▪ 
police escorts 
▪ 
witness protection programs 
▪ 
relocation 
▪ 
restraining orders 
Some states also have laws to protect the employment of victims who are 
attending criminal proceedings (see “Right to Attend Criminal Proceedings,” 
above). 
4. 
Right to Apply for Compensation 
1. 
All states provide crime victim compensation to reimburse victims of violent 
crime for some of the out-of-pocket expenses that resulted from the crime. The 
purpose of compensation is to recognize victims’ financial losses and to help them 
recover some of these costs. All states have a cap on the total compensation award 
for each crime, and not all crime-related expenses are covered. To be eligible for 
compensation, victims must submit an application, usually within a certain period of 
time, and show that the losses they are claiming occurred through no fault of their 
own. Some types of losses that are usually covered include: 
▪ 
medical and counseling expenses 
▪ 
lost wages 
▪ 
funeral expenses 
Compensation programs seldom cover property loss or pain and suffering. Also, 
victim compensation is a payer of last resort; compensation programs will not cover 
expenses that can be paid by some other program, such as health insurance or 
workman’s compensation. 
5. 
Right to Restitution from the Offender 
1. 
In many states, victims of crime have the right to restitution, which means the 
offender must pay to repair some of the damage that resulted from the crime. The 
purpose of this right is to hold offenders directly responsible to victims for the 
financial harm they caused. The court orders the offender to pay a specific amount of 
restitution either in a lump sum or a series of payments. Some types of losses covered 
by restitution include: 
2. 
lost wages 
3. 
property loss 
Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System
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