Arson Victims:

Suggestions for a System Response

FA-177/December 1997
Prepared by

The American Bar Association

Section of Criminal Justice

740 15th Street N.W.

Washington, DC 20005

for

U.S. Fire Administration

16825 S. Seton Avenue

Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727

Copyright 1997 by the American Bar 

Association, 750 North Lake Shore Drive, 

Chicago, Illinois 60611. Permission to 

reproduce all or part of this document

for commercial purposes must be

obtained from the copyright owner,

except that the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency, which funded 

this project, reserves a royalty-free, 

nonexclusive and irrevocable license to 

reproduce, publish, translate, or otherwise 

use, and to authorize others to publish 

and use, this work for Government 

purposes.

This publication was supported by 

Cooperative Agreement #EME-96-

CA-0631 from the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency. Its contents do not 

necessarily represent the policy of the 

funding agency.

The views expressed herein have not been 

approved by the House of Delegates or 

the Board of Governors of the American 

Bar Association and, accordingly, should 

not be construed as representing the 

policy of the American Bar Association. 

Moreover, they should not be construed 

as representing the policy of the American 

Bar Association Criminal Justice Section, 

which sponsored this project.

ISBN 1-57073-480-1

QUALITY REVIEW PANEL

Jo Kolanda 

Former Victim Witness Director 

Office of the Prosecutor 

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Lori G. Levin 

Office of the Cook County States 

 Attorney 

Chicago, Illinois

Hon. Frank Marullo 

Criminal Courts 

New Orleans, Louisiana

Brandt Schenken 

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms 

 and Explosives

U.S. Treasury Department 

Washington, DC

STAFF

Susan W. Hillenbrand 

Director of Special Projects 

Criminal Justice Section 

American Bar Association 

Washington, DC
TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION .......................................................1

ARSON VICTIMS ......................................................2

THE CRIME SCENE .................................................6

THE INVESTIGATION ...............................................8

THE ARREST AND PRETRIAL STAGES ..................10

THE TRIAL ............................................................ 12

SENTENCING ....................................................... 12

CORRECTIONS ......................................................14

POLICY REVIEW ....................................................14

DIRECTORIES ........................................................17
- 1 -

INTRODUCTION

Arson always has been a particularly 

challenging crime to fire service 

providers, police, and prosecutors. Its 

work demands are high and unpleasant, 

and the success rates are low. However, 

the decade of the 1980’s saw a vigorous 

dedication of resources and energies 

toward the investigation and prosecution 

of arson cases. Commendable progress 

has been credited, not only to forensic 

advances, but also to unprecedented 

cooperation and coordination among 

police, fire service officials, prosecutors, 

and other community groups, often 

through formal arson task forces.

The 1980’s also ushered in an era of 

unprecedented attention to crime 

victims. Beginning with the enactment 

of the first “bill of rights” for crime 

victims in Wisconsin in 1980, and 

continuing through today’s movement to 

incorporate victim rights into the United 

States Constitution, efforts to address 

the concerns and needs of crime victims 

have been widespread and wide-ranging. 

For example, virtually every State has 

improved protections against victim 

intimidation, provided for increased use 

of victim restitution, allowed for the use

of victim impact information at 

sentencing, and has institutionalized 

and provided funding for programs 

to provide victim services and victim 

compensation.

This booklet seeks to link or reinforce 

the efforts of those who investigate and 

prosecute arson cases with the needs and 

rights of those who are the victims of 

arson--particularly victims of residential 

arson. It is addressed to police, fire 

officials, prosecutors, and victim/witness 

coordinators who are in frequent contact 

with arson victims, but who may not 

recognize fully the potential implications 

of that contact for either the victim or

the system. Little of the information and 

few of the suggestions it contains are new. 

In fact, a number of jurisdictions already 

have established internal and cooperative 

programs to capitalize on the tremendous 

mutual assistance that arson victims and 

law enforcement/fire service providers 

can give to each other. The authors

applaud these existing efforts, and 

draw upon them in describing realistic

assistance programs and the mutual 

benefits likely to result from such 

programs. Their hope is that this booklet 

will encourage similar efforts in other 

places that have not yet addressed the 

issue of arson victims directly, and

provide guidance to jurisdictions wishing 

to reassess current policies and programs 

in light of recent victim-oriented 

reforms.

Arson:

“the malicious burning 

of another’s house or 

property”

Victim:

“a person who suffers 

from a destructive or 

injurious action or 

agency”

Webster’s Encyclopedic

Unabridged Dictionary

of the English Language
- 2 -

ARSON VICTIMS

Substantial publicity about arson for profit 

(insurance or tax money) often leaves 

the impression that in arson cases the 

“victim” and the perpetrator are one and 

the same. In fact, arson affects countless 

numbers of innocent victims, including 

owners, employees, shareholders, and 

occupants of private or public buildings 

and conveyances that are “torched” by 

others for any of a variety of reasons. Its 

impact varies, of course, depending on 

its nature and its victims. Residential

arson--in which victims’ homes 

and property are deliberately and

maliciously set on fire--often has

particularly personal, direct, immediate, 

and emotionally devastating effects. 

Mutual benefits are bound to accrue 

when officials responsible for 

investigating and prosecuting arson 

cases and officials responsible for

assisting crime victims better understand 

the impact of arson on its victims and take 

measures to ameliorate it. This publication 

is intended to further those ends by 

providing some factual background 

information and concrete suggestions 

for various officials and others whose 

work brings them into contact with arson 

victims, particularly residential arson 

victims.

■ Residential arsons constitute 

 a considerable proportion of all 

 arsons, resulting in death, 

 injury, and economic loss to its 

 victims.

 According to the Federal Bureau 

 of Investigation (FBI), there were

 almost 95,000 confirmed arson

 offenses reported to law enforcement

 agencies in 1995.1 Nearly a third

 involved residential structures.2 The

 National Fire Protection Association

 (NFPA) estimates an annual average

 of 106,500 structural fires of

 incendiary origin between 1990 and 

 1994, including 59,500 residential 

 structure fires. Average annual civilian 

 injuries from these residential

 structure fires number 2,110 and 

 civilian deaths 650. Economic losses 

 from residential structure fires average 

 nearly $913 million a year.3 Firefighters 

 also may suffer injury and death while 

 fighting residential arsons.

■ All types of residences are

 potential arson targets.

 In 1995, 70 percent of the 

 residential structures targeted were

 “single occupancy” structures, e.g.,

 houses, townhouses, duplexes; the

 others were structures such as 

 apartments, hotels, dormitories, and 

 boarding houses.4 Eighty percent of 

 the residential structures were in use 

 at the time of the arson.5

■ There is no "typical" residential 

 arson victim.

 Arson can affect anyone, regardless of 

 race, income, age, or gender. While 

 some arson victims are targeted, many

 are “third party” or “incidental”

 victims--for example, when an

 apartment or home catches fire from

 a neighboring apartment or building 

 that was the direct target.

■ Arson is committed for a variety 

 of reasons.

 Arson motives can be rational or 

 irrational.6 Rational motives involve 

 a definable objective clearly and 

 logically linked to the fire. The

 motives may be either economic or 

 noneconomic.

 Economic gain is a common motive 

 for arson, perhaps more often, but 

 certainly not exclusively, for non-

 residential arsons. For the individual 

 who actually sets the fire, the 

 gain may be in the form of a fee for 
- 3 -

 service. The individual paying for 

 this service may have insurance or tax-

 loss objectives.

