. It prioritizes domestic violence, sexual assault and child advocacy centers.
From fiscal year 2007 to 2015, the CVF increased. Major corporate cases occurred during this period, including in 2009 when pharmaceutical giant Pfizer paid the largest federal criminal fine ever imposed at the time, $1.2 billion, after misbranding the drug Bextra. In 2015, BAE Systems PLC paid a $400 million federal criminal fine. Many advocates, like Berry, refer to this period as the peak of VOCA funding, when Indiana received nearly $70 million.
The decline started in 2018 and continued for the next five years. In 2012, congressional lawmakers began diverting money from the CVF to support programs not authorized under VOCA. For example, $10 million yearly since 2015 has gone to the Justice Department Office of Inspector General for auditing. Starting in 2016, as much as $575 million has been transferred at separate times to the Office on Violence Against Women to support programs within that department.
Another factor driving the decline was the language of VOCA, which stated that fees and fines paid into the CVF could only be secured if the case went to trial—98% of federal criminal cases end in a plea agreement, meaning those funds were not available to go into the CVF. Instead, those funds went to the U.S. Treasury.
Former President Joe Biden signed the VOCA Fix Act in 2021, a bipartisan bill that addressed many of the problems driving the decline. Since then, the CVF’s balance has been increasing, but it has still not returned to what it was at its peak.
Berry said that in 2016, the state secured $63 million in federal awards to support survivors of crimes, but in 2024, those agencies got a quarter of that at $15.7 million. Agencies have other funding sources, but the majority comes from the federal government.
The pattern is reflected in state funding for domestic-violence survivors. The state’s criminal justice system awarded $72 million to agencies serving survivors of crimes, including domestic violence and sexual assault, in 2024, but this year those agencies will only receive $48 million. Of this, domestic-violence programs are awarded 38%. This means a $6 million reduction from last year’s funding.
Survivors could lose support and housing
When CVF funding in Indiana goes towards domestic-violence agencies, it widely supports two critical resources: the salaries for domestic-violence advocates and housing. With funding losses, Berry estimates losing around 100 domestic-violence advocates across the state, translating to 45,000 victims who cannot be served. Advocates are crucial to helping survivors of domestic violence, she said. They are trained professionals who help survivors find shelter, legal protection and other resources.
Additionally, Berry predicts the loss of up to seven of the state’s 68 domestic-violence programs.
“The No. 1 thing we already lacked in Indiana prior to this cut was safe and affordable housing,” Berry said. “Emergency shelter is only a short-term solution or strategy. It’s a 30- to 60-day get out of a violent situation, have a time to take a deep breath and be able to make appropriate choices.”
When agencies have limited bed space, they often have to make tough decisions, the criteria of which is constantly shifting, Berry said. Agencies perform a lethality screening to assess how likely an individual is to face injury or death in their current situation. But Berry said that ICADV is seeing more survivors requesting services with high-lethality cases.
Agencies provide a variety of services to domestic-violence survivors, including emergency shelter, legal action, prosecution, support groups, transportation and child care.
“These services are really life-saving services. It allows victims not to remain in a violent situation and provides them space and opportunity for healing,” Berry said.
Some advocates want the state to step up
States across the nation have already stepped up to fix disparities in VCF dollars for domestic and sexual violence in past years. Alabama provided $7.5 million to support child advocacy centers, and Georgia and Ohio increased funding for domestic and sexual violence. Maryland set a total of $60 million in funds required for victim services programs. Berry and other advocates are asking the Hoosier state to do the same.
During the 2025 legislative session, the state predicted a $2.4 billion shortfall in funding over the next three years. Supplementing losses in VCF dollars was off the table. The budget balanced out, however, and the state instead saw a $2.5 billion surplus. Berry hopes that in the 2027 legislative session, with lawmakers returning to the state capital in November, Indiana government will invest in victim assistance networks and support victims of crime.
“There are going to be thousands and thousands of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and neglect that are going to go unserved. There’s not going to be resources for them. And if there are resources, they’re going to have to travel greater distances to access them,” Berry said. “These are Hoosiers who have the right to have a safe, stable and nurturing home and to thrive.”
