Victim compensation programs provide financial assistance to cover out-of-pocket expenses associated with the financial, physical, and psychological burdens of victimization. From 2022 to 2024, the Urban Institute and NORC at the University of Chicago conducted a National Study of Victim Compensation Program Trends, Challenges, and Successes, which included evaluations of four state crime victim compensation programs. This brief summarizes our evaluation of Arizona’s victim compensation program to understand its utilization and perspectives on its ability to meet victims’ needs.

We conclude that Arizona’s program serves an important role helping victims address the financial burden of crime, and that it has several strengths and has made recent improvements, such as opening an online portal. The program’s uniquely decentralized structure allows for local-level familiarity with victims’ needs and available resources. But the program also experiences some challenges with efficiency in processing claims and inconsistencies across counties in interpretations of the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) requirements.

ACJC is currently undergoing a thorough review in response to input from victim advocates, compensation staff, and anticipated federal rule changes. This effort may result in clearer written guidelines leading to greater consistency across counties. Our evaluation would support these efforts, as would the perspectives shared by professionals we interviewed across the state. With expanded eligibility and more consistent approvals across Arizona will come a need for increased funding at both the state and federal levels.

Thus, based on the information and data examined in this study, we offer the following recommendations:

• Provide more federal and state funding to the Arizona compensation program.
• Establish clearer written guidelines that minimize inconsistencies across counties.
• Empower all compensation coordinators with emergency eligibility determinations.
• Continue and intensify outreach and engagement to historically underserved populations.
• Continue exploring innovative and efficient mechanisms for improving the program.

Many of these findings and recommendations align with those emerging nationally in conversations about how to improve victim compensation programs. We are grateful that programs such as Arizona’s remain open to evaluation and eager to understand how to continue expanding and improving their accessibility, responsiveness, and coverage to provide meaningful benefits to victims.