Joint Performance Review (JPR)

Hi this meeting of the joint performers Review Committee Sir by called to order. I want to begin by welcoming everyone here today this is the first joint performance review committee meeting that we've had since the legislative session but I'm excited about it and I look forward to all the work of this committee can do between now and the end of the year in the start the new session. the first thing on our agenda is the consideration of a motion to approve the chairs to approve special expenses incurred by the joint performance review committee do I have a motion. Emotion Senator Rice. Second representative ray. All in favor say aye. All opposed. As have it. Next we have a. Consideration of a motion to approve the June fifth twenty twenty meeting minutes that should be in your packet those of you who are members and those of your not likely have all of that information with you you want to take a moment to review that. Emotion Senator Clark. Second representative Springer all in favor say aye All opposed as habit. And so that brings us to item ET which is the what the purpose of this meeting was called for today which is to hear testimony about the crime victims reparation Board and here from crime victims in our state about the issues that they've had both from having to endure what sound like a horrendous events as victims of crime and then their experiences with the board I think one of our witnesses has been a member of the board and then we have I also. program overview of the Arkansas crime victims reparations program and the board we look forward to hearing from them no we have representatives from the board here here I think along with several of the board members will welcome you here today we also have representatives from the Arkansas prosecuting attorneys association you will hear from about how prosecuting attorneys around the state deal with crybabies victims interact with the board and hopefully can. come to some conclusions about where things stand and if there is room for improvement and how we might make that as we approach the next session and so I'd like to begin with Mr wan archer leave she's first on the agenda. He's here but. Miss archer. And just like with for review and I I wanna make a quick statement and then I recognize you okay but I want to begin by saying typically a lot of committee meetings as you know we have a policy where members ask questions and then they ask for follow up and then they just kind of move on. Part of the purpose of the Joint performers Review Committee is this type is kind of investigative in nature it's to kind of flesh out issues I don't I'm not gonna strictly adhere to that if if you're a member and have questions I'm going to call on you and give you some latitude with regard to asking questions I don't I don't like this so far follow up in a second and all of that if you have a line of questioning I think you'll be able to go down and so I intend to. Excessive latitude on that and Miss archer we want to welcome you here to the committee today so you've got your your Mike turned on also say that we typically swear witnesses them in this committee and we reserve the right to do that we're not gonna do that today but we reserve the right to do that in the future at any point during this process if we decide that that's something that would be beneficial but we're not gonna do that today so miss archer looks like you got your my god you're recognized if you would state your name who you're here representing and then we look forward to hearing your remarks. Hello my name is John archer and I am a former board member for the crime victims reparations Board that I'm really here today to speak to you all about my experience as a survivor and also to thank you all for being here and take the time because as you know it takes all of us to improve all of our services for our Kansans and I also want to say thank you so much for all of the crime victims in our state that have actually taken the courage to reach out and to any organization including the crime victims reparations board because you know it takes a lot of courage to tell your story and actually say I need help. So I think that the meeting I'm not sure how it was called in why it was called I'm assuming that it was called today about an article that was published in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette that kind of highlighted some situations That were brought to light because of that article and because of that article Americanize that heather Baker was a crime victim and she had the courage to say this is how I've been treated I'm going to the reparations board and I just really felt like I needed to speak up and use my voice because this is what I tell all survivors all the time that your voice matters so that's why I am here today to be the voice yet again for survivors that have been impacted in our state. Sturch Bob my first Experience with Arkansas crime victims reparations Board was in two thousand and eleven when I was kidnapped two times by my ex boyfriend and almost murdered. This incident ended in a justifiable homicide and I needed a lot of help with mental health therapy luckily I was able to get that help through. Little Rock police officers that had avenues to get me to that help that I needed after a long battle Of trying to find funds to make sure that this therapist that it helped me tremendously was able to get paid I found. No help at the crime victims reparation Board other than to get my car cleaned up which was eventually a crime scene. Moving on from that situation I didn't help held any ill will towards the board I just knew that the system was broken and that if any power that I could do I would try my best to help our Kansans that had fallen victim unjustly to a crime. When I needed help so luckily we had a lot of people friends family community that rallied together to help me and so many others to establish women's own worth so we help victims of domestic violence every day pro bono we do not know paid employees because that's what's on our heart and that's our calling. So we help people to get into that there but if I need after they've been intensely traumatized by crime. And as you know the statistics are really really high in Arkansas especially Little Rock right now and a lot of these people need a lot of a lot of help. So before I was always asked what would you ever want to be in politics whichever one it is no absolutely not that's for ya guys I'm not interested in anything political and nor did I ever think in a million years that when the governor asked me to be on this board that it would have any thing to do with politics. I was so wrong your and. I feel like. You all need to know. That when people approach the sport or any other organization they should not be victim blamed or victim shamed. You know I said well go it takes a lot of courage to reach out for help. Being the founder of women's and worse I've been in contact with many many many survivors that have needed help and reached out to the crime victims reparations Board. And it seems. Almost always. That they come back to me needing more therapy. They come back to me more hurt and it's not always. The money financial you're going here in a minute that they don't have any money they don't have any money. And they do fall short on money but a lot of the times it's how you leave somebody feeling when they reach out for help don't send them a letter and say you know. You. Where the reason you got shot because you should know when over to your ex boyfriend's house and knocked on the door not too hard. Ninety that's a true story. Have different stories that I can tell you I know I don't know the time limit here today a recap that young lady that is embedded in my head you know she came over to her boyfriend's house. And she knocked on the door he didn't answer so she ran around the side door knocked on that knocked on the window she knew he was there so she went back to the front door he opened the door Chater point blank range two times killing her sat on the front porch this is police reports that I'm mentioning now after the fact. In west convicted. A murder. This mom. Consider reparations Board to say Hey my daughter's been killed the guy's been arrested for murder can you help me with funeral. No she should have been there they were fighting on the phone earlier. So it wasn't a diminished claim. The staff present status. Well I say ask them via referred as that was when I was previously on the board. They present to us. Each meeting. I see like this this is all my little notes that wrote you see all that but It's usually a paragraph or two of what the staff feels happened in the situation with the recommendation up top that says recommended to deny a recommended to approve almost always none of these have a total on them and what that person is seeking which I thought was kind of odd numbered brought that up several times and. To no avail. Did I get an answer. That young lady's mom ended up somehow bearing her daughter but it wasn't with help Victor victims reparations Board but yet. I feel like the it is not that I feel I have stacks and stacks of. I can't show you all these because they're in that personal information is not taken out of these claims. But there are more funerals paid for with a cap of seventy five hundred dollars. Than any mental health therapy than anything and that's actually and their Rules and regulations and the rules or regulations I'm sorry if I'm all over the place but the rules regulations state that each crime victim can be awarded up to ten thousand dollars if it's catastrophic up to twenty five thousand dollars in that ten thousand dollars only twenty five hundred dollars can go to or to mental health therapy and seventy five hundred can go to the person's funeral and to me I brought that up several times can we raise that limit can we go to the legislators know it's too late to college to you have a certain time want. That you can go to the legislators and ask for something to to be changed. And there's a hardline and it was like the week next week when they brought different things to us as the board that they wanted to change and I said well I've spoken with Charlene Fite legislator Charlene Fite about the situation and she doesn't mind getting it drafted and presented and and I'm sure the governor doesn't mind because I've spoke to him several times I mean I can't speak for him but I know his heart that he wants to help. And I was shut down. And if you read the article in the dinner Democrat and you heard me say push back there so much push back. And I don't know if it was because I was a survivor that it reached out for help in the past and didn't receive it for months care but It was unbelievable so. When I was appointed for the term that I was appointed to was to replace a person's seat that was going to be their state was going to become of a expired in a year and so there's three board members appointed and I was appointed to that seat and so my first thought was I'm going to keep my mouth shut my head down into the calendar re appoints me. But I can tell you when that IT helps you might flew out the door is when I got this claim in front of me. It set an eleven year old was supported held by nine point and right to be heard if you detect have taken out the names. Her mother claim is seeking assistance with mental health care. Second paragraph according to the information provided by the investigator the crimes against children division. They were engaged in a consensual relationship. Okay I'm just here spouse's survivor so before I got on this call which that had all of these two weeks before. We made. So I went online to look at what Arkansas state law as and when you can give consent. Low and behold he can't which already knew but I wanted to make sure I had my ducks in a row before I spoke up. And so on this call. I said you know I'm I want to make a motion that we help this mom. I looked at the Arkansas state law and this is that right. Someone on the board. I said I know the law I practice law. And I know what can be done and not. Can fill in the blanks I wrote in a letter to governor. I was also told by these people. My job was to prove what was in front of me. If I wanted help victims. There's many seats on this board will not many there's only five and we're five votes are supposed to be heard and acknowledged. And listen to. My point it appointed seat was to be the victims advocate I will not and cannot sit back and let this happen to mom to a kid. So on that call. I ask how much is this mom trying to get help with what is the amount I cannot I didn't write the amount so slow within a hundred dollars and something that she needs help with. Before she said before when at which was is the a can't remember her title but she's she's administrator I think I have the and this is her she was the investigator on this case. She said well there's a bill for thirteen thousand eight hundred dollars at thirteen thousand eight hundred dollars that tells me that's inpatient. She said yeah I was impatient I said what is that what she's reaching out for snow that's been paid okay we'll. But we don't know if that had anything to do with the alleged rape. Yes it will because there's no incident dates. When the incident happened they don't have when the person sought help. None of those states or amounts are on on that for a board to be able to recognize when it this state was February twenty February two thousand eighteen this was presented to us April the fifteenth. I'm. I was then told that the inpatient and care that was thirteen thousand eight hundred was in September so they couldn't tell if that had anything to do with the alleged rape because that was for suicidal ideology. I made a motion again that we help this mom. Thank god the two new board members the two that haven't been on there over fifteen years and twenty three years. Voted with me. To help this mom. No one set late once that gets approved. If it's done correctly that opens up this mom to be able to keep on getting treatment up to twenty five hundred dollars for this little girl that was right. I felt like at that point there were no more keeping my mouth shut. And so then the push back became even more for me. Since we are in a deficit many of the months after I had to reach out of the. The claims kept on getting delayed that the meetings kept on getting canceled. One sure was because it COVID not or stand but I think we still could have that on the phone call or an honest him. But meetings before covered for canceled and I keep on asking you know these people are sitting in limbo let's be transparent you know transparency helps a lot we say Hey we don't have the funding right now but we're presenting it to the board so you'll know if you have a yes or no if you're going to be able to receive later funds later. I ask multiple times if I could get a template of hal. The wording was sent out weather was a now or approval to survivors as a board member I thought maybe I'd be able to do that and give a little insight if I felt as a survivor and I've been there done that if the wording this may be hurtful. I got one standard letter and they wouldn't give me anything else and every time I ask for anything it was a push back. This isn't about me about me being on the board it's about who I was representing and who I represent every day of my life I put this behind me and went on to help victims of domestic violence and violent crimes through our state women's own worth his bill transition homes were putting deciding on next week no federal or state funding. His friends family community that care and I know all of you care and I'm so happy they are here. To listen all of it Because of the funding shortage. In my letter to the governor All right Senator examples of how. We could actually help and I actually reached out to several people that own funeral homes in our state. And. They were so receptive to say. We don't