Factsheets: Financial Assistance: Crime Victim Compensation

• Benefits
• Eligibility
• Application
• State programs

Crime victim compensation is a government program to reimburse victims of violent crimes- such as assault, homicide, rape, and, in some states, burglary - as well as their families for many of their out-of-pocket expenses. Every state has a crime victim compensation program.

Benefits

Crime victim compensation programs will generally pay for:

• medical and dental expenses,
• counseling costs,
• funeral or burial expenses, and
• lost wages or support.

Some states also cover such costs as financial counseling, crime scene cleanup, travel for medical treatment or court proceedings, or relocation expenses for victims who must move for their physical safety.

Crime victim compensation programs have a maximum that will be paid for each claim, which varies from state to state and can range from $10,000 to $100,000. They also have limits on certain types of expenses – for example, limits on the amounts that can be paid for funeral or burial expenses, for counseling, or for medical expenses.

Because it may take several weeks or months to process a claim for crime victim compensation, many states offer emergency awards, which are compensation payments of $500 to $1,000 to cover emergency expenses such as medications, food or shelter.

Eligibility

The direct victim of a violent crime is generally eligible for compensation. Some states only compensate victims who were physically injured in the course of the crime, while others also compensate victims of violent crime who were traumatized but not physically injured by the crime.

Families of homicide victims can get compensation to pay the medical bills and funeral or burial expenses, and to pay for counseling and loss of support. Some states will compensate family members in certain other types of cases – for example, paying for counseling for family members in cases of sexual assault, child abuse, or domestic violence.
Most state compensation programs require that victims:

• report the crime promptly to the police (the reporting time varies between states, and nearly all states have “good cause” exceptions for child victims, incapacitated victims, and other special circumstances);
• cooperate with the police and prosecutors in the investigation and prosecution of the offense (the state may have a “good cause” exception for this requirement, too);

   

• submit an application for compensation within a certain time (although the state make an exception for “good cause”);
• not have been committing a crime at the time (for example, someone cannot get compensation for being shot while drug dealing), or not have been involved in other serious misconduct that caused or contributed to the injury or death; and
• have costs from the crime that are not covered by insurance or some other
  program, such as Workers’ Compensation or Medicaid.

Compensation can be paid even when no one is arrested or convicted for the crime.

Application

To apply for crime victim compensation, victims or families must file a claim form in the state where the crime occurred. The compensation program will then examine police records, receipts, and other information before deciding whether to pay a claim. For information about your state’s program, contact the agency listed for your state below:

State Crime Compensation Programs

Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Commission
P.O. Box 1548
Montgomery, AL 36102-1548
(334) 242-4007 FAX (334) 353-1401
1-800-541-9388 (victims only)

Violent Crimes Compensation Board
P.O. Box 111200
Juneau, AK 99811
1-800-764-3040 FAX: (907) 465-2379

Arizona Criminal Justice Commission
3737 N. 7th St., Suite 260
Phoenix, AZ 85014
(602) 230-0252
FAX: (602) 728-0752

Crime Victims Reparations Board
Office of the Attorney General, Outreach Division
323 Center St., Suite 1100
Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 682-1020 FAX: (501) 682-5313
1-800-448-3014 (in-state)

Victims of Crime Program State Board of Control
P.O. Box 3036
Sacramento, CA 95812-3036
1-800-777-9229 FAX: (916) 327-2933

Division of Criminal Justice Department of Public Safety
700 Kipling St., Suite 1000
Denver, CO 80215
(303) 239-4402 FAX: (303) 239-4491

Office of Victim Services
31 Cooke Street
Plainville, CT 06062
(860) 747-4501 FAX: (860) 747-6508
1-888-286-7347 (in-state)

Violent Crimes Compensation Board
1500 E. Newport Pike, Suite 10
Wilmington, DE 19804
(302) 995-8383 FAX: (302) 995-8387
1-800-890-0045 (in-state)

Crime Victims Compensation Program
D.C. Superior Court
515 5th St., N.W., #203
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 879-4216 FAX: (202) 879-4230

