Experts say the disparities are rooted in biases embedded in the design of victim compensation programs, among other factors.
It began “Dear Claimant,” and said her 24-year-old son, Randy, who was fatally shot in April 2006, was not an “innocent” victim. Without further explanation, the New York state agency that assists violent-crime victims and their families refused to help pay for his funeral.
Every state has a program to reimburse victims for lost wages, medical bills, funerals and other expenses, awarding hundreds of millions in aid each year. But an Associated Press examination found that Black victims and their families are disproportionately denied compensation in many states, often for subjective reasons that experts say are rooted in racial biases.
— Those same employees may be influenced by their own biases when reviewing events that led to victims’ injuries or deaths. Without realizing it, a review of the facts morphs into an assessment of victims’ perceived culpability. As a result, Black and brown applicants tend to face more scrutiny because of implicit biases, Ruebman said.
The financial impact of a crime-related injury or death can be significant. Out of pocket expenses for things like crime scene cleanup or medical care can add up to thousands of dollars, prompting people to take out loans, drain savings or rely on family members. And compensation can be denied merely based on circumstantial evidence or suspicions, unlike the burden of proof that is necessary in criminal investigations.
Love rattles off recent examples: A man killed while trying to break up a fight was on parole and was denied compensation, the state reasoned, because he should have steered clear of the incident; another was stabbed to death, and the state said he contributed because he checked himself out of a mental-health treatment facility a few hours earlier against a doctor’s advice.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Black victims of violent crime disproportionately denied aid in many statesEvery state has a program to reimburse victims of violent crime. But AP found that Black victims and their families are disproportionately denied compensation in many states, often for subjective reasons that experts say are rooted in racial biases.
Read more »
Black victims of violent crime disproportionately denied aid in many states across USThe AP found disproportionately high denial rates in 19 out of 23 states willing to provide detailed racial data, the largest collection of such data to date.
Read more »
Black Victims of Violent Crime Disproportionately Denied Aid in Many StatesBlack people are disproportionately denied aid from state programs that reimburse victims of violent crime, according to an AP examination of data from 23 states.
Read more »
Black victims of violent crime disproportionately denied aid in many states across USThe AP found disproportionately high denial rates in 19 out of 23 states willing to provide detailed racial data, the largest collection of such data to date.
Read more »
Saman Nasseri: How ICE and Border Patrol handled the Title 42 border crisis -SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – Immigration into the United States via the southern border has exploded in recent years, both due to economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Biden’s lax border policies, say experts. Now that Title 42 has expired there are few legal routes for the United States to prevent asylum seekers from entering the United States. The...
Read more »
10 Easy Tips Experts Swear By for Effective Weight LossUpgrade your routine with these professional fitness hacks.
Read more »