mind. Giving a discount to survivors we and don't mind. If we capped at seventy five hundred my my suggestion was to possibly if people accept seventy five hundred dollars in their funeral home fort through crime victims reparations they can't go back and say you owe us an additional three thousand because if you've been catastrophically impacted by violence and make your child has been murdered you're not really thinking a real rationally and if somebody says so you can have a funeral for ten thousand dollars and we do this this this. But crime victims reparations is going to be seventy five hundred dollars you're going to need to pay the balance later in it put some really in a deficit that they cannot afford to let many times. So that was one way and. That I suggested might be helpful and. I suggested at one point and it was approved after many months of suggesting it that we no longer send out all of these and snail mail because there's like thirty something dollars we're usually supposed to have well in that and rules and regulations were supposed to have these two weeks prior and we usually were getting on three days and that was with two day mail which is costing like thirty two dollars so they approved to get these sent. And. Viet online through your email. And the first time it didn't go through it came through and I opened it but there were some kind of security lock so I can re open it I was like my gosh I can't read the so then when I came into appeal I asked them if they could hand you know give a hard copy so I can look at it through the process. And and and they did so the next month I was a little bit concerned about opening it because I got it on a Friday in on Wednesday with our board meeting so immediately when I got it act act and sent an email that said may I please at Los imminent on my way home stop at the crime victims reparations board can you please have somebody print me out of the claims. And the young lady that that responded to my email said yes I will get with whoever's there. When I got there two staff members came out and said no we can't print that for you. I was like okay one they're like well and we've been told by doctor church that we're not supposed to print that for you. Eight three two eight three. Right and my question was and what my concern is that I try to read them last month and then when I went back to Reid I couldn't get it to come back. For state employees were out there talking to me fifteen minutes. You're talking about the dollars that it would cost. So I came back and I said can I please donate personally hundred dollars for paper goods whatever so in any other instance somebody needs a print out. That might help the board. And I was told by the Attorney actually with Amanda there any email and in person that I was allowed to do that so I don't know. What that situation was about but this is just a small instance of you know when I presented something that might help I got so much push back every time Hi swishing with an all think about Just hearing what you've heard today in things that you might come in mind that how you think the sport can be helped because I know that they do get staff I know a lot of people are being helped but I'm I'm here to talk to you about the ones that aren't in the ones that maybe got have got help and their claim be diminished but also what was diminished with their worth. Because their work is really important all they can be a great great asset to our state and they are I've seen it over and over through our organization when women so more helps people. And also any organization help people they feel empowered they feel worthy they feel like people care and I know you all care so they go back and if they don't help that organization to help individuals or different organizations and it makes them feel great so. Another suggestion that I had when I spoke with the governor and all the suggestions given when I spoke with the governor in person in the letter that I gave me when I was there I spoke to the staff and the board about also well as we Hey sixty five percent. if somebody accepts reparations funds for a medical care and is sixty five percent and that's payment in full so we help victims of sexual assault constantly and my suggestion was there's no percentage discounted for that so why not and see if there's any way that we could possibly get in network with the C. A. season say Hey what we don't mind helping you we want to help you but is there a way that we can have a an in network say amount that we pay for all of their care that that is so important. N. two board members that are have been on the board and one which and. Mr church. Has been on there since nineteen ninety eight. And I just feel like. Maybe somebody new coming in on the board might not recognize that you don't have a date of an incident on all these claims or. May not realize that you need the funds on these claims. But somebody that's been there twenty two years and then an attorney that's been there close to fifteen I think you would think that those people. With their degrees. Which a great. And we catch those things that are important because we don't want the families to be left in the system in lieu not knowing whether they're going to get help from these funds that are federal and state funds you know these funds come from traffic accidents from people getting to an. Judgments from judges that reparations you know that from them doing a crime so these finds really do need to be distributed that way I'm not sure you might ask the The people that come behind me there that and board members and I mean the staff and that's what's really confusing here so a lot of times you all because the staff in the border two different entities and when the staff presents all of these claims they're the ones that are riding the synopsis. To present to our board and I think Maybe the board members that have been there on there a long time had a feeling that nothing could be changed or that they had to rubber stamp stuff. But I'm not a river stamper and again it when I say I talk about me and talk about these people talk about that live in your little girl talking about that. Twenty one year old that went to her boyfriend's house knocked on the door. Or the mom that was seeking help. For her son the hard hard worker in Basel. And he got shot randomly he worked at Walmart he got shot he was I think nineteen I might be wrong but since he wasn't a minor and he was shot and paralyzed the mom kept on taking him to West Memphis for care and she had to quit her job she was a hard worker to she had quit her job to care for her son and she was reaching out for help with and Transportation can I can I just get some money to help me to drive my son and that was appeal hearing and the young man was in a wheelchair with his mom and The staff so we don't pay for transportation I'm like well I've seen it where you have before. And. When they left the room after we were going to take a vote I'm one of the suggestions west will the mom can put him and on public transport transportation and put a note on his. Jacket. To tell where it goes because the within verbal he was getting his brain function back and he was able to speak some but he definitely was able at that time to say I'm supposed to go so it's a doctor's office. So my suggestion at that time was well we have an if we're not gonna approve what she's asking for as a whole we have an emergency fund that five hundred dollars that we can help with and at that time judge thanks and at that time. This church which is the chair of the board said she had never seen that come across. To the book presented to the board for an emergency. Ninety. And so I'm like. I think that was twenty years that she had been on the board and so that kind of. Name me wonder. Do people not know about it or. Are are the rules regulations so hard to get to. That people seeking help can't read them and say. This is a need if I can't go this Avenue right now that's what's called an emergency fund can we help in that way and the staff told me then that she had never awarded an emergency five hundred dollar fund. An. The staff has been over this reparations or. Thanks and I say over. They're supposed to manage it they're not supposed to be over it. But the same people have been with this organization Since it was at the Attorney General's office and in most states this department or this Hi clipboard because it's. The staff is has so much power over this board. And that in many many states almost all the states this apple entity is an the Attorney General's office. And I don't know if the solution is to possibly have the board have more oversight through you all if you all can figure out a way. And to see what's presented possibly maybe. A different department that could Have a little bit more oversight little more transparency for months and months and months and all those board meetings being cancelled for estate here these claims I was never told. It's because we don't have money. I wasn't told that until I've personally called the financial director at the public safety department and he was kind enough to tell me we don't have any money. So at that time I reached out to the governor's office and the attorney general's office and basically I was still kind of laughed at that. That that would happen but few months later we got one point I think one point one million something like that to bridge the gap because people care. And they don't and they want people to be taken care of but if they don't know we're having a problem they don't know that they can help. Hello probably have a lot more been a kind of. Do you have any. I guess I would just close it saying Crime victims need to be treated with respect and kindness and I don't think it's asking a lot. And. Because it takes a lot for somebody to get up and and tell their story and actually say you will help. And that's why this. Board is there I think the board when when you have people appointed they're supposed to have a vote in their vote specific count my last vote was put in wrong. A top down an email and said can you corrected I will we'll send it to the will center support and see if they approve the minutes to be changed. I think you can do that. So back and forth a few times and. They sent me that minutes they're fixed since the same minutes. Is that no scroll down it says to be amended to on the bottom. So anyone that research is that possibly would want to know how a board member voted I'm sure that they would read the minutes see the vote they would never go to the bottom to see. To be amended to an a for paying the staff plus the five hundred thousand dollars but we don't have any money for victims. I would think they would be able to officially I'm in the minutes not to be amended to. I can go on and on you know but I think I've given you a little. Bit of what's going on and. I do not recommend. Crime victims reparations Board to survivors haven't for awhile. And when they reach out to us we do our best. Three friends family community and people that care to help on. There so many people that care we have an in network rate for one on one therapy for women sellers for like eighty Bucks it can be done and a lot of these people that help. Wouldn't mind. Taking a discount to help. You can have somebody in there that wants to help. Save some money. Is. Now. People like we can't pay everybody I promise you that's not my goal. My goal is to get these funeral's taken down like not seventy five hundred dollars you can get someone buried we don't have to pay four thousand dollars with a few flowers because that is included in it it's not just for burial. For flowers that's for pamphlets you know we we want to respect people's loved ones we want to have a nice you know but it doesn't have to be seventy five hundred dollars. My dad was beautiful is way less than that. Okay hi I am asking any questions thanks. Miss archer thank you for your remarks before I start recognized members I have a few questions of my own so I understand your testimony it sounds like you were victim yourself is that correct yes Sir and when did that incident occur in two thousand and eleven I was kidnapped two times by next boyfriend the second time he showed up at my house with my children there within thirty ought six cannot be from home and it ended in a justifiable homicide I had gotten a revolver the week left earlier so I know what these people are going through I'm a survivor that now in a lot of people that reach out in that survivor mode so when they get talked down to and rejected mustn't become stranded blamed it's terrible were you a victim of domestic abuse in that situation or had you been. Well you know I never knew I was a victim of domestic violence because I didn't really know about that thank god they called the wheel and how people committee a bill that you I was manipulated I was talked down to one minute but then it's also called gas lighting because they would like talk down to you and then the my god you're so smart when did you buy your first real property I did that when I was nineteen. You know and so it's that it's a committee of relation that went on for a long time I was never ever hit. He showed up with again one time I got away talked him out of it. And I tell the police he's coming back needed. This time with a thirty six. Well I'm very sorry to hear that at through that experience did you make application to crime victims reparations for yes Sir and how was your personal experience. Well and likely I was I was I'm blessed enough to have a lot a lot of people around me to help me get through that situation and and finally after they agreed to pay for my car clean up after I tried and tried months and months actually here to help and get help with mental health therapy and I'll wash my hands of it and said I don't want to try that anymore because I'm going to get better on my own and I'm you know going to help wherever I can and again I never even thought about being on this board and when when it came to me that I could be on the board and and I was speaking to a lady of the capital she said you know as I said I didn't know a board seat is coming open and she said there's been to open for years. Seventy three were appointed at one time and. And I prayed about it because I'm not that great of a reader so I prayed about and I prayed about it if I don't want the governor just to point me if I cannot. Read all of this and know how to help people. Do you feel like that you were treated fairly and ram were you satisfied with your personal experience with crime victims reparations Board. I feel like it was fine because I had other means and I had you know I'm not paying jobs that may hear stylus still had a lot of connections to help me to fill out those forms to make sure everything was done properly I mean. The first woman dean of the our law school with help me do that I mean I have a lot of brilliant brilliant minds that were helping me to make sure that this was accurately done the therapy was never paid for I have I had at that time Arkansas Blue Cross blue shield if they denied me because of timing is what what the denial letter said so I did try to use that resource first which is part of the rules and and I as it should be if you have insurance we definitely think people should use that Avenue first so it sounds like you know what I've heard you say is that you were by and large satisfied with your personal experience with the crime or victims reparations Board you felt like you were treated fairly but I keep hearing you bring up the mental health component and that sounds like there was something from your own experience for you feel like that you didn't get the help that you needed there and then I look at the chart that's in the package should be in everyone's packet about the amount of money that the crime victims reparations Board devotes to mental health treatment and it's appears to be just a sliver of the total on on the pie chart that I looked