Division of Victim Services and Criminal Justice Programs Office of the Attorney General
The Capitol PL-01
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050
(850) 414-3300 FAX: (850) 487-1595/413-0633
1-800-226-6667 (information referral for victims only)

Crime Victim Compensation Program Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
503 Oak Place South, Suite 540
Atlanta, GA 30349
(404) 559-4949 FAX: (404) 559-4960

Crime Victims Compensation Commission
333 Queen Street, #404
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 587-1143
FAX: (808) 587-1146

Crime Victims Compensation Program
Idaho Industrial Commission
317 Main Street
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, 1D 83720-0041
(208) 334-6080 FAX: (208) 334-5145
1-800-950-2110

Illinois Court of Claims
630 South College
Springfield, IL 62756
(217) 782-0701 FAX: (217) 785-1856

Crime Victim Services Division
Crime Victims Compensation Bureau
Office of the Attorney General
100 W. Randolph, 13th floor
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 814-2581 FAX: (312) 814-5079

Violent Crime Victim Compensation Fund
Criminal Justice Institute
302 W. Washington St., Room E-203
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 232-7103 FAX: (317) 233-3912
1-800-353-1484 (victims only)

Crime Victim Assistance Division
Department of Justice
100 Court Ave., #100
Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-5044 FAX: (515) 281-8199
1-800-373-5044

Crime Victims Compensation Board
Office of the Attorney General
700 S.W. Jackson, Suite 400
Topeka, KS 66603-3756
(785) 296-2359 FAX: (785) 296-0652

Crime Victims Compensation Board
115 Myrtle Avenue
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 564-2290 FAX: (502) 564-4817

Crime Victims Reparations Board
Commission on Law Enforcement
1885 Wooddale Blvd., Suite 708
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
(225) 925-4437 FAX: (225) 925-1998
1-888-6-Victim (in-state)

Victims' Compensation Program
Office of the Attorney General
State House Station #6
Augusta, ME 04333
(207) 624-7882 FAX: (207) 624-7730
1-800-903-7882 (in-state, victims only)

Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services
Suite 312, Plaza Office Center
6776 Reisterstown Road
Baltimore, MD 21215-2340
(410) 764-4214 FAX: (410) 764-5366

Victim Compensation and Assistance Division
Office of the Attorney General
One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 727-2200 FAX: (617) 367-3906

Crime Victims Services Commission
320 S. Walnut St.
Lansing, MI 48913
(517) 373-7373 FAX: (517) 241-2769

Crime Victims Reparations Board
Office of Justice Programs
445 Minnesota St. Ste. 2300
St. Paul, MN 55101-1515
(651) 201-7300 FAX: (651) 296-5787
1-888-622-8799

Crime Victim Compensation Program
Department of Finance and Administration
P.O. Box 267
Jackson, MS 39205
(601) 359-6766 FAX: (601) 359-3262

Crime Victims' Compensation Unit
Dept. of Labor and Industrial Relations
P.O. Box 58
Jefferson City, MO 65102
(573) 526-6006 FAX: (573) 526-4940
1-800-347-6881 (victims only)

Crime Victims Unit
Board of Crime Control
303 N. Roberts, 4th floor
Helena, MT 59620-1408
(406) 444-3653 FAX: (406) 444-4722
1-800-498-6455 (in-state)

Crime Victim Reparations Program
Commission on Law Enforcement
P.O. Box 94946
Lincoln, NE 68509
(402) 471-2828 FAX: (402) 471-2837

Victims of Crime Program
Department of Administration
555 East Washington, Suite 3200
Las Vegas, NV 89101
(702) 486-2740 FAX: (702) 486-2825

4600 Kietzke, Building I, Suite 205
Reno, NV 89502
(775) 688-2900 FAX: (775) 688-2912

Victims' Assistance Commission
Department of Justice
33 Capitol St.
Concord, NH 03301-6397
(603) 271-1284 FAX: (603) 271-2110
1-800-300-4500 (in-state)

Victims of Crime Compensation Board
Department of Law and Public Safety
50 Park Place, 6th fl.
Newark, NJ 07102
(973) 648-2107 FAX: (973) 648-3937/7031
1-800-242-0804

