Each of the states and the federal government have established a crime victim compensation fund or program to assist victims of violent crime with expenses related to the crime. To receive financial assistance from a crime victim compensation fund, a person must complete an application. Crime victim compensation funds are often funded by fines and penalties assessed against convicted criminal offenders, and by private donations, rather than by tax dollars.

Eligibility for payment of crime-related costs from state and federal crime victim compensation funds varies, but such funds are generally available to pay for a variety of expenses, including:

• medical, hospital, physical therapy, and nursing home care

• psychiatric care or counseling

• loss of wages, income, or support

• loss of wages and travel expenses due to participation in the investigation and prosecution of the crime

• funeral and burial expenses

• crime scene cleanup expenses

• care for a child or a dependent

• relocation expenses for domestic violence victims and sexual assault victims attacked in their own residence

• replacement costs for clothing, bedding, or other property seized as evidence or rendered unusable as a result of the investigation

• job training and vocational rehabilitation

• training in the use of required personal health appliances

• making a home or car handicapped accessible in the event of catastrophic injuries and permanent disability

• home health care

• attorney fees for assistance in completing the crime victim compensation application

The persons eligible to receive payment for crime-related costs from crime victim compensation funds varies, but victims who may qualify for compensation generally include:

• an innocent victim of crime who suffers physical, mental, or emotional harm or death

• a person who is a dependent of a victim of a crime

• a person who legally assumes the financial obligations or voluntarily pays certain crime-related expenses on behalf of the victim

• an authorized person acting on behalf of a victim

• an immediate family member or household members related by blood or marriage who require psychiatric care or counseling as a result of the crime

• a person who comes to the aid of a crime victim or a police officer

• a police officer, firefighter, or other person whose employment includes protecting the public

In West Virginia, the Crime Victims Compensation Fund (CVCF) provides financial assistance to victims of violent crime to help cover expenses related to the crime. To access these funds, victims must submit a formal application. The CVCF is primarily funded through fines and penalties levied on convicted offenders, as well as private donations, not tax dollars. Eligible expenses for compensation include medical and psychiatric care, loss of income, funeral costs, crime scene cleanup, and various other costs such as relocation for domestic violence victims, replacement of property seized as evidence, and attorney fees for help with the compensation application. Those who may qualify for compensation include victims who have suffered harm or death, dependents of victims, individuals who have assumed financial obligations on behalf of the victim, immediate family members needing psychiatric care due to the crime, individuals who assist victims or law enforcement during a crime, and public safety officers injured in the line of duty. The specifics of eligibility and covered expenses are detailed in the West Virginia Code, and the administration of the fund is overseen by the West Virginia Court of Claims.