South Carolina crime victim support organizations are set to receive more than $29 million in state and federal funding, Attorney General Alan Wilson announced this week. The money, spread across 43 grants to 29 recipient agencies, includes police departments, sheriff’s offices, nonprofits and state agencies working to maintain and expand services for crime victims.
Of that total, about $7.4 million is headed to the Upstate, a region that stretches across Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Pickens, Spartanburg and York counties, according to WSPA 7News. The grant funding is administered through the Department of Crime Victim Assistance Grants within the South Carolina Attorney General’s office, and the awards themselves were authorized by the South Carolina Public Safety Coordinating Council this year.
Wilson framed the funding around the people it’s meant to reach. “Grant dollars support individuals who found themselves in the unfortunate position of being a victim of a crime,” he said. This marked the ninth year Wilson has hosted the grant distribution event, per the station’s reporting.
Where the Money Comes From
The bulk of the funding, 69% of the overall grant total, flows from the federal Victims of Crime Act. Another 19% comes from a supplemental allocation for victim services, while the Violence Against Women Act accounts for 9% and the State Victims Assistance Program makes up the remaining 3%, the station reported.
Those federal dollars are drawn against a Crime Victims Fund that, as of July, held a balance of more than $3.7 billion, according to the Office for Victims of Crime. Still, the funding stream hasn’t been steady nationally: the National Network to End Domestic Violence has reported that Victims of Crime Act funds were cut by around $600 million between fiscal years 2023 and 2024, an average 40% reduction to state and territorial victim-assistance grants.
Spartanburg Police and Project R.E.S.T. Among Local Recipients
In Spartanburg, the police department received just under $60,000 in state grant funding, money designated for a victim advocate role within the department. Spartanburg Police Deputy Chief Jennifer Kindall said advocates serve as essential liaisons between victims, patrol officers, investigators and community service agencies.
Project R.E.S.T., which provides domestic violence and sexual assault assistance across Union, Cherokee and Spartanburg counties, was awarded slightly less than $1 million through two separate grants. The organization operates a 24-hour emergency shelter with more than 50 beds and also offers counseling and general advocacy services, according to the station's report. Nate Molle of Project R.E.S.T. said the organization operates the 24-hour emergency shelter and offers counseling and general advocacy services to those it serves.
Applications and Timeline
Agencies seeking this funding aren’t guaranteed it year to year. Joe Corey said agencies must apply every year for the competitive grants, with the application cycle occurring annually each spring. The newly announced grant-funded initiatives are scheduled to commence October 1.
The Victim Compensation Grant Program is designed to supplement state compensation programs that reimburse victims for crime-related out-of-pocket costs, according to the Office for Victims of Crime. For agencies like Project R.E.S.T. and the Spartanburg Police Department, the funding represents another year of support for services that victims across the Upstate rely on daily.
