State legislatures in recent years have passed changes to their victim compensation programs, where thousands of people turn each year for help after becoming the victim of a violent crime.
Vanessa Martinez was finishing preparations for her daughter’s second birthday in September 2021 when her ex-boyfriend broke into her Mesa, Arizona, condo and shot her in the head as she frantically tried to shield their three young children.She left the hospital facing a fight for custody of her kids, who'd been placed in state care after the attack. She needed a new place to live after much of the house was damaged in a standoff between police and her shooter.
Legislatures in more than half of U.S. states have passed measures to improve their programs in recent years. The changes vary widely: A victim's criminal history is no longer an automatic disqualifier in Illinois. The time limit to apply for help was increased from three to seven years in California. In Michigan, the cap on aid will nearly double to $45,000 this year and more people like caretakers of victims will be eligible for survivor benefits.
“I told them that I miss my father everyday, but the survivors, the people left here, are the ones still moving through their pain,” Green said. In Ohio, Green recently helped a woman who had lost her children’s father to gun violence start the compensation process by contacting a county representative. The woman was initially turned away because the victim had a previous felony record. Green helped her inform the official of the 2021 law change.Christelle Perez sought an immediate attitude shift among staff when she took over as chief of the Illinois Crime Victims Compensation Bureau in May 2021.
Lenore Anderson, president and co-founder of the Alliance for Safety and Justice, which organizes victims to advocate for criminal justice reforms, has pushed program administrators for years to shift their focus from eligibility requirements to victim needs. The office is in the process of overhauling compensation guidelines for the first time since 2001, with an “emphasis on equity and addressing programmatic barriers,” according to an emailed statement from the department. But it’s unclear how much of that new guidance will be mandatory.
Overwhelmed with grief, Ringo, 64, later spoke before the Michigan Legislature about the trauma of being told her son had somehow caused his murder.
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Victims of violent crime drive legislative change to state programs, pushing against barriers to aidFederal guidance for state compensation programs for victims of violent crime is being overhauled for the first time in more than 20 years, the AP has found. Victims have been a driving force in state-level changes, swaying legislators with their stories.
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