The Crime Victims Compensation Board was created by the Laws of 1966, Chapter 894. Chapter 17 of the Laws of 1982 changed the name to the Crime Victims Board. The board consisted of five members selected by the governor, three of whom shall have been admitted to practice law in New York State for at least five years. Chapter 688 of the Laws of 1985 gave the Crime Victims Board authority to make grants to support programs which provide services to crime victims and witnesses. These grant-funded programs are operated at the community level by not-for-profit organizations, agencies of local government, or a combination of the two. In June 2010, the Crime Victims Board was renamed the Office of Victim Services.
Web Site Topic:
The function of the Office of Victim Services (successor to the Crime Victims Board) is to mitigate the effects of violent crime by assisting its victims. The office provides relief to eligible claimants who demonstrate financial difficulty as a result of criminal acts, supports local victim and assistance agencies that provide direct support to crime victims, and serves as an advocate for the rights and interests of crime victims. A crime victim may be eligible through this program for reimbursement of medical, counseling, and funeral expenses; attorney fees; and loss of essential personal property, earnings and/or support. The work of the office was augmented by the Federal Victims of Crime Act of 1984, which provides additional funds to victims and to victim-support agencies.
