Responding to September 11 Victims

After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Justice Dept.¿s Office for Victims of Crime awarded crisis response grants and subsequent appropriated funding to a number of state Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) administrator agencies to provide a broad range of services to victims of the attacks. At a meeting from Dec. 7¿8, 2003, those grantees had an opportunity to describe their experiences and the lessons they learned as they mobilized to meet the demand for victim assistance and compensation after 9/11. This report reflects the frontline perspective on victim assistance services by these state VOCA administrator agencies and offers lessons learned to state, federal, and private decisionmakers for organizing effective responses.