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Audit of the Office of Justice Programs Victim Compensation Grants Awarded to the Illinois Court of Claims, Springfield, Illinois

NCJ Number
309899
Date Published
2024
Length
35 pages
Annotation

This report provides details about the audit of the Office of Justice Programs Victim Compensation Grants Awarded to the Illinois Court of Claims, Springfield, Illinois.

Abstract

This audit of the Office of Justice Programs Victim Compensation Grants Awarded to the Illinois Court of Claims, Springfield, Illinois, concluded that Illinois implemented a victim compensation program that provided monetary compensation to victims in the state of Illinois. Auditors identified issues with its policies and procedures relating to conflicts of interest, state certification forms, and performance reporting. The audit determined that Illinois’s grant financial management processes could be improved. Illinois processed 69 of the 95 claims reviewed in an untimely manner, and auditors also identified inaccurate figures in the state certification forms submitted by Illinois. Auditors found questioned costs of $125,165. Illinois should enhance its policies and procedures related to the calculation of loss of earnings, records retention, and drawdowns and assess the use of its administrative allowance. Auditors found that Illinois should adopt various changes that will bring its program into compliance with federal grant requirements and the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Guidelines. The audit also found that Illinois should assess the use of its administrative allowance. Auditors also found that claims were processed in an untimely manner. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) completed an audit of three VOCA victim compensation formula grants awarded by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) to the Illinois Court of Claims in Springfield, Illinois. The OVC awarded these formula grants from the Crime Victims Fund to provide financial support through the payment of compensation benefits to crime victims throughout Illinois.