(KNZA)--The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has again received a Federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant award in amount of nearly $77,000.

Sheriff Tim Morse says the Sheriff’s Office will continue to utilize the funding to provide free support services to victims of crime in Jackson County.  

The Crime Victims Fund was established by the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA) and serves as a major funding source for victim services throughout the country.

Each year, millions of dollars are deposited into the Fund from criminal fines, forfeited bail bonds, penalty fees, and special assessments collected by U.S. Attorney's Offices, U.S. Courts, and the Bureau of Prisons.

Morse says the dollars come from offenders convicted of federal crimes not from taxpayers. The funds are then administered at the state level through competitive grant opportunities.