 Noneconomic motives also underlie 

 many instances of arson. These 

 include spite or grudge against an 

 owner, landlord, or occupant; 

 covering evidence of another crime; 

 and commission of another crime 

 (e.g., homicide). On occasion, a 

 deranged or drunken individual 

 may “torch” a restaurant, bar, or 

 even a residence because of some 

 real or imagined slight that took place 

 on the premises. Some terrorists 

 resort to arson by using incendiary 

 explosive devices. Juvenile vandals, 

 as well as some adults, often commit 

 arson for the “thrill of it.” (Juveniles 

 under 18 years of age account for 

 nearly half of the arrests for arson 

 and over a third of the arrests for 

 residential arson.)7 Gang members 

 may be responsible for the burning 

 of opposing gang members’ 

 residences, either as intentional 

 arsons or as the result of Molotov 

 cocktails used as inexpensive weapons.

 In some instances, arson is a form

 of domestic violence by one spouse

 or former spouse against another.

 Irrational motives include pyromania, 

 ritual purification, and sociopathic 

 behavior.

■ Arson victims have many of the 

 same problems as other crime 

 victims.

 Arson can result in physical and 

 psychological injuries, death, extensive

 property loss or damage, and loss

 of earnings. (Unlike most other

 victims, however, arson victims, may

 lose long-time family homes and be 

 forced to leave their communities.) 

 In addition, arson victims, as well as 

 other victims in jurisdictions without 

 comprehensive victim services, may 

 face “secondary victimization” from 

 their contact with the criminal justice 

 system.

■ Theoretically, the needs of arson 

 victims may be addressed 

 through the same agencies 

 and reforms that assist other 

 crime victims.

 In the past several decades, 

 considerable advances have been made

 to improve the plight of crime victims.

 For example:

 • private victim assistance projects 

 (e.g., church, community, social 

 service programs);

 • public victim/witness assistance 

 projects (e.g., police, prosecutor, or 

 court-sponsored programs);

 • public victim compensation boards

 or agencies (all States and the

 District of Columbia have programs

 to provide some financial

 assistance to victims of violent

 crimes, primarily for injuries and 

 loss of income);

 • State constitutional amendments or

 legislation requiring certain notices

 and information to be given to

 crime victims about criminal

 justice proceedings, and providing

 them the right to participate in

 certain proceedings;

 • increased use of victim restitution as

 a sentence or condition of probation;

 • use of “victim impact” statements 

 in presentence reports, and victim 

 allocution at sentencing; and

 • litigation on behalf of victims, 

 particularly lawsuits against third 

 parties whose negligence caused or 

 failed to prevent victimization.
- 4 -

Arson victims, of course, also may benefit 

from programs that assist other burn 

victims in dealing with their injuries, 

such as the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance 

Burn Camp for children and teenagers.

■ In fact, however, the nature of the 

 crime and the circumstances of the 

 victim often make it more difficult

 to address arson victims' needs.

 • Aside from coping with medical 

 emergencies, residential arson 

 victims usually are concerned 

 immediately and primarily with 

 securing safe shelter for themselves 

 and their families. They may leave 

 the scene of the crime (their home), 

 without leaving a forwarding 

 address that otherwise might be 

 used by victim assistance agencies

 or investigative agencies.

 • Once a building has been burned, 

 there is a paramount need to secure 

 it or to remove its contents to ensure 

 that further victimization (e.g., 

 looting) or damage (e.g., from the 

 weather) does not occur. The victim 

 cannot do this if he or she is 

 seriously injured or incapacitated, or 

 cannot be located. Many fire 

 departments and police departments 

 do not see this as their

 responsibility, and victim assistance 

 projects generally lack the authority 

 or means of assuming it.

 • Arson victims may not even be 

 aware that the fire was set 

 intentionally. (This is particularly 

 true when the building in question

 is a large, multifamily dwelling.) 

 It is often at least several days, and 

 sometimes much longer, before an 

 official determination of arson is 

 made. Consequently, such 

 individuals may not view themselves 

 as crime victims and might not think 

 to contact victim assistance agencies 

 or crime compensation programs 

 even in the unlikely event they are 

 aware of their existence.

 • Victims who are unable to provide 

 information about the crime are 

 rarely subpoenaed as State witnesses

 and consequently are not as likely

 to be offered assistance from

 prosecutor or court victim/witness

 assistance projects. Arson victims

 frequently fall into this category of 

 victim.

 • Arson victims may suspect, rightly

 or wrongly, that they have been

 the target of a grudge or revenge.

 Accordingly, they may be reluctant

 to come forth to help the

 investigators or to request

 assistance, fearing that such action

 may increase the possibility of 

 implicating themselves either 

 directly or indirectly with the crime 

 and/or the perpetrator. This fear 

 is not irrational because, in fact, 

 arson victims often are suspects in 

 arson cases.

 • Victims who suspect that the arson 

 was a form of domestic violence 

 may take refuge in domestic violence

 shelters where their identity will be

 protected, making them particularly

 difficult to locate. Domestic violence

 victims often have justified fears

 that cooperation with the authorities 

 may result in further retaliation 

 against them or their children.

 • Arson victims who do wish to 

 report information about the crime 

 may be confused as to whether the 

 police department or the fire 

 department has jurisdiction over the 

 investigation; initial frustrations

 resulting from this confusion may 

 discourage the victim from

 following through.
- 5 -

 • Arson causes devastating personal 

 property damage. In 1995, the

 average monetary loss for arson

 was $15,856 in single-occupancy

 residences and $12,560 in other

 residences.8 Victims often go

 through a lengthy, tedious

 accounting of their personal 

 belongings in order to recover 

 limited monetary compensation. 

 State and federally funded victim

 compensation programs generally

 limit coverage to medical expenses 

 and loss of income due to physical 

 injuries.9 While real property may 

 be insured by the landlord or

 owner, the contents of individual

 apartments or rooms frequently are

 uninsured, even when occupied by 

 middle-income tenants.

 • Increasingly, courts are imposing 

 offender restitution to the victim

 as a sentence or as a condition of

 probation. However, only about a 

 quarter of residential arson cases 

 result in arrest10 and many of 

 these “cleared” cases do not result in 

 convictions.

 Even when convicted and ordered 

 by the court to pay restitution, 

 many arsonists--as with other 

 offenders--are unable or unwilling

 to comply. The high rate of

 residential arsons by juveniles

 exacerbates this problem. As noted

 above, over a third of the arrests for

 residential arson are of juveniles

 under 18 years of age. Some

 States have tried to increase

 restitution for victims of juveniles

 by holding their parents responsible

 for the restitution. However, there

 may be statutory limits to parental 

 restitution. For example, in

 Alabama, the parents of a

 juvenile offender are liable

 only for actual damages up

 to $1,000.11 The liability of

 parents in Pennsylvania is set at a

 maximum of $2,500.12 On the

 other hand, several States recently

 have increased or eliminated

 previously set maximum limits.

 In Arizona, the liability of

 parents was increased from

 $2,500 to $10,000 in 199413,

 and in Maryland, the liability

 limit was increased from

 $5,000 to $10,000 in 1995.14

 In 1987, New Jersey deleted the

 provision that “no recovery could

 be had in excess of $250.00” and

 set no limit in its place.15

 Of course, when juveniles burn 

 their own parents’ homes, the 

 concept of parental restitution is 

 largely irrelevant since the parents, 

 as victims, already will bear the 

 brunt of the costs.

