萝莉少女

For families of some crime victims, the process to receive compensation for funerals and lost income can be simple. For others, it can be nearly impossible. The results depend on rules set by the state they live in.

In Maryland and the District of Columbia, for example, it鈥檚 relatively easy to receive compensation from the state.

, if the victim was convicted of a drug-related or violent crime in the last ten years, their survivors are ineligible for compensation.

If the victim was likely involved in committing a crime when they were killed, their survivors are ineligible.

If the survivor who would receive the money has been convicted of a drug or violent crime in the last ten years, they are ineligible to receive money.

And since Ohio doesn鈥檛 pay up-front for funeral expenses, grieving families have an extra challenge to overcome after an unexpected death, often of a young person without life insurance.

, 33% of all murder victims in 2015 were between the ages of 20 and 29 鈥� the largest share among age groups 鈥� and almost twice as many as were over 50.

鈥楾heir Emotions Are So Raw鈥�

鈥淏ecause I鈥檓 seeing families when they鈥檙e initially finding out [a loved one has died],鈥� said Matthew Krock, a trauma social worker at University Hospitals in Cleveland. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not often in a state to receive that information because it鈥檚 so early, their emotions are so raw.鈥�

It鈥檚 Krock鈥檚 job to help a family at the hospital. He guides them through the process after their loved one is pronounced dead. He answers their questions. And, in the typically short time while they鈥檙e at the hospital, he helps them fill out the paperwork for victim compensation.

鈥淚 mean as you can imagine, given the circumstances, it can be difficult and they might not even want to discuss it,鈥� said Krock. But if they seem like they鈥檙e able to, he鈥檒l bring them a simplified version of the state鈥檚 application. 鈥淎nd we have mailboxes here in the hospital [so] that I can help them mail it. I make sure they have the phone number, the website 鈥� everything they might need.鈥�

Ohio Vs. Maryland

Even that help is often not enough.

Ohio鈥檚 victim compensation fund provided economic assistance in 313 homicide cases in 2018, only 3.23% of the applications it accepted. That鈥檚 46 ^th out of the 50 states and District of Columbia.

The attorney general鈥檚 office in Ohio handles applications. The office denied an interview request, saying , not their office, determines eligibility.

Ohio鈥檚 compensation fund began in 1976. Over time the process has been simplified. Originally the state set up a board of attorneys to make a ruling after the attorney general鈥檚 office made its recommendation. Now the attorney general makes the payment decision itself.

In 1982, the legislature ended eligibility for victims or recipients that had committed a drug-related offense or violent felony in the last ten years. Reportedly, that was because .

Maryland, in contrast, has much more lenient laws on victim compensation than Ohio. According to analysis by Guns & America, nearly 50% of the cases in Maryland in 2018 were reimbursement for homicide. Assault cases made up another 40%.

In Maryland, the criminal records of the victim and survivors don鈥檛 affect whether payout is given. are that the victim wasn鈥檛 involved in the crime that led to their homicide and that the survivor cooperated with law enforcement.

鈥業t Is Very, Very Challenging鈥�

Rosemary Creeden works with families of homicide victims at the Cleveland social services agency FrontLine Service. They鈥檙e part of the National Childhood Trauma Network, and hear from social services providers elsewhere about how easy getting money for families can be.

鈥淲e had a site in D.C. and it was made known to us that that is not an issue at all in the District [of Columbia],鈥� said Creeden. 鈥淭hat no matter what the history, no matter what the circumstance, the district buries people.鈥�

According to Creeden, a funeral in Cleveland costs between $7,500 and $9,000, a significant burden when is $29,000, or about $2,400 per month. Then there鈥檚 the frequent loss of income right after the homicide and while attending a trial, if there is one.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very, very challenging, at a time when it鈥檚 probably the worst time of your life, having lost someone like that,鈥� said Creeden.

She says they鈥檝e approached legislators about changing the rules in Ohio. But changes haven鈥檛 been made.

鈥淓very single person that does victim services in the city of Cleveland is keenly aware of this,鈥� said Creeden. 鈥淎nd when they have site visits from the [Attorney General]鈥檚 office it is discussed very frequently.鈥�

contributed to this reporting.

is a public media reporting project on the role of guns in American life.

Copyright 2020 Guns and America. To see more, visit .