Audit of the Office of Justice Programs Office for Victims of Crime Assistance Grants Awarded to the Rhode Island Department of Public Safety Grant Administration Office, Providence, Rhode Island

• NCJ Number: 250669
• Date Published: March 2017
• Length: 27 pages
• Corporate Author: US Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General
• Sale Source: US Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General
• Publication Format: Document; Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Report (Technical Assistance); Report (Study/Research); Program/Project Evaluation; Grants and Funding
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The U.S. Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) presents the findings and methodology of its audit of the grants awarded to the Rhode Island Department of Public Safety by the Justice Department's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC).

Abstract

The grants were awarded under the Victim Assistance Formula Grants Program for the purpose of improving crime victim services in Rhode Island. The audit's objective was to assess how Rhode Island's Public Safety Grant Administration Office (PSGAO) designed and implemented its crime victim assistance program. This was done by assessing performance in the following areas of grant management: program performance, sub-recipient monitoring, grant financial management, grant expenditures, drawdowns, and Federal financial reports. Overall, the audit found that PSGAO intended to use its VOCA victim assistance grant funding to improve services for crime victims; however, the audit found internal control shortcomings and several instances of noncompliance with VOCA award requirements that must be addressed to improve overall grants management. PSGAO did not comply with essential award requirements related to sub-recipient monitoring and ensuring that grant expenditures are allowable and properly supported. Although PSGAO had written sub-recipient policies and procedures, it failed to follow those procedures in monitoring its sub-recipients and ensure that they provided complete and accurate performance data reporting that is subject to periodic verification. There were $42,824 questioned costs. The audit report presents six recommendations to the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs (OJP), which oversees the OVC. These recommendations pertain to the ways that OJP could better monitor PSGAO to ensure compliance in those areas the audit identified as deficient. 3 tables and appended audit methodology, a schedule of dollar-related findings, and responses of PSGAO and OJP to the draft audit report