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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Nearly $5 Million in Federal Funding Allocated to Assist Crime Victims and to Strengthen Prevention Programs for At-Risk Youth in Puerto Rico

Washington, DC—The United States Department of Justice has allocated to Puerto Rico nearly $5 million for Fiscal Year 2012 to assist crime victims and strengthen crime prevention programs for at-risk youth, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi announced today. The funding is being provided pursuant to the Victims of Crime Act Program (VOCA), administered by the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, and the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Program, administered by the Commissioner of Municipal Affairs (OCAM, in Spanish).

“As Puerto Rico continues its battle against crime, the allocation of this federal funding will help the Island guarantee the safety of our residents. Crime victims need and deserve support services that can help them recover and move forward. Likewise, we need to strengthen crime prevention programs for our youth, who represent the future of our Island. Therefore, we need to guide them along the right path, integrate them into a society of law and order, teach them to accept the consequences of their actions, and give them an example worth following,” said Pierluisi.

The VOCA program will bring more than $4.6 million in funds for Puerto Rico to assist victims of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, elder abuse, robbery, assault, and drunk driving, as well as to assist surviving family members of deceased crime victims.

In addition, the federal government has provided Puerto Rico with $300,000 under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Program, which will be used by OCAM to expand the services it provides to at-risk youth in an effort to reduce the number of young offenders on the Island. Furthermore, because one of the factors contributing to juvenile delinquency in Puerto Rico is the abuse of controlled substances, OCAM will also use these funds to strengthen the juvenile justice system and to continue expanding the youth drug court program in Bayamón.