Tester Secures $5.7 Million for Montana Crime Victims

Senator: “When folks have suffered because of the crimes of others, we have a responsibility to support them”

U.S. Senator Jon Tester today announced $5,785,585 in Department of Justice funding for the Montana Board of Crime Control to provide funding to community organizations and services for crime victims.

“When folks have suffered because of the crimes of others, we have a responsibility to support them,” said Tester. “These grants are some of the best ways to help folks move forward, and I’m proud to have helped secure this funding to do that.”

This funding, which is allocated through the Victims of Crime Act, are competitively awarded by the state to local, community-based organizations that provide direct services to crime victims.

Senator Tester has led the charge to support victims of violent crime, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. In response to recent reports that domestic and sexual violence had increased during the pandemic, he urged his colleagues to secure additional support for victims and survivors. He is also a strong supporter of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), cosponsoring the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019 which would increase protections, services, and funding for domestic violence service providers and survivors, and he continues to push Leader McConnell to bring the bill to the Senate floor for a vote after it passed the House of Representatives more than a year ago with bipartisan support.