Victims of violent crime in California are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain financial support from the state, according to a new analysis. The California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) has been awarding less money and denying more applications, even as its budget has grown. This trend has locked some of the most vulnerable individuals out of funds meant to cover crime scene cleanup, relocation costs, funerals, and therapy.
Declining Awards Despite Increased Budget
California established the nation's first victims' compensation program in 1965 to help victims of violent crimes and their families cover expenses resulting from violence. A report from Californians for Safety and Justice (CSJ), a nonprofit advocating for communities overrepresented as crime victims and in the criminal justice system, found that since 2019, CalVCB has distributed less money and denied more applications despite having more funds available.
The amount distributed by CalVCB dropped from approximately $65 million in fiscal year 2019-2020 to about $50 million in 2024-2025, a decrease of over 30%. The award amount hit a five-year low in 2021, with only $46 million allotted. Meanwhile, the number of denied applications rose sharply. In 2019, CalVCB denied nearly 5,000 of almost 47,000 applications. By 2024, it denied about 10,250 of 25,000 applications.
Reasons for Denials
CalVCB stated that most denials occurred because applicants had not provided all required documentation on time. An increase in applicants led to process changes that resulted in more denials based on untimely documentation. The program expressed commitment to providing financial assistance and encouraged victims to apply.
Tinisch Hollins, CSJ's executive director, noted that many victims are unaware of the program, while others find the application process daunting and give up. Some are discouraged by stories of others being denied. “There are fewer applicants because people gave up on applying,” Hollins said. “For years, these dollars have just been sitting there.”
Restrictive Terms and Systemic Issues
Hollins highlighted longstanding problems with the program, including restrictive terms that disqualify many from high-crime communities. Applicants must cooperate with police, participate in court proceedings if an arrest is made, and cannot be on parole or probation for a violent crime when applying. “Just because someone was on probation or went to prison doesn’t exclude them from being a victim if they are shot or injured,” Hollins said. “These sanctions create a cycle of unaddressed harm in our community that hurts everyone and leaves everyone unsafe.”
The victims' compensation fund provides some direct cash assistance in emergencies, but most payments are reimbursements for expenses such as mental health counseling and mileage to medical appointments. CalVCB is primarily funded through California's restitution fund, composed of fines and fees from convicted individuals, supplemented by the state's general fund and federal dollars.
Impact on Vulnerable Communities
The compensation awarded reached an all-time low in 2021-2022, coinciding with historically high homicide rates. Researchers attribute the increase in violence to pandemic-era stressors, court slowdowns, and reduced in-person interactions among those most likely to be involved in shootings and intervention programs. Advocates say the decrease in awards leaves victims with few options for immediate support, making them vulnerable to re-victimization due to inability to leave dangerous neighborhoods or obtain proper medical care.
This decline occurs against a backdrop of concerns about increased crimes such as shootings, burglaries, and public drug use that rose during the pandemic and persist under the current administration. In response, California voters passed Proposition 36, enacting harsher penalties for retail theft, property crimes, and drug offenses. Hollins argued that tough-on-crime policies are sold as a way to honor crime survivors but overlook the shortcomings of programs like CalVCB that are already failing underserved victims. “Meanwhile, the one program in the state that is supposed to respond to victims is not doing that,” she added.
