Member News and Information

The mission of the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards is to provide leadership, professional development, and collaborative opportunities to our members to strengthen their capacity to improve services to crime victims and survivors. We share a vision of working together so that every victim compensation program is fully funded, optimally staffed, and functioning effectively to help victims cope with the costs of crime.

Our Members-Only section is open to managers, staff and Board members of government crime victim compensation programs. Contact us if you need assistance logging in.

Our 2013 Regional Conferences for our members are taking place this Spring. Information on our National Conference for compensation programs will be provided soon.

Our latest Crime Victim Compensation Quarterly can be found by clicking here. A look at our Spring Regionals, an update on VOCA funding, and a couple of recent inquiries and answers are included.

Our current featured issue is "Benefit Maximums." More information can be found by clicking on the "Members-Only" tab to the upper right, once you've logged in.

Update on VOCA Funding: Congress has set a cap of $730 million for FY 2013 grants. A few more issues need to be worked through, including the application of sequestration cuts and management and administrative expenses, before the grant process this year will open. The President's recently released budget for FY 2014 proposes a cap of $800 million, with the increase from last year designated for new purposes, such as Vision 21 initiatives and tribal support. The Congress will consider the proposal over the coming months.

Return to FAQs

General Information

1. Where is crime victim compensation available?

Every state in the country, as well as D.C., the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, offers crime victim compensation benefits. See our Program Directory (a link on our home page) for more information on each state. There is no federal or national crime victim compensation program for crimes occurring within the U.S. However, the U.S. Department of Justice does operate an expense reimbursement program for U.S. citizens who are victims of international terrorism outside the U.S.

In general, a victim should apply in the state where the crime occurred. A few states may offer coverage to victims who are injured in other U.S. jurisdictions; and about half the states will offer benefits to their residents who are injured in foreign countries. This is a matter of state law, and the individual state program must be contacted with regard to eligibility for crimes outside the state.

2. How can I get more information about compensation?

Each state provides information about its program through its Website, and through brochures that are available from the program and from many victim assistance agencies. The Website you are now on has a Program Directory that provides summary information about each program, as well as a link to the individual state's Website. We also have a State Links page on this site that may help victims find their way to the program that can help them.