State Crime Victims Compensation
Program Description
State Crime Victims Compensation programs reimburse victims for crime-related expenses. Such expenses include medical costs, mental health counseling, funeral and burial costs and lost wages or loss of support. All states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico have established compensation programs for crime victims. Although each state compensation program is administered independently, most programs have similar eligibility requirements and offer comparable benefits. Maximum awards generally range from $10,000 to $25,000, though a number of states have higher or lower maximums.General Program Requirements
Compensation is paid only when other financial resources, such as private insurance and offender restitution, do not cover the loss. Some expenses are not covered by most compensation programs, including theft, damage, and property loss. State compensation programs are not required to compensate victims in terrorism cases.To receive compensation, victims must comply with state statutes and rules. This requires victims to cooperate with reasonable requests of law enforcement and submit a timely application to the compensation program.
To identify requirements, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) website, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/, provides links to Victim Assistance and Compensation Programs and corresponding state administrator contact information.
