This is summary assessment of Arizona’s victim compensation program is part of the National Study of Victim Compensation Program Trends, Challenges, and Successes conducted from 2022 to 2024 by the Urban Institute and NORC at the University of Chicago.
From 2022 to 2024, the Urban Institute and NORC at the University of Chicago conducted a National Study of Victim Compensation Program Trends, Challenges, and Successes, which included evaluations of four state crime victim compensation programs. This brief summarizes researchers’ evaluation of Arizona’s victim compensation program to understand its utilization and perspectives on its ability to meet victims’ needs. The researchers conclude that Arizona’s program plays an important role in helping victims address the financial burden of crime, and that it has several strengths and has made recent improvements, such as opening an online portal. The program’s uniquely decentralized structure allows for local-level familiarity with victims’ needs and available resources. But the program also experiences some challenges with efficiency in processing claims and inconsistencies across counties in interpretations of the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) requirements. The report also offers several recommendations. Many of the findings and recommendations align with those emerging nationally in conversations about how to improve victim compensation programs.