August 15, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Merry O’Brien, Project Director
1-877-VICTIM-1 or 301-952-0063
merry@mdcrimevictims.org
Coalitions Launched Across the Nation
Dedicated to Improving Conditions for Millions of Victims of Identity Theft
Upper Marlboro, Maryland – The Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center, Inc. (MCVRC) is pleased to announce the ten subgrantees selected to participate in the National Identity Theft Victims Assistance Networks Project grant. Applications were received from thirty entities across the nation; from twenty-seven U.S. States and the District of Columbia.
This national-scope project seeks to expand and improve the outreach and capacity of victim service programs to better address the rights and needs of victims of identity theft nationwide.
In making the announcement, MCVRC Executive Director, Russell P. Butler, stated, “The recovery process that identity theft victims face can be extremely challenging. We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with these coalitions to improve the field’s response to victims of identity theft across America.”
The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), through the Crime Victims Fund. This unique fund is financed by fines and penalties paid by convicted federal offenders, not from tax dollars. Through OVC, millions of dollars are invested annually in victim compensation and assistance in every U.S. state and territory, as well as for training, technical assistance, and other capacity-building programs designed to enhance service providers’ ability to support victims of crime in communities across the Nation. The Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center is acting as the pass-through agency for the National Identity Theft Victim Assistance Network Project, providing training, technical assistance, and programmatic and financial oversight to the subrecipient coalitions.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, around 12 million or 5 percent of Americans over the age of 16 became victims of identity theft in the two year period ending in June 2008. Financial identity theft is only part of the overall picture; over 600,000 victims experienced other types of identity theft, including criminal, medical and interfamilial identity theft. Fifty-three percent of victims feel moderate to severe distress from the identity theft, according to a recent report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Recovering victims spent an average of $1,870 in out-of-pocket costs. Over 3 million experienced issues such as having utilities cut off, being arrested, finding erroneous claims on their health records, having child support garnished for children they never had and being harassed by collection agencies.
This project seeks to build the field’s capacity and help provide a coordinated response to better assist victims of identity theft. A complete listing of all sites follows.
National Identity Theft Victims Assistance Networks Project Awardees
- Arizona Attorney General's Office AZ
dan.levey@azag.gov
- Battered Women's Legal Advocacy Project MN
info@bwlap.org
- Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups WI
jhendrick@cwag.org
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation CO
ralph.gagliardi@cdps.state.co.us
- Idaho Legal Aid Services ID
ernestosanchez@idaholegalaid.org
- Lifespan of Greater Rochester NY
pcaccamise@lifspan-roch.org
- South Brooklyn Legal Services NY
sdranoff@sbls.org, jtyler@sbls.org
- South Carolina Victim Assistance Network SC
veronica@scvan.org
- Texas Legal Services Center TX
rchapman@tlsc.org
ppierce@tlsc.org
- Washington Coalition of Crime Victim Advocates WA
ed@wccva.org
Organizations interested in learning more about coalitions forming in their areas are encouraged to contact the sites listed above for details on membership and news. A new website will be launched starting in October, with free online resources available to all. Check www.mdcrimevictims.org for updates.
About MCVRC: MCVRC was founded in 1982 as the Stephanie Roper Committee by Roberta and Vince Roper after the brutal murder of their daughter Stephanie. Since its founding, MCVRC has become a national leader in victims’ rights advocacy and representation. MCVRC’s services, all offered free of charge, include: criminal justice support and education; individual, family and group counseling; legal assistance; faith-based referrals; and advocacy to improve the treatment of victims who suffer the devastating consequences of crime. Visit us on the web at www.mdcrimevictims.org.
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This document was produced by the Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center, Inc. under award # 2010-VF-GX-K030, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this document are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