Crime Victims Reparations Commission
8100 Mountain Road, N.E., Suite 106
Albuquerque, NM 87110-7822
(505) 841-9432 FAX: (505) 841-9437
1-800-306-6262 (victims only)

Crime Victims Board
55 Hanson Place
10th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11217
1-800-247-8035
(718) 923-4325

65 Court St., Room 408
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 847-7948
FAX: (716) 847-7995

845 Central Avenue
Albany, NY 12206
(518) 457-8727
FAX: (518) 457-8658

Crime Victims Compensation Commission
Victim and Justice Services
Department of Crime Control and Public Safety
P.O. Box 29588
Raleigh, NC 27626-0588
(919) 733-7974 FAX: (919) 715-4209
1-800-826-6200 (in-state only, victims line)

Crime Victims Compensation Program
Division of Parole and Probation
Box 5521
Bismarck, ND 58506-5521
(701) 328-6195 FAX: (701) 328-6651
1-800-445-2322 (in-state)

Victims of Crime Compensation Program
65 E. State St., 5th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 466-5610 FAX: (614) 752-2732
Toll-Free for General Information — (877) 584-2846 (877-5VICTIM)

Crime Victims Compensation Board
District Attorneys Council
2200 Classen Blvd., Suite 1800
Oklahoma City, OK 73106-5811
(405) 264-5006 FAX: (405) 264-5097
1-800-745-6098

Crime Victims Assistance Section
Department of Justice
1162 Court St., N.E.
Salem, OR 97310
(503) 378-5348 FAX: (503) 378-5738

Crime Victim Compensation Program
Office or General Treasurer
40 Fountain Street, 1st floor
Providence, RI 02903-1856
(401) 222-2287 FAX: (401) 222-4577

Division of Victim Assistance
Office of the Governor
1205 Pendleton St., Room 401
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 734-1900 FAX: (803) 734-1708
1-800-220-5370 (in-state)

Crime Victims’ Compensation Program
Department of Social Services
Office of Adult Services and Aging
700 Governor’s Drive
Pierre, SD 57501-2291
(605) 773-6317 FAX: (605) 773-6834
1-800-696-9476 (in-state only)

Criminal Injuries Compensation Program
Division of Claims Administration
Andrew Jackson Building, 9th floor
Nashville, TN 37243-0243
(615) 741-2734 FAX: (615) 532-4979

Crime Victims Compensation Division
Office of the Attorney General
P.O. Box 12548, Capitol Station
Austin, TX 78711-2548
(512) 936-1200 FAX: (512) 320-8270
1-800-983-9933

Office of Crime Victim Reparations
Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice
350 East 500 South, Suite 200
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 238-2360 FAX: (801) 533-4127
1-800-621-7144

Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services
Victims Compensation Program
103 South Main St.
Waterbury, VT 05671-2001
(802) 241-1250 FAX: (802) 241-1253
1-800-750-1213 (in-state only) (voice and TTY)

Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund
Workers' Compensation Commission
11513 Allecingie Pkwy.
Richmond, VA 23235
(804) 378-3434 FAX: (804) 378-4390
1-800-552-4007

Crime Victim Compensation Program
Department of Labor and Industries
P.O. Box 44520
Olympia, WA 98504-4520
(360) 902-5355 FAX: (360) 902-5333
1-800-762-3716

Crime Victims Compensation Fund
West Virginia Court of Claims
1900 Kanawha Blvd., East, Room W-334
Charleston, WV 25305-0610
(304) 347-4850 FAX: (304) 347-4915
1-800-642-8650 (in-state)

Office of Crime Victims Services
Department of Justice
P.O. Box 7951
Madison, WI 53707-7951
1-800-446-6564 FAX: (608) 264-6363

Division of Victim Services
Office of the Attorney General
2301 Central Ave., Barrett Bldg., 4th floor
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7200 FAX: (307) 777-6683

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Copyright © 2003 by the National Center for Victims of Crime. This document may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or by any other means, without the expressed written permission of the National Center for Victims of Crime.