The California Victims Compensation Board (CalVCB) offers financial assistance to victims of crime. While violent crime has gone up over time in California, applications for compensation have gone down. The Office of Data and Innovation (ODI) worked with CalVCB to:
- Understand why fewer eligible people were applying to their fund
- Find out how to reach them
- Increase applications
We learned that:
- Centering the victim experience is crucial to improvements
- Enabling victim supporters leads to better outcomes
- Improving victim engagement can increase uptake
Learn more about the details of getting compensation to more California crime victims.
This project was part of the Data and Innovation Fund (DIF). This is one way ODI helps the state improve services for all Californians.This project was part of the Data and Innovation Fund (DIF), one way the Office of Data and Innovation (ODI) helps improve state services for all Californians. ODI works in partnership with the California Department of Technology (CDT), which improves state technology infrastructure through its Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) and Technology Stabilization Service (TSF). Together, these three funds ensure California state departments innovate by applying human-centered design, data, and IT investments to yield quick and meaningful results. Email dif@innovation.ca.gov to learn more about DIF or this project.