 • Increasingly, State legislatures and

 individual judges are allowing or 

 requiring “victim impact” 

 information to be incorporated into 

 the probation department's 

 presentence report, or allowing 

 victims to speak at sentencing to 

 ensure that the sentencing body is 

 aware of the consequences of the 

 crime from the victim's perspective. 

 Again, low arrest and conviction 

 rates in arson cases usually preclude 

 arson victims from using this

 avenue to seek financial restitution

 for losses associated with the crime.
- 6 -

some medical attention and should be 

referred to one or several appropriate 

medical facilities.

In addition to being left at least 

temporarily homeless, the arson victim 

often is unable to enter his or her

dwelling to retrieve money, checkbooks, 

clothing, etc. Referrals to sources 

of emergency financial and welfare

assistance as well as emergency shelters 

therefore should be provided. These 

might include local victim assistance 

agencies, the welfare office, Salvation 

Army, YMCA, American Red Cross, or 

church or other community groups 

suggested by the local Department of 

Social Services.

In recognition that he or she may have

no further contact with the system for 

any of a number of reasons, addresses

and telephone numbers of general 

assistance programs and crime victim 

compensation agencies should be made 

available to the victim at this time.

Finally, a name and telephone number 

of a contact within the criminal justice 

system is extremely important, in case 

the victim needs or wishes to provide 

additional information.

All of the above referrals may be preprinted on a small wallet-sized card and, 

in most instances, simply handed to the 

victim at the scene of the crime. The card 

probably should be developed through 

the mutual effort of police and fire 

agencies, and distributed by the onscene 

liaison(s). Additional cards should be 

available at hospitals, shelters, etc., where 

the victim may be taken immediately 

after the fire.

Eliciting Victim Cooperation

Immediate:

From the victim’s perspective, the 

period immediately following the crime

THE CRIME SCENE

Once the immediate danger from the 

fire is under control, and emergency law 

enforcement needs are met, previously 

designated officials on the scene should

• attend to the victim's immediate well-

 being;

• to the extent feasible or appropriate, 

 elicit immediate victim cooperation; 

 and

• lay the groundwork for future 

 cooperation.

These goals generally are interdependent. 

To achieve them, an explicit advance 

understanding between the fire and

police departments about primary 

responsibility for various aspects of onthe-scene victim contact is important. 

This will eliminate much confusion, 

duplication of effort, and failure to deal 

adequately with victims who otherwise 

would “fall through the cracks” of the 

two agencies’ uncoordinated efforts. The 

best division of responsibility in this 

first contact with the victim may not 

be as obvious as in later stages, when 

primary investigative authority has 

been determined. The important point, 

however, is not so much who does what 

but that responsibilities are assigned. (It 

has been suggested that the battalion 

chief or senior officer may be in a better 

position than the line officer or service 

provider to make the initial contact with 

the victim.)

Tending to the Victim’s Well-Being

Of immediate concern, of course, is the

physical condition of the victim. In 

emergency situations, it may involve 

first aid and, if necessary, providing 

transportation or seeing that 

transportation is provided to take the 

victim to the hospital. When there is no 

emergency, the victim still may require 
- 7 -

generally is not the best time for 

official interviews. Victims usually are

emotionally upset and preoccupied with 

their personal situation. Nevertheless, law 

enforcement and fire service investigators 

may need to ask them some questions

that are best answered in the minutes and 

hours after the fire, while memories are

still fresh and the prospects for

identification and apprehension are

greatest. In doing so, investigators

need to:

• be aware that their own immediate 

 concerns and the immediate concerns 

 of the victim--while both

 legitimate--are probably not the same;

• coordinate efforts within and among 

 agencies so as to preclude unnecessary 

 or repetitive questioning;

• recognize that the victim's current 

 willingness to cooperate may be 

 subject to pressures from family, 

 gang members, or others after the 

 initial interview; and

• remember that the victim's perception

 of his or her treatment at the crime

 scene may well determine the degree 

 of future cooperation.

For the future:

Obviously, if the investigative agency

does not know who the victims are or 

how to locate them, it will not even be 

able to request their cooperation in the 

future. Therefore a system for identifying 

and tracking arson victims who are forced 

to relocate is essential from an official 

viewpoint. From the victim’s viewpoint, 

a tracking system may help ensure their 

safety and will enable the investigators 

to keep them advised of major events in 

the case. An explanation of such benefits 

prior to requesting specific tracking 

information is likely to result in victims’ 

immediate cooperation.

The elements of an identification and 

tracking system might include

• recording the names of all victims 

 (whether or not present at the time 

 of the fire) and their permanent or 

 temporary addresses, plus a limited 

 amount of identifying information 

 (e.g., place of employment);

• recording the name and address of 

 the victim's closest friend or relative, 

 ideally within the nearby geographical 

 area, who will know where the 

 victim can be located if needed by 

 the investigative agency;

• recording the name of the victim's 

 insurance company and, if possible, 

 the insurance agent;

• providing the victim and other 

 appropriate persons with the name, 

 address, and phone number of a 

 contact person at the police 

 department or fire department and at 

 a local victim service agency; and

• giving the victim (or a friend, family 

 member, etc.) a self-addressed prepaid

 postcard for use in notifying the 

 police/fire department of a new 

 permanent address.

In addition, some immediate record 

should be made to identify unavailable 

occupants of rooms or apartments 

destroyed or damaged by the fire. This 

will facilitate later efforts to ensure 

that all victims have been identified. 

Extensive photographs or videotapes 

should be taken to record damaged 

rooms, buildings, or personal property, 

not only for evidentiary reasons, but also 

for possible use by the victim in filing 

insurance claims or in seeking restitution 

from offenders who are apprehended

and convicted. (Such information 

generally is not useful in collecting 

payment from State crime victim 
- 8 -

compensation programs since most State 

statutes do not allow compensation for 

property loss or damage.)

THE INVESTIGATION

Once a fire appears to be of suspicious 

origin, an investigation will be 

undertaken. In some jurisdictions, the

police have primary responsibility for

investigating arson cases; in other 

jurisdictions, this falls under the 

authority of the fire department. Still 

elsewhere, investigations are joint

efforts. Regardless of how the 

responsibility is split, cooperation 

between the agencies is extremely 

important.

Investigative Agency

During the investigation, the primary 

investigative agency probably will be in 

touch with the arson victim for several 

reasons:

• to verify information obtained at the 

 scene of the crime;

• to ascertain whether the victim has 

 additional information that might 

 be helpful to the investigators;

• to determine whether the victim 

 appears to have been intimidated and,

 if so, to take steps to reduce such 

 intimidation so that the victim will 

 be protected properly and will make a 

 reliable witness; and

• to encourage the victim to continue

 to keep the investigative agency 

 informed of a current address and to 

 provide it with any further 

 information about the case that might 

 become available.

When dealing with the victim at this 

stage, the investigator probably will find 

the victim still upset but less agitated 

than at the scene of the crime; therefore, 

it may be helpful to reiterate some of 

the information and advice previously 

provided, such as that regarding crime 

victim compensation and assistance. 

Victims filing insurance claims may need 

the case number and the investigator's 

name. It is also extremely important at 

this stage to give the victim some idea 

of what the criminal justice system may 

expect from the victim and what the 

victim realistically may expect in return.

