Financial Help for Crime Victims

Arizona’s Crime Victim Bill of Rights is part of the state constitution.

The Crime Victim Bill of Rights gives victims of crime the right to request restitution and compensation for certain expenses related to a crime. Restitution and Crime Victim Compensation are ways to request repayment for money you lost or had to pay for because of a crime.

Restitution

What is restitution?

Restitution is a court-ordered payment from a person convicted of a crime to a victim of that crime. Restitution is a payment for losses you suffered because of the crime. It may include repaying money stolen from you, paying to repair or replace stolen or damaged property or paying for lost wages or medical related expenses from the crime.

The Arizona Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights says that victims of crime have the right “to receive prompt restitution from the person or persons convicted of the criminal conduct that caused the victim’s loss or injury”.

It is important to know that requesting or receiving restitution requires the criminal to be convicted of the crime.

Once the criminal is convicted of the crime, a judge will decide what amount of restitution the convicted person owes the victim. The judge will then order the convicted person to pay that amount to the victim by a certain time or on a schedule.

What can restitution pay for?

When a judge orders restitution, it may depend on the type of crime and affect the crime had on the victim. Some examples of restitution include:

Medical or dental bills

Counseling or therapy for the victims

Replacement or repair of stolen or damaged property

Lost wages from time off from work for the victim

The court can also order restitution for funeral costs, travel or moving expenses, if the victim had to move for safety reasons.

How do I request restitution?

Notify the prosecutor assigned to the criminal case that you would like to request restitution to cover the costs related to injuries, losses, or damages from the crime.

It might be helpful to keep detailed records of when each cost occurred, how much each expense totaled, and any documentation such as bills, receipts, or estimates for repair or replacement of items.

Some prosecutor’s offices have staff that work as victim advocates. A victim advocate may be able to help communicate with the prosecutor or prepare lists of expenses for restitution consideration.

When will I get the restitution the judge ordered?

When a crime victim will be paid the restitution ordered depends on the resources a defendant has.

Once someone is convicted of a crime, their chances to earn money might be limited meaning that they may be paying as much as they can toward restitution, even if the amount is small. If the crime involved multiple victims, the monthly restitution payment will be divided among all the victims.

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office offers a brochure for Arizona crime victims on the realities of restitution which might be helpful to learn more

view here

Crime Victim Compensation

What is crime victim compensation?

Arizona administers a crime victim compensation program that provides financial help to Arizona victims of state and federal crimes. The crime victim compensation funds are made up of fines, surcharges, and penalties paid by those who have committed crimes. Each Arizona county has a crime victim compensation board that makes awards from the fund to crime victims through an application process. Unlike restitution, a criminal case or conviction is not needed for a crime victim to apply or receive funds.

Who can receive crime victim compensation?

Victims of crime that experienced physical injury or mental distress as well as monetary loss as a direct result of the crime can apply for Crime Victim Compensation.

Other requirements to be eligible to receive crime victim compensation include:

Victims must have been victimized in Arizona or a resident of Arizona who was a victim of a crime in an area without a crime victim compensation program

Victims must willingly and fully cooperate with law enforcement agencies

Victims must have reported the crime to a police agency within 72 hours (3 days) of the crime, unless there was good cause for the delay (at the discretion of the board reviewing the case)

Victims must apply to the crime victim compensation program within two years of the crime.

Victim compensation program funding may help pay for out-of-pocket expenses such as

Medical or dental expenses

Mental Health Counseling*

Funeral and burial costs*

Lost wages / Loss of Support

Crime Scene Clean-up*

Limited Transportation Costs*

The Victim Compensation program will not consider or fund requests for:

Costs to repair or replace property

Pain and suffering

Lawyer fees

A person serving a prison or jail sentence

Paying fines, penalties, or restitution fees

* up to a certain amount

How do I apply for Crime Victim Compensation?

In Arizona, each county has a crime victim compensation coordinator and board to review and process applications for crime victim compensation. A completed and signed application is submitted, along with documentation, to the county coordinator where the crime occurred.

Documentation included with the application might include copies of police reports, bills or invoices for covered services, and receipts for expenses related to the crime.

Crime victims wishing to learn more about or submit an application for crime victim compensation may contact the Crime Victim Compensation Program where the crime occurred.

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How does the Crime Victim Compensation Program work?

Crime Victim Compensation Program funds are limited, meaning there are often more requests for help than money available. The Crime Victim Compensation funds only cover expenses after all other options for financial recovery, like insurance, have been exhausted.

Here is how the process works:

Applications for funding are submitted to the county victim compensation coordinator.

The coordinator receives the application, verifies the request, and collects other documentation to support the application if it was not included with the application.

The coordinator prepares the applications for compensation to be reviewed by the county’s victim compensation board at a board meeting.