Report

Hurdles to Healing: Removing Barriers to Victim Compensation Funds

4.22.2021

Last Updated: 4.20.2026

“Just because I didn’t get the help, don’t mean I can’t give the help.”
– Sheree Kennon, Founder, What About Us

Introduction

Nearly 55,000 people in the United States are shot in a gun homicide or assault in an average year—nearly two-thirds of them survive.¹ The trauma of gun violence does not end when the shooting stops, and survivors and family members often need services and support for years afterward.² For survivors, gun violence often results in lifelong disabilities requiring ongoing care, assistive devices, and home modifications. Additionally, these new or exacerbated disabilities often require resources for both immediate recovery and long-term independence. Survivors may also lose wages while they take time off from work to recover, receive physical therapy, or appear in court. And in the aftermath of gun violence, survivors and families are contending with emotional trauma, while also managing new financial burdens related to medical and mental health care, funeral expenses, or even the costs of cleaning a deceased relative’s home after a shooting takes place there.

In 1984, Congress passed the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) to support survivors of violence. VOCA established the Crime Victims Fund, which provides financial support to state Victim Compensation programs and victim service providers.³ Victim Compensation funds are designed to help cover these expenses and lost wages or support and are a form of direct reimbursement to, or on behalf of, crime victims, including survivors of gun crimes and the families of those killed by guns.

Gun violence victimization is costly, and Victim Compensation funding can help ease the financial burden. But for Sheree and too many others, Victim Compensation can be denied in some states if they or their loved one has a criminal history, filled out an application incorrectly, failed to file for this funding within a certain time frame, or failed to report the crime they experienced or cooperate with law enforcement. These denials force victims and their families to rely on private donations or crowdfunding for funeral and other expenses.

Lawmakers and state VOCA compensation administrators can help by:

Easing state-level obstacles to accessing this needed compensation, including increasing staffing to process applications and broadening awareness efforts; extending deadlines to report a crime, file a claim, and make an appeal; and creating simpler and more accessible applications.
Reforming state laws that unduly limit eligibility based on the victim’s actions during the crime, their criminal history or cooperation with investigators, or receiving collateral compensation, such as GoFundMe donations.

How Does Victim Compensation Work?

Victim Compensation is a mix of state and federal VOCA compensation dollars. Like VOCA Victim Assistance funding, VOCA Victim Compensation funding is administered by the federal Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) at the US Department of Justice. Federal Victim Compensation funding comes from the Crime Victims Fund, which is resourced by court fines and fees, not taxpayer dollars. Each year, the OVC provides funding to states to supplement their own Victim Compensation programs. States receive 75 cents from the federal government for every dollar they paid out two years earlier.⁴ For example, in fiscal year (FY) 2025, OVC allocated $178,983,000 to US states and territories, because those jurisdictions had collectively paid out $238,641,268 from their respective funds in FY 2023.⁵

$405M

In FY 2024, a total of $404,694,603 was paid to applicants as part of Victim Compensation nationwide.

Office for Victims of Crime, “VOCA Victim Compensation Data Dashboard,” accessed February 10, 2026, https://ovc.ojp.gov/funding/performance-measures/data-analyses/voca-victim-compensation. Total includes US territories.

Last updated: 2.27.2026

$68.9M

A total of $68,865,436 was disbursed for funeral expenses for all homicide applications nationwide in FY 2024.

Last updated: 2.27.2026

In FY 2024, which is the most recent year of data available, nearly 219,000 Victim Compensation claims were paid nationwide, totaling nearly $405 million.⁶ While Victim Compensation data do not specify whether crimes involved a firearm, homicide claims are the closest available proxy given that the vast majority of homicides in the United States are committed with a gun.⁷ During this reporting period, nearly 23,000 of the claims cited homicide, with a total payment of $98.5 million. The largest amount of these disbursements—$68.9 million—were for funeral expenses, followed by claims paid for economic support, medical or dental care, and mental health counseling.⁸ Of all the applications for which a determination was made in FY 2024, nearly three in 10 were denied, with incomplete information being the number-one reason for denials.⁹

Reasons for Denied Applications (FY 2024)

Source: “Ineligible Crime” includes crime not substantiated, request not compensable or allowed by policy, no crime, property damage, and “Ineligible Application” includes applicant not an eligible party, unjust enrichment, application filed out of state, duplicate application, no economic loss, incarcerated, probationer, parolee convicted of a crime. Office for Victims of Crime, “VOCA Victim Compensation Data Dashboard,” accessed January 28, 2026, https://ovc.ojp.gov/funding/performance-measures/data-analyses/voca-victim-compensation/. Total includes US territories.