For example, the investigator may discuss

• the course and result of the

 investigation to date;

• the importance to the case of the 

 individual victim's testimony;

• possible remedies for victim 

 intimidation, such as increased police 

 protection, a temporary restraining 

 order, or formal criminal charges

 against those who may be intimidating 

 the victim;

• the possibility of the victim's consulting

 with the prosecutor prior to decisions

 about whether or not to prosecute,

 to pursue a disposition by plea, or to 

 dismiss the charges;

• the possibility of a "victim impact" 

 statement at the plea negotiation or 

 sentencing stage;

• the possibility of financial restitution if 

 the offender is convicted and financially 

 able to repay the victim; and

• the possibility of litigation against 

 negligent third parties who may have

 had a duty to prevent the victimization.

Providing such information at this early

stage should not be thought of as 

"premature," as it may provide the 

incentive needed by the victim to 
- 9 -

participate as a willing witness. 

Investigators should be cautioned, 

however, to be wary of false testimony by

vindictive victims or by nonvictims eager 

to "cash in" on potential restitution. 

They also should avoid raising unrealistic 

expectations or making promises they 

are not authorized to make, or not in a 

position to keep.

Noninvestigative Agency

There is no active role that the noninvestigative agency (police or fire 

department) should take during this stage 

other than to be helpful to any victim

who might call with or for information.

If the call concerns financial, medical, or

other needs not directly related to the 

investigation, the caller should be referred 

to an appropriate source of help, whether 

it be a victim assistance project, the crime

victim compensation agency, or a 

community group such as the Salvation 

Army or American Red Cross.

If the call is related directly to the 

investigation, one reasonably could expect

that the noninvestigative agency would

at least have the name and number of a

specific person in the investigating

agency that could be given to the victim, 

rather than just replying that “we don’t 

investigate fires--call the police (or fire) 

department.” In addition, the noninvestigating agency could take the name, 

address, and phone number of the caller 

and pass that information on directly to

the investigating agency in case the

caller, for whatever reason, does not follow 

through to contact the investigators.

Victim Assistance Programs

There are several types of victim assistance 

agencies or programs. Those operating 

out of prosecutors’ offices or the courts 

usually do not come into play at this initial 

stage of the investigation, since a formal 

case is not yet established. However, 

some of the more progressive prosecutorbased programs review police reports on 

a daily basis to improve their outreach 

capabilities. A few (such as Milwaukee) 

also have crisis response units.

Some police departments operate victim 

assistance projects. When this is the case 

and the police department is the primary 

investigative agency, the project should 

have immediate access to the victims’ 

names and permanent or temporary 

addresses.

More often than not, however, if a victim 

is to receive assistance at this stage of 

the proceeding, it will be provided by 

a private or community-based project 

that may include crime victims among 

its varied clientele or be crime victimspecific. Whatever the agency, it is 

important that its counselors be trained 

to be sensitive to special needs of arson 

victims.

In certain instances--for example, when 

the investigative agency has provided the 

victim at the crime scene with the name 

and address of the assistance agency--the 

victim may initiate the contact. However, 

unless the victim immediately contacts 

the victim service agency, the agency 

should assume the responsibility for 

initiating contact with the victim, since:

• many victims (e.g., those not at the 

 scene of the crime) may not be aware 

 of the existence of the agency;

• the victim may not be aware that the

 fire was the result of a crime, thereby

 making him or her eligible for 

 assistance from crime victim assistance 

 projects; and

• the victim may be intimidated or 

 be wary of initiating a contact that 

 may result in an unwanted involvement 

 with the criminal justice system.
- 10 -

department or police department) 

should inform the victim. It should 

also provide the victim with the name 

and telephone number of a contact in 

the prosecutor’s office whom the victim 

may call to provide or request additional 

information.

At the same time, the investigative agency 

should turn over to the prosecutor’s 

office the names, addresses, and other 

information that it has collected about 

the arson victims. Information about 

nonwitness victims as well as victim/

witnesses should be included.

Prosecutor

The prosecutor is responsible for 

deciding whether to dismiss the case, 

charge a suspect or seek an indictment, 

or negotiate a guilty plea to a reduced 

charge. No amount of victim loss 

can justify prosecuting a case where 

there is insufficient evidence to do so. 

However, victims--including nonwitness

victims--may be able to provide 

information relevant to the prosecutor’s 

decision as to how to proceed,17 and it is 

in the prosecutor’s best interests to give 

victims the opportunity to relay it.

Even when victims have nothing 

of evidentiary value to contribute, 

information about their losses is relevant 

to pretrial negotiations with defense 

counsel concerning either charging or 

sentencing negotiations.

Reducing pretrial intimidation of

victims is largely the prosecutor’s 

responsibility.18 Prosecutors may request 

court orders requiring defendants to

maintain specified geographical 

distances from victims, or to refrain 

from communicating with them. 

Prosecutors also may seek additional law

enforcement protection for intimidated 

victims. And, of course, when

intimidation attempts are made, the 

It is important, therefore, for private and 

community-based assistance projects to 

keep a close watch on the police and fire 

department blotters for cases of possible 

arson.

THE ARREST AND 

PRETRIAL STAGES

Law enforcement agencies “clear” an 

offense when at least one person is 

arrested, charged with the commission of 

the offense, and turned over to the court 

for prosecution; or when the offender 

is identified but for exceptional reasons 

(e.g., death) cannot be charged and 

prosecuted. In 1995, nearly a quarter of 

residential arsons were cleared, compared 

to 18 percent of all arsons, 18 percent 

of the serious property crimes, and 45 

percent of violent crime.16

Although in theory, civil remedies are 

available once an (alleged) arsonist 

is identified, practically speaking an 

uninsured arson victim has little hope of 

any compensation for property damage 

unless an arrest is made. (While this 

is true for most other property crime

victims as well, the fact that the crime 

damaged or destroyed the property 

rather than removed it from the 

owner’s possession precludes even the 

remote possibility of having it retrieved 

unharmed as a result, for example, of 

a police raid on a fencing operation.) 

Moreover, only an arrest may ease the 

fear of an arson victim who knows or 

suspects he or she was the target of the 

arson. Therefore, retribution and justice 

sentiments aside, arson victims often

have very real and legitimate interests 

in arrests and notification about such 

arrests.

Investigative Agency

Immediately upon making an arrest, 

the primary investigative agency (fire 
- 11 -

prosecutor should, if possible, bring 

substantive charges. Antistalking laws 

passed by most States in the past few 

years also may be used against those 

who attempt to intimidate victims by 

repeatedly following or harassing them.

Victim/Witness Programs

At the urging of the National District 

Attorneys Association, many local 

prosecutors’ offices began establishing 

victim/witness programs in the mid1970’s. The programs were established 

to assist victims and witnesses in coping 

with the demands of the criminal justice 

system. As previously mentioned, victims 

who come to the attention of these 

projects are primarily victims of cases in 

which an arrest already has been made.

Among the services offered by victim/

witness assistance projects:

• ongoing case status information;

• mail subpoena systems;

• subpoena on-call alert and subpoena 

 recall (call-off);

• expedited property return;

• court support services;

• assistance with victim compensation 

 applications;

• assistance with presenting restitution 

 and victim impact information to the 

 court; and

• information about protection against 

 intimidation.

