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VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT STATE COMPENSATION PROGRAM 2002 RHODE ISLAND STATEWIDE COMPENSATION PROGRAM Prepared By: Rhode Island Office of the General Treasurer - Crime Victims Compensation Program 40 Fountain Street, Floor 7 Providence, RI 02903-0000 tel: (401)222-3264
CLAIMS DATA
1. NUMBER OF NEW CLAIMS RECEIVED DURING REPORTING PERIOD a. Total claims, if only one claim is usually counted per crime: 365 OR b. Total claims, if victims and indirect victims generally count as separate items: 0 2. NUMBER OF CLAIMS APPROVED AS ELIGIBLE: 437 (a) Number of Victims 17 and Under 112 (b) Number approved for victims 18 - 64 311 (c) Number approved for victims 65 and Older 14 3. NUMBER OF FORENSIC SEXUAL ASSAULT EXAMINATION CLAIMS RECEIVED DURING THE REPORT PERIOD. IF SUCH CLAIMS ARE HANDLED THROUGH SEPARATE CLAIMS PROCEDURE. (See Instructions) 0
PAYMENT STATISTICS BY CRIME CATEGORY:
a. b. c. TYPE OF CRIME NUMBER OF CLAIMS NUMBER OF DOMESTIC TOTAL AMOUNT PAID PAID DURING VIOLENCE RELATED BY CATEGORY REPORTING PERIOD CLAIMS PAID DURING Including all supple- Includes Column b REPORTING PERIOD mental payments
1. ASSAULT 381 31 2,042,298 2. HOMICIDE 67 8 378,488 3. SEXUAL ASSAULT 30 4 255,186 4. CHILD ABUSE (Including sexual & physical abuse) 75 609,778 5. DWI/DUI 9 90,067 6. 0THER VEHICULAR CRIMES 8 89,136 7. STALKING 0 0 0 8. ROBBERY 8 0 42,653 9. TERRORISM 0 0 10. KIDNAPPING 0 0 0 11. ARSON 2 2 1,696 12. OTHER 4 0 61,280 TOTAL 584 43 3,570,582
INDICATE TOTAL EXPENSES PAID BY SERVICE
1. MEDICAL/DENTAL (Except Mental Health) 455,344 2. MENTAL HEALTH 29,380 3. ECONOMIC SUPPORT (Lost Wages, Loss of Support) 274,117 4. FUNERAL/BURIAL (Including all Funeral Related Expenses 206,791 5. CRIME SCENE CLEAN-UP 0 6. FORENSIC SEXUAL ASSAULT EXAMS 0 7. OTHER 2,574,951 8. TOTAL 3,540,583
Please respond to the following questions additional 8x11 sheets may be attached if necessary 1. DESCRIBE THE IMPACT THAT VOCA FUNDS HAVE HAD ON YOUR PROGRAM'S ABILITY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF CRIME VICTIMS. VOCA funding has enabled the program to continue offering compensation to victims of violent crime in our state. On the verge of financial collapse when this administration took over in January 1999, the program has once again been able to leverage VOCA funds to secure the fourth annual general fund appropriation from the RI legislature in this reporting year, to pay down the significant accumulated debt. The anticipated availability of VOCA funds has figured prominently in the decision to commit substantially more state dollars to revive the program and accelerate payment to victims who have been waiting years to receive payment on their awards.2. HOW DO YOU MEASURE YOUR PROGRAM'S EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN REDUCING THE FINANCIAL IMPACTH OF CRIME ON VICTIMS? WHAT ARE THE RESULTS? Average processing time is not yet an effective method for measuring program efficiency, as this reporting period covers the third year in a four year debt reduction plan, designed to eliminate an inherited backlog of claims from two archaic systems dating back ten or more years. However, our program concurrently makes determinations on claims considered under a new administrative system, with vastly improved processing times. Although our automated reporting system is unable to differentiate between the three systems, our manual estimates indicate an average of under one year from date of injury to payment, down from 3 years under our former administrative system, and 7 ½ years under our older court-based system.
3. DID YOUR STATE USE VOCA ADMINSTRATIVE FUNDS? YES IF YOUR STATE USED VOCA ADMINSTRATIVE FUNDS, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE IMPACT THESE FUNDS HAVE HAD ON YOUR STATE'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE COMPENSATION OR IMPROVE VICTIM SERVICES. Yes. Our program has used VOCA funds to support a staff position. At this time the position remains critical to our efforts to clear the backlog of claims.