Victims of violent crime in Mississippi received more than $3.7 million in financial assistance in the 2016 fiscal year thanks to the Crime Victim Compensation program administered through the state Attorney General’s Office.

More than 1,100 victims of violent crimes across Mississippi received portions of the more than $3 million distributed, with Warren County receiving $92,759, according to a press release from the attorney general’s office.

“Mississippi residents who are victims of violent crime deserve the assurance that they can receive help to recover and move forward from often times tragic circumstances,” Attorney General Hood said. “The Victim Compensation program is funded in large part by convicted criminals whose heinous acts caused the injury and loss sustained by victims. My office is committed to ensuring that crime victims are not re-victimized because of the costs associated with violent crime.”

Innocent victims of violent crimes in Mississippi can apply to receive compensation for medical treatment, mental health services, funeral costs and other expenses associated with the crime, according to the release.

Chasity Wright, a Warren County victim’s assistance coordinator, said the county’s involvement with the state’s Victim’s Compensation Program, which is separate from victim’s compensation awarded through the Warren County Circuit Clerk’s office as part of court-ordered restitution within the county, mostly involves sending off application to the attorney general’s office.

“We send it into the attorney general’s office for (victims),” she said. “Sometimes the hospital will provide them an application or law enforcement or they’re told to come to us. We send out the application for them if they need us to and then the attorney general’s office will actually send them some more paperwork for them to fill out.”

The amount of money received by each county is determined by how many applications are received and approved and the costs associated, according to the program’s website, helping explain the difference between the amount Warren County received and the $230,000 Washington County received.

“I guess it just really depends on how many victims they had and how many apply and get approved for it,” Wright said.

Hood said in the press release he was concerned about funding the program after the state legislature directed any court assessments be deposited into the General Fund rather than the Crime Victim Compensation Fund this year.

“No eligible individual should be turned away because of lack of funding for this critical safety net for crime victims,” he said.

For more information or to download a victim application, visit ago.state.ms.us.