Current:Home > ContactTakeaways from AP’s report on financial hurdles in state crime victim compensation programs -GrowthInsight
Takeaways from AP’s report on financial hurdles in state crime victim compensation programs
View
Date:2025-04-17 17:57:56
Thousands of crime victims each year are confronted with the difficult financial reality of state compensation programs that are billed as safety nets to offset costs like funerals, medical care, relocation and other needs.
Many programs require victims to pay for those expenses first and exhaust all means of payment before they reimburse costs, often at rates that don’t fully cover expenses. The programs also struggle under often unstable funding mechanisms that leave their budgets vulnerable to shortages and the changing priorities of lawmakers, especially those that rely on court fees and fines as their main source or only source of funding.
Pamela White turned to Louisiana’s victim compensation board for help when her son, Dararius Evans, was killed in a shooting a few days after Christmas in 2019. She was met with administrative hurdles, a denial that blamed her son for his own death, a lengthy appeal — all while paying up front through a personal loan that gathered interest as she waited.
Other news Safety net with holes? Programs to help crime victims can leave them fronting bills Thousands of crime victims each year are confronted with the difficult financial reality of state compensation programs that are billed as safety nets to offset costs like funerals, medical care, relocation and other needs. Former University of New Mexico athletic director found not guilty of embezzlement charges Former University of New Mexico athletic director Paul Krebs has been found not guilty of embezzlement charges. Pop star Shakira will face a second tax probe in Spain Pop star Shakira is facing more trouble from Spain’s tax office after a court near Barcelona agreed to open an investigation into a second case of alleged tax fraud by the Colombian singer. Prosecutor cites risky investments as ‘grave’ violations, in closing of Vatican financial case The Vatican prosecutor has given his closing arguments in the Vatican’s big financial trial. Prosecutor Alessandro Diddi says his indictments of 10 people, including a cardinal, for alleged financial crimes held up under two years of testimony, scrutiny, criticism and defense motions.In the end, White won her appeal and was awarded $5,000 — the maximum amount available at the time, but it didn’t cover her full loan or the interest.
As part of a series examining crime victim compensation programs, The Associated Press found racial inequities and other barriers in how many states deny claims. The AP also found victims in a dozen states were the driving force in legislative reforms to address some of those barriers.
Here is a look at key takeaways from the third installment in that series.
PROGRAMS OFTEN PUT THE UPFRONT FINANCIAL BURDEN ON VICTIMS
Advocates say most states’ requirements that victims pay upfront can leave out people living on the edge of financial disaster who are often most vulnerable to a crime.
“So many families often can’t rely solely on that reimbursement model. … Those funds take months to arrive to families,” said Aswad Thomas, vice president of the Alliance for Safety and Justice, a nonprofit working to reform victim compensation and other aspects of the criminal justice system.
Some programs offer to directly pay funeral homes or medical providers. And many states offer emergency awards to help victims through the immediate aftermath of crime, but advocates say those awards are restrictive, capped as low as $500, and are deducted from any later award. About a dozen states don’t offer emergency awards at all.
Programs also require victims to exhaust other payment options first, like insurance, lawsuit awards or even crowdfunding. If a family member or friend starts a GoFundMe drive, it could cause some programs to reduce an award or claw back already granted money.
MANY STATES HAVEN’T INCREASED AWARD AMOUNTS IN DECADES
The Associates Press found that the maximum awards states provide ranged from $10,000 to $190,000, though two states did not have overall caps on awards. Some of those amounts haven’t been increased since the 1970s.
Programs have lagged less in raising limits on individual expenses like funerals. But many states don’t offer enough money to cover the actual cost of burying a loved one. The National Funeral Directors Association estimated the median cost of a funeral with burial vault was more than $9,400 in 2021. Only a dozen states offer enough to cover that median cost.
FUNDING FOR STATE PROGRAMS IS OFTEN UNSTABLE
About a dozen states get most or all of their funding from recurring state budget dollars. But many states have put the onus of paying for the programs on people in the criminal justice system – court fines, taking a percentage of prisoner wages or prison commissary fees.
Those funding streams can fluctuate greatly. Temporary court closures early in the COVID-19 pandemic, and well-intentioned prison and criminal justice reforms aimed at reducing incarceration have caused shortfalls in some states that rely heavily on court or prison fines and fees for funding.
A handful of state legislatures have used one-time general fund infusions to plug budget holes created by the downstream effects of those reforms. In Hawaii, shortfalls nearly caused the compensation program to close in 2022 until an influx of general funds “saved” the program, according to an annual report.
___
Catalini reported from Trenton, New Jersey. Lauer reported from Philadelphia.
___
The Associated Press receives support from the Public Welfare Foundation for reporting focused on criminal justice. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
veryGood! (58672)
Related
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Olympic skater's doping hearing adjourned in shocking move; more delays ahead
- Federal shutdown could disrupt patient care at safety-net clinics across U.S.
- Remembering Stephen tWitch Boss and Allison Holker's Incredible Love Story
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- The walking undead NFTs
- Kylie Jenner's Naked Dress Is Her Most Glamorous Look Yet
- 8 Jaw-Dropping Sales You Don't Want to Miss This Weekend: J.Crew Factory, Elemis, Kate Spade & More
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Ohio football coach whose team called ‘Nazi’ during game says he was forced to resign, no ill intent
Ranking
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- The fall of an enclave in Azerbaijan stuns the Armenian diaspora, extinguishing a dream
- Trump says Mar-a-Lago is worth $1.8 billion. Not long ago, his own company thought that was over $1.7 billion too high.
- AP Week in Pictures: Asia
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- China investing unprecedented resources in disinformation, surveillance tactics, new report says
- Red Sox say Tim Wakefield is in treatment, asks for privacy after illness outed by Schilling
- GOP senators sharply question Pentagon nominee about Biden administration’s foreign policies
Recommendation
Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
A green card processing change means US could lose thousands of faith leaders from abroad
Canelo Álvarez can 'control his hand 100%' ahead of Jermell Charlo battle of undisputeds
People's Choice Country Awards 2023 Red Carpet Fashion: See Every Look as the Stars Arrive
Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
California man who shot two sheriff’s deputies in revenge attack convicted of attempted murder
China investing unprecedented resources in disinformation, surveillance tactics, new report says
'The Creator' is based on big ideas — and a lot of spare parts