Sheriff Lafayette Woods, Jr. Responds to Report on VOCA Funding Crisis
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement from the Sheriff
Sheriff Lafayette Woods, Jr. Responds to Report on VOCA Funding Crisis: "We Cannot Let Survivors Pay the Price for Volatile Budgets.": November 7, 2025, Jefferson County, AR - In response to recent reporting on funding disparities and steep reductions in the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) awards to Arkansas victim-service programs, Sheriff Lafayette Woods, Jr., a longtime domestic-violence advocate and member of the Board of Directors for CASA Women's Shelter issued the following statement:
"Yesterday's story underscores a crisis we are living every day in Southeast Arkansas: federal VOCA funds have fallen sharply, and smaller and rural shelters are being pushed to the brink. When VOCA dollars shrink, hotlines go unanswered, advocates are cut, and families in danger have nowhere to turn. That is unacceptable.
CASA is open 24/7 for Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, and communities throughout Southeast Arkansas. We provide safe shelter, food, clothing, counseling, legal advocacy, support groups, classes, referrals, and additional support services that are only possible with stable funding. VOCA isn't taxpayer-funded; it comes from federal criminal fines and penalties. But that model has become volatile, and shelters like ours are paying the price. We need immediate stabilization of VOCA at the federal level, transparent and equitable state allocations that don't leave smaller shelters behind, and urgent local support to bridge the gaps. Domestic violence doesn't pause because budgets are tight. Neither will we."
What's happening in Arkansas
VOCA awards fluctuate year-to-year and have dropped markedly statewide; recent cycles reflect total awards in Arkansas of roughly $7-9 million versus materially higher amounts just a few years ago, creating severe strain on shelter operations and staffing. Administered by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration's Office of Intergovernmental Services (DFA/IGS), VOCA awards are competitive and limited relative to need.
KATV's latest report details how shelters, especially outside major donor markets face layoffs, reduced capacity, or potential closure as VOCA dollars shrink and are distributed across regions.
VOCA is financed by federal criminal fines and penalties deposited into the Crime Victims Fund, not by tax dollars.
Immediate actions Sheriff Woods is urging
1. Stabilize VOCA nationally so Arkansas can plan responsibly and avoid catastrophic interruptions in services.
2. Ensure transparent, needs-based state allocations that account for limited donor bases in smaller communities and the acute gaps they fill.
3. Mobilize local support now; businesses, faith partners, civic groups, and neighbors to keep beds open and hotlines staffed while long-term fixes are pursued. (State bridge programs like the Arkansas Domestic Violence Shelter Fund and FVPSA can help but are not a substitute for sustained VOCA stability.)
How to help CASA today
Give locally: Ways to give- Via CashApp: $CASAWomenshelter89 Also accepting credit/debit donations giver, as well as checks by mail at:
CASA Women Shelter- PB P.O. Box 6705 Pine Bluff, AR 71611-6705 Givelify CASA Women Shelter- PB CASA https://giv.li/vra2eo
Share the hotline: (870) 535-2955-24 hours a day.
About CASA Women's Shelter
CASA Women's Shelter is a nonprofit providing emergency shelter and comprehensive services to survivors of domestic violence and their children across Pine Bluff (Jefferson County) and Southeast Arkansas. Services include safe housing, food and clothing assistance, counseling, support groups, advocacy and legal advocacy, referrals, classes, and more 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Respectfully,
Lafayette Woods, Jr.
Sheriff