Countywide : Victims’ Program Applies for $165,000

The county’s Victim/Witness Assistance program is applying for $165,000 in state funds to continue the program for its 11th year.

The Board of Supervisors is expected to approve the application at today’s meeting. The remainder of the $310,389 needed to operate the program in fiscal year 1990-91 is expected to come from the county.

“The Victim/Witness Program provides assistance to anyone who suffered a personal, violent crime,” said Kathleen McGoldrick, director of the program. Services include counseling, crisis intervention and aid in obtaining court help such as temporary restraining orders.

More than 11,000 new county crime victims and their families used the program’s services last year, she said.

“Every victim who comes through here has had his or her life devastated in some way by crime,” McGoldrick said.

Some of the program’s money comes from criminals in the form of penalty assessments.

At the start of this month, the state added an extra $2.4 million for the more than 45 victim services programs statewide. Ventura County has been allocated an additional $31,248.