Crime Victim Reparations

Victims of violence and their families must deal with emotional, physical, and financial aftermath of crime. The Louisiana Crime Victims Reparations Fund helps innocent victims and their families when they have no other means of paying for the financial cost of crime. The fund is administered by the Crime Victims Reparations Board under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement

The money in the fund comes from people who break the law.

Basic Qualification Requirements

Residency

The crime must occur in Louisiana or the crime must involve a Louisiana resident who becomes a victim in another state that does not have a crime victim compensation program for which the victim would be eligible.

Reporting the Crime

The crime must be reported to a law enforcement agency within 72 hours after the incident unless there is a good reason why the crime was not reported within this time period.

Filing for Compensation

The application must be filed within a year of the crime unless there is a good reason why the application was not submitted within this time period.

Cooperation

The victim and/or claimant must cooperate fully with law enforcement officials in the investigation and prosecution of the case.

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Who May Qualify

An innocent victim of a violent crime who suffers physical and/or emotional harm or death or catastrophic property loss.

A person who legally assumes the obligations or voluntarily pays certain expenses related to the crime on behalf of the victim.

Immediate family members needing counseling as a result of the consequence of death of the victim

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Who is Not Eligible

A victim whose own behavior contributed to the crime (in those cases, benefits may be reduced or denied).

A victim or claimant who was engaged in illegal activity at the time of crime.

An offender or an accomplice of the offender.

A victim who has/had a felony conviction(s) within five years of the date of the crime,, or was serving a sentence or probation in the five years preceding/subsequent to the crime.

A victim was serving a sentence or on probation .

Anyone who was incarcerated in a penal institution when the crime occurred. ..

Victims of motor vehicle accidents except those listed below ("What Crimes are Covered").

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What Crimes Are Covered

Crimes that involve the use of force or the threat of the use of force and result in personal injury, death or catastrophic property loss.

Only these motor vehicle related crimes: DWI, Hit and Run, victim of a driver who is fleeing apprehension by law enforcement, or a victim whose injuries were intentionally inflicted with a vehicle.

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What Expenses are Eligible

Reimbursement for property damage or loss is not an eligible expenses. Approved claims may be awarded compensation for the following only if they are related to the crime:

Reasonable medical and prescription expenses

Dental expenses

Mental health counseling

Funeral expenses

Loss of earnings or support

Child care or dependent

Crime Scene cleanup (eff. 8/15/2010)

Reasonable replacement costs for item or items taken as evidence or made unusable as a result of the criminal investigation.

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What Expenses are Not Eligible

Expenses which may not be reimbursed for any reason include:

Property losses except for a catastrophic property loss which is limited to the loss of your current residence provided it is owned and occupied by the victim/claimant.

Pain and Suffering

Property Repair

Attorney fees except when they are part of an order from a hearing or award by a court of law.

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Limits on Awards

Total recovery may not exceed $ 10,000 unless the victim suffered total and permanent disability. Victims who suffer total permanent disability as a result of their victimization may qualify for up to $25,000.

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Recoveries from Other Sources

The Crime Victims Reparations Fund is regarded as the "payer of last resort." It is a secondary source that pays for certain out-of-pocket expenses related to the crime that the victim has no other way to pay. Other sources that have to pay first include:

HMO/health insurance
Disability insurance/life insurance
Vacation time, sick leave or other types of leave paid by an employer
Worker's compensation benefits
Social security
Medicare or Medicaid

The staff of the Crime Victims Reparations Program will work with victims and claimants to make sure all available resources, including the fund, work in best interest of victims.

If, as a part of a criminal sentence, the court orders an offender to make restitution to the victim for an expense which the Crime Victims Compensation has already paid, the victim may be required to reimburse the fund. If the victim or claimant recovers money as a settlement in a civil suit against the offender or a third party, the victim or claimant may have to reimburse the fund for expenses already paid by the fund.

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Application and Claim Forms

Click HERE for Downloads. Applications are also available from all Louisiana sheriffs' offices. The victim reparations coordinators provide assistance to victims who ask for help in filling out application forms. Victims may also get an application directly from the Crime Victim's Reparations Office by calling 1-888-6-VICTIM (nationwide).