Because of the nature of the crime of arson, 

some of these programs are of special 

importance to arson victims; others may 

have to be tailored to meet their needs. 

For instance, a telephone call-in system 

whereby the victim may initiate a call 

to find out when and where he or she 

must appear may be extremely valuable 

to a dislocated victim. A mail subpoena 

system, on the other hand, may have 

little or no value for an arson victim with 

no fixed mailing address. Similarly, an 

expedited return of unharmed property 

may have little immediate value for an 

arson victim who has no place to store 

his or her few remaining possessions; in 

this instance, the victim/witness program 

may assist better by referring victims to 

storage facilities in the area.

Assisting victims in completing victim 

compensation forms, and acting as an 

intermediary between the victim and 

the victim compensation agency are 

legitimate functions of a victim/witness 

assistance program.

As an arm of the people's legal 

representative, the prosecutor-based 

victim/witness assistance program also 

might advise the victim of possible civil 

remedies that might be pursued now that 

an (alleged) offender has been identified 

and arrested. Differences between the 

civil and criminal systems, the limitations 

of the criminal system in helping victims 

recover their losses, and the initial steps 

to take in exploring the possibility of a 

civil action against the perpetrator and/

or third parties are all possible subjects 

of discussion.

While, generally, victim/witness

assistance programs may know how 

to locate their clients, residential arson 

victims may find it necessary to move 

frequently, from one temporary address to 

another. The program should, therefore, 

make a special effort each time it is in 

contact with the victim to confirm or 

change the victim's address and telephone 

number for its records, and to update 

names, addresses, and phone numbers of 

family members and friends who are in 

frequent touch with the victim.
- 12 -

While any victim can "disappear" before 

providing impact information to the 

prosecutor or court, arson victims may 

unintentionally fail to be accessible 

for this purpose more often than other 

victims. Consequently, victim/witness 

programs might encourage them to 

prepare victim impact statements early 

in the process. In this way, should the 

system lose track of their whereabouts, 

it still would have some information 

for consideration during later decisionmaking. When victims do remain in 

contact, their victim impact statements 

can be updated, if warranted.

THE TRIAL

As other victims, arson victims are likely 

to have a considerable interest in the trial; 

nevertheless, unless they are witnesses 

for the State, they have no role to play 

at this stage, regardless of the losses 

they have suffered. Losses that were 

relevant to the charge being brought, and 

which will be relevant to the sentence

ultimately be handed down, are not 

relevant to the question of the defendant’s 

guilt or innocence.

Victims who testify as witnesses should, 

of course, continue to be accorded all 

of the courtesies and considerations that

they have received during the pretrial

stage, either by the prosecutor’s 

victim/witness assistance program 

or by an independent assistance 

agency. Victims who have not been 

sequestered as witnesses in the case 

have the right to attend the trial, and

should be informed in advance of the

date, time, and place where it will occur.

If court dates change, those victims who 

have requested notification and have 

provided the appropriate authority with 

a current address or phone number 

should receive timely notice of the 

revised schedule so that they do not

make unnecessary trips to court or miss 

court proceedings they wish to attend. 

They also should be informed if a guilty 

plea is contemplated so they may have the 

opportunity to confer with the prosecutor 

about the plea negotiation. After a trial 

they have not attended or the entering of 

a guilty plea, they should be notified of 

its outcome.

SENTENCING

Whether or not victims have participated 

as witnesses in the trial or pretrial stages, 

their concerns, losses, and needs should 

be a factor in the sentencing decision. 

This stage is particularly crucial for 

uninsured arson victims as the potential 

for restitution may be their only hope

of obtaining even partial relief for 

property damage.

Following the recommendations of

several national task forces, the American 

Bar Association, and other groups, all

States have enacted legislation 

allowing victim impact information at 

sentencing.19

The court should not treat the victim’s 

participation at this stage as an

unwelcome intrusion on judicial 

authority, but rather as an opportunity

to ensure that the justice imposed is fair 

to the victim and society, as well as to

the defendant.20

Prosecutor

While, as noted above, all States now 

allow victim impact information at 

sentencing, not all jurisdictions have 

formal procedures for doing so. Where 

this is the case, the victim often must rely 

on the individual prosecutor to convey 

this information to the court informally.

The prosecutor must be mindful that at 

the sentencing stage, not only victim/

witnesses but also nonwitness victims 

should be consulted. These include 
- 13 -

the family members or representatives 

of deceased or incapacitated victims. 

The fact that a victim has not been 

able to provide information useful in 

investigating and prosecuting the crime 

should in no way limit his/her right (or 

that of the family) to consideration in the 

sentencing process.

In addition to assisting in the

presentation of the “facts” to the 

court, the prosecutor can recommend

restitution and other “alternative” 

sentences that might benefit the victim. 

These should be discussed with the 

victim in advance in the event there 

are legitimate victim objections which 

the prosecutor might not foresee (for 

example, requiring community service 

at a facility the victim frequents). 

Prosecutorial recommendations also 

may take into account the community 

welfare, which may be of special 

importance in arson cases where there 

have been multiple outbreaks in certain 

geographical areas.

After a sentence has been imposed, 

the prosecutor or the victim/witness 

assistance program should inform 

the victim about it and discuss the 

implications that the sentence might have 

for the victim personally. If restitution 

has been ordered, the process by which 

the victim is to receive payment, and 

available remedies if the defendant 

defaults, should be explained.

Probation/Parole

Whether or not it is their sole means 

of providing victim impact information 

to the sentencing court, most States

provide for such information to be 

included in the probation department’s 

written presentence investigation report. 

This report also contains information 

about the defendant that is considered 

relevant to the sentence. Again, the 

provision of such information is not 

limited to those victims who have served 

as witnesses. The probation officer must 

be aware that he or she may have to look 

beyond the list of witnesses provided 

by the prosecutor’s office to ensure that 

the report is complete. In arson cases 

in which there are multiple victims

scattered away from the site of the 

crime, this may prove difficult and timeconsuming; it will, however, be simplified 

considerably if adequate tracking records 

have been maintained throughout the 

case.

Judiciary

No matter how well arson victims have 

been treated in previous stages of the 

case, it is the sentencing body (generally 

a judge, sometimes a jury) that will leave 

them with a lasting impression of the 

criminal justice system. Studies have 

shown that most victims do not want 

or expect unduly harsh punishments 

for those who have harmed them;21

they do, however, expect some personal 

consideration.

The sentencing court has the ability and 

the obligation to consider

• the crime itself;

• the offender who has been convicted;

• the victim of the illegal act; and

• the needs of society as a whole.

Too often, the victim ranks a poor, if not

nonexistent, fourth in that consideration.

Restitution is the obvious and probably 

most relevant sentencing disposition that 

the court can impose directly to benefit 

an arson victim. The fact that complete 

restitution is not feasible should not in 

itself inhibit the court from requiring at 

least partial restitution.
- 14 -

Sometimes the court may be faced with 

a difficult decision as to an equitable 

allotment of restitution in arson cases. 

For example, in the case of a multifamily 

dwelling, both the structure and the 

contents of the individual apartments in 

the structure may have been damaged or 

destroyed. Dividing what may well be a 

small amount between the owner(s) and 

the tenants is likely to be an extremely 

frustrating and unrewarding experience 

for the court; worse, it could appear to 

the individual victim as a mockery of 

justice. In such cases, the court should

be encouraged to use its imagination. If 

restitution to individuals is not feasible, 

perhaps financial or in-kind restitution 

to a community program may be 

appropriate--for example, the burn unit 

of a local hospital or the volunteer fire 

department.

