BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Louisiana officials are working to raise awareness about millions of dollars in federal funding available to help crime victims with unexpected expenses.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime awarded $19 million to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement to expand resources and services as a part of an annual grant.

Of that total, $2 million will support Louisiana’s Victim Compensation Program, which helps reimburse victims for costs such as medical care, counseling, lost wages and other out-of-pocket expenses resulting from a crime.

The remaining $17 million will provide subgrants to local community-based organizations and public agencies that work directly with victims. Those services include crisis counseling, information and referrals,

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