Crime Victim Assistance:

Contact Information: Laura Gonzalez – Crime Victim Liaison

Angleton (979) 864-2343  

Houston / Alvin (281) 756-2343 

Brazosport (979 388-2392

lauram@brazoriacountytx.gov

• Serve as a liaison between victims and prosecutors or other justice personal
• Assistance in applying for crime victim’s compensation due to loss resulting from the crime
• Offering information and assistance with victim impact statements and protective orders
• Officering referrals to community based agencies and organizations providing victims services.
• Offering interpretive services or other specialized assistance and services as needed for ethnically diverse populations receiving crime victim services

CRIME VICTIMS’ COMPENSATION

Crime Victims’ Compensation is a financial assistance program that helps eligible victims of crime with certain expenses related to the crime. Money for this program comes from court costs paid by criminals and deposited by each Texas county into the Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund.

 The Crime Victims; Compensation Program is administered by the Office of the Attorney General and is dedicated to ensuring the crime victims receive every possible assistance.

 The Crime Victims’ Compensation Program is “the payer of last resort” after primary sources of payment such as health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, auto insurance or Texas Workers’ Compensation.

 If the court orders the offender to pay restitution to the victim for an expense that the Crime Victim’s Compensation has already paid, the victim may be required to reimburse the Fund. If the victim or claimant recovers money through the settlement of a civil suit against the offender or third party, he or she may also have to reimburse the Fund.

 The Crime Victims' Compensation program is available to assist victims of violent crime with expenses associated with the crime.  In order to receive financial assistance from the fund, victims must complete an application for benefits.  The fund is able to pay for a variety of expenses including:

• Medical, hospital, physical therapy or nursing care
• Psychiatric care or counseling
• Loss of earning or support
• Loss of wages due to participation in , or attendance at, the investigation, prosecutorial and judicial processes, and travel
• Care of child or dependent
• Funeral and burial expenses
• Crime scene clean-up
• Replacement costs for clothing, bedding, or property seized as evidence or rendered unusable as result of the investigation
• Loss of wages and travel to seek medical treatment
• One time relocation expenses for domestic violence victims or for those sexual assault victims attacked in their own residence

 TO BE ELIGIBLE A PERSON MUST:

• Be a United States resident when the crime occurred in Texas or a Texas resident who becomes a victim in a state or country without a compensation program; United States citizenship not required
• Report the crime to law enforcement agency within a reasonable period of time, but not so late to interfere with or hamper the investigation and prosecution of the crime
• File the application within three years of the date of the crime

 WHO MAY QUALIFY?

• An innocent victim of crime who suffers substantial threat of physical and/or emotion harm or    
• death
• A dependent of a victim
• An authorized individual acting on behalf of a victim
• An intervenor who goes to the aid of a victim or peace officer
• A person who legally assumes the obligations or voluntarily pays certain expenses related to the crime on behalf of the victim
• Immediate family or household members, related by blood or marriage who requires counseling as result of the crime
• A peace officer, fire fighter or individual who has a duty to protect the public and who is injured in a crime

 WHO IS NOT ELIGIBLE?

Benefits may be reduced or denied if the victim:

• participated in the crime
• engaged in illegal activity
• contributed to the crime
• was an inmate at the time of the crime
• knowingly or intentionally submitted false or forged information to the Crime Victims’ Compensation program
• did not cooperate with the appropriate law enforcement agencies

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