The federal funding stream is an important component of Victim Compensation; however, states are primarily responsible for administering and distributing Victim Compensation funds. Each state has its own compensation law and policies dictating eligibility, payout amounts, the application process, and timelines, among others. States receive a different number of applications each year that request or are eligible for varying funding amounts. This all results in state-by-state variations in victim eligibility and payouts. For example, in FY 2024, average payouts per claim paid ranged from $470 in Utah to $6,964 in Illinois.¹⁰ Similarly, denial rates and reasons for denial differ significantly across states, with Ohio and Tennessee having the highest rate of application denials at 69 percent, while Maine only denied one application in FY 2024.¹¹ While some variation reflects different state contexts, many state policies and practices create unnecessary barriers—from overly restrictive eligibility rules to unrealistic deadlines—that deny help to survivors who need it most.

What Are the Obstacles to Accessing Victim Compensation?

Restrictive Eligibility Criteria: Criminal History Exclusions

Victim Compensation funds are eligible to survivors of “criminal violence,” which includes gun violence.¹² Federal guidelines encourage states to prioritize victims of violent crime,¹³ but do not prohibit states from providing compensation to victims of nonviolent crimes or those who witness a violent crime.¹⁴ In addition, the federal guidelines allow states to impose more restrictive criteria, which has resulted in wide variation in claim eligibility from state to state. For example, some states deny compensation if the victim had certain criminal convictions at the state level, even from years earlier. Such policies have caused families to be denied compensation if their loved one had a prior conviction. This disproportionately affects Black people, who are overrepresented in the criminal justice system.¹⁵ A 2025 study found that while Black families of homicide victims applied for Victim Compensation at the highest rate, they were consistently less likely to receive compensation compared to white applicants.¹⁶ An Associated Press analysis of Victim Compensation denial data by race from 2018 to 2021 found that in 19 out of the 23 states studied, Black applicants were denied compensation at a disproportionate rate, resulting in a loss of millions of dollars in critical aid.¹⁷ Some states, such as Georgia, Indiana, and South Dakota, were found to deny Black applicants at twice the rate as compared to their white counterparts.¹⁸ In Florida, in 2015 and 2016, Black people made up 30 percent of applicants for Victim Compensation, but were 61 percent of the applicants who were denied due to a criminal record.¹⁹ The compensation performance metric data provided by states and compiled by OVC do not break down denials and reasons for denials by race, making it difficult to assess on an ongoing basis which communities are being left behind and how that differs by state.

While Black families of homicide victims applied for Victim Compensation at the highest rate, they were consistently less likely to receive compensation compared to white applicants.²⁰

Contributory Conduct Denials: Blaming Victims for Their Own Harm

Compensation may be denied if the victim’s actions played a role in their death or injury or if the compensation would “unjustly enrich” the offender. For example, if law enforcement or Victim Compensation administrators believe the claimant was engaged in illegal activity at the time they were victimized, they could be denied. Additionally, if an offender lives with a victim and the compensation could be used to substantially support the offender, the claim could be denied. This “contributory conduct” disqualification accounted for 3,331 denials—5 percent of all denials— in FY 2024 across the United States.²¹ Research shows that Black applicants are disproportionately denied Victim Compensation overall; however, that disparity is most stark when it comes to subjective assessments of a victim’s behavior before or after a crime and the alleged role they play in their own harm.²² One analysis found that Black applicants were nearly three times as likely to be denied for reasons related to behavior, including contributory conduct, compared to other races.²³ Another study showed that Black families of homicide victims were nearly 60 percent of those denied for contributory misconduct, but they accounted for only 46 percent of claimants.²⁴ These disparities reflect systemic racial bias at multiple levels: police reports often contain implicitly biased descriptions framing Black victims as complicit in their own deaths, and state employees reviewing claims may unconsciously apply harsher scrutiny to Black families when making subjective assessments about victim behavior or cooperation with law enforcement.²⁵

60%

Black families of homicide victims were nearly 60 percent of those denied for contributory misconduct, but they accounted for only 46 percent of claimants.

