2022 Virginia Victims Fund report provides financial results, initiatives for next year

The FY22 Annual Report on the Victims Fund (VVF) has been released by the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission.

The report is also known as the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund, and provides a summary of key functions, initiatives, trends and outcomes for VVF and the Sexual Assault Forensic Exam Payment Program (SAFE). The report features the financial results of fiscal year 2022 and a look ahead to fiscal year 2023 initiatives.

“The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission is very proud of the support and services offered by the Virginia Victims Fund to innocent victims of violent crime in the Commonwealth,” VWCC Chairman Robert A Rapaport said in a press release. “As the Fund commemorates 45 years of service to Virginia, the VVF Team continues to enhance operational strategies to better meet the needs of victims of crime and their families.”

Administered by the VWCC, the fund was established by the Virginia General Assembly in 1977 to pay unreimbursed expenses of innocent victims of crime who suffered physical or emotional injury or death.

“In fiscal year 2022, our team worked hard to process and award more than $5.4 million dollars to crime victims and their families, while also making a total of $228,470 in repayments to persons owed unclaimed restitution,” VVF Director Kassandra Bullock said in the press release.

For 45 years, VVF has assisted innocent victims of crimes and their families, and processed more than 80,000 claims in its current claims system. VVF is funded by fines and fees, assessments on offenders and restitution. State tax dollars do not fund VVF, but the program also receives federal grant funds from the Victims of Crime Act.