Governor Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced that a combined $20 million in state and federal grants would be made available through the Community-Based Violence Intervention (CBVI) Program and Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program (HVIP).
Designed to work with victims in the wake of violent incidents and with individuals and communities impacted by gun violence and at risk of violence, these programs are critical to the state’s public safety efforts to reduce cycles of violence at their source. This goes along with Attorney General Platkin’s creation of the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance (VIVA) in September 2022 to provide structure and permanent support for these innovative programs.
The CBVI and HVIP programs are each funded at $10 million. CBVI was part of Governor Murphy’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget, and this is the second straight year that the Administration included $10 million for violence intervention work in New Jersey’s communities. As previously announced in August 2022, Governor Murphy has allocated $10 million in federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to continue the HVIP funding for at least another 12 months after current Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) dollars, HVIP’s funding source, are expended.
“Today’s funding announcement of the CBVI and HVIP programs reaffirms this Administration’s commitment to those affected by violence in our state,” said Governor Murphy. “Attorney General Platkin and his team have done great work thus far in supporting some of the most vulnerable individuals and communities in our state affected by various types of violence. I look forward to our continued partnership in addressing the needs of these individuals and preventing violence in our communities across New Jersey.”
“Thanks to Governor Murphy, we are investing $20 million to address the root causes of harm in our communities and end cycles of violence before they start. This is, simply put, an essential aspect of our innovative approach to public safety in New Jersey,” said Attorney General Platkin. “By investing in those on the front lines addressing violence in our communities and in our hospitals, we are making clear our commitment to these programs in making New Jersey a safer place for all residents.”
“These programs illustrate how New Jersey is a pioneer in combatting violence by placing the response to victims’ and communities’ needs at the forefront of efforts to interrupt the cycles of violent crime, particularly in municipalities and regions most impacted by violence,” said Patricia Teffenhart, Executive Director of VIVA.