Maryland Budget Proposal Cuts Victim Services & Jobs

Demand Increasing - Survivors Need Support

The proposed Maryland state budget includes a $10 million cut to core services for victims of crime and a potential $4 million cut in state’s rape kit testing fund.  These cuts would mean fewer crime victims have the help they need and more than 100 jobs would be lost.
 
The proposed $10 million cut would reduce services such as therapy for child sexual abuse victims, shelters for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, and helping survivors obtain protective orders.  These funds support a wide spectrum of crime victims, including victims of rape, intimate partner violence, families of murder victims, children who were abused, and elder abuse survivors.  Funds for these core services fluctuated for years until Maryland’s Victim Services Stabilization Act was passed to require a consistent level of funding through combined state and federal funds.   
 
Up to $4 million could also be moved out of the Rape Kit Testing Fund under the budget proposal.  Maryland has been working on reducing its backlog of rape kits and improving the availability of exams, but there are still thousands of untested kits.  Each kit is associated with a survivor who agreed to an invasive and lengthy exam following the trauma of sexual assault.
 
Maryland is facing a serious budget deficit, however, the same budget that proposes victim services cuts and job losses includes increased funding for other purposes.  This includes $187 million dollars in “discretionary enhancements,” including for private corporate entities. 
 
Rape crisis centers are facing the twin challenges of increased demand for services and decreased ability to hire and retain staff.  One rural rape crisis center tells the story of a family they helped:

A 16 year old girl with autism was being raped by her step-father.  Her mother walked in on the abuse and immediately sought medical care for the child and reported the crime to police.  Supportive staff provided crisis intervention and accompanied the family during multiple court hearings. Through counseling services, the daughter and mother gained the courage needed to confront the abuser in court. This journey culminated in the abuser receiving a jail sentence, marking a pivotal step in the family’s path to justice and healing and helping keep their community safe. These are the types of services that would be cut under the proposed budget.

This same rape crisis center has seen a 33% increase in new cases in the past 6 months, a trend reflected across the state.  At the same time, all victim services programs face significant challenges hiring people to meet the increased need.  Costs and wages have increased dramatically.  The proposed budget cuts would reduce grants that support the programs and staff that help survivors.  Victim advocates noted that the $10 million dollar cut could lead to well over 100 staff positions eliminated.  They also expressed concern about possible cuts to federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) funding under the new administration and the devastating impact this will have on survivors.
 
The proposed cuts to victim services would require a change in Maryland’s law.  This is possible through a bill called the BRFA (Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act), which creates one-year changes in statutory funding formulas.  Advocates have already reached out to legislators opposing the cuts. 
 
“The proposed cuts to funding for core victim services are shocking and unnecessary, even in the face of Maryland’s budget challenges,” said Lisae C. Jordan, Executive Director of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, noting “When the state fails to prevent sex crimes, the least we can do is provide survivors with the support they need.”