A recent study published in Race and Justice revealed that Black families who lost a relative to a homicide are most likely to file victim compensation claims, but they’re more likely to be denied assistance.
The main reason cited for denying a claim for Black families was “contributory misconduct,” the researchers said. This means law enforcement determined the victim was involved in a criminal act that may have contributed to their death.
“Contributory misconduct” accounted for nearly one-third of all denials, and families of Black victims comprised 57% of such denials while accounting for only 46% of claims, according to the study.
“Our findings show that this mechanism, alongside others such as incomplete applications and statutory ineligibility, disproportionately impacts Black families,” the researchers wrote.
Reporters covering the costs related to gun violence could replicate parts of this study and request victim compensation claims for any period of time and for any type of crime, and the reasons for denial or approval. This story could be a way to hold states accountable for how they manage victim compensation.
More about the study
Researchers at Rutgers Health reviewed nearly 60,000 homicide victim compensation claims among families of homicide victims across 18 U.S. states from 2015 to 2023. In their study, they identified racial disparities after analyzing the approval rates and reasons for denial by race. Authors controlled for gender, state and year when assessing disparities.
“Families of Black homicide victims file the most victim compensation claims, but their claims are disproportionately denied,” said lead author Daniel Semenza in a statement. Semenza is also the director of research at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center and an associate professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and Rutgers University–Camden.
Victim compensation
Victim compensation funds were established under the 1984 Victims of Crime Act. These programs intend to provide financial relief to people and families affected by violent crimes, including nonfatal shootings and firearm homicides.
The funds can cover a range of expenses, including medical care, counseling, funeral costs, relocation and lost wages. Despite their intention to help victims, Rutgers researchers found these systems can often perpetuate racial inequities and limit access to financial assistance.
“Victim compensation was designed to help grieving families, but current practices reinforce racial inequities instead of alleviating them,” Semenza said in the statement.
Unequal access
The researchers point out that advocates have long sounded the alarm on the unequal access to victim compensation programs. Previous studies have suggested racial disparities in how states process and approve claims, including a 2024 report from the University of Michigan that found “significant” racial and gender disparities exist in crime victim compensation programs.
But the Rutgers study was able to quantify these differences across states, with a specific focus on families of homicide victims.
“We document statistically significant racial disparities in claim approvals, even after controlling for gender, state, and application year,” researchers wrote in the study.
Story ideas
Many stories could come from examining victim compensation. Reporters requesting victim compensation claims can do so for any period of time and for any type of crime, along with the reasons for denial or approval. This could be a way to learn how a state is managing its victim compensation and doling out funds in an equitable way.
In addition to analyzing a state’s victim compensation program, reporters should find people who have either received compensation after losing a loved one, or who have been denied the support. For the families who did receive compensation, how did they lose their loved one? How did that benefit them? What did they use it for? Was it enough? For those who didn’t, why were they denied? How did they lose their loved one? What financial struggles are they facing?
Another idea is to look at what people are using the victim compensation funds for. Do health-related issues (outstanding medical bills, grief counseling, etc.) make up the bulk? Or is it something else, like for funerals or legal fees?
Resources for reporters
Your state’s victim compensation fund: Depending on where you’re reporting, that state’s crime victim compensation fund manager would be a good source for details on how the program works and data on who is and is not receiving the funds. The state department in charge of victim compensation varies. For example, Illinois’ program is managed by the attorney general. In California, the funds are handled by the California Victim Compensation Board.
Violence prevention organizations: These groups have an intimate understanding of crime victim compensation. They would be a great source for both understanding the system and for finding individuals and families who have sought compensation following a violent crime.
Here are a few examples, however; violence prevention groups tend to operate at the local level, so search for a group in your area.
- The CDC keeps a list of programs the agency funds.
- Cure Violence
- The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention
