Project Description Narrative:
The Crime Victims Compensation (CVC) program was established as part of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984. This program can act as an integral piece in a program of violence prevention, providing financial support to those affected. During its initial years, the fund was capped at between $100-150 million per year but the funding pool has since grown and, in 2021, was capped at just over $2 billion, with additional funding provided at the state level (Office for Crime of Crime). For victims that suffer an injury due to a violent crime, the money provides an opportunity to reduce the risk of starting an irreversible economic spiral which can have devastating affects not only on the individual but on loved ones and their community. However, in 2017, of the more than 1.7 million people who presented to the emergency room for treatment after an assault (WISQARS, 2022), only 250,583 people (approximately 14%) completed applications through the CVC program, with 211,069 receiving benefits (U.S. Department of Justice, 2017). This leaves nearly 1.4 million injured victims of violent crime that likely suffered financial consequences but did not apply for financial support.
This project team aims to characterize patients that are victims of crime and quantify the eligibility of injured patients who present to Milwaukee’s only adult Level 1 Trauma Center for CVC program reimbursement. By understanding these baseline data, they will be well positioned to characterize the scope of the problem in southeastern Wisconsin. Understanding the current eligibility and compensation denial criteria will help the CVC program shape its policy and pivot its resources to better support survivors. When resources are appropriately provided to those most in need, inequities in health outcomes, and overall wellbeing, can be corrected. This baseline data derived from this project can be used to help inform a funding application for a larger scale project to follow patients longitudinally with the goal of understanding the true cost of recovering for a victim of a violent crime. Froedtert Hospital is well-positioned to evaluate the cost of violent injury on underserved, marginalized populations, and to create intervention opportunities that promote healing and recovery that will be applicable across the state and the country.