Crime Victims Reparations Program

Daniel Nasaw with the Democrat-Gazette has a profile of the Crime Victims Reparations Program this morning. The program is funded mostly by court costs, restitution and fees assessed to convicted criminals and is designed to assist violent-crime victims and their survivors by reimbursing them for funeral costs, medical bills, counseling and other expenses. The collections are remitted to DF&A for deposit into the Crime Victims Reparation Revolving Fund, and the program is administered by the attorney general's office.

The legislature created the board and program by enacting the "Arkansas Crime Victims Reparations Act" with Act 817 in 1987. The legislation provides the method for compensating and providing assistance to victims of crime. The program's administrative staff is responsible for investigating the claim and making recommendations to the board on decisions pertaining to awarding or denying claims. The maximum limit of compensation is $10,000 per victim. For victims whose injuries are catastrophic and result in a total and permanent disability, the maximum award limit is $25,000. Nasaw reports that victims on average received more than $2,000.