Daniel C. Semenza et al., “Racial Disparities in Victim Compensation among Homicide Survivors in the United States,” Race and Justice, ahead of print, October 24, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1177/21533687251388669.

Last updated: 4.1.2026

Sarah Burdine, whose son Jean-Ciar was shot and killed on August 25, 2012, was initially denied Victim Compensation based on her son’s “involvement” with his own death: “My son was clearly a homicide victim, but I had to prove that during the appeal [for Victim Compensation] process.” Sarah’s experience navigating the Victim Compensation process sparked her personal mission to help others navigate the complexities of Victim Compensation. Sarah is now vice president of the Oklahoma Homicide Survivors Support Group (OHSSG).

Read more about Sarah’s story and work

Sarah Burdine’s journey into advocacy began after her son, Jean-Ciar Pierce, was shot and killed on August 25, 2012. In the aftermath, Sarah applied for Victim Compensation, and was denied.

The reason for the denial: the state claimed her son was “involved” in his own death.

Jean-Ciar had pulled up outside a sports bar to pick up friends when gunfire erupted. He was shot through the passenger-side window. Despite the evidence, Sarah was forced to prove that her son was a victim of homicide, and not responsible for his own death. She appealed the decision, compiling evidence, and eventually the appeal was approved, but the experience was emotionally exhausting.

Now, through her work at OHSSG, Sarah helps other families navigate the Victim Compensation process. She assists with applications, provides support during the “in-between” period while claims are pending, and helps families file appeals when applications are denied. Sarah frequently sees denials rooted in “contributory conduct,” claiming that the victim played a role in their own death. These denials disproportionately impact people of color. At OHSSG, the majority of families served are denied at first, often based on assumptions about the victim’s character, location, or criminal history, even when those factors are irrelevant to the crime.

In Sarah’s view, a fairer system would include clear, trauma-informed communication from law enforcement, hospitals, and funeral homes; automatic and early outreach about compensation eligibility; elimination of biased assumptions about who is “deserving” of support; accessible and simplified appeals support led by peer or victim advocates; and transparency and accountability in denials and outcomes.

“No one should have to prove their child didn’t cause their own murder just to get basic help,” Sarah says. Until systemic reforms are made, she remains committed to showing up for other families, ensuring no one is left to navigate the process alone.

The circumstances surrounding what constitutes contributory conduct are not always clear-cut, and in some states, the contributory conduct does not even have to be causally related to the victimization. In Mississippi, a victim can be denied compensation if the victim “engaged in conduct unrelated to the crime upon which the claim for compensation is based that either was (i) a felony, or (ii) a delinquent act which, if committed by an adult, would constitute a felony.”²⁶ By this standard, someone engaged in a brawl leading up to their gun assault victimization, or the family of someone who happened to be in possession of illegal drugs at the time of their gun homicide, could be deemed ineligible due to contributory conduct. In either case, state laws should better account for the nuanced contexts of gun crime victimization.

3.3k

“Contributory misconduct,” a finding that a survivor played a role in their own victimization, accounted for 3,331 denials (5 percent of all denials) in FY 2024.

Everytown Research analysis of Office for Victims of Crime, “VOCA Victim Compensation Data Dashboard,” accessed February 10, 2026, https://ovc.ojp.gov/funding/performance-measures/data-analyses/voca-victim-compensation. Total includes US territories.