CORRECTIONS

As other victims, arson victims often 

have an interest in knowing when 

the individual responsible for their 

victimization is released or escapes from 

a correctional facility. They also may 

want to provide information relevant to a 

parole hearing. Accordingly, correctional 

officials should make every attempt to 

provide timely notice of any anticipated 

release as well as any escape from custody 

to victims who ask for such notice and 

provide correct telephone numbers and 

addresses for this purpose.

POLICY REVIEW

Most of the problems in the handling 

of arson victims are not the result of 

deliberate attempts to exclude these 

victims from the system, but rather 

of failing to take a focused look at the 

system’s handling of such victims. 

Moreover, no single component of the 

system or branch of government has 

been either immune to the problem or 

especially deficient; nevertheless, all need 

to review their policies to evaluate what, 

if any, changes might be warranted.

Legislature

Among the issues to be reexamined by 

the legislative branch are the following:

• adequate funding and eligibility

 requirements of victim assistance 

 programs;

• adequate funding, coverage, and

 eligibility requirements of 

 compensation programs; and

• restitution provisions of penalty laws, 

 including the opportunity of victims 

 to inform the sentencing body of 

 their financial losses.

While many new programs and laws 

have contributed greatly to recent gains

for crime victims, they are not always 

applicable to arson victims. The exclusion 

of victims who are not witnesses from 

victim/witness assistance programs and 

failure to compensate for property loss 

are two examples.

Executive Branch

The executive branch of government 

also needs to reassess the various victim 

programs that it administers to ascertain 

if they are meeting the needs of arson 

victims. In addition, enforcement and 

prosecution policies should be examined 

to determine if arson cases are receiving 

their fair share of resources, and whether 

representatives of its agencies are working 

together with the victims of arson. The 

feasibility of crisis response units to meet 

the immediate needs of arson (and other) 

victims should be considered. Whenever 

possible, case-by-case decisionmaking 

ought to be reinforced by the knowledge 

of the impact of the crime on the victim 

and on the community as a whole.
- 15 -

Judicial Branch

Finally, the judicial branch of government 

should consider whether it has been 

sufficiently conscientious in giving 

appropriate consideration to the impact 

of arson on victims and the community, 

in encouraging attorneys for the people 

to solicit and present the views of victims, 

and in confronting arsonists with the 

human costs of their crime.

The tremendous cost of arson--in lives, 

injuries, and dollars--mandates that 

all involved take a second and indeed a 

third look at what they can do to assist 

the victims of this serious crime.

Endnotes

1. Crime in the United States 1995, U.S. 

 Department of Justice, Federal Bureau 

 of Investigation, Uniform Crime 

 Reports, released October 13, 1996, 

 p. 54. Only fires determined through 

 investigation to have been set willfully 

 or maliciously are included in the 

 94,926 number; fires of suspicious 

 or unknown origins are excluded.

2. Ibid.

3. 1990-1994 National Fire Incident 

 Reporting System (NFIRS) and 

 National Fire Protection Association 

 (NFPA) Survey, from charts on 

 “Major Causes of 1990-1994 

 Structure Fires” and “Major Causes of 

 1990-1994 Residential Structure 

 Fires,” updated 10/96 and 7/96 

 respectively.

4. Ibid. Figures based on average annual 

 figures for 1990-1994.

5. Ibid. p. 55.

6. See: “What Sets off an Arsonist?,” 

Security Management, Vol. 37, No. 1 

 (January 1993), pp. 42-47.

7. Crime in the United States 1995, p. 55.

8. Ibid.

9. An exception is Louisiana, which 

 authorizes up to $10,000 for “loss of 

 an abode by arson.” La. Rev. Stat. Ann. 

 §1802-1810 (West 1996).

10. Crime in the United States 1995, p. 55.

11. Ala. Code §6-5-380 (1996).

12. 23 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. §5505 (1996).

13. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §12-661 

 (1997).

14. Md. Ann. Code art. 27, §808 (1996).

15. N.J. Stat. Ann. §2a:53a-15 (1996).

16. Crime in the United Sates 1995, 

 p. 55 for residential and all arson 

 clearances; p. 199 for violent crime 

 and property crime clearances.

17. Criminal Justice Prosecution Function

 Standards, American Bar Association,

 Third Edition, approved by the ABA 

 House of Delegates in February

 1992: Standard 3-3.2(h): “Where 

 practical, the prosecutor should 

 seek to insure that victims of 

 serious crimes or their 

 representatives are given an 

 opportunity to consult with and to 

 provide information to the 

 prosecutor prior to the decision 

 whether or not to prosecute, to 

 pursue a disposition by plea, or to 

 dismiss the charges.”

18. In August 1980, the American 

 Bar Association’s policymaking 

 House of Delegates approved a 

 package of recommendations to 

 reduce victim/witness intimidation.

 Included was a model statute 

 that served as the basis for 

 legislation in a number of States.

(continued on next page)
- 16 -

19. See Attorney General’s Task Force on

 Violent Crime: Final Report,

 U.S. Department of Justice, August 

 1981, and President’s Task Force 

 on Victims of Crime: Final Report,

 December 1982, ABA Guidelines 

 for Fair Treatment of Crime Victims 

 and Witnesses, approved August 

 1983. Most States provide several 

 ways for victim impact information 

 to be brought to the court. These 

 include a separate written “victim 

 impact statement” prepared by the 

 victim, oral allocution by the 

 victim at sentencing, or inclusion 

 of victim impact information in 

 the presentence report prepared 

 by the probation department.

20. See Guidelines for Fair Treatment of 

 Crime Victims and Witnesses, approved

 by the American Bar

 Association, August 1983, the 

 Criminal Justice Prosecution 

 Function Standards, approved by 

 the American Bar Association, 

 February 1992, and Criminal Justice

 Sentencing Standards, approved by

 the American Bar Association, 

 February 1993.

21. See e.g., “Victims Reactions to the 

 Criminal Justice Response,” 

 prepared by Deborah P. Kelly for 

 delivery at the 1982 Annual 

 Meeting of the Law and Society 

 Association.
- 17 -

DIRECTORIES

State Crime Victim 

Compensation Boards

ALABAMA

Crime Victims Compensation 

 Commission

P.O. Box 1548

Montgomery, AL 36102-1548

334/242-4007

ALASKA

Violent Crimes Compensation Board

P.O. Box 111200

Juneau, AK 99811

907/465-3940;

800/764-3040

ARIZONA

Criminal Justice Commission

1501 West Washington

Suite 207

Phoenix, AZ 85007

602/542-1928

ARKANSAS

Crime Victims Reparations Board

Office of the Attorney General

601 Tower Building

323 Center Street

Little Rock, AR 72201

501/682-1323

CALIFORNIA

Victims of Crime Program

P.O. Box 3036

Sacramento, CA 95812-3036

916/323-6251

COLORADO

Division of Criminal Justice

700 Kipling Street

Suite 3000

Denver, CO 80215

303/239-4402

CONNECTICUT

Office of Victim Services

1155 Silas Deane Highway

Wethersfield, CT 06109

860/529-3089

DELAWARE

Violent Crimes Compensation Board

1500 E. Newport Pike

Suite 10

Wilmington, DE 19804

302/995-8383

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Crime Victims Compensation Program

