SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More than 250 people marched from John C. Fremont Park to the state Capitol on Tuesday, May 5, calling for increased state funding and stronger support systems for victims of crime and their families.
While California has taken steps to improve services for crime survivors, state support has faltered. “The state cut funding for the Flexible Assistance for Survivors grant program (FAS),” which many survivors were relying on to meet urgent needs, Trauma Recovery Centers (TRC), “which provide frontline services to marginalized survivors,” are now facing closure, and “declining federal Victims of Crime Act funding has also created a dangerous gap in victim services funding,” Californians for Safety and Justice said.
“Every state has a compensation program, which covers urgent expenses — including counseling, relocation, and, in cases of deadly violence, funeral costs and support for children left behind,” states Californians for Safety and Justice.
On CBS News, Tinisch Hollins, an advocate with Californians for Safety and Justice, said, “When you become the victim of a crime, you’re already traumatized. You need immediate support.”
CalVCB’s funding “comes from restitution paid by people convicted of crimes,” according to CBS News.
Now, however, victims are receiving less help from the California Victim Compensation Board than before. According to CalVCB’s annual reports and supplementary statistics that Californians for Safety and Justice compiled, “the average amount paid annually in compensation to victims was $57.6 million” from fiscal year (FY) 2017-18 through FY 2020-21. From FY 2021-22 to FY 2024-25, there was “an over $10 million drop.”
CalVCB has, in tandem, been denying more applications; “nearly 1 in 3 applications in FY 2024-25,” reports Californians for Safety and Justice. “The number of applications processed and funds going out to victims dropped by nearly 30%.”
On CBS News, Hollins explained, “There are dollars that are not going out to crime victims that should be going out.”
“CalVCB revealed that denials are up in part because the agency changed practices and is now denying victims compensation when law enforcement fails to respond to requests to release police reports within 10 days.”
The issue with that revelation is this: victims may now be punished for the inaction or failures of local law enforcement agencies.
Various barriers are faced by victims seeking access to help. For instance, “California is one of only seven states that restricts eligibility to compensation based on some survivors’ status on probation or parole,” according to Californians for Safety and Justice. California has also failed to adopt policies that would allow all survivors to utilize alternatives, and continues to deny survivors based on alleged lack of cooperation.
Victim-blaming restrictions have also been a barrier faced by victims. Californians for Safety and Justice say, “survivors may be denied for alleged ‘involvement’ in their own victimization.” Black applicants were also found to be almost twice as likely as white applicants to be denied based on victimization, according to an Alameda County grand jury report.
While “Black survivors account for 14% of all applications for compensation in California,” they account for 22% of denials, reports Californians for Safety and Justice.
On Monday, May 4, ABC10 interviewed Bridgett Montoya, who was 21 years old when she was “gunned down while walking on a Southern California street.” While Montoya stated that she applied for financial help, her request was denied.
“There are a lot of people like me that don’t have the support, and we struggle,” said Montoya. “Unfortunately, we struggle on a day-to-day basis, and our lives have become way harder because of this.”
While she has ultimately given up on receiving the proper funding for her recovery from the state, “she’s still fighting to make sure other victims don’t have the same problem,” CBS News reported.
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