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For Immediate Release:
June 28, 2004
MAJOR SHORTCOMINGS FOUND IN NATION'S VICTIM COMPENSATION PROGRAM
Landmark Report Reviews Sept. 11 Fund/Systems Beyond U.S., Calls for Significant Changes
Washington, DC-- The National
Center for Victims of Crime, the nation's leading resource and advocacy group
for crime victims, today released, "Repairing the Harm: A New Vision for Crime
Victim Compensation in America," a comprehensive report detailing serious
problems with our nation's compensation system for the more than 23 million
Americans who become victims of crime each year.
The report finds major
shortcomings in the U.S. system of victim compensation including:
-
Underutilization: Most crime victims do not access the victim
compensation available to them through their state's compensation program. In
2002, compensation applications represented only four percent of violent crime
victimizations.
- Inadequate Outreach: Few crime victims
are informed of the compensation benefits to which they are eligible. According
to one study cited in the National Center report, 90 percent of compensation
claimants were unaware that compensation existed prior to their victimization,
and less than half of victims who sought crime victim services were told about
the availability of victim compensation.
- Exclusion of
Victims: Victims of non-violent crime-many of whom suffer similar
consequences (missed work, psychological problems and lost or damaged property)
as those of violent crime-are excluded entirely from compensation programs in
almost every state. Many states also exclude victims who fail to meet
application deadlines for compensation.
- Insufficient and
Unstable Funding Source: The majority of compensation paid to crime
victims relies on offender fines and court fees, creating an unpredictable and
unstable revenue source that also ignores the larger societal responsibility
to help victims of crime.
"It is fundamentally wrong to commit federal tax
dollars for every aspect of our response to crime-except our response to
victims," said Susan Herman, executive director of the National Center for
Victims of Crime. "We must act now to provide financial assistance to every
crime victim in America, using lessons learned from compensating September 11
victims here in America and from victim compensation programs abroad."
Repairing the Harm is the first independent report that analyzes the
September 11th Federal Victim Compensation Fund, critiquing the strengths and
weaknesses of the most unique event in compensation history. Drawing lessons
from the U.S. government's unprecedented compensation efforts, the report
encourages a major reform of our nation's general approach to crime victim
compensation.
In concluding that far more can be done to help victims
rebuild their lives, Repairing the Harm sets forth a framework for strengthening
the victim compensation system in America. This framework reflects the following
core principles:
- Examination:
State and federal government leaders should initiate a comprehensive
examination of the American system of crime victim compensation.
- Design and
Process: The victim compensation process should be fair, efficient,
and easy to understand. Compensation should also be part of a broader system
of support for victims of crime.
- Eligibility:
All crime victims should be eligible for compensation unless implicated in the
crime.
- Coverage of Losses: Compensation should recognize all types of losses, including
economic and non-economic, as well as victims' ongoing losses. Tax relief
should also be provided to help victims recover from the harm caused by crime.
- Outreach: All
crime victims should be informed about compensation and how to apply for it.
-
Funding: The
federal funding base for victim compensation should be broadened to include
tax revenues and other sources of funding.
In developing this report, the National Center conducted an exhaustive
analysis of compensation data from all 50 states, existing research on
compensation benefits and outreach efforts, and federal studies on the rates and
costs of crime in America. The report also draws from a discussion at a national
roundtable of experts convened by the National Center and papers commissioned
for that meeting. In addition to reviewing the September 11th Victim
Compensation fund, the report examines compensation programs in other countries,
including Great Britain and Australia.
"Our hope is that this report
triggers a fresh look at our nation's response to victims of crime," said
Herman. "While even an ideal compensation system cannot address all that victims
suffer, it can provide a critical ingredient in repairing the harm."
In
reviewing the National Center's Repairing the Harm report, key members of
Congress agree that more needs to be done to fulfill the promise of America's
victim compensation system.
"I hope that this detailed analysis will
spur Congress to launch a comprehensive review of how to improve federal
programs to compensate crime victims," said Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT),
ranking minority member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a former
prosecutor. "Victims of crime deserve our compassion and understanding, and they
have that. But they also deserve and need the tangible support that these
programs offer."
"As a former county prosecutor, I believe crime victims
must know their rights," said Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH), a member of the Senate
Judiciary Committee. "The Repairing the Harm report underlines the need to
ensure crime victims know [of] available resources to begin the healing process.
I will continue to monitor the plight of crime victims and, in the Senate, I
will continue to fight for the rights victims deserve."
"The report by
the National Center for Victims of Crime," said Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), a
member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, "shows that there is still plenty
of work ahead. We should do all we can to prevent crime and hold criminals
accountable, but we are a compassionate society and should commit the resources
crime victims deserve to help make themselves whole after they suffer from
criminal acts at no fault of their own."
Editor's Note: The full-text version of Repairing the Harm: A New Vision for Crime Victim Compensation in America, can be found at www.ncvc.org/victimcomp.
###
TheNational Center for Victims of Crime is dedicated
to forging a national commitment to help victims of crime rebuild their
lives. The
National
Center
's toll-free helpline,
1-800-FYI-CALL, offers supportive counseling, practical information about crime
and victimization, referrals to local community resources, as well as skilled
advocacy in the criminal justice and social service
systems.
Rel. No.
04-08
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