The Crime Victim Reparations Fund supports victim reparations, other victim services, and, as appropriated, the administrative costs of the Office for Victims of Crime. It is disbursed primarily to help meet the needs of victims of violent crime after the victim has exhausted all other insurance resources. The majority of expenses are paid to medical, dental, funeral and mental health service providers for the treatment they have rendered to victims and victim families. Benefits can also be paid directly to victims for lost wages, relocation expenses and other vital needs for which they have experienced out-of pocket costs.
During the 2015 General Session, the Legislature appropriated for Fiscal Year 2016, $4,813,600 from all sources for Crime Victim Reparations. This is a 0 percent change from Fiscal Year 2015 revised estimated amounts from all sources.
If an individual has been incarcerated then subsequently found "factually innocent" of the offense for which they were incarcerated and the court orders a payment to that individual as recompense, the first payment of the full amount ordered is paid from the Crime Victim Reparations Fund. The initiating process is set forth at UCA 78B-9-402. During the Legislative session immediately following the first payment, the statute mandates the Legislature appropriate the amount of the first payment back into the Crime Victim Reparations Fund and the balance of the award to the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, who is then responsible for disbursing the balance of the award to the recipient.
The FY 2012 $73,000 one-time appropriation was a supplemental reimbursement during the 2012 General Session to the Crime Victims Reparations special revenue fund. The $73,000 was previously paid from the fund, due to a September 2011 court order, to a petitioner in a factual innocence case.
COBI contains unaudited data as presented to the Legislature by state agencies at the time of publication. For audited financial data see the State of Utah's Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports.