17 November 2025
By Amanda Watford
Contributing Writer
(Stateline) — Families of Black homicide victims in the United States are more likely than any other group to seek financial assistance through state victim compensation programs – and they are the most likely to be denied, according to a new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Race and Justice.
Researchers analyzed nearly 60,000 homicide-related compensation claims filed in 18 states between 2015 and 2023. They found that nearly one-third of all the denials were based on “contributory misconduct,” a discretionary policy in which officials, often relying on police reports and assessments, can deny compensation if they judge that the victim’s behavior or alleged criminal involvement contributed to their death.
Families of Black victims submitted about 46 percent of all claims for compensation, but made up 57 percent of denials attributed to contributory misconduct. The researchers note that this may reflect subjective judgments and racial biases, which disproportionately affect Black and Hispanic or Latino families.
Even after controlling for gender, state and year of application, the researchers found that families of Black and American Indian victims had lower compensation approval rates – about 82 percent – compared with roughly 87 percent for white victims and nearly 91 percent for Asian victims. Families of male victims and those of younger victims aged 18 to 24 were also less likely to receive compensation.
Victims of crime often face a maze of legal and administrative barriers, making it hard to secure compensation or other support.
State-based crime victim compensation programs are often at least partially funded by the federal 1984 Victims of Crime Act or VOCA, which uses federal criminal fines and forfeitures – not taxpayer dollars – to support victims of violent crime. These funds are allocated to states by Congress.
These programs provide financial relief to individuals and families affected by violent crimes, including homicide. Compensation can cover expenses such as counseling, funeral costs, emergency assistance and lost wages. But the amount of funding available to states has plummeted by billions of dollars in recent years. In response, some states have stepped in to fund crime victim programs with state dollars.
In August, 21 Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to tie victims’ compensation to its immigration agenda. The administration sought to withhold funds from states that refuse to comply with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice quietly released its state-by-state VOCA fund allocations for fiscal year 2025. Collectively, the states and Washington, D.C. received $1.25 billion in support.
The researchers warn that barriers to accessing support may worsen financial and emotional hardships for grieving families and reinforce broader inequalities. They call for changes such as limiting denials based on contributory misconduct, expanding administrative support for applicants and standardizing data collection across states to better monitor disparities.
This article originally published in the November 17, 2025 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.