The Center for Victims of Violence and Crime

What it reported doing in 2011

Victim witness program: the victim witness program is responsible for several crime victim and witness services including victim compensation assistance, county jail and state prison offender release notification, and cvvc's 24 hour helpline. Offender release notification and victim compensation assistance are mandated by Pennsylvania's crime victims act while the helpline serves as the gateway to all of cvvc's programs and services. Cvvc's 24 hour helpline offers round-the-clock assistance and information by knowledgeable professionals who provide immediate help and guidance. When violence or crime, directly or indirectly touches an individual or community, early intervention is essential to lessen the effects of trauma. Helpline staff provides crisis intervention, emotional support, safety planning, and information and referrals to address these impacts. Cvvc's helpline is critical, as often, victims and witnesses have emergency needs and questions which require immediate assistance. Types of calls vary but range from someone seeking shelter and protection from abuse to someone coping with the anniversary of the death of a loved one. Callers often raise questions related to victim's rights and the steps or procedures in the criminal or juvenile justice systems. Questions such as: "my child was sexually assaulted. Will she have to testify?" callers contact the helpline with concerns about having trouble sleeping, anxiety, or fears for their safety. Furthermore, callers who utilize the helpline often have a lack of a support system and/or only feel comfortable disclosing their victimization to an anonymous helpline. Furthermore, cvvc's helpline is an avenue to provide one of the agency's other essential services which operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week -offender release notification. Offender release notification is a right provided to eligible crime victims under Pennsylvania law. Cvvc provides the county jail offender release notification service on behalf of the allegheny county jail; a partnership for the past 16 years. This program provides services to over 1,000 victims, witnesses, and family members and provides an average of 500 offender release notifications per year. After an interested victim contacts cvvc, staff tracks the current status of the offender and registers the victim. When a release or escape occurs with an offender, the allegheny county jail contacts cvvc which then informs the victim. Cvvc also assists victims in maneuvering a new state mandated automated notification system called savin (statewide automated victim information and notification) by helping with registration and providing follow-up in the event of a release. Finally, cvvc also assists victims in registering for release notification services when the offender is serving time in a state or federal facility, or when a juvenile is placed in a facility for juvenile offenders. Release notifications often include very critical one to one conversations that address safety planning and incorporate crisis counseling. This component is essential to cvvc's notification service as many victims are in fear for their wellbeing and need to make safety plans. Notification of releases often leads to victims reliving the incident and may initiate a crisis. Knowing that an offender is still incarcerated or knowing of a release, is such powerful information for a victim. That information will lead them to make day to day decisions impacting their safety - it can mean sleeping soundly knowing that they are safe or it can mean using this information to make quick and certain decisions to ensure their safety. Finally, cvvc's victim witness program provides victim compensation assistance, which has a goal of lessening the financial hardship a victim experiences because of crime. While no amount of money is enough to erase the emotional and physical devastation that crime will cause, the Pennsylvania victim compensation assistance program, a division of t

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: Limited
• Program expense ratio: Limited
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -0.5%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.22; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.56; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 4%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: Limited
• Revenue growth: -9.8% per year; rating input score 0; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -3.2% per year; rating input score 0; 27th percentile among comparable filings