The Arizona Criminal Justice Commission's (ACJC) Crime Victim Services area oversees
and administers two key programs: the Crime Victim Compensation and the Crime Victim
Assistance programs. The Crime Victim Assistance program provides grants to private
non-profit or government agencies that deliver direct services to crime victims.
The Crime Victim Compensation program is administered through ACJC but resides locally
in each of Arizona's 15 county attorney's offices.
Crime Victim Assistance Program
The purpose of the Crime Victim Assistance Program, established in 1988, is to provide
grant funding to government agencies and private non-profit organizations to support
delivery of direct services to crime victims. Though ACJC does not provide direct
services to victims of crime, it does establish program rules for the administration
of the program. Funding for the Crime Victim Assistance Program comes from community
supervision fees collected by the Arizona Department of Corrections. Direct services
eligible for funding through the Crime Victim Assistance program include:
- Crisis intervention services
- Emergency services such as temporary shelter, petty cash, or temporary repairs
- Support services including counseling and referrals to other assistance
- Court-related services including escorting victims to criminal justice-related interviews
and court proceedings
- Notification services
- Training for staff
- Printing and distribution of brochures
Crime Victim Compensation Program
The purpose of the Crime Victim Compensation Program is to assist innocent crime
victims in Arizona with out-of-pocket expenses for crime-related medical treatment,
mental health counseling, funerals, and wage loss. Unlike the Crime Victim Assistance
Program, which is a competitive grant program, the Crime Victim Compensation Program
is a state program administered at the county level by the 15 county attorneys.
All 50 states have a crime victim compensation program, but Arizona is only one
of two states that operate a decentralized program. Under the Crime Victim Compensation
Program Rules, a victim must file a compensation claim at the county attorney's
office within the county where the crime occurred. The county attorney's office
in each county investigates the compensation claims which are then presented to
the county's Crime Victim Compensation Board for review. Each Board is comprised
of appointed volunteers selected from citizens of the respective county who approve
or deny of the compensation claim in accordance with the program rules. The maximum
award for a claim is $20,000.
Funding to support the program comes from penalty assessments on fines, inmate work
fees collected by the Arizona Department of Corrections, and unclaimed victim restitution
monies. In addition to these sources, the State of Arizona annually receives a federal
Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) formula grant which is based on the certified amount
of state monies spent to compensate victims of crime.
Staff Directory
Use this information to locate the appropriate project manager to address specific
questions about ACJC programs . . .
