Victim Compensation by the Offender and the State (From The Victimology Handbook: Research Findings, Treatment, and Public Policy, P 353-359, 1990, Emilio Viano, ed. -- See NCJ-126951)

• NCJ Number: 126974
• Author(s): T Newburn
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 7 pages
• Sale Source: Garland Publishing, Inc.
• Publication Type: Program Description (Model)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper describes and assesses victim compensation schemes in Great Britain.

Abstract

The State-funded compensation scheme is called the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. It is limited to those who have been injured in a violent crime, but also covers those injured while apprehending or attempting to apprehend an offender. Compensation claims must be made within 3 years of the injury-causing incident. Claimants must have cooperated fully with the police in order to be eligible for compensation. Data suggest that at least one-quarter of eligible victims do not apply for compensation, largely because they do not know of its availability. Under the system of court-ordered compensation, money is paid by the offender to the court, and from the court to the victim. Crime victims suffering loss, damage, or injury are eligible for consideration. This system requires that the offender must have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted before the victim can receive compensation. The two schemes do not mesh, since they cover different offenses, operate at different financial levels, and have distinctive threshold criteria. This paper outlines several alternatives for addressing the lack of fit between the two systems. 8-item bibliography