Superior Court, Building A

515 5th Street NW, Suite 203

Washington, DC 20001

202/879-4216

FLORIDA

Division of Victim Services

Office of the Attorney General

The Capitol PL-01

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050

904/488-0848

GEORGIA

Crime Victim Compensation Program

Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

503 Oak Place South

Suite 540

Atlanta, GA 30349

404/559-4949

HAWAII

Criminal Injuries Compensation 

 Commission

333 Queen Street, Suite 404

Honolulu, HI 96813

808/587-1143

IDAHO

Victim Compensation Program

Idaho Industrial Commission

317 Main Street

Boise, ID 83720

208/334-6000
- 18 -

ILLINOIS

Crime Victims Department

Office of the Attorney General

100 W. Randolph, 13th Floor

Chicago, IL 60601

312/814-2581

INDIANA

Violent Crimes Compensation Division 

Criminal Justice Institute

302 W. Washington Street

Room E-203

Indianapolis, IN 46204

317/232-7103

IOWA

Crime Victim Assistance Programs

Department of Justice

Old Historical Building

Des Moines, IA 50319

515/281-5044

KANSAS

Crime Victims Reparations Board

700 S.W. Jackson, Suite 400

Topeka, KS 66603-3741

913/296-2359

KENTUCKY

Crime Victims Compensation Board

115 Myrtle Avenue

Frankfort, KY 40601

502/564-2290

LOUISIANA

Crime Victims Reparations Board

Commission on Law Enforcement

1885 Wooddale Boulevard

Suite 708

Baton Rouge, LA 70806

504/925-4437

MAINE

Crime Victim Compensation Program

Office of the Attorney General

State House Station #6

Augusta, ME 04333

207/624-7882

MARYLAND

Criminal Injuries Compensation Board

Department of Public Safety and 

 Correctional Services

Suite 313

Plaza Office Center

6776 Reistertown Road

Baltimore, MD 21215-2340

410/764-4214

MASSACHUSETTS

Victim Compensation and Assistance 

 Division

Office of the Attorney General

One Ashburton Place

Boston, MA 02108

617/727-2200, Ext. 2557

MICHIGAN

Crime Victims Services Commission

P.O. Box 30026

Lansing, MI 48909

517/373-7373

MINNESOTA

Crime Victims Reparations Board

Town Square

44 Cedar Street

Suite 100-C

St. Paul, MN 55101-2165

612/282-6256;

900/247-0390

MISSISSIPPI

Crime Victim Compensation Program

Department of Labor and Industrial 

 Relations

P.O. Box 267

Jackson, MS 39205

601/359-6766

MISSOURI

Crime Victims Compensation Unit

Department of Labor and Industrial 

 Relations

P.O. Box 58

Jefferson City, MO 65102

614/526-6006
- 19 -

MONTANA

Crime Victims Unit

Board of Crime Control

303 N. Roberts, 4th Floor

Helena, MT 59620-1408

406/444-3653

NEBRASKA

Commission on Law Enforcement

P.O. Box 94946

Lincoln, NB 68509

402/471-2828

NEVADA

Victims of Crime Program

555 East Washington

Suite 3300

Las Vegas, NV 89101

702/486-2740

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Victims Compensation Program

Department of Justice

33 Capitol Street

Concord, NH 03301-6397

603/271-1284

NEW JERSEY

Victims of Crime Compensation Board

50 Park Place, 6th Floor

Newark, NJ 07102

201/648-2107

NEW MEXICO

Crime Victims Reparation Commission

8100 Mountain Road, N.E.

#106

Albuquerque, NM 87110-7822

505/841-9432

NEW YORK

Crime Victims Board

270 Broadway, Room 200

New York, NY 10007

212/417-5133

NORTH CAROLINA

Victim and Justice Services

Department of Crime Control and Public 

 Safety

P.O. Box 29588

Raleigh, NC 27626-0588

919/733-7974

NORTH DAKOTA

Crime Victims Reparations Program

Division of Parole and Probation

Box 5521

Bismarck, ND 58502-5521

701/328-6195

OHIO

Victims of Crime Compensation 

 Program

Court of Claims of Ohio

65 E. State Street

Suite 1100

Columbus, OH 43215

614/466-7190

OKLAHOMA

Crime Victims Compensation Board

2200 Classen Boulevard

#1800

Oklahoma City, OK 73106-5811

405/557-6704

OREGON

Crime Victims Assistance Section

Department of Justice

100 Justice Building

Salem, CR 97310

503/378-5348

PENNSYLVANIA

Victims Compensation Division

Commission on Crime and Delinquency

333 Market Street

Lobby Level

Harrisburg, PA 17101

717/783-5153
- 20 -

RHODE ISLAND

Criminal Injuries Compensation 

 Program

Office of the General Treasurer

40 Fountain Street, 7th Floor

Providence, RI 02903

401/277-2287

SOUTH CAROLINA

Division of Victim Assistance

Governor’s Office

1205 Pendleton Street

Room 401

Columbia, SC 29201

803/734-1900

SOUTH DAKOTA

Crime Victims’ Compensation 

 Commission

Department of Social Services

Office of Adult Services and Aging

700 Governors Drive

Pierre, SD 57501-2291

605/773-6317

TENNESSEE

Division of Claims Administration

11th Floor, Volunteer Plaza

Andrew Jackson Building

Nashville, TN 37243-0243

615/741-2734

TEXAS

Crime Victims Compensation Division

Office of the Attorney General

P.O. Box 12548

Capitol Station

Austin, TX 78711-2548

512/936-1200

UTAH

Office of Crime Victim Reparations

350 East 500 South

Suite 200

Salt Lake City, UT 84111

801/533-4000

VERMONT

Vermont Center for Crime Victim 

 Services

103 S. Main Street

Waterbury, VT 05671-2001

802/241-1251

VIRGIN ISLANDS

Criminal Victims Compensation 

 Commission

1303 Hospital Ground

Charlotte Amalie, VI 00802

809/744-0930, Ext. 4104

VIRGINIA

Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund

Workers Compensation Commission

P.O. Box 5423

Richmond, VA 23220

804/367-8686

WASHINGTON

Crime Victim Compensation Program

Department of Labor and Industries

P.O. Box 44520

Olympia, WA 98504-4520

360/902-5340

WEST VIRGINIA

Court of Claims

Crime Victim Compensation

Building 1, Room 6

1900 Kanawha Boulevard East

Charleston, WV 25305-0291

304/347-4850

WISCONSIN

Office of Crime Victim Services

Department of Justice

P.O. Box 7951

Madison, WI 53707-7951

608/266-6470

WYOMING

Crime Victims Compensation 

 Commission

1700 Westland Road

Cheyenne, WY 82002

307/635-4050
- 21 -

State Crime Victim 

Assistance Offices

ALABAMA

Department of Economic Commission 

 and Community Affairs

Law Enforcement Planning Division

401 Adams Avenue

P.O. Box 5690

Montgomery, AL 36103-5690

334/242-5891

ALASKA

Department of Public Safety Council on 

 Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

P.O. Box 11200

Juneau, AK 99811-1200

907/465-4356

ARIZONA

Department of Public Safety

2010 W. Encanto Boulevard

P.O. Box 6638

Phoenix, AZ 85005-6638

602/223-2465

ARKANSAS

Prosecutor Coordinator’s Office

323 Center Street, Suite 750

Little Rock, AR 72201

501/682-3671

CALIFORNIA

Office of Criminal Justice Planning

1130 K Street, Suite 300

Sacramento, CA 95814

916/324-9140

COLORADO

Division of Criminal Justice

Department of Public Safety

Suite 1000

700 Kipling Street

Denver, CO 80215

303/239-4446

CONNECTICUT

Judicial Branch

Station A., Drawer N

231 Capitol Avenue

Hartford, CT 06106

860/566-4461

DELAWARE

Criminal Justice Council

Carvel State Office Building

820 North French, 4th Floor

Wilmington, DE 19801

302/577-3430

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Department of Human Services

