Applications open for eligible organizations to receive federal Victims of Crime Act funding
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 8, 2026) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that applications will open on Jan. 12 for organizations and agencies across the commonwealth that provide direct services to victims of crime and their families to apply for $4.8 million in federal grant funding.
Funding from the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) is available to crime victim service providers across Kentucky, including prosecutor’s offices, law enforcement agencies and nonprofit organizations that offer direct services to victims of crime.
“Every single Kentuckian should have the chance to rebuild their lives after experiencing devastating, life-changing events, and that includes crime” Gov. Beshear said. “This annual funding helps us support direct services that provide for our people in their times of greatest need, to help them get back on their feet and to let them know their life is not defined by being a crime victim.”
VOCA is the primary federal grant program supporting direct assistance services to victims of child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence. Funding can also serve survivors of homicide and victims of burglary, theft and drug and alcohol-related crime, as well as elderly victims and adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse or assault.
Funds also support advocacy efforts for victims of domestic or sexual violence, civil legal aid, services for children and families affected by physical or sexual abuse, and survivors of human trafficking. State agencies, local units of government, and private not-for-profit organizations may apply for these funds. Organizations that have already received a noncompetitive allocation for the VOCA 2026-2027 funding period are not eligible to apply.
“No one should face the aftermath of crime alone, and our partner stakeholders across the commonwealth make sure no victim of crime has to,” said Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Keith Jackson. “I’m proud to continue working with these partners to support crime victims and ensure every Kentuckian has what they to be safe and feel safe in our state.”
Applications must be submitted online by 6 p.m. EST on Feb. 13, 2026, via Intelligrants 10.0 (IGX), the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet’s electronic grants management system. Assistance with the application process may be obtained by contacting Grants Management staff at JUSIGX@ky.gov. Awards are expected to be announced in May with the award date beginning July 1.
The Beshear-Coleman administration’s top priority is the safety of all Kentuckians. The Governor's public safety actions are creating safer communities and a better Kentucky.
Since taking office, the Beshear-Coleman administration has awarded more than $162 million in grant funding to victim service agencies across the commonwealth. Gov. Beshear has also signed legislation to make sexual extortion a felony and strengthened statutory language to include other forms of abuse and sexual exploitation of minors.
Protecting the commonwealth’s schools are a top priority of Team Kentucky. In August, the Governor announced that 1,315 Kentucky public schools are following statutory safety requirements required by the School Safety and Resiliency Act and that the number of school resource officers protecting schools has increased more than 100% since he took office.
Since Gov. Beshear took office, fewer Kentuckians have returned to prison after their release. In February, it was announced that nearly 70% of those released from state custody have not returned.
The 2024 Crime in Kentucky report, released in June, shows that, from 2023 to 2024, there was an overall decrease of 7.66% in reports of serious crime.
For three straight years, overdose deaths have decreased in Kentucky. In 2024, the commonwealth saw 30.2% fewer overdose deaths than the year prior. Gov. Beshear continued this progress, in Nov. 2025 he scheduled 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) as a Schedule I narcotic, making it illegal to sell, possess or distribute any isolated or concentrated forms of 7-OH in the state.
In June, 21 officers graduated from the first basic training class from the Western Kentucky Law Enforcement Training Facility. For the first time, Kentucky is simultaneously offering training in two locations. DOCJT will train officers in a building provided by the Madisonville Police Department while Team Kentucky constructs a $50 million multipurpose training facility in Madisonville.
In April, Gov. Beshear officially opened the doors to the new law enforcement training facility named in honor of Jody Cash, who lost his life in the line of duty. The facility is designed for officers to learn intensive and specialized training that will support all of Kentucky’s law enforcement agencies.
Since taking office, Gov. Beshear has awarded nearly $12 million in grant funding to assist state and local law enforcement agencies with enhancing public and officer safety, curbing the sale of illegal drugs and fighting addiction.
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