NCJ Number
221292
Date Published
2008
Length
64 pages
Annotation
This publication presents the 2002-2003 Annual Report of the Victim Service, Education and Outreach, and Victims Compensation Programs.
Abstract
The report provides vital contact and resource information; highlights concerns regarding victim services and victim compensation; explains the compensation process; and provides information on education and outreach, funding, and the history of legislation. The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency helps victims deal with the aftermath of crime by easing the financial burden. The passage of PA Act 85 of 2002 reinforced the importance of helping victims and their families recover from the emotional, physical, and financial hardships crime imposes upon them. The legislation that went into effect August 27, 2002, is aiding victims with expanded eligibility requirements and benefits. Now victims who need to move out a dangerous situation can do so with reimbursement for relocation expenses; the family that has been a victim of crime in the safety of their home can be reimbursed for crime-scene cleanup; and extended family members are eligible to file for counseling benefits. Law enforcement, victim advocates, and professionals who come in contact with victims of crime received training on the new legislation. These professionals are often the only person a victim of crime comes in contact with, making their knowledge of the rights and benefits to the victims all the more important. The Direct Victim Services Unit was created to help victims of mass violence, provide service at a school shooting, to assist the elderly victimized in a fraud scheme, and to aid victims and family member in the aftermath of a DUI crash. The Victim Services’ Advisory Committee was restructured during the past year; the new committees and subcommittees were streamlined to improve the revenue income to the Compensation Fund while the Office of Victims’ Services continued to search for new funding. Tables