Delegate Dave Foggin, R-Wood, appeared with Gov. Patrick Morrisey on Thursday at the Parkersburg City Building where the governor announced $16.3 million in West Virginia Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants to 83 projects across the state with funds provided by the U.S. Department of Justice. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG – Gov. Patrick Morrisey was in Parkersburg on Thursday to announce the awarding of $16.3 million in West Virginia Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants to 83 projects across the state with funds provided by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Morrisey appeared at the Parkersburg City Building in City Council Chambers.

“Today, we are coming together to recognize a critical investment for the safety of West Virginians,” he said. “This investment represents not only a financial commitment but a commitment to make sure every victim of crime has access to the help they need and the services they deserve.”

VOCA funds provide direct services like counseling, personal advocacy, court advocacy, client transportation, and support services to victims of crimes including domestic violence, sexual violence, child abuse, and elder abuse. The funds will also support assistance to victims as they move through the criminal justice system.

Morrisey said Wood County will receive a portion of those funds with the Wood County Commission receiving $71,600 to employ a full-time victim advocate and an assistant victim advocate to serve approximately 5,500 crime victims.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey, with Delegate Dave Foggin, R-Wood, appeared in Parkersburg City Council chambers Thursday to announce $16.3 million in West Virginia Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants for projects across the state including a grant for the Wood County Commission to pay for the Victim Advocates in the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office and a grant to the Family Crisis Intervention Center of Region V in Parkersburg to be used to provide direct service advocates services to victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

“That really matters,” he said. “It is going to help the work of the prosecutor’s office.”

The Family Crisis Intervention Center of Region V in Parkersburg will be receiving $358,323 to be used to provide direct service advocates in Wood, Jackson, Ritchie, Wirt, Tyler, and Pleasants counties who will provide allowable trauma-informed core services to victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking.

All the money across the state is going for services to really help people in need, Morissey said of money for counseling, forensic interviews, crisis intervention, legal advocacy, emergency shelter, transportation and ongoing support for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and many other violent crimes.

He focused on the crimes of child abuse especially.

“Early in my administration I made it clear if you are going to harm a child, whether as a parent of guardian, you are going to pay a heavy price,” he said.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey speaks with Wood County Prosecutor Pat Lefebure as well as representatives from the Family Crisis Intervention Center of Region V in Parkersburg and others on Thursday in Parkersburg City Council chambers where the governor announced $16.3 million in West Virginia Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants to 83 projects across the state. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Morissey recently signed bills he said would increase the criminal penalties on parents, guardians and custodians who are found guilty of child abuse, increasing the jail time from 1-5 years to 2-10 years. For abuse causing serious bodily injury, the sentence went from 2-10 years to 5-15 years.

“We made it clear that in West Virginia, we are going to look after our kids,” Morrisey said. “We look after our vulnerable population and we are going to hold abusers accountable.”

The funds from these grants will strengthen the network of support across the state “that people rely on in their darkest moments.”

“It is going to ensure that no victim stands alone in our criminal justice system,” Morrisey said. “These grants are an investment in people’s recovery.”

He thanked those who work with victims of crime everyday.

“I want to thank you for the work you do everyday,” Morissey said. “Your courage and commitment gives victims a voice and restores dignity.

“We are letting people know that we hear you and we are committed to making your lives better.”

Wood County Prosecutor Pat Lefebure said the victim advocates this money funds have reached out to over 3,500 victims of crimes and had over 10,000 contacts over the last year.

“It is important for my office to have that open communication with victims of crime so their wants and wishes are heard and those can be communicated to the court during court hearings,” he said.

This is the 29th year his office has received the VOCA grant for the victim advocates.

“We need these advocates and it has been important to us,” Lefebure said. “The advocates do a lot of the communication with the victims directly and educate the victims to the (court) process.

“A lot of times we are dealing with victims who have never been through the court system. They educate them on the steps and what is going to happen in the normal circumstances of a case and how it is going to progress. They also act as a liaison between the victim and the prosecutor handling the case and can be there with the victims and provide some guidance and a voice when the prosecutor could be tied up in the court process.”

Emily Larkins, executive director of the Family Crisis Intervention Center Region V, said VOCA funding is vital in what they do.

The money provides a lot of services with most of it going towards supplementing or paying for the center’s direct service advocates’ salaries and hourly wages to provide needed services. The money is supplemented with state money.

“It provides access to a 24-hour hotline, provides access to crisis intervention, assistance/safety planning, transportation and all of those vital much needed supports for both domestic violence, sexual violence, dating violence, stalking and human trafficking victims,” Larkins said. “A lot of those advocates are out in our rural communities (as there is VOCA funding used in six of the eight counties they cover) that we provide services in.

“This money really keeps us afloat and this is one of our major grants that we receive. We are appreciative for everyone that has recognized that this is needed money.”

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com