Financial Support for Victims of Crime: A Quick Guide for Corrections and Community Supervision Officers

• NCJ Number: 252127
• Date Published: August 2018
• Length: 4 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2016-MU-BX-K011
• Agencies: BJA-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Technical Assistance); Report (Grant Sponsored); Instructional Material

Annotation

Intended for corrections and supervision officers who may become involved in issues related to financial support for crime victims who suffered financial losses due to the criminal actions of a supervised offender, this guide provides guidance on the management of offenders under orders of restitution for victims of their crimes, along with other means of financial support for crime victims.

Abstract

Although restitution to victims can help ameliorate the financial impact of crime on victims, restitution payments can be difficult to collect, because the offender may lack sufficient financial resources. Setting up realistic payment schedules and capping the percentage of assets that can be collected during a given period are important steps for supervision officers to take in enabling successful collection from offenders. Supervision officers should also consider prioritizing restitution over other legal financial obligations of an offender, such as fines or fees for supervision, electronic monitoring, or correctional health care. Other issues in the logistics of managing restitution cases are also discussed. In addition, corrections personnel are instructed in victim compensation from the state that helps cover expenses and losses that result from a crime. This guide instructs corrections personnel in the parameters for compensation eligibility, so they can properly instruct victims when they inquire about or are unaware of their right to victim compensation. Emergency financial assistance for crime victims is also discussed, since some states offer emergency financial assistance for victims who are financially harmed by crimes. This may come from domestic violence shelters, sexual assault programs, and programs that serve victims of burglary or co-victims of homicide. 5 resource listings