Victim Services Assistance


How do I obtain victim assistance information?

  • The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office manages the Victim-Witness Assistance Program in Los Angeles County.
  • The Victim-Witness Assistance Program may be reached by:
    • Calling the central number at 1-800-380-3811
    • Calling the Torrance Courthouse number at (310) 222-3599
    • Clicking here to jump to information on the Los Angeles County District Attorney's website at http://da.co.la.ca.us/vwap/default.htm
  • See the Crime Victims Rights pamphlet here.
  • See the Marcy's Law pamphlet here.

If I am the victim of a crime, what types of victim assistance may I receive?

Penal Code 13835.5 mandates and authorizes the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Victim-Witness Assistance Program to:

  • Provide assistance to crime victims and their families who:
    • Suffered injury
    • Were threatened with injury
  • Provide emergency assistance
  • Provide crisis intervention services and referrals
  • Provide counseling resources and referrals
  • Assist victims to obtain restitution and compensation
  • Assist victims with filing a California Victim Compensation Form
  • Guide victims through the court process and the judicial system
  • Provide court escort and support services
  • Help to request the return of personal property used as evidence
  • Work with prosecutors to help people with specialized needs:
    • Children
    • Elders
    • Disabled persons
    • Sexual assault victims
    • Domestic violence victims
    • Gang crime victims
  • Help victims and witnesses with language translation needs
  • Provide case status or disposition information
  • Assist with notification to family, friends and employers

Are there optional victim assistance resources that may be available to me?

Optional services that may be available to you are:

  • Creditor Intervention
  • Child Care Assistance
  • Witness Notification
  • Funeral Arrangement Assistance
  • Crime Prevention Information
  • Witness Protection Assistance
  • Temporary Restraining Order Information
  • Transportation Assistance
  • Employer Intervention

Who is eligible to receive compensation?

  • A survivor of a victim who dies as a direct result of a crime
  • A crime victim who suffers physical or emotional injury or threat of injury during the crime
    • Including crimes of child abuse or sexual assault
  • A qualified primary caretaker of a minor victim
  • Family members who witnessed the crime
  • People legally dependent on qualifying victims for support
  • Anyone who takes legal responsibility and/or pays for the medical or funeral/burial expenses of a victim who dies as a direct result of a crime.

What must I do to receive compensation?

  • You must:
    • Report the crime to the police department.
    • Cooperate with law enforcement in the investigation of the crime.
    • Cooperate in the prosecution of the criminal case.
    • Cannot have knowingly or willingly participated in the crime.

What expenses are covered?

  • The following expenses are covered if they are the direct result of a qualifying crime as per Government Code Sections 13950-13966:
  • Medical, dental and hospital
  • Mental health counseling
  • Funeral and burial
  • Relocation
  • Job retraining and rehabilitation
  • Loss of income or support
  • Crime scene cleanup

Is there any limit to the compensation?

  • Yes.
  • The law limits the amount of reimbursement and requires that other available sources of reimbursement must be used first.
  • For more information about the laws that regulate Victim-Witness Assistance in California, please go to http://www.vcgcb.ca.gov

What may I do to determine when the person that committed the crime against me will get out of jail?

  • Please click here to jump to more information about the VINE Program on the Redondo Beach Police Department website and for additional links to the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department.
  • You may enroll in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department VINE Program (Victim Information and Notification Everyday).
  • The Sheriff Department's VINE program provides:
    • Automatic telephone notification
    • 24 hours per day every day
    • To victims about the release of inmates from the Los County Jail system
  • Call 1-877-VINE-4-LA (1-877-846-3452) to register for notification.
    • This service does not provide information about inmates released from state prisons or other county jails.

How may I be notified of a convict's release from prison, escape from prison, or his/her death?

  • You may obtain this information from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)
  • Complete the CDCR Request for Victim Services Form 1707
  • Keep the CDCR Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services informed about your current address
  • Obtain the form and filing directions by calling 1-877-256-6877 or
  • Visit www.cdcr.ca.gov/victim_services