NCJ Number
76765
Date Published
1979
Length
55 pages
Annotation
This report summarizes the activities and decisions from July 1, 1978 to June 30, 1979 of Maryland's Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, which operates Maryland's program of compensation to crime victims.
Abstract
The board, created in 1968, determines three types of awards: lump sum payments for claimants who return to work with no loss of earnings, protracted claims involving monthly payments during a period of disability and reduction in earnings, and death claims providing an award for the period up to the time of the decision and subsequent monthly payments to dependents. The number of applications for awards increased greatly over the previous year, indicating an increase in public awareness of the program. A total of 554 claims were accepted and investigated. The 390 decisions involved 350 awards and 40 denials of award. There were 40 appeals to the full board. The board affirmed 25 cases, reversed 10 cases, and allowed 5 to be reopened for further investigation and/or submission of further proof. Monthly payments are currently being made for 86 death claims and 80 personal injury claims. Awards during the year totaled over $1.4 million, of which just over half was awarded in lump sum payments. The program is based on the philosophy that helping innocent victims of crimes promotes the administration of justice. Claimants included a man who was shot and robbed on a public street in Baltimore by an unknown assailant, the grandmother of a minor claimant whose mother was stabbed to death, and a man who was cut with a knife when he attempted to stop a fight on a public street in Baltimore. Crime statistics, continued public awareness, and the experience of other States indicate that the program's workload and budget needs will increase yearly. A description of procedures for filing and handling claims and summaries of each claim handled during the year are included.