Last updated: 2.27.2026

Police Reporting and Cooperation Barriers

Federal law requires that a crime Victim Compensation program “promote victim cooperation with the reasonable requests of law enforcement authorities.”²⁷ Some states have interpreted that to mean a victim is required to report the crime to the police. Nearly 12 percent of all denials nationwide in FY 2024 were due to a failure to report the crime to law enforcement.²⁸ Other states, however, have acknowledged that—for a variety of reasons, including fear of retaliation, mistrust in law enforcement, the age of a victim, or the dynamics of an intimate partner relationship—victims may choose not to report the crime to law enforcement. Several states, such as Louisiana, Maryland, and Oregon, have opted to compensate survivors who did not report the crime to law enforcement but who reported it to another entity, such as a court or healthcare provider.²⁹ All three states had zero denials due to a failure to report to police in FY 2024.³⁰

Tight Timelines and Slow Processing

The federal statute is silent on a timeline for reporting a crime, filing for compensation (or an appeal), or reimbursing victims. This has resulted in wide variation at the state level, with states adopting time frames for reporting a crime as short as 72 hours or for filing a request at one year.³¹ Further, reimbursements take anywhere from a few weeks to a few years.

When Sheree Kennon’s son, Detrario Whorton, was killed in 2021, she received a letter from the District Attorney’s office stating she qualified for Victim Compensation. However, the toll of her grief made the administrative process unbearable. Sheree ultimately gave up on applying for support, and her advice to victim compensation programs is that timelines must be clear, compassionate, and consistent across states.

Read more about Sheree’s story and work
When Sheree Kennon’s son, Detrario Whorton, was killed in 2021, she received a letter from the District Attorney’s office stating she qualified for Victim Compensation. In the fog of trauma, she began filling out forms without fully understanding the requirements. The application was 14 pages long, entirely paper-based, and full of jargon. She was denied. No guidance or explanation was offered beyond a vague statement: “Your son does not qualify.” She never appealed. “I just threw in the towel.”

The toll of grief made the administrative process unbearable. Sheree, who lives in Alabama, didn’t know that she only had 30 days to reapply or respond to requests for additional documentation, and that failure to respond within 14 days could result in her application being discarded entirely. None of that was made clear in the communications she received. Everything came by snail-mail, not electronically. She was being asked to detail her son’s murder while still in shock. “It was the worst moment of my life. They asked me to describe what happened, but I wasn’t even there.”

Three stages marked Sheree’s timeline:
1. Initial Breakdown (2021). She tried to file but gave up. The paperwork was overwhelming, and her grief was still raw. “There’s no book for this. You just have to maneuver through it.”
2. Mobilizing Others (2022–2023). She started What About Us and, alongside other grieving mothers, demanded reform. They organized a caravan to the Alabama Victim Compensation office and succeeded in reducing the application from 14 to four pages.
3. Becoming the Resource (2023–present). Though denied herself, Sheree began guiding others through the application and administrative process. To date, What About Us has helped over 25 families file applications, but all are yet to be approved.
Despite the lack of results, Sheree persists. She now knows timelines inside and out and educates families before they fall through the same cracks. She keeps records, scans everything, and builds relationships with funeral homes to help cover up-front costs, knowing Victim Compensation payments may never come.

Her advice: Timelines must be clear, compassionate, and consistent across states. In New Jersey, families have up to five years to apply.¹ In Alabama, they get just one²—often while still in deep grief. “I believe three years is fair. Families are still in survival mode for a long time. And the system doesn’t give them time to breathe.”

Sheree’s story underscores what happens when processes aren’t trauma-informed. It also reveals the power of one person’s determination to make the process better for those who come after.

Gaps in Victim Awareness

Victim advocates who typically work within law enforcement agencies in the state often connect with survivors of crime and assist with Victim Compensation applications. State Victim Compensation administrators then review these applications and determine eligibility. However, the majority of crimes are not reported to law enforcement,³² and research shows that victims who do not report to law enforcement are less likely to receive vital support.³³ One survey of state compensation directors and law enforcement executives found that many believe that eligible victims are not receiving compensation.³⁴ The authors of a study of a Victim Compensation outreach and assistance program in California concluded that “the primary barriers to filing a claim are lack of information about Victim Compensation and difficulty navigating the application process, not lack of interest or reluctance to access the system.”³⁵

Cathy Taylor, founder of Journey4ward, lost her son Corey to gun violence in 2013. “You never think you’ll have to bury your child,” Cathy says, “and when that moment comes, you’re left asking, how am I even going to pay for this?” However, Cathy remembered a pamphlet that was handed to her at the hospital, and without that pamphlet, Cathy would never have known that the program existed.