at so I know you also served on the board can you speak to that and I'm gonna go to other other folks or other members for questions but I can you speak to that a little bit because it seems like I I heard you say a couple of times that you felt like that the mental health was not addressed to the crime victims reparations Board to the extent that it should be exactly and and that is My main purpose and my main calling is to help people with mental health care and so I am actually that wording in in your packets probably says twenty five hundred dollars for years that and in two thousand and eleven it's at thirty five hundred dollars M. since then I found out that someone actually did present tet legislation but somewhere the ball was dropped that it never changed to the thirty five so eight AM and it stayed on like where people could view that. AS probably late as two years ago so when people were in mental health therapy my concern would be even if it's somebody that is approved therapist and this person these people go there to get care and the therapy often cuts off at twenty five in there hanging in limbo because they thought they were had they had that. Thirty five hundred dollar. Point that they had to stop at because they've already use their own insurance if if reparations is paying at all so at that point maybe therapy and just totally gets cut off and their family is not getting curing or the twenty five hundred dollars that it is currently and that has been the whole time even though it did re thirty five for effort is not an adequate and as you know with school shootings and everything else we need to take care of people so I do have one more follow up and then I'm going to go to members and I apologize the members for that but when you talk about mental health. Therapy are you saying that at one time there was the board was. Allowed to a lot thirty five hundred dollars to a surviving for mental health therapy and that's been reduced to twenty five hundred is that what I'm hearing you say no I'm saying at some point they put thirty five on other documentation and it was never approved or if it was approved by the board somebody dropped the ball. But victims and providers the same to for years it was thirty five it's just been corrected in the last two years to say twenty five. And how often would you see victims who made application request some type of mental health therapy was that part of their application because I give an example I mean I don't care what kind of crime it is you're talking about the weather talking about certainly are rape if you're talking about the sexual assault even a hit and run a drive by shooting a murder obviously for the victims of the family there is post traumatic stress and other you know really serious mental issues grief that victims encounter that they have to go through that they really need help to deal with where those parts of the applications that you reviewed when you're on the board and then how was that dealt with all of your questions because board members never see any applications. Ever. We only see. What I presented to you like this and and in the Arkansas Democrat when they did their investigative report on on this problem. And. It was. Said by an. I don't know who in the I don't know who quoted from the board and that the many pages are too hard to get to the board or what it like. There's only. There if there's two pages the second page is going to be. This is the only synopsis we get this synopsis is created by the staff and have to say one thing because I forget things and many times survivors are not helped because the staff has gained. That they. We're part of the reason that something happened to them just like the little girl on the that got shot I was talking about but what I want to say is people that are not convicted. In hindsight. Really are convicted by the staff to say they put their self in that situation therefore they're not getting help. No police officer said that they did anything wrong we need to take heed with the police officer said many times our claims will say the detective on scene and the police department has said that this person was not I mean I could just flip through and and. The tech to further stated that the victim in this case was. In this case is still active and that one was C. The detective stated that the victim in this case was innocent in nature. But then it'll be for either it and I'll or an award and that's. Swimming okay so what I hear you saying is you don't really get the full application you just get a synopsis of it and then you feel like many times that synopsis includes victim blaming or put some share of the blame on the victim for the board to consider when making the ward is that right many times and it and it can very the young lady that was written about in that that did gave her statement in the paper was shot by her husband and in her home I actually was her advocate in court with her this is before I was on the board for women's own worth and her. Claim was diminished seventy five percent and her total award was two hundred fifty eight dollars thank. Thank you Mr archer I certainly appreciate your test ma'am have to move on to members questions okay now I've I've best way too many representative Godfrey you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chairman thank you so much miss archer for sharing your experience your concerns with us you've raised a lot of issues and I appreciate you flagging many of those for us and I'm looking forward to have the official presentation from the board to kind of hear their perspective and particularly that can that protocols and that and process these in place that sound a little bit subjective in problematic based on some of your concerns I guess what I'd like to hear from you and this is a question to ask for the board as well as for the prosecutors I'd like to know you were because you've given many suggestions for how you think things could be improved but I'd like to know your one suggestion that would have the biggest impact for improvement both in the kind of that inner workings of the board and the staff is structurally or internally and then you're you're in another suggestion for the biggest improvement for the Board interacting with victims themselves could you give me just kind of two key reforms that you would enter what inactive F. able to. And. I think internally. That the staff needs to note that that's what they are the staff and they're supposed to help the board to make decisions. And that the board is the deciding Department No there's a reason for. The board appointments that were given and I think that when. A board member need to staff to give more information it's also in the bylaws that they give more information but as you heard I wasn't given that and it wasn't just that instant I think that the. Yes things that could happen with you all today if you all could Get that amount changed for mental health therapy because our living and you know just as important as the people that have passed and those parents need therapy you know they're on indirect victim so you know the funeral might be paid for but the siblings in parents need a higher amount and if if somebody could take the initiative staff. If the board is not allowed I'm not sure if they are not that if somebody could try to make those connections in our mental health field I mean you all probably know so many people through your work as as legislators through hospitals and mental health care facilities that might say Hey we want to help the situation and we're gonna be seeing clients that are sent to you to us for for a substantial discount. Thank you I appreciate both of those comments I think they're really helpful so what I heard you say was internally just a clearer delineation of roles between the board and the staff who's doing what and who's supposed to do what I'm I imagine that's already spelled out and so kind of making sure that and that all of the players are meeting the responsibilities that that are spelled out in the air and jobber role description and then secondly have filling in that gap from the twenty five hundred that is I guess presently permissible and the advertised thirty five hundred for mental health care I would think we want to talk about the thirty five because it thirty five is not going to be enough I think if we we have right now ten thousand dollars per crime victim twenty five twenty five thousand if it's catastrophic somebody loses a limb or if there's a death or substantial injury and such so I think that It should be more than the seventy five for a funeral I think even if somebody needs mental health therapy up to the ten thousand if that If ten thousand dollars it's going to help someone be hole after losing a child or leasing Eliane or anything like that catastrophic then if the funds are there I think that mental health care is just as important as a funeral thank you so much and and I appreciate and that perspective or would think would be helpful to hear maybe that the clarification answer to both of those suggestions when we hear the program of the thank you thank you Mr. Senator Clark you're recognized. Thank you Mr. Miss archer of. May board membership request the complete application from a synopsis of the church they find of interest I believe you said that what that you didn't see the applications are just also in offices the correct. Yes Sir and we are able to request and I have request and I never got it I never even got the claims one month. Okay because of I was just reading the powers and duties of the board and it looks like you could absolutely have one if you wanted on unless I'm missing something there or you should be able to have one if you want to of. Did I hear you say that in your opinion the staff was running the board versus responding to the board hundred percent I thought that I thought that's what I heard you say up Mister chair of the it appears to me that. I don't know anything about the subject. Of and it certainly relates to the committee that I chair of the or you plan on holding this witness over. Because I think I and others may have other questions for after we hear other testimony. If miss archer would like to stay at certainly would would have her come back if she had third dish no questions for her and I think it's I think it may not be just me and I apologize because I've got to leave it three of for another meeting but but I think it will be just me that may have questions for okay thank you thank you I do want to respond that I was able to I'm sorry I was able to get that opened I just was very fearful that one meeting I don't know if you're member because I've talked about so much when they finally and decided they were sent on via email they had some kind of private link that you clicked and if you click that once you cut it would if you didn't do all the reading and all of your and. Research. At that moment you can re open the link so later on I was able my I've been in for the first time in my has been helped me to make sure that. We run a good computer so I was able to research that but that's when I driving down there and they a preview Stephen print me that claims much less a report. Representative Davis you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr chair. miss archer a just wanna first statement takes a lot of courage to come here today. Before us would you testimony. And the. Appreciate you sharing your story thank you. for the record just a quick one what what dates were you on the board and the actual board as a member or member. I don't know the exact date but I was on the board for again a year and two months I'm the bylaws and clearly state that I would stay seated until someone and that is a victim that's been catastrophic strophic Lee impacted by violence the same to math and was appointed to my seat so roughly a year and two months okay. Mr chairman thank representative Godfrey answered or asking most of my questions got answered some will pull back and wait till later for some other. Senator Hammer you're recognized thank you Mr what was the reason he was what was the reason you were given for not. Being allowed to get the full report by the staff. I'm it was it was. I have the email if we could print it out for a comeback there somebody help me printed out but And. Chairman church said in an email that it was very I think inconsiderate of me to ask the staff to print to hundreds of the pages and that that was not gonna be done and then I was. After they told me verbally not recorded I ask him to say it again and a recorded on which is what I played earlier okay right and then. Why did you get off the board were you termed offer did you voluntarily get off the border what was your reason for separation from the board in December before my term was up I asked for a meeting but the governor in October I'd ask for a meeting with the governor to tell them all the things yes I'm not seeking re appointment because it was hello. It it was so hard and I knew that I needed to help people and I could help people third women's own worth way more than I could with the push back that I had from staff and I'm obviously. Board members that have been there twenty two years that will not even allow me to come was my gas money to get something so I can review these claims. And. I want to ask you about the mental health portion of it from a victim's perspective It's it says in the book that we are given twenty five hundred dollars or provide for six months whichever occurs first. From a victim's perspective at what point did you realize or do you think from a victim's perspective that. The willingness to reach out for help. In order to get those mental health services would would kick in because I know some people delay even thinking about asking for help and I'm just wonder about that six month time frame you know it might be that you'd run out of time before you were even to the point that you'd be willing to come forward and ask for help could you give us from a victim's perspective your thoughts on that. From my victim's perceptive I didn't want therapy it off for me. At least four months uh had not my. I'm not when I don't know that dates but I had you know my. Because and that's a little a police officer saying I'm gonna get you in this see this therapist that talks to people and police officers that have been involved in shootings you have to talk to someone yes I'm good I'm alive. You know and I'm I'm I just was so appreciative to be alive and that was outlook but those days change when you've suffered trauma so um yeah the six months is unrealistic you have a year to. Reach out at with any calm and to the reparations board which is why I felt. And that these dates are necessity you know the young lady's eleven year old that you little girl and if the mom was reaching for help reaching out for help we didn't see her claim in front of or board till two thousand twenty two I mean twenty and the incident happened are in two thousand eighteen I have no idea how long that mom kept on coming back can you help me can you help me. It's a lot of people go away you know so that was my point in in all of it. But I love that you mention. The trauma that people go through it's great question we really need and it would be a substantial help if they had more time to reach out for that help and hopefully they'll get it when they do. Okay and Mister chairman ask your questions please. Yes Sir I'm looking through the book and I think I heard the reference of five hundred thousand. For the costs associated in is it anywhere in the booklet or if I just overlooked what the budget of this group is or if it's not in there could we maybe ask staff to get that for the committee and could we get that please okay. Senator Hammer my understanding is that the actual budget is not in the booklet as provided but they that likely will be presented when the crime victims reparation for makes their presentation all right thank you Mr thanks for let me