Joe Nicholson/The Olympian
Cletus Nnanabu is manager of the Crime Victims Compensation Program. "My staff does a great job of holding it together, trying to make sense of the type of crime that is committed," he said.

Financial aid, listening ears

Crime Victims Compensation Program

FARHANAZ KERMALLI, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Monday, March 18, 2002

OLYMPIA -- When Janice Deal arrives home each night, she kisses her loved ones and is thankful they're safe.

Deal is a staff consultant with the Crime Victims Compensation Program, which provides financial assistance to victims of violent crimes.

"This work touches every heartstring you have," she said. "I've seen staff cry because they feel the pain, some of the concern and worry."

The program, administered by the Department of Labor and Industries, is a primary source of assistance for crime victims without insurance, and it is a payer of last resort for insured victims.

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants cannot be involved in the crime, must report the crime to law enforcement within a year, and must file a claim within two years of the police report. Crimes must be gross misdemeanors or felonies.

Aid can be applied toward medical treatment, counseling, funeral arrangements, loss of wages, pensions and settlements for permanent partial disability -- similar to workers compensation.

The similarity to workers compensation is one reason the program is housed in the Department of Labor and Industries, program manager Cletus Nnanabu said.

"(Legislature) was looking at something that has the rules, the laws and the expertise, so they chose to put this program in this department," he said.

Though the Crime Victims Compensation Program has no counselors on-site, crime victims still turn to the program for comfort. The 42 staff members must juggle those tasks and the difficult job of reading through detailed crime reports, Nnanabu said.

"My staff does a great job of holding it together, trying to make sense of the type of crime that is committed, trying to be very sensitive, lending a listening ear.

"Sometimes the victims call us, and we listen."

The program is funded primarily through the state, the Department of Corrections and a federal grant from the Department of Justice.

For fiscal year 2001, 5,759 claims were filed through the program. Women and children account for 70 percent of the claims filed.

If a victim seeks a forensic exam within 72 hours of a rape or sexual assault, the program covers all costs for the exam.

"Without the Crime Victims dollars, it would be more difficult to provide this service, and the hospital would have to absorb the entire cost," said Nancy Young, an advanced registered nurse practitioner at the Providence St. Peter Hospital sexual assault clinic.

The program does not cover medication or emergency contraceptives, she said.

Employees of agencies that provide services to sexual assault victims give the program high marks, as do those who have used the program.

Kelly, a Thurston County resident whose last name is being withheld, said she knows the benefits of the program. Her son was the victim of a sexual assault.

"We were able to obtain a really good counselor needed to help him get through this," she said. "To be honest, I don't know what I would have done without (the program)."

The program was essential in finding the right treatment for her child through the numerous counselors and providers available, she said.

The program works well within its means, said Deal, the consultant.

"With what limited funds we have, we're still providing some type of help to somebody who didn't ask that this happen to them," she said.

"That's an awful good feeling to have when you leave at night."

At a glance

Program

There were 5,759 claims filed with the Crime Victims Compensation Program in fiscal year 2001. Of those, 54 percent were related to assaults, 36 percent rapes or sexual assaults, 4 percent vehicular crimes, 3 percent robbery and 3 percent murder.

Sixty-four percent of the victims were adults; 36 percent were children 17 or younger. Of those filing claims, 58.5 percent were female, 41.5 percent were male.

In 1999-01, $24.3 million was spent on benefits to victims. The figure includes more claims than were filed during the period because claims don't end on a fiscal-year time frame.

To learn more

Go to the Crime Victims Compensation Program's Web site: www.lni.wa.gov/ipub/800-006-000.htm.

The Crime Victims Compensation Program will host an event April 23 in honor of National Crime Victims' Rights Week. The program will feature issues relating to crime victims, speakers, and stories from victims and their relatives. The event is open to the public. For more information, call 800-762-3716.

On the Web:

- Crime Victims' Compensation

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