Read more about Cathy’s story and work

When Cathy Taylor’s son Corey was shot in 2013, he was placed on life support. In those first disorienting hours at the hospital, the detective overseeing Corey’s case handed Cathy a pamphlet about Victims Compensation and told her it could help cover certain costs like hospital stays and funeral expenses. Focused entirely on her son’s recovery, Cathy tucked it away and didn’t think much about it.

When Corey passed, Cathy recalled the pamphlet and what the detective had shared with her. It was the only reason she and her family knew to apply for help.

Today, through her organization Journey4ward, Cathy helps other survivors navigate the process. And time and again, she sees how critical early and repeated awareness is. “You’re not thinking clearly after something like this,” she says. “If you’re only told once, it’s not going to stick.”

She believes information about compensation should be everywhere victims might turn for help, not just hospitals and police departments, but funeral homes, courtrooms, churches, community centers, even places like the DMV or local library. She also wants to see more outreach online and through public awareness campaigns, long before someone is in crisis.

“If it wasn’t for that one pamphlet,” Cathy says, “I never would’ve known. That shouldn’t be left to chance

Costs Covered

Federal law mandates that expenses related to medical care, lost wages, mental health counseling, and funerals are eligible for reimbursement under Victim Compensation programs. Beyond mandated expenses, other allowable expenses may include property damage and loss,³⁶ travel and transport to secure bodies of the deceased, temporary lodging, building modification to accommodate disabilities, reimbursement for items held as evidence such as clothing or bedding, window and lock repair or replacement, crime scene cleanup, attorneys’ fees, dependent care, financial counseling, pain and suffering, or annuities.

At the state level, survivors of homicide rightfully receive the majority of funeral expenses paid by compensation programs; however, payout sizes differ dramatically between states.³⁷ A total of $68,865,436 (88 percent of all funeral expenses) was allocated for funeral expenses for all homicide applications nationwide in FY 2024.³⁸ Illinois and Washington, DC, ranked highest in their funerary payout for homicides in FY 2024, paying an average of $7,001 and $6,531, respectively, per homicide claim, whereas Iowa and Idaho trailed at the bottom with average payouts of $861 and $946, respectively.³⁹ The majority of medical/dental and mental health reimbursements are paid to assault survivors. In FY 2024, 75 percent of all medical/dental expenses and 32 percent of mental health expense payouts were made to assault survivors.⁴⁰

Payer of Last Resort Barrier

Victim Compensation funds are considered a payer of last resort, so families must first use other sources, including health and life insurance, before being eligible for reimbursement.⁴¹ Some states have expanded this requirement to include collateral sources, such as crowdfunded donations. In such cases, a family that received donations through a GoFundMe campaign to pay for upfront funeral expenses could be denied reimbursement for that specific expense (even in cases where the family did not set up the campaign). Furthermore, many families do not have the resources to fund costs upfront and thus be eligible for later reimbursement, which in itself presents a barrier.

How Can We Fix Victim Compensation?

There are several ways to improve the administration of, and access to, Victim Compensation. At the urging of advocates and lawmakers, fund administrators at the federal and state levels have taken steps to ensure that survivors and families can more easily and quickly obtain the financial support they need. Advocacy groups worked at the federal level to fix VOCA Victim Compensation restrictions, increase eligibility, and grow the overall pool of money available to survivors.⁴² Advocates also proposed increasing the federal contribution to states in order to (1) counter decreasing state contributions to victims’ compensation funds, and (2) decrease states’ reliance on traditional prosecutions to resource funding for victims.⁴³ Congress members introduced and passed the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021 (VOCA Fix Act), which amended the VOCA statute to incorporate these fixes in 2021.⁴⁴

At the state level, solutions to the challenges that gun violence survivors like Cathy Taylor, Sarah Burdine, and Sheree Kennon face in receiving Victim Compensation exist through both improved administration and legislative advocacy. States must continue to dedicate robust state funds to supplement the federal contributions to their Victim Compensation programs. Under the federal statutory formula, states receive increased federal aid when they spend increased state resources on Victim Compensation. As states consider criminal justice reforms, they can no longer rely on traditional prosecutions to generate fines and fees to resource state contributions to Victim Compensation.⁴⁵ States must diversify their contributions to ensure survivors have the resources they need.