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How the Application is Reviewed

After receiving an application and related documentation including a complete offense report, the sheriff s office in the parish where the crime occurred reviews the information to see if the crime, the victim and/or claimant are eligible for the program. This process involves verifying all the information presented in the application. Witnesses to the crime, law enforcement officers, and prosecutors involved in investigating and prosecuting the crime, physicians, counselors, hospitals, and employers may be contacted for additional information. A decision about whether the victim or claimant is eligible is usually made within 30 to 45 days. The sheriff s office works with the victim or claimant to review expenses incurred as a result of the crime and determine which ones are eligible for reimbursement or payment.

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The Right to Appeal a Decision

If the Crime Victims Reparations Board makes a decision with which the victim or claimant disagrees, the victim or the claimant has a right under the law to ask that the decision be reconsidered. The victim or claimant must notify the Crime Victims Reparations Board of the reason for their dissatisfaction and provide additional information in this reconsideration process. If the outcome of the reconsideration process is not satisfactory, an appeal may be made to district court.

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Parish Claim Investigator Contacts
Acadia	Karen Matthews karen@apso.org	(337) 788 - 8763
Allen	Peggy Ray pray@allenparishso.com	(337) 639 - 4343
Ascension	Jo Roux jroux@ascensionsheriff.com	(225) 621 - 8322
Assumption	Tracy Landry tlandry@assumptionsheriff.com	(985) 526 - 1627
Avoyelles	Sherryl Novo	(318) 253 - 4000
Beauregard	Carol Williams cwilliams2006@bellsouth.net	(337) 463 - 5578
Bienville	Vicki Johnson bienvilleparish1@bellsouth.net	(318) 263 - 2215
Bossier	Doug Lauter dlauter@bossiersheriff.com	(318) 965 - 3500
Caddo	Pam Dixon pdixon@caddosheriff.org	(318) 681 - 0870
Calcasieu	Jada Keller jkeller@cpso.com	(337) 491 - 7917
Caldwell	Beckie Ledbetter	(318) 649 - 2345
Cameron	Darlene Higgins dhiggins77@yahoo.com	(337) 775 - 5111
Catahoula	Rickey White	(318) 744 - 5411
Claiborne	Donna Smith donna.smith@claibornesheriff.org	(318) 927 - 2011
Concordia	Kathleen Stevens kathymcsteve@yahoo.com	(318) 386 - 2200
Desoto	Monica Cason mcason@dpso.org	(318) 872 - 3956
E. Baton Rouge	Dy. Tiffany Veal tveal@ebrso.org	(225) 389 - 4993
E. Carroll	Eloise Edwards	(318) 559 - 2333
E. Feliciana	Mary Ann Williams	(225) 683 - 8572
Evangeline	Sherrie Fontenot sherrie3704@gmail.com	(337) 363 - 2161
Franklin	Dewanna Ward dmwfpso@yahoo.com	(318) 435 - 9735
Grant	Jeanie Dessens DessensGP49@bellsouth.net	(318) 627 - 3261
Iberia	Rose Rochon rrochon@iberiaso.org	(337) 560 - 4319
Iberville	Dy. Sharon Bueche	(225) 687 - 5100
Jackson	Cody Cheatwood cheatwood@jacksonparishpolicejury.org	(318) 259 - 9021
Jefferson	Kent Wolkart wolkart_ka@jpso.com	(504) 376 - 2426
Jefferson Davis	Warren Gary wgary@jeffdavis.net	(337) 821 - 2106
Lafayette	Amy Daigle Amy.Daigle@lafayettesheriff.com	(337) 236 - 5657 X 31
Lafourche	Amy Guillot amy-guillot@lpso.net	(985) 449 - 4477
Lasalle	Deborah Girlinghouse	(318) 992 - 7326
Lincoln	Joanie Huffman jhuffman@lincolnparish.org	(318) 513 - 6305
Livingston	Alice Smith absmith@lpso.org	(225) 686 - 2241 X 376
Madison	Emily Ruth Ervin emilyervin@madisonso.com	(318) 574 - 1831
Morehouse	Lucille Kennedy	(318) 281 - 4141
Natchitoches	Sandra Williams williams@cp-tel.net	(318) 357 - 7805
Orleans	Cpt. Mechelle Delahoussaye delahous_m@opcso.org	(504) 827 - 6754
Ouachita	Sgt. Lea Jones specialservices@opso.net	(318) 329 - 1216
Plaquemines	Det. Sharon Cross scross19@yahoo.com	(504) 297 - 5438
Pointe Coupee	Jean Brazelton jbrazelton@pcpso.org	(225) 694 - 3643
Rapides	Earlene Piazza epiazza@rpso.la.gov	(318) 449 - 5467
Red River	Cpt. Joey Wiggins jwiggins@redrivercable.com	(318) 932 - 5753
Richland	Helen Diamond	(318) 728 - 2071
Sabine	Kaylynn Remedies	(318) 256 - 0006
St. Bernard	Jennifer Turnage	(504) 278 - 7656
St. Charles	Gwen Jennings GJennings@stcharlessheriff.org	(985) 783 - 6230
St. Helena	Myra Tanner-Williams myrat@sthelenaso.org	(225) 222 - 4413
St. James	Karen Tramonte	(225) 562 - 2374
St. John	Greg Maurin gmaurin@stjohnda.com	(985) 618 - 1425
St. Landry	Jennifer Guidry jennifer@slpsheriff.com	(337) 948 - 5805
St. Martin	Maj. Ginny Higgins ghiggins@stmartinsheriff.org	(337) 394 - 2725
St. Mary	Leroy Whitney warrants@stmaryso.com	(337) 828 - 1960
St. Tammany	Rosemary Smith roesmith@stpso.com	(985) 276 - 1300
Tangipahoa	Cynthia Watson watsonc@tpso.org	(985) 902 - 2088
Tensas	Kathryn Foster	(318) 766 - 3961
Terrebonne	Belinda Triche btriche@tpso.net	(985) 857 - 0266
Union	Kathleen Dugdale kdugdale@unionsheriff.com	(318) 608 - 3003
Vermilion	Major Ron Sonnier ron@vpso.net	(337) 898 - 4422
Vernon	Dy. Gloria Gentry gloria_gentry@hotmail.com	(337) 238 - 7248
Washington	Sarah Riley sriley@wpsoweb.com	(985) 839 - 4468
Webster	Dy. Felecia Brown fabrown@webstersheriff.org	(318) 377 - 1515 X 221
W. Baton Rouge	Patty Webb pattywebb_50@hotmail.com	(225) 382 - 5246
W. Carroll	Dy. Jerry Waters wcso@bellsouth.net	(318) 428 - 2331
W. Feliciana	Charlene N. Rachal	(225) 635 - 3241
Winn	Jennifer Parker wpsodare@gmail.com	(318) 628 - 4611

