Commission
awards victims
of crime more
than $1 million

By Suzanne Tswei
Star-Bulletin

A woman and her two children were able to move to the mainland to escape the woman's abusive former husband who beat her severely and stalked her for months.

Another woman whose face was blown apart with a gunshot from her husband was able to get corrective surgery to help her begin a new life.

The two women are among nearly 1,000 victims of violent crime who in the last fiscal year received compensation from the Crime Victim Compensation Commission, which used to be known as the Criminal Injuries Compensation Commission.

In a report to the Legislature, the commission said it awarded $1,127,025 for 981 claims between July 1, 1997, and June 30 last year. The awards ranged from $25 to $10,000 with an average of about $1,200 per award to compensate victims and their families. The national average is about $2,000.

The largest portion of the awards went toward medical bills, $480,866 or about 42 percent of the total. Pain and suffering awards amounted to $427,144, or 38 percent. The rest of the payments went for therapy for victims and their families, funeral expenses, lost earnings, and other expenses.

The commission received 1,244 claims, a 20 percent increase from the previous fiscal year. About 25 percent of the claims were not awarded any money. Of the 359 claims not awarded, 126 claims were denied because the victims' action contributed to their injuries or deaths.

Although the commission had a heavier caseload, it had to streamline its operations to survive a 50 percent state funding cut.

The commission, since it was established in 1967, has been supported by state and federal funds, but the Legislature had said it will no longer fund the commission's operations expenses beginning July this year, said Chairwoman Paula Chun-Vetter.

Last year, the Legislature established a special fund for the commission with money from convicted criminals, their prison wages, restitutions and civil recoveries. The Legislature required that the commission use no more than 30 percent from the special fund to pay for its operations.

As of Dec. 30, the special fund has collected $164,804.75, Chun-Vetter said. Thirty percent of that comes to $49,441, which falls far short of the $220,000 the commission needs every year to operate, she said.

The commission will not go before the Legislature to seek additional funding but will ask that the 30 percent ceiling be eliminated temporarily.

"We can become self sufficient in three to five years . . . as we allow the special fund to build up enough for us to tap into it," Chun-Vetter said.

To file a claim, call 587-1143.

To be eligible for compensation, applicants must be victims of violent crime, such as murder, assault, sexual assault and kidnapping. Inmates used to qualify for compensation if they became crime victims in prison, but are no longer eligible.