ask questions thank. Senator garner you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman so most of the time. This is involving literally crime and so you have I'm assuming in the vast majority of cases a prosecution going on or you have a victim who is seeking reparations from the board about the same time being a defendant in a criminal trial isn't that the reason most time to the board actually suspends actually given award one way the other because that case still being adjudicated and that if a victim or anything on the record that would create a record for the prosecution defense attorney that would go into the criminal proceedings is not a reason why these things sometimes get delayed. Delay is different than a nine. I know but we just you just for talking about delayed from two thousand eighteen to two thousand twenty two for the young girl of dust to the working use you use the my correct about that. And so I would like to respond to what you're saying when when that happens we should be presented to delay not a denial so I have been on appeals in an appeal hearing swear at the prosecutor that was called as a witness which I don't even know why prosecutor we get called I would think that they would delay that the staff would handle that before they had to leave their work in whatever county there in doing good work before they got there I would think that these people that are staff would tell Hey we're not gonna be able to hear them so you monthly my we're gonna need to delay this. So I think a delay is is not it's not okay further questions again Mister chairman of so I'm looking through the rules a two point three and I'm also kind of looking at the initial law and it looks like there's both codified in the law itself and also when the rules which I'm assuming is adopted by the border adopted through this body through a rule making process multiple reasons why somebody should be denied or have their claim reduced by certain amount so I mean she mentions might be reduced by seventy five percent I mean if you look in the rules there's multiple examples that the board has to go off of to reduce it by that amount so was there any kind of discussion either a to changes legislatively because if the board has either a black letter law or a rule that says they have to reduce that amount if they meet certain qualifications how could the board Board violate that by not following the law or the rules itself. That for me. Yes ma'am. Okay well the board is just presented with the staff gives them. And so if it's presented as it as a denial. Yes ma'am jointly have Judy Judy cation power because I read the laws will if three board members vote in the affirmative can you. You could overturn the staff and award that it might incorrect about that. It happened about four times and it was a miracle yes. Okay that's what I'm saying and and final question every single decision whether denied delayed or anything else ultimately the board members that were appointed by the governor made that and if three voted one way or the other that was every single case went through was adjudicated through that semi legislative process is that correct. The but the board members are supposed to have about their supposed to be paid into the minutes as the vote that they. Gave yes. Okay thank you. Representative Bentley you're recognized. She switching from. okay representative Scott you're recognized thank you Mr chairman miss archer I just have one question trying to make sure I'm if you present a lot and thank you for coming before us today we were talking about the twenty five hundred for mental health is that what you said right now right now it's currently twelve. Right now we provide mental health to students and educators who are suffering or lost a loved one cope eight and we're roughly plan if there is a hundred and fifty to two hundred or one hundred depending on whatever each individual therapist charges as so if if it's twenty five hundred and at their process charging one fifty that can be approximately fifteen or sixteen sessions that the individual or the family could have. What's the number of sessions you're trying to get at if you're saying that if I charge this amount per session at fifteen or sixteen sessions is not enough I'm just trying to wrap my head around what you're just saying the truth need is. Well a lot of the times after people have suffered catastrophic trauma they're gonna need therapy weekly not just even monthly so if it was fourteen visits a year which is. Actually a lot. They're still not gonna be able to afford that even if it's once a month and then two extra on additional months a lot of the times therapy one on one is two hundred fifty dollars the session but again like I said that like you see like you mentioned you know so in some cases you have people that'll see people four hundred dollars so if we can get a team of in that work providers throughout our state would that be awesome I catch okay thank you so much. Senator Clark you're recognized. Thank you Mr I want to go back of the make sure I understand. You mentioned this two hundred pages what was the what was that exactly that to our pages that needed to be pregnant are you wanted printed what what were you asking for I was asking for this it is our claims for. Then it's best for a month that and this was I thank close to three months. So you you were asking for the claims that it been filed for three months these claims are presented. Specified president for an for two weeks for us to review we have two weeks revealed before meeting so we will be able to do our about when they changed to have it on emails it locked up on me the first month so I went in person to ask them to print this for me and I refused okay so and the miss archer I admire. Of your passion of and your willingness to make noise as a kind of victims advocates I like to see on boards I don't know if we agree. On lots of things we don't that's why we're here we don't have to agree of but you know I have been on this point though I've been looking Page six and seven of this. Who are. Booklet that we've got today on the product over privileged reparations Board and all the powers and duties of the Board. Number seven to request access to any reports of investigations or other data necessary to assist the board or in making a determination of eligibility for compensation not already looked at. Ugh going back to page five the purpose of the board shall be to hear and decide all matters relating to crime victims Rep. Rations application such all reasonable exist in the then back to says seven on the next page request access to any reports of investigations or other data necessary to assist the board in making a determination of eligibility for compensation a little paid seven number fifteen the board shall be provided to us the board shall be provided such office. Almost supplies comma staff and secretarial services as necessary by the department of public safety and sixteen all necessary reasonable expenses of board shall be paid for from the crime victims were races revolving fund Mr I would be interested because I don't know what's going on like that I'm just looking at the specific rules because I know if I were here in the legislature that would seem like a. I'd like to I'd like to have these things pretty for me seems like a very simple request which causes me to wonder what in the world is going on or what's going on so. It's the only way I see around number fifteen is the if if there were minutes where the board authorize the chair to disallow a board member being provided resources as unnecessary since as necessary if there were previous minutes because otherwise I'll tell you in a chair could stop that from happening so again I don't know what's going on I don't know who's right or who's wrong other than I don't see a board member could be stopped from having those things printed I will be interested in. Future testimony because like I said I've. But thank you for helping me clarify that. Thank you senator Clark. Senator English did you have a question. Okay someone else. Okay that's all the questions it appears that we have for you at this time miss archer if you wouldn't mind to stick around there may be more questions Fauria is other presenters make their presentations or following their presentation so if you wouldn't mind we ask that you main intendant thank you thank you. Next we have Mister Ryan archer I believe Ryan Parker I'm sorry Mister Parker here. First you would make your way to the table. Mister Parker of I'll tell you as we stated in this archer I gave her testimony we have the ability to swear witnesses and we're not doing that today we we certainly reserve the right to do that we're not gonna do that today we just wanna hear your story and so if you would state your name and who you're with that you're representing any organization and then you'll be recognized to present remarks. Dr Ryan C. Parker I'm not representing anyone but myself my significant other heather Baker is unable to make it today and I were both together we've been dating for a couple of years. Remain with us separate addresses so the scenario is a little bit different and how reparations Board contacted me on the contacted her but on the night of November twelfth we were at a social gathering with the when the vice president's Simmons bank nice little party twenty or thirty people they're turning engagement party is about eight o'clock. And heather and I left and had a short dinner around the corner on Kavanaugh and we made the decision to make a stop on north Polk street to say goodnight to her son. And is about to a little after nine maybe nine thirty and Her not stepped out of the vehicle said good night son she gave him a hug got back in the vehicle. And a silver SUV passed me I was in the driver's seat using the pastor side we just got in and shut the door vehicle passed turned around right in front of us have lights on him or face got closer and closer and closer and heather yells they've got guns. In there were two armed gunmen at our windshield. Ning down into the car she locked the doors she through the car and drive from the past year she she to the carton in driving I just hit the gas as they began to shoot point blank thirty rounds one two three four five thirty rounds into the car. At point blank range eighteen actually struck us. In a convertible fortunately we have the top on. We proceeded as fast as we could possibly get away and they fired all the way down the street I turned on to cancel she was on the phone with nine one one I called her son to make sure he was in the house are going back in the house as nine one one instructed us to pull over I just told you can find me about a mile down the road when I decide to pull over I had no idea if these gunmen were Going to track me down I had a just. The most incredible feeling. A. Being shot. Anyone ever been shot anyone ever been shot at once twenty times thirty times. At point blank range so they recovered a nine millimeter in a forty caliber weapon or they were covered one of the guns that was thrown from a speeding car a couple weeks after that they try to throw it over their concern over rich in high speed pursuit they recovered that weapon one of them So. They found laser scopes they found handprints on the car of the car was totaled we were able to make it home that night and each day has been hell. Each day of my life since that moment because I have no idea. If if someone's gonna do it again. Right now we're Little Rock Country Club is North Pole street when the nicest areas obviously where criminals have decided that's where the money is so they were armed ski masks. And they were very fast to jump out so. I probably save someone's life that night they're gonna kill somebody but it would gonna be me. we were armed but there's no possible way that you could do anything even being armed we have personal security now that we pay handsomely to protect a set of events and he's described his situation as you you really need to have one in the chamber in your finger on the on the trigger when you're when you're driving. In Little Rock that's what you can expect and anticipate now that this is what private security is letting us know that little rock is not. Not a safe area to be unarmed and I'm unaware of what's really going on so You know how there's the president publisher of a major media publications she's decided to dig into this little bit further. Increasing the awareness of crime we found it's it's difficult if not impossible to get the type of help that you need when you need it. We were told on the tenth of December about a month after the event that the crime reparations funds are delayed due to no money. This was the verbatim and gets a grant a transcript of the call if you like but we don't have any money. So if someone were to die today we still have to focus on what's this is December if someone were to die today we've got to focus on what we've got from February so we're we're a ways out from providing you any assistance whatsoever. You know for the there's one individual said he's been shot at I don't know if he had any therapy at all the races and city been shot but It's expensive to get any psychiatry any mental health mental health awareness is something that is extremely important to victims. And especially when I'm not a public figure about my six my significant other had there is a public figure so considering what's going through her mind is someone after her someone after us We've even until we probably shouldn't drive a car like that. You may want to consider. If you have to change your entire lifestyle to avoid. being shot at and killed because you drive a nice car. that that's going to take a lot of therapy to figure out how do I need to live how should I address. I mean I suit on should I. Shall be mindful as someone may try to kill me. Take my watch in my wallet technical or the these are all things that I don't know that any of us really think about what I would you need to think about being killed for your car. Especially in the heights. I mean you've got ten million dollar homes two thousand square feet it's not the place that I'm I'm serious it's not the place you would think you're gonna have a gun pulled on you nationally I mean nobody asked me to get out the car. They just put a gun to the windshield and grab the door handle fortunately my honey was quick enough to lock the doors and yelled go. Because her eyes are better than mine. And I just hit the gas. So as each bullet strikes the car and I'm looking at her and she's looking at me and we're just looking for gun splatter looking for bullet holes trying to figure out how. We're gonna make it out alive are we alive I have no idea at this point I mean your journalist pumping so hard do I am I believing somewhere when you're hearing bullets flying glass breaking you know the car being filled with with rounds. it. And you get a mile down the road you stop in and you get the police to this issue and it's very transactional. How tall where they. What were they wearing. The member what color their gun was Sir. Very transactional. So. As we're on the ground on our knees as everybody's trying to figure out who's what and who's who and where you coming from and what's going on and why your car shot up they begin to investigate ever there right there in the parking lot. And I'm in shock. Wasn't that cold but it was cold enough to shake just trying to figure out as I open the doors and all the windows fall out of the car. Trying to figure out what's going on. So. As each call start to come in you know the detective on the scene investigates and starts asking questions about everything and then they give us a call the next day and the detective says well you know we're gonna be working on this you know it's it's it's process. And I've got some days off I've got to take I got you know I'm going to schedule and then the marathons going to be in town so we'll circle back on this event next