Bureaucratic hurdles at the state level can be specifically improved through administrative fixes like increased staffing to support public awareness efforts and the processing of claims in a timely manner, improved training for state administrators, a streamlined and user-friendly application process, and extended periods for those seeking to appeal a denial. Because the application process for these funds can be complicated for survivors, substantial technical assistance for applicants could be piloted at the state level, and could increase the overall number of approved applications for compensation.⁴⁶

Improving information flow to survivors could also help spread the word that Victim Compensation even exists. Resources on how to apply could be provided at various points beyond law enforcement interaction, including in healthcare settings and community-based violence intervention programs. Since federal VOCA compensation funding allocations are based on the state’s previous fiscal year’s reimbursements, not only would increasing the flow of Victim Compensation funds benefit survivors, it would also help ensure that the state continues to receive adequate federal funding in years to come.

Far too many gun violence survivors are left without compensation that would profoundly affect their lives in the aftermath of traumatic victimization or a loved one being taken from them. Expanding eligibility, easing last-payer requirements, and increasing compensation caps could be addressed through state-level legislation. Other legislative fixes include increasing caps on total reimbursement and allocating more federal funding for states to administer to victims.

In 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Fair Access to Victim Compensation Act into law.¹ Effective December 31, 2025, this law increases victim access to compensation by:

Extending the time to file for Victim Compensation from one year to three years,² and
Expanding the forms of evidence accepted to show a crime occurred, reducing reliance on law enforcement reporting.³

New York State lawmakers took action again in 2025, enacting further reforms to Victim Compensation through the budget process, including⁴:

Increasing the reimbursement cap for burials from $6,000 to $12,000,⁵
Allowing anyone who pays for crime scene clean-up to apply for reimbursement,⁶ and
Removing the requirement that contributory conduct be assessed in cases of homicide.⁷

Conclusion

In the aftermath of gun violence, survivors and families often require significant physical, emotional, and financial support. Securing access to these supports is complicated by debilitating trauma, limited resources, and in the case of Victim Compensation efforts, lack of awareness, administrative obstacles, and other onerous restrictions. Survivors and victim advocates have been working for years to incorporate federal and state fixes to Victim Compensation statutes and administration. As federal improvements to Victim Compensation funding are underway, states must also take action to increase victims’ awareness of compensation, ease the application process, and adequately fund the needs of gun violence survivors. As New York and other states have demonstrated, these reforms are possible—and they are needed. The struggle to cope with the short- and long-term effects of a shooting or threat with a gun should not be exacerbated by a fight to navigate and receive Victim Compensation.

