Victim Impact Grant Fiscal Years 2026-2028

Purpose

Purpose of the Victim Impact Grants is for eligible nonprofit organizations to deliver victim impact programs that are victim-focused, restorative justice programs designed to promote understanding and sensitivity to the impact of crime on victim/survivors provided by community-based organizations with the core principles being Victim-Centered Approach, Empathy Development & Accountability.

Description

Victim Impact Program curriculum must include interactions with victim/survivors to be brought into the institution of assigned programming during a minimum of half (50%) of their programming sessions to meet with current program participants in accordance with these grant objectives. Victim/survivors utilized to meet this program requirement must be coordinated in partnership with the CDCR Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services. Options for program participant interaction with victim/survivors may include but are not limited to the use of victim centric videos, written materials, or multi-media such as video/teleconferences, if available and at the discretion of the institution. Efforts should be made to ensure that programs engage victims from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs about the criminal justice system. For the purposes of this Grant, programs may utilize a Victim(s), or Surrogate Victim(s) through the course of programming as defined below. · Victim: A person who suffers the direct impact of a criminal act by the incarcerated person. · Surrogate victim: A surrogate victim is a person who stands in for the actual victim in a restorative justice process to represent the harm they experienced. These individuals are not the direct victims of the crime but have experienced similar trauma and can speak about the impact of harm. Their role is to provide the incarcerated person with a voice for the victim's perspective, foster empathy, and take part in discussions about making amends.