Commission on Social Services

2700 Martin Luther King Avenue, S.E.

Building 801 East

Washington, DC 20032

202/279-6002

FLORIDA

Department of Legal Affairs

Office of the Attorney General

Division of Victim Services

The Capitol, PL-01

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050

904/414-3300

GEORGIA

Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

503 Oak Place, Suite 540

Atlanta, GA 30349

404/559-4949

HAWAII

Department of the Attorney General

Crime Prevention and Justice Division

425 Queen Street

Room 221

Honolulu, HI 96813

808/586-1282

IDAHO

Department of Health and Welfare

Council on Domestic Violence

P.O. Box 83730

Boise, ID 83720-0036

208/334-5580
- 22 -

ILLINOIS

Criminal Justice Information Authority

120 South Riverside Plaza

10th Floor

Chicago, IL 60606

312/793-8550

INDIANA

Criminal Justice Institute

302 West Washington Street

E209

Indianapolis, IN 46204

317/233-3341

IOWA

Office the Attorney General

Hoover State Office Building

Des Moines, IA 50191

515/281-8373

KANSAS

Office of the Attorney General

301 SW 10th Avenue

Topeka, KS 66612-1597

913/296-2215

KENTUCKY

Justice Cabinet

Bush Building

403 Wapping Street

2nd Floor

Frankfort, KY 40601

502/564-7554

LOUISIANA

Commission on Law Enforcement and 

 Administration of Criminal Justice

1885 Wooddale Boulevard

Suite 708

Baton Rouge, LA 70806-1511

504/925-1997

MAINE

Department of Human Services

Division of Purchased and Support 

 Services

221 State Street

State House Station 11

Augusta, ME 04333

207/287-2736

MARYLAND

Department of Human Resources

311 West Saratoga Street

Room 272

Baltimore, MD 21201-3521

410/767-7109

MASSACHUSETTS

Victim and Witness Assistance Board

Office for Victims Assistance

100 Cambridge Street

Room 1104

Boston, MA 02202

617/727-5200

MICHIGAN

Department of Management and Budget 

Crime Victims Services Commission

320 South Walnut

Lewis Cass Building

P.O. Box 30026

Lansing, MI 48909

517/373-0979

MINNESOTA

Department of Corrections

1450 Energy Park Drive

Suite 200

St. Paul, MN 55108-5129

612/642-0282

MISSISSIPPI

Department of Public Safety

Division of Public Safety Planning

401 North West Street

8th Floor

P.O. Box 23039

Jackson, MS 39225-3039

601/359-7880

MISSOURI

Department of Public Safety

Truman Building, Room 870

301 W. High Street

P.O. Box 749

Jefferson City, MO 65102-0749

573-751-4905
- 23 -

MONTANA

Board of Crime Control

Scott Hart Building

303 North Roberts

4th Floor

Helena, MI 59620-1408

406/444-3604

NEBRASKA

Commission on Law Enforcement and 

 Criminal Justice

301 Centennial Mall South

P.O. Box 94946

Lincoln, NE 68509

402/471-2194

NEVADA

Department of Human Resources

Division of Child and Family Services

71 E. 5th Street

Carson City, NV 89710

702/687-5982

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Department of Justice

33 Capitol Street

Concord, NH 03301-6397

603/271-3658

NEW JERSEY

Department of Law and Public Safety

Division of Criminal Justice

Office of Victim/Witness Advocacy

25 Market Street, CN-085

Trenton, NJ 08625-0085

609/984-7347

NEW MEXICO

Crime Victims Reparation Commission

8100 Mountain Road, N.E.

Suite 106

Albuquerque, NM 87110

505/841-9432

NEW YORK

Crime Victims Board

845 Central Avenue

South 3, Room 107

Albany, NY 12206

518/457-1779

NORTH CAROLINA

Governor’s Crime Commission

Department of Crime Control and Public 

 Safety

3824 Barrett Drive

Suite 100

Raleigh, NC 27609-7220

919/571-4736

NORTH DAKOTA

Division of Parole and Probation

Crime Victims Compensation

Department of Corrections

3303 E. Main Street

Box 5521

Bismarck, ND 58506-5521

701/328-6193

OHIO

Office of the Attorney General

Crime Victim Assistance Office

65 East State Street

8th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-4321

614/644-5610

OKLAHOMA

District Attorneys Council

2200 Classen Boulevard 

Suite 1800

Oklahoma City, OK 73106-5811

405/557-6704

OREGON

Department of Justice Crime Victims’ 

 Assistance Section

1162 Court Street N.E.

Salem, OR 97310

503/378-5348

PENNSYLVANIA

Commission on Crime and Delinquency

P.O. Box 11676

Harrisburg, PA 17108-1167

717/787-2040
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PUERTO RICO

Attorney General

Department of Justice

P.O. Box 192

San Juan, PR 00902

809/721-7700

RHODE ISLAND

Governor’s Justice Commission

One Capitol Hill

4th Floor

Administration Building

Providence, RI 02908-5803

401/277-2620

SOUTH CAROLINA

Department of Public Safety

Office of Safety and Grants

Modular 15

5400 Broad River Road

Columbia, SC 29210

803/896-7896

SOUTH DAKOTA

Department of Social Services

700 Governors Drive

Pierre, SD 57501-2291

605/773-3165

TENNESSEE

Department of Human Services

400 Deaderick Street

Citizens Plaza Building

Nashville, TN 37248-9500

615/313-4700

TEXAS

Criminal Justice Division

Office of the Governor

P.O. Box 12428

221 E. 11th Street

Austin, TX 78711

512/463-1929

UTAH

Office of Crime Victim Reparations

350 E. 500 South

Suite 200

Salt Lake City, UT 84111

801/533-4000

VERMONT

Center for Victim Services

103 South Main Street

Waterbury, VT 05671-2001

802/241-1250

VIRGINIA

Department of Criminal Justice Services

805 East Broad Street

10th Floor

Richmond, VA 23219

804/786-4000

VIRGIN ISLANDS

Law Enforcement Planning Commission

8172 Sub Base, Suite 3

St. Thomas, VI 00802-5803

809/774-6400

WASHINGTON

Department of Social and Health 

 Sciences

P.O. Box 45710

12th & Jefferson

Olympia, WA 98504-5710

360/753-3395

WEST VIRGINIA

Criminal Justice and Highway Safety 

 Division

Department of Military Affairs and 

 Public Safety

1204 Kanawha Boulevard East

Charleston, WV 25301

304/558-8814

WISCONSIN

Office of the Attorney General

Department of Justice

123 West Washington Avenue

P.O. Box 7857

Madison, WI 53707-7951

608/266-1221

WYOMING

Crime Victims Compensation Program

Office of the Attorney General

1700 Westland Road

Cheyenne, WY 82002

307/635-4050