week. We're gonna circle back. One your attempted carjacking next week pretty busy right now. Okay. So then the mayor calls. And once we told him the situation he had another few people call us and everybody's trying to figure out how to get on the same page to talk to us as there's not the person you want to give a lot of a lot of B. S. and jargon to she figured out real quick she would talk to the right people so once they cleared everybody else out from colonising only let the the chief of police call we've maintain contact. To no avail we have no new information. Other than the gun that we were covered. Cases gone cold fortunately it's gotten out of a lot of notoriety there's billboards about the event. but they know nothing. They don't know anything more than they did the night that we were almost killed. Just for the mental health aspect of it for my employer I'd had to seek psychiatric assistance which they don't take insurance. Psychiatry. So that's a Fortner fifty dollar an hour expense out of pocket. But I've also been told by individuals that. You know if you've got if you got a good job you've got money you got to pay for all that first and then we'll circle back around take care of in any gear to. Because that's the amount of time it takes. Because we have no money toward we have no money we're we're in arrears at least a year right now. So my understanding was the the governor had given. The money for that but that's that's been gone that's been used in people have to get paid to have a job and so the victims aren't really getting anything at least not the time frame that is needed. So if the if mental health is truly the most important thing for a victim to get the help that they need to preserve their livelihood with theirs their family their employer their friends or neighbors. Why are we providing that assistance early on rather than later on I mean. I think we can all agree that if anyone ever you were shot at thirty times and you had to pay out of your pocket tens of thousands of dollars for psychiatric therapy. Some of us might want to take our own lives. And it's not worth it. I mean the amount of trauma. Is on surmountable in terms of the dollars and cents it's going to come through just to get professional help. To see past the next day. It's tough. So I was asked to come in and talk about what I know about Victor reparations in the fund and they contacted me by phone a few days after the event just said we're gonna be send you something to fill out. And that's about it that's what I filled out. Have you heard anything. I'll call hi letter that at everything that I've been provided I've returned. But. From what I understand in this it's in my My sister told me. Because our brother was killed in southwest little rock for years ago she said the other that that they'll help but it's gonna take a while I mean it will take several years to get any reimbursements for anything if I don't have the money how do I get reimbursed. I don't have the money to pay for psychiatric therapy and counseling things like that just to get to a point I can return to work. There's no need for reimbursement of I can't even pay for it I'm just going every day doing the best I can. And that's tough. I also don't know when the next attackers going to shoot. No clue. But. I've taken off for today to be here. For the victims that are getting the help that they need because there's no money. So. What questions you have for me. Members it sounds like we're gonna open up for questions at this time let me say Dr Parker thank you for your remarks certainly appreciate you being here today ensuring that story I know it has to be difficult are there any questions for members. Senator Beckham you're recognized Kitcher thank you chair you set this up this happened late last year the correct November the twelfth and you haven't heard back Hollowell roughly. Has a bill sent you sent the paperwork in. Now two months two months and you haven't heard back in two months. Yeah I think that to There's one individual that handles all of the. The filing the claims and I think she's in the. In the in the room she told us that she was the one that handles it all. And that. It was going to be a I'll await they were this was in December and she said we're still working we're having gotten February's what we're working on so there's a there's a process and in VOL Dennis and there's a lot of time regardless of you know what's going on who you are you know what what's happening. So. Thank you. Representative when you're recognized. Thank you Mister chair I am. I actually had read the story that was in the magazine I'm sorry that your wife significant others she will be okay good deal but I I remember read that story with interest since that time how many other incidents similar to that have taken place in around Little Rock. Many. That we're aware of fence and some are not reported in the understanding of under reporting crimes is. The link to the experience of shaming victims and so. In our situation in particular I can only speak to that but. The title of one of the of one of the individuals is called an investigator to investigate into the crime. So. It. It is sitting on her a little bit about it when you one was was talking in you know heather I've spoken about it a few times we talked to the mayor about it and and just the title that used to investigate the any of the money that may or may not be paid and how your. Treated in this situation almost as if it you're you're being interrogated about the incident and how you were involved what you did to cause this are you affiliated with any gangs. And at almost to a point that again we probably should drive that nice of a car if you don't want to be targeted you know why do you think you might be targeted who are you involved to any that some of the questions can be almost point blank that this may or may not have been something you did or didn't do could be your fault. You may want to look at yourself. That that that can come across very. Very easily the way some of the verbiage in the wording is written in some of the. investigative documents that were asked to review and sign in and it can make someone feel that it's just it's not worth it to even fill this out and then when you hear what can take years before you get any reimbursement so what what's the point. Well someone's gonna make money off the money it's being provided but it's certainly in going in the places that we believe it should be in a timely manner but that's for you to decide that's what you're here to do I'm just a victim. I guess what is intriguing about this is the the significance of the crime that you adored you have the ability because of the media presence to be able to tell your story which file I'm hopeful helps you personally but hopefully it'll also help other people recognize what's going on around our community so that we can all be better prepared for something like that have you been given any kind of an indication as to how widespread this is because we haven't heard your story wouldn't we wouldn't know that this existed at all. I would agree that. I always like to say increasing your awareness is like buying a white Cameri and then you see why cameras everywhere so you're wearing this is increased unfortunately being in a yeah a victim and feeling that. God wrapped his wings around us that night because every investigator every detective every forensic analysis that looked at that car and look at that scene and it came over days after days to review the car and dusted again said we've never seen anyone live from something like this. Where were you guys in the car. Because this car is demolished with bullets how in the world are you guys still here and everyone says to us what we're so glad you're okay and heather and I look at each other civil we're not okay. We're live but it'll take years to be okay so the awareness is certainly been increased and. You know heather being a public figure she's been contacted by a very close friends that have discussed underreported crimes. A woman being forced in your car gun pointed at the local Kroger and wasn't found for days and found nearly dead on the banks the Arkansas River eighteen injections of rohypnol cigarette burns all over body rate beaten. Very prominent figure underreported because nobody wants to be victimized as a victim already from a fund it's supposed to be there to provide assistance for these types of things but you know we've also heard that it's not for the privileged I don't think I'd ever consider myself privileged if you've been shot at thirty times there's no privilege in that I don't want any part of it so yes the awareness is certainly been increased that there's a lot more crime than is is being reported Arkansas money in politics is dive into some of the some of the crime working with the FBI in particular we've gotten calls that they are investigating some things that have not been reported. That are happening very prominent areas that we haven't seen before this is in southwest little rock this is that's where I grew up. So being involved in crime infested HBO documentaries that's when I was a kid I've seen all of that this is happening in some of the most prominent areas in Little Rock. So for us to have to hire personal security which is not affordable for anybody. But neither is death. Nobody could afford that. We're sorry for what you went through but we do appreciate you being willing to share your story with us today thank you thank you Mr. Senator Clark you're recognized thank you Mr. Of was it doctor Parker yes Sir. Dock worker of a. I can't appreciate the trauma that you've been through because I have been through it but the. Trying to understand the trauma of been certainly under. All of us have been through some trauma. I don't I don't know much about the border or how it works of and I don't know anything about the bedside manner of but it is a the setting aside your trauma it is or not since is it not somewhat understandable. and I'm just asking. That the I mean there's government money and their stewards over it and someone else in a different situation shot at that many times. Could be a drug dealer. So is it not understanding again because I get exactly where you're coming from and I could feel the same way of but it or those questions not somewhat understandable absolutely they're they're understandable. Okay I just. But I don't know how you I'm just you know in trying to be fair to them as I'm looking at this I'm I'm trying to you know just how would you do it differently. So that the nature of the questions are certainly justified. But it doesn't change the feeling that you have is a victim. It doesn't. Sure so seeing the scene this side of this that would say well that makes sense for them to ask. In the moment that you were. Realizing and understanding that you you almost died you were almost killed only by the grace of god are you here with this many bullets flying around you. To immediately. Have to defend your position as a citizen. I don't know that there. Is a better way that I can give you right now but I could certainly help to write something it's all in the positioning is in it yeah and I think that's a good answer of but but you understand the question and you and I salute you absolutely thank you Mr. Senator Hammer you're recognized. Thank you Mr good afternoon thank you for being here share your your testimony a couple things the. I just like to hear from you what you think would be reasonable as far as the time frame of which help would have been offered number one and the number two you mentioned thousands of dollars for your treatment the the realism is we're we're state limited and unfortunately given the growing number of crime victims that number would probably increase so could you give us from your perspective what you think is reasonable with regards to a turnaround time for offering the services specifically to mental health and then secondary. What do what do you think is a a good point to try to get to understanding we only have so many limited resources to sure put toward all the various services we provide is a government. Well of a reasonable time frame. For therapy with. Have to be. Yes something the neighborhood of of sixty to ninety days for. Visiting a professional to discuss things it really needs to be three times a week. To visit with someone anywhere from half an hour forty five minutes to an hour and you know having something set aside with with physicians that can meet with someone you know three times a week at least for the first thirty days you nine sessions in the first thirty days twelve sessions in the first. yes sixty to ninety days. Having a session with someone once a month. And trying to spread that out over a year that that's that's not enough In the period of time so far I've. I have looked at three days a week sessions. In these are out of pocket expenses. In psychiatry and and counseling have a look there's a lot there's a lot of costs associated with this so it can't be for everybody I understand that to pay for it out of their pocket but if someone had access to these things within the first thirty to sixty days you know whether that you know whatever that looks like financially it would have to be worked out with certain you know women's own worth joulwan archers the that's that's the only individual the only foundation only program that we've gotten any assistance from financially that's it. And she just was in this chair speaking on behalf of victims and yet worker organization provided assistance for us. Quickly. So. It would need to be something within you know thirty to ninety days Max to get the most effect on on a victim's mental health. Something pretty quickly and something is as for as few as once a week is as often as three times a week at least for the first sixty days. Okay and. As as far as. The services you received for your counseling from a. Licensed professional who deals with helping crime victims specifically or general a general counselor yes yes this is common okay poster matic stress. your general practitioners not you know really studying that type they can prescribe some things but you really need someone to go deeper than that then a general practitioner. All right thank you thank Mr thank you. Seeing no further questions Dr Parker we thank you for being here today and thanks for your testimony thank you very much thank you. Members of that I'd like to. take a look at item number H.. And if there's no objection take that out of order very quickly this was a. Consideration for the adoption of an interim study proposal ISP twenty twenty one dash one twenty one by Senator Hickey of the ISP is requesting the joint performance review committee study the operational requirements content selection criteria and funding restrictions of the Arkansas public broadcasting service Senator Hickey had to leave but is there a motion that we can take this matter out of order. The motion Senator Rice second Senator back on all right the all in favor say aye. All opposed yes have it we're gonna take this out of order again Subsection H. on your agenda is the adoption of interim study proposal twenty twenty one dash one twenty one which is. The request that this committee study are the operational requirements content selection criterion funding restrictions the Arkansas public broadcasting service. I have a motion to adopt by Senator Rice as second. The representative Godfrey all in favor say aye All opposed. The. Interim study proposal is adopted. Okay we'll Baxter on the agenda we have the Arkansas crime victims reparation Board who I think we're all looking forward to hearing from along with representative from the department of public safety who are going to make a presentation about the board I'm not asking for the board members to come forward at this time but I am asking for those from the department of public safety her going to be involved in making the presentation if you would come forward. And if that is