For More Information:

Call the Crime Victims Reparations Board
(225) 342-1749
Toll free 1-888-6-VICTIM (Nationwide)

Or Write to:

Crime Victims Reparations Board
Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement
Box 3133
Baton Rouge, LA 70821

Or View the Victim/Elderly Services Directory in the downloads below

CVR Downloads

	CVR Brochure	PDF
	Victim/Elderly Services Directory - 2012	PDF
	CVR Administrative Rules	PDF
1	CVR Application	PDF
2	Medical/Mental Health/Funeral Expenses Claim	PDF
3	Medical/Mental Health/Funeral Expenses Claim (overflow)	PDF	WORD
4	Mental Health Treatment Form -- Initial Form	PDF	WORD
5	Mental Health Expenses Therapist Documentation Requirements	PDF	WORD
6	Mental Health Treatment Update	PDF	WORD
7	Funeral and Burial Expense Verification	PDF	WORD
8	Disability Verification	PDF	WORD
9	Lost Wages	PDF	WORD
10	Employment Verification	PDF	WORD
11	Child Care Expenses	PDF	WORD
12	Loss of Support	PDF	WORD
13	Crime Scene Expenses	PDF	WORD
14	Catastrophic Property Loss	PDF	WORD
15	Medical Expense Verification	PDF	WORD

Links to Other State Compensation Programs

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Updated 1/27/2012

Crime Victim Reparations

Basic Qualification Requirements

Residency

Reporting the Crime

Filing for Compensation

Cooperation

Who May Qualify

Who is Not Eligible

What Crimes Are Covered

What Expenses are Eligible

What Expenses are Not Eligible

Limits on Awards

Recoveries from Other Sources

Application and Claim Forms

How the Application is Reviewed

The Right to Appeal a Decision

CVR Downloads

LINKS

Links to Other State Compensation Programs