State Victim Compensation Links

State	State Victim Compensation Application Page
Alabama	https://acvcc.alabama.gov/
Alaska	https://vccb.alaska.gov/
Arizona	https://www.azcjc.gov/Programs/Victim-Services/Compensation-Program
Arkansas	https://dps.arkansas.gov/crime-info-support/crime-victims-reparations-board/
California	https://victims.ca.gov/
Colorado	https://dcj.colorado.gov/dcj-offices/victims-programs/crime-victim-compensation
Connecticut	https://www.jud.ct.gov/crimevictim/compensation.htm
Delaware	https://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/VCAP/
District of Columbia	https://www.dccourts.gov/services/crime-victims-compensation-matters
Florida	https://www.myfloridalegal.com/victim-compensation
Georgia	https://cjcc.georgia.gov/victims-compensation/victims
Hawaii	https://dcr.hawaii.gov/cvcc/
Idaho	https://crimevictimcomp.idaho.gov/
Illinois	https://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/safer-communities/supporting-victims-of-crime/crime-victim-compensation/
Indiana	https://www.in.gov/cji/victim-compensation/
Iowa	https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/for-crime-victims
Kansas	https://www.ag.ks.gov/reports-resources/affiliated-organizations/crime-victims-compensation-board
Kentucky	https://kycc.ky.gov/newstatic_info.aspx?static_id=158
Louisiana	https://lcle.la.gov/programs/cvr/
Maine	https://www.maine.gov/ag/crime/victims_compensation/index.shtml
Maryland	https://www.mdcrimevictims.org/victim-services/compensation/
Massachusetts	https://www.mass.gov/massachusetts-victims-of-violent-crime-compensation
Michigan	https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/safety-injury-prev/publicsafety/crimevictims/crime-victim-compensation
Minnesota	https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ojp/help-for-crime-victims/Pages/crime-victims-reimbursements.aspx
Mississippi	https://attorneygenerallynnfitch.com/divisions/bureau-of-victim-assistance/
Missouri	https://dps.mo.gov/dir/programs/cvc/
Montana	https://dojmt.gov/victim-services/crime-victim-compensation/
Nebraska	https://ncc.nebraska.gov/crime-victim-reparations
Nevada	https://voc.nv.gov/
New Hampshire	https://www.doj.nh.gov/grants-management/victims-compensation-program/
New Jersey	https://www.njoag.gov/vcco/
New Mexico	https://www.cvrc.state.nm.us/
New York	https://ovs.ny.gov/compensation-program-updates-victims-and-survivors
North Carolina	https://www.ncdps.gov/dps-services/victim-compensation-services/crime-victim-compensation
North Dakota	https://www.docr.nd.gov/crime-victims-compensation
Ohio	https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/individuals-and-families/victims/apply-for-victims-compensation
Oklahoma	https://www.okvictimscomp.com/
Oregon	https://www.doj.state.or.us/crime-victims/crime-victim-compensation/compensation-for-victims-of-crime/
Pennsylvania	https://www.pa.gov/services/pcv/apply-for-victims-compensation
Rhode Island	https://treasury.ri.gov/cvcp
South Carolina	https://www.scag.gov/inside-the-office/crime-victim-services-division/crime-victim-compensation/crime-victim-forms-applications/
South Dakota	https://www.sd.gov/dps?id=cs_kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0043174&sys_kb_id=ea0f9be797a96a1042f3b546f053af8c&spa=1
Tennessee	https://treasury.tn.gov/Services/Claims-and-Risk-Management/Criminal-Injuries-Compensation
Texas	https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/crime-victims/crime-victims-compensation-program/crime-victims-compensation-program-overview
Utah	https://crimevictim.utah.gov/
Vermont	https://www.ccvs.vermont.gov/
Virginia	https://virginiavictimsfund.org/
Washington State	https://lni.wa.gov/claims/crime-victim-claims/who-can-file-and-what-is-covered
West Virginia	https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Joint/Victims/eligibility.cfm
Wisconsin	https://www.wisdoj.gov/Pages/CrimeVictimServices/crime-victim-compensation-program.aspx
Wyoming	https://dvs.wyo.gov/home

Appendix: VOCA Compensation Data

Appendix: VOCA Compensation Data FY2015-FY2024 Download

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Everytown Research & Policy is a program of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, an independent, non-partisan organization dedicated to understanding and reducing gun violence. Everytown Research & Policy works to do so by conducting methodologically rigorous research, supporting evidence-based policies, and communicating this knowledge to the American public.

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Hurdles to Healing: Removing Barriers to Victim Compensation Funds

Introduction

How Does Victim Compensation Work?

Reasons for Denied Applications (FY 2024)

What Are the Obstacles to Accessing Victim Compensation?

Restrictive Eligibility Criteria: Criminal History Exclusions

Contributory Conduct Denials: Blaming Victims for Their Own Harm

Read more about Sarah’s story and work

Police Reporting and Cooperation Barriers

Tight Timelines and Slow Processing

Read more about Sheree’s story and work

Gaps in Victim Awareness

Read more about Cathy’s story and work

Costs Covered

Payer of Last Resort Barrier

How Can We Fix Victim Compensation?

Case Study: New York

Conclusion

State Victim Compensation Links

Appendix: VOCA Compensation Data

Learn More:

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