the board members and that's fine too. Okay. Hello all rights appreciate. You'll be entered if you would one start to my right your left if you would H. identify yourselves for the Committee and who you represent. So the microphone on yes okay my name's Dr jam church I'm chairman currently of the Arkansas crime victims reparations for. Hi I am the net parent my amendment straighter the program administrator for the board we're division of the island Arkansas Public department of public safety. M. Bryce brown member of the board. And Sir we want to just thank you for giving us this opportunity to present on the crime victims reparations Board program I know you've heard a lot of contrary and critical comments about the board but I would like to just say I think we do have a very hard working staff very hard working board and I hope that as or administrator let param goes over kind of the functions of the board operates that hopefully this will clarify some of the questions that you all may have about the board Mister brown are also here to answer questions. Thank you I do have a a power point presentation if you guys would like to be very happy to go over that with you if not he has some questions for me I'm happy to answer those right away or we are glad to be here today so that we can share and tell you all about this crime victims reparations program I myself have been with this board for October will be twenty nine years I'm very very passionate about it I think that the work that we do is very important I think that we do care deeply about our victims we're always trying to help victims even when we get our calls and claims from victims that we know would not qualify we still try to send them to another agency that might be able to give them the help that we can't do but it is never ever ever our intention to be victimized anyone and I stress that strongly to my staff. and I. You know if this. Like I said I'm just very very passionate about what we do and this is a very important program tasks you know the only unfortunate thing is that you have to be a victim to get any services from us and and nobody wants to be a victim so if you guys would like at the happy to go over this presentation I try to be brief if you have questions just let me know in the middle of that. first of all the crimes a quorum of and and I don't mean interrupt your bill but I do want and I apologize I'm not trying to rush it but I do want to let the members know that the power point presentation that. the board has today is in the booklet that you have and so as she goes through that you'll be able to follow along and then miss parliament you want to make that presentation of of the power point you're recognized this time to do that thank you so much and so first of all this program instead it's to our programs under this umbrella this is sexual assault victim in person program which is a relationship between the providers and our office and then there's the crime victims reparations for a program that is between our office and the eligible victims or the claimant's. We'll see how to work this. Going back okay. And so the moneys that funded programs comes from the assessment of court costs and fees through this forum I'm I'm going to repeat one more time and I apologize yes within safe you could move that might closer so that people could hear better yes Sir I'm a little nervous. I'm really not no need to be known as a whole I'm talking to the vet nervousness statements she's more than nervous okay sister she's very qualified and capable to speak up for mine here but give her second year to about that a little little bit before but you know last all my four year limit okay. Always kind of rice okay but the monies that fund the programs comes from the assessment of court costs and fees through court ordered restitution and of course from a grant from the victims of crime act that we apply for each year. Okay just saw talk first about the sexual assault program these are the statutes that govern the program and it is designed to pay for the collection of forensic evidence following a sexual assault basically anyone that presents to a medical facility and tells them that they have been sexually assaulted. And they're treated the providers can complete the applications and send those bills directly to our office a victim should never ever see a sexual assault bill and once we get that bill then we'll start the process of paying that. The eligibility criteria for the sexual assault program basics that the treatment has to be rented within ninety six hours and this can be waived if this good cause for adults and minors always excluded from that particular criteria it must be reported to law enforcement in in this when adults do not have to report for the sexual assaults the treatment cannot be for pre existing of physical injuries in many cases sexual assault victims are treated for other injuries lacerations bruises and things of that nature but we would only cover those sexual assault expenses and then if the victim has a federally financed benefits programs such as Medicaid Medicare B. H. Hampus those federal agencies they have to pay we would not pay if the victim has a federal finance benefits program. We cover emergency room or facility fees physician fees or the same same as a sexual assault nurse examiner they've been trained to conduct sexual assault examinations and they can bill will pay laugh fees will pay of preventive medications for STDs and pregnancy is one round of sedatives or tranquilizers and we can't cover ambulance fees through this program if that victim is transported the sexual subject was transported to the hospital by ambulance. We have maximum limits the facility fees including the Mets and the same fees both are capped out at three hundred fifty dollars each ambulance fees also three fifty each lap fees two hundred dollars is the maximum and the colposcopy fee will cap out at one hundred six dollars and eighty eight cents and those of the pretty much the maximum ward says that's all we will pay for a sexual assault examination and this this law this twelve twelve four three basically says that if the provider accepts a payment they have to take this payment and they cannot build the victim for any of these services. We do not cover under this program treatment for pre existing physical injuries counseling and follow up visits the victim or the claims would have to apply for crime victims in order for us to consider those expenses okay. The reimbursement process is pretty simple and it is of it is the provider's responsibility to complete the sexual assault form to be sure signed on the back give us a description of the itemize I mean I'm sorry description of the treatment and then attach it with an itemized statement and then send it to our office and we will consider payment a copy of the sexual assault form is also included in this packet of on information that was provided and that pretty much is it for the sexual assaults counties. Hi eighty nine for the sexual assault reimbursement form. In the book. Senate might have any questions about the sexual assault program. Okay I'll go out. Did you representative I do I do have some questions however that there's there's some folks in front of me and I'm not going to jump in front of them a senator garner you're recognized I was going to the and I pray a multiple questions on one kind of get through a department you for that so difficult about sexual assault program about the entire more about the second part is pushed Q. earlier select mail service okay Senator Hammer you're recognized. Thank you Mr one maybe one question now and some later please the the categories that you showed in the amounts that are allocated for each one of those services. Do you track to see or is there any rationale and tracking to see how much you're actually. Fully utilized verses maybe that which is not. In the do you do you keep a running total how much each one of the categories has been out of it. We've I'm I'm not sure upon your question but we do keep track of all of the sexual assault. Payment so you committee individual payments like services rendered you had a slide up there okay let me back that. The show services rendered for individual treatment like that right there do you keep paid. Can you get or is it in this book somewhere that shows how much you spent on facility fee how much you spent on the physician and on down in each one of five categories and is there not is there anywhere that you allow for mental health services. On that street okay under under this program the sexual assault program we do not allow for mental health expenses that's under the crime victims that I'm talking about here in just a moment I do not have any there's nothing in the book that's that outlines these individual Totals but I may be able to get that for you if you like I would get a later date sorry yes I would please yes Sir okay thank you thank Michelle hold to later thank you senator Hammer miss Parham I have a few questions about the the payment for these forensic exams. And I'm I'm very familiar with the forensic exams when I was a prosecutor we used we had a sexual assault nurse examiner who who did those exams and she did an excellent job yes always enjoyed working with her but the issue that I see when I look at the pay outs by crime classification it looks like thirty eight percent or thirty five percent nearly thirty six percent of all the money that you guys pay out go to pay these forensic exams. And those are certainly needed there certainly you know apart. Of any sexual assault case but to me that seems to be more of it as part of the investigative part of the case as opposed to like a reparation for a crime victim the sexual assault exam itself is what I use as a prosecutor to help get a conviction in a case and and again they were great but they were pieces of evidence they weren't necessarily help to a crime victim. And so you know when I when I look at that it makes up a third of the page total pay out that you guys are paying out. you know to me it looks kind of like just a back door way to prop up some of the medical providers who provide these types of exams the CA sees for instance where these exams I think now are mostly conducted and so it looks like you're taking a third of all the money is being sent to help crime victims to really just pay for a medical exams and that are part of the investigative process in a prop up the CDC's maybe I'm looking at that wrong and that maybe I just have a bad perspective but could you speak to that. Well You probably are rights but they present them to assist program was designed to help these of sexual assault victims and so the money is there for it so we pay for. I don't. I don't think I have an answer for me say look I'm not trying to to to put you on the spot I'm not trying to be accusatory or anything like that at all I I'm very appreciative of the fact that these are being paid for they're very important they're very much a part of any sexual assault case I guess the point that I would have. And I want to make is that to me the those expenses are part of the investigative process they're used as evidence in the cases I'm not saying that the that the state should pay forum we're we're talking about reparations for instance you know or restitution so to speak trying to make a victim whole. It's a necessary expense. It's necessary to process the case. But it's it in my mind that I have a hard time classifying that as a reparations so to speak. And you don't have to address it I'm just making that point. The second just make a comment yes I do think the board has become aware that we have a really large amount of moneys going out for the sexual assault reimbursement claims in fact the last six months or so maybe a little bit longer some of our staff department of public safety of had extended conversations with CA see directors for example to help them start looking at what might be some other payment sources so that it's not draining crime victims reparations Board so extensively in as many of you may know I mean the C. I. see the child advocacy center movement has exploded exponentially. Number of years ago we just had a handful and now we have online the lost track of the exact number but over twenty and so as those have expanded we've gotten more and more CACD is clearly there are more demands for those expenses with our group and we have asked them to start looking at some other funding read revenues. Thank you a doctor church and not let me just say aye you know I would appreciate that if we're going to give money to the crime victims reparations Board for the purpose of making reparations you know I would like to see it actually be for reparations and not for the paying for a medical test as part of the investigative process because that to me doesn't seem what what I would call classifier qualify as a reparation so thank you for that and I I'd be happy to work with the Department public sector anyone else to identify the sources because that needs to be paid for those exams need to be paid for and they're vital to the investigation but again my opinion is they're not exactly what I would call reparations and they make up over a third of your budget. Or the third of your expenditures Mr Mr chairman thank you very much for and and you've caught on something that we as a board have caught on and figured out the last few months with the with the money that we've been looking into here and the the third order has two separate parts here we have the sexual assault part and then we have the actual reparations part and and and I really if I was gonna ask you if I could enter it see if maybe we can let the questions come all at one time because I think maybe the two disparate divisions go overlap yes Mr chairman you've caught on to an exact thing that. Quite frankly I'll decide I'm the one that brought it up to the board I'm like wait a second spending fifty percent my money which I wasn't but I meet you as you see the numbers were spending the exorbitant amount of paying this fee and yes we want this bill to be paid for the state needs it to be paid for. They tend to be making us be the funding source an asset used us as as a board member the board tends to be the payer of last resort here and we've ended up having to pay these in and in many of these are righteous claims that need to be paid to me it's horrible for a four year old a seven year old a thirty seven year old to be sexually assaulted and you want that to be taken care of and then saying if we don't get these paid we're not gonna be able to get these things done in my county's gonna not have anybody to take care of and Mr Parmenter staff have been. They're they're they're very few of them but they do a very very very yeoman's work getting through these things I will stay that much so we'll be happy to answer that if I think Mr chairman maybe some of her questions can be sent your question to be answered if we take two parts let everybody hear that there's two parts to the board and go from there Mr chairman thank you I appreciate the suggestion thank you for your comments but we have three people in the queue if your questions relate specifically to the sexual assault issue that has been brought up thus far I'm going to recognize you for your question looks like next ahead representative Springer if you wanna hold your question you can but you're recognized now if you want if it pertains to sexual assault issue thank you Mister chair I would just like to make a come is I'm following along with you as to your concern it seems like to me that they can also make the claim under the victim crime victims reparation Board they can make a claim there as as well as under the sexual assault is that correct so then it does fall it does flow they have opportunity for both parts right is that correct if there any follow up visits then they would make claim with crime victims with their crime victims program all right within the center I'll I'll move on and wait later thank you that's what I saw thank you represent Springer representative got for you're recognized thank you Mr just very quickly about the sexual assault victims and the northwest Arkansas center for sexual assault is in my district do you have a partnership with sexual assault crisis centers so that if the victim goes to them first they can be directed to you or vice versa do you have relationships there yes we do great thank you thank you Mr. Representative Scott you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman I have a quick question it sounds like and I want to make the assumption that you're not adequately funded and that money is being used to pay for necessities that that you need and would you agree or disagree we are I believe adequately funded now we kinda just received some more funding so I think this is what a committee that a set one point six million or are you talking about something else no yeah that's what okay with the committee that was just given but follow up. You're recognized is that just a pool of money and whenever that goes out you're still going to be back to where we are now so we need to find something that's kind of more sustainable so that this amount of your budget that third that we need to cover the sexual assault and all the the testing is seventy to take place that should come from a lot of the operating that we need to kind of pay out the reparations so um what we see and I'm just going to say this we have agencies and boards and people that come before us and they're juggling what what they have and they're scared to tell us what they need and so I'm just saying what I hear you might not agree but of would you agree when the one point six brands out that they're still in need so that we can provide funding so that there's more sustainable services resources you're not using that are of your budget to pay out the sexual assault testing and I will say then we are always in need of funds okay I'll put it like that thank you ma'am thank you. I have three people in the queue senator Hammer senator garner and Senator back on. Senator garner wait to the end Senator Hammer yours for specifically to the sexual assault issue okay you're recognized thank you based I just wanna clarify the answer that you she gave to the representative the money that we recently gave you or the money. Four who had not been paid that needed to get paid that justified why we need to give you the money what percentage of that one out to the services and the sexual assault portion of your responsibility versus the others or do you now I do not know the percentage that might be one that I have to call on the chief financial officer who is he well I to watch to take the time up now if I'd like to get that information just like to know because one of the reports I'd heard was about providers or you know folks that had gone unpaid or were you know maybe late in getting paid and that's why we had you much I'm just curious to the chairman's comment while ago what portion went to the services and were. Per page pertaining to the sexual small portion I will be back with you on that said thank you thank you. Senator Beckham you're recognized. Thank you chair the question have you made a comment to the question the one of the representatives or maybe the chairman at about the The payments for. The physician under the sexual assault nurse examiner fee that if you stop paying them you'll lose that person in a county or we'll have someone available in the county do all these payments have claims attached to him or their payments just to keep examiners and counties been made these all have claims attached to them. What we passed have claims attached to this thank you. Okay we're gonna move on with the presentation so Mr trump you're recognized into with your presentation. It's going to. Sorry this minute me get back tomorrow as. K. okay so We'll start now with the crime victims reparations for. and this program was established to help victims of violent crime and their family members to provide compensation for victims of violent crime. these are the statutes that govern days sixteen ninety seven oh one through sixteen and seventeen and this was established in July of a a nineteen eighty seven but the sorry but the first pass actually started in July of nineteen eighty eight now who qualifies is as a claim in a victim is a claim as a dependent of a homicide victim anyone who is authorized to act on behalf of the victim of a medical provider service provider cannot file claims we have had quite a few of them file in this well. So a victim is anyone who's suffered personal injury death as a result of a criminal act or someone who suffered personal injury or death as a result of an act of terrorism and I can say that we've had so several our Kansans who have been victims of terrorism acts of terrorism while overseas we do have an international crime victims program that paid a lot of their expenses but then when they come back home they're still in the so we were able to help these victims as well anyone who resides in a permanent residents of a homicide victim whether they're related and not they are eligible to apply for assistance. If you discover the body of a homicide victim a minor child of an eligible victims and the immediate consignment if family members of a homicide victim a sexual assault victim or minor child those people can apply for assistance can and the definition our boards definitions spouse children parents siblings and grandparents those people are eligible to apply for assistance and that's by marriage as well. So this knowledge ability criteria here first is that the incident has to have happened in Arkansas after July one nineteen eighty eight the incident must be filed within one year the date of the incident and reported to authorities within seventy two hours these two criteria can be waived if there's good cause we know What we'll do when we get an application and someone has filed late will ask them to just give us a reason tell us why applications filed late on and if it's good because we will notify the board and that the board no with this reason is and they will be the ones to determine if it's good because I'm not incidents reported to proper authorities the same thing within seventy two hours and we know in some cases well no children don't report sometimes months and years so we don't hold that against minors M. the ended death must be called by a criminal act. We ask that are victims cooperate with the investigation and on the prosecution of their case We do tend to waive this with rapists when rape victims and with domestic violence victims and the tail this real quick story about me when I first started this program I had no idea about domestic violence I was so bad in every clean because the victim is not cooperating with the victim is not doing this I was sent to some domestic violence classes that I actually sat down and I had to learn about this and when I did get the gist of it it really brought me to tears because of my attitude towards it so I'm a very big component I'm a very big I temping these domestic violence victims and means a lot to me when they come in here in a file these claims and we're gonna do everything that we can to help any of our victims all applications you know to the point where we can't if it doesn't line up with these rules and regulations but I'd just like to tell people because I am one of those people that when I first started I'm two hundred years ago I understand but I do now and so it means a lot and so with when I'm training my staff that is the one thing that I am constantly talking to them about is these domestic violence victims in so many situations that they are up against so a lot of times when this not that cooperating thing there we will tend to waive it but we still ask the board about it we don't just do anything ourselves we presented to the board let them know we outlined why we doing and why we're recommending what we do so is is really important to us about you know this corporation now we get claims in where you got a cat fight no I'm not going to tell you what happened I'm not cooperating and I'm just gonna let I take care of myself you know those kind of things is something that would definitely going to ask the board we might recommend within not cooperating with law enforcement we want offices to prosecute these people that hurt you and you and we tell them you really do you need to cooperate with law enforcement you know because if you don't there's a strong possibility that the board will not you know we're not here on I in your favor so. We talk about these things all the time okay I I staffed as we get together and When we get these corporation lack of corporations and these now here contributory conductit involved in illegal activity these are the things that we did a little deeper we talking to law enforcement we call them up and we're asking about the victims of participation was he trying to find the degree of what is the degree of his conduct here the degree of responsibility if he was out there drop can cause and fights and and and got beat up or if he was just out there fighting people and hurting people and something happened to him so we need to know what he was doing when the dawn Force me tells us that he was contribute to our and not cooperating so we have to find out why so that we can give our board members of really good account of what happened in this is why in any recommendations that we make we outline why and what law enforcement say it's all about what we can verify so and then we turn it over to them and and and they make the final decisions on that the other thing is a person who Is incarcerated on conviction that that is that's a disqualifying Hi Terry there anyone who has a criminal injurious felony convictions will not qualify we do run a background check on people that apply and this is the things that we're trying to make sure that they don't have a criminal injuries felony conviction. If it's a motor vehicle incident it must involve alcohol drugs intentional or a hit and run those of the three elements that are required for any kind of a motor vehicle accidents. We can help with medical expenses rehabilitation we have dental work loss funeral expenses loss of support in homicide cases only counseling a crime scene cleanup. with security we can cover the installation of locks and windows if the victimization occurred at the primary residence in of the victim and if it involves a sexual assault or domestic violence and. Of lodging travel mileage we can have that if the expenses are related to the victim's medical treatment or their participation criminal justice activities. C.. We cannot pay pain and suffering expenses property damage or loss and we're attorney fees are involved we can cover guardianship fees Plus that's the attorney fee plus the filing fee cost. And we do have limits overall is ten thousand dollars per claim if the injuries are determined to be catastrophic thing that cap can be raised to twenty five thousand catastrophic injuries are those permanently disabling injuries such as a loss of a man loss of an eye rallis says to matic brain injury those type things and we will get verification from the physician to confirm you know to confirm that it is a catastrophic injury sequins on wrong way mental health expenses we will pay twenty five hundred dollars in patients and twenty five hundred dollars outpatient and themselves while there is a cap here for the in patient when the staff gets claims on mental health expenses and we see that the victim is getting close to the twenty five hundred dollar mark what we'll do is let them know that if that treatment is still needed all they would need to do is send us a letter so that or to the board and ask for extend an extension or give us notice that they need extended counseling and for and also provide a copy from that therapists verifying that needs we presented to the board and we have in many cases the board has extended that twenty five hundred dollars I know in one case we paid a whole ten thousand dollars on mental health and so it was because the the victim needed she didn't need the council really really badly and that therapists provided documentation and the board would allow the extension and so it's case by case but as staff sees that they're getting close to that cap we will notify them that they are. Getting close to the cap and if you still needed to Sask just ask in the board we have a really good compassion of board and they will and they have in the past allowed it so I just want to make mention that I'm Michael and looks. feel expenses cap out of seventy five hundred dollars we once again when I first started ages ago the cap was twenty five hundred and then the board raise it to five thousand and now it says seventy five hundred it just seems They raise it the film expenses go up so but we we're doing good now we have talked to a lot of we have a good rapport with our funeral homes they understand and they know what the cap is and I don't know I don't think we have any issues with any of them so and a lot of the families I company and S. seventy five a right on to seventy five so at at this point I think we're we're good at thank. guardianship fees of attorney fees will pay just two hundred fifty dollars again will pay the filing fees assessed associated with that can. Medical expenses when we get a bill if this within the ten thousand dollars or the twenty five thousand dollar cap on we will pay sixty five percent of that bill and we'll send the check to the medical provider and there's a stamp on the back of the check the says if you endorses check you are agreeing to accept as full payment and we have not had issues with the medical providers so I think pretty much these providers around state understand I program And I think they're okay with it. with the crime scene cleanup and the security expenses and travel as crime scenes three thousand security five thousand and travel up to three hundred dollars in these are done on a reimbursement basis occasionally we'll get a large crime scene cleanup bill that the victim has no they don't have the three thousand of the family members won't have it and the insurance won't cover it or the insurance deductible is way higher than the three thousand then we will ask the board to cover that to ask them if they can be paid and not necessarily reimburse back to the victim but to pay directly to the the the crime scene cleanup people. Okay. Again the lodging will do the lodging for medical treatment or for a criminal justice activities and we can pay up to three hundred dollars and that is Again on a reimbursement basis. Okay so I'm getting close to end the process and procedure here is that it is the staff that collects the information to determine the eligibility of the crime and once we get all that information we will compile a summary of each of the claims that have all the facts and all the verification and information to the board it gives them an overview of the incidents from the beginning to the end and and the staff will put a recommendation toys C. N. as to if it's a should be awarded efficient be diminished or fit should be denied we provide all of the reasoning our you know the information and the reasons behind the recommendation to the board then they will review it and make a final decision. Hi. Mmhm. Still going around. Our board is of course got five members appointed by the governor. so if there is a delay in the payment once a claim has been awarded it could be because of a financial obligation that the victim all this money court ordered financial obligation they would have to pay their fines or fees before a check is released to them the board can still make that award but we will withhold the check in will let them know that you have these obligations that have to be taken care of at this court and once that's done similar verification we can release the payment without mental health expenses we do of require the mental health providers to have an agreement on file will send them an agreement in the creamy basically is that we send them a copy of mental health Procedures and I pay scale because we pay based on on the therapist criteria and then we'll send a copy of all the rules and they'll turn around and send us back that's signed agreement and a copy of their a license and with that we'll release a check and we usually get all the stuff up front we are dealing with a new provider. And that's a. Two. Supplemental expenses these are expenses that come in once a claim has been awarded by the board a victim is still in treatment they're continuing to getting treatment so they'll still send those expenses in that's related to that victimization they will have one year from the date of treatment or from the date that their insurance has made payment on to get that into us and we can consider that payment. If the claim is denied or diminished by the board the victim can appeal that in our letters to them we will give them the appeal information they have forty five days from the date that they receive the decision letter will Senate certified and they can notify the staff and we will get them lined up for the next appeals hearing our board needs physically every other month start in January and that's on the third Thursday of the month and that's when the appeals can be heard and then when they're not meeting physically they'll meet the third Wednesday of every month and they'll we'll review and that's telephone conference meeting that we go over the claims. And if if an a the decision at the appeal process if the decisions of held to deny the claim of dementia then the victim can still take that case to the circuit court they have thirty days to do that and they can do it in Pulaski County or they can do it in the county circuit court of the county that they live in. Thank you an application process is that the victims can complete the application of an attach a copy of the incident report or some kind of a verification that the authorities have been notified and then attaching an itemized statement and that'll get us started on the claim. I set. And so and and then once we get an application and what we'll do is to get it knowledge to will you know run the Do a background check in and just check the the eligibility and then we'll send out just and they cannot spend letter of to the victim or the claimant's given them the claim number or letting them know that the a claim is here and the staff is starting to work on the claim if there's additional information that we need from them will include amend mile an outline whatever necessary additional information that we need. That's that's kind of it in a nutshell. All right thank you miss Parham we appreciate your presentation looks like first in the queue I have for questions is senator Garner you're recognized. Thank you Mr sorry all funded because I know it says revenue assessment court called court ordered restitution and victims of crime act then I saw something about governor Hutchinson giving you all two point three million additional dollars so how are you all fund okay just a moment I'll yield much here just a few minutes to a chief financial officer this is John Smith. Three CFO. In. when we receive this board in FY twenty there remain funding came from ministration Office of the Courts of. I thank you all know that funding has decreased over the last ten years. In FY twenty we received nine hundred and fourteen thousand and funding. In FY twenty one with a three hundred ninety seven thousand. I think that's related to covid because of the court calls and everything not be able to be I mean I know a lot of my divisions get this funding and have for years and it's it's been decreasing for years I wouldn't blame it directly in code is just are you keep going. We also receive restitution that's going to average eighty five to ninety thousand a year. then we get federal grant funds in FY twenty we receive seven hundred seventy one thousand. In FY twenty one we received eight hundred and forty three thousand we just finished spending my out and we now have a new grant federal grant award of one point one three million you had a if I read that correctly entered story that you had. A substantial amount from attorney general's office for doing what claims and you had the governor give revenue directly as well correct correct the Attorney General gave us two point one million in FY twenty and the governor gave us two million at the beginning of FY twenty two okay with you I this past year I hate to keep driving over there's no future funding from the state beyond this is there there is there's a new general revenue that was committed to this program starting FY twenty three will start receiving that July two point three million dollars a it's a great two point three million dollars and roughly a million I have between other federal funds and everything else moving on Ford yes I see I should be spurred Institute pretty stout from here on out probably better than they have in a while. I guess I guess my second point like when I look at the breakdown payouts I think you mentioned earlier that. I mean I'll I don't what was around nineteen eighty seven to understand what was going on with this I'm just trying to figure out what the intent of this board is beyond just. You know paying funeral expenses the friends exam which seems very good but I mean we have. Unlimited now resources now for mental health evaluation you got Medicaid expansion obamacare V. a private insurance other things other programs we have multiple those same organizations will be planned medical calls we have multiple programs to pay now through federal federal state government for housing for other kind of will traditional welfare programs I'm just trying to figure out. This. Big pot of money that we're now adding two point three million additional dollars to to be paid out for the services I mean what's the intent of this I mean moving forward are you are you all going to be the new mental health center that's paying millions of dollars toward that are you gonna be a new one what what do you anticipate your this money going moving forward. I think Mister brewer already addressed this in part the crime victims reparations Board program is still and always will be I think considered the payer of last resort so all other funding sources are revenue streams need to be considered to be for crime victims can be considered to pay out so that would include Medicaid our kids Medicare or other private insurance's other cap collateral resources that a person might have those all have to be paid out first before crime victims can consider the client. So your shouldn't be like you know your should be there breaking case of emergency or somebody who truly can't afford this kind of service this is what it seems like I mean I was around ninety seven a ridge Legislative intent in the law but that seems to be with this organization should be moving for it did you all disagree with that assessment. No I I think the board. Thank you member who is a policy maker more than of them could should just be speaking on that. President Carter I'll I'll try to take a stab a little bit one of the board members so I don't get to do the legislative or policy making intent so if you'll allow me to talk kind of broadly for second and maybe I'll try to we've been that fair Sir yes Sir okay what the board. Does and and and I've been on the board of the privilege to be on here from governor Hutchinson as well as governor Beebe We never started we were not even getting claims from all seventy five counties. you it's a program that's eligible for all city five counties to prosecuting attorneys primarily the big one the biggest race referral sources for this board comes from your prosecuting attorney's offices stuff like that and we were not even being I hate to use the word tapped for resources but we were not receiving claims from every county every year Senator what you see around the state sadly is as you're well aware we have we have a lot of. Low income people with even though we do have lots of different options for for insurance purposes and things that nature people still do not choose to do it sadly with homicide rising around the state of people do not have the money to pay for a proper funeral the funeral homes being enterprising individuals I I don't fault them for this but they enterprising individuals figure out Hey the crime victims board of pay for this funeral they send the bill over to us to get paid and those are things that are controlled by the law this the the legislation the legislature that we want we want to take care of our citizens the best we can we don't want to be we're not sitting here and and I want you to say this but you Senator Garner I'm generally probably the one of the four that's looking at it from a more a fiscal standpoint sometimes we're looking at claims I don't want this to be a lottery for people I want this to be but truly want to be a victim that's been injured and that they are truly need this compensation because we don't we want to be good stewards of the funds that the state has landed us to have to help reimburse the state we have unfortunately been as this program has become now known in more counties senator we get claims from more counties if that makes sense to you there Senator Garner and as result of for example if five years ago maybe fifty county's representative in claims baby we're now getting sixty or seventy counties maybe even all seventy five now with population shifts that we've had now we've got counties that used to may be submitted for five claims a year you've got citizens and residents living in those counties maybe submitting thirty forty fifty city I looked at it I think it was nine hundred and some odd claims given last year and there looked like there were some from your before I guess that's a question for legislator I mean I will be. Here maybe this legislation here so should we re designed this program to be something that is that breaking case of the glass mercy especially the state's going to be on the hook now for two point three billion dollars and in my limited time appearing legislators seems like these programs always go north they don't ever reduce that amount to follow up on a different question With regard to this so your attorney will your investigators are looking to see if the people who are following the claims and can be compensated under laws and rules that shall promulgated is that correct the yes Sir Senator Garner yes and so the question I have is I think this Pryke alleviate some of the things we've heard today is that when you have a prosecutor Fala charge I mean that is eight judicata process especially during covert it could last for months if you're you know what the that the evidence so how how do you all handle that because you're nonlegislative your non judicial body who's making a claim having to collect evidence is Christina people look at how much power you could potentially have how do you all handle that and is that while some the stuff gets delayed to get push back because you have to do process side on the other on the. Criminal side of it I want to address it from a board member that's all right you got to guard Senator Garner sorry incoming train out here. The issue get it all in and I will give you a long short answer the long answers that family lawyer summer at some road all right I will try to give it to the best again here yes what happens is is is just like the rules of civil procedure and things like that we have certain deadlines they filed the the the application's gonna be acted upon their then you've got the best cares review it they pull it in they've got to act on that to to comply with the statutes as you saw put up on the screen however as you know the wheels of justice grind slowly. So would have been Slee happens is the claim will have to be per se per se procedurally denied by staff comes to the board we can then turn around and suspend the rules because due process has not been run yet we in that sadly unfortunately happens more often than not that I would like for it to occur because to make the time frames work we have to have board meetings happen where we will have a prosecutor or a police investigator here from to talk about it and the victim will be there for the crime and the first words out of my mouth or some or doctor churches about this is this a closed investigation or is it still going on and they'll also this is still continuing with I don't want anyone sworn to sworn testimony that testimony can be used both good and bad in a court room so we have to unfortunately suspend that so yes that can drag somebody's ability to be reimbursed and were awarded funds until the due process works far in really really quick seven take up too much time when look read the statute has the qualification for what a victim is you know you know part of a a crime that I have read through them as well. Is that is there do you have to wait till something's adjudicated by the court to do that or it's something you always make a determination as a board so if you think there's been a crime in this person falls the definition of victim you can award to him or you need something more from that you can award if it's proven by the investigators from understanding our staff does the investigation if they deem that a crime did occur I give the example the car situation and to go out we have a hit and run situation may deem that it was reported to law enforcement that person was injured in a hit and run accident the that the the staff can recommend us either to a ward or deny that claim without having actual final due process taking care I just wanna check on that for the thank you for indulging. Representative spring you're recognized. Thank you Mr hi I just want to inquire of whether or not you have data that you've collected to determine the average time that it takes to process these different categories of claims so that that may be something that we need to hear about it I want to DO that miss parm because numbers and may don't get along sometimes so I will let somebody else talk back back. So you have the sexual assault reimbursement program and then you have the crime victims of. Reparations so you've tracked the average time that it takes for those claims to be process generally a sexual assault claims on a little quicker and the crime victims when can you give me days I'm trying to get some days or months because I heard I've heard testimony early on saying that it takes a long time for they make the records that they don't get timely processing of these clients so I'm trying to see generally generally generally it's a three month turnaround time but we have been has some hiccups and so we are running probably around six months now. I mean it just it does take a minute but we had a backlog we had to stop process in some claims because of our funding issues and so. When we weren't. Paying the claims they were still coming in we've been still processing them though but we just had a bad we have a backlog so what is the average I'm looking who looks like you have like two investigators and what is the average of claim vote of each one of the investigators have in order to process these type of crimes with each claim is actually it's okay like I said the sexual assault claims are just a little bit different than. All around better that just depends on how many I'm sorry. Tanya hooks what will we have pending right now you want to know that that might help Tonya handles all the sexual assault claims and she has over twelve hundred claims pending right now. Yeah. And we she she can process to try to get at least she can to probably a hundred claims. In the and it to for the board to review okay she can probably give him about a hundred claims. And we have three hundred and thirty five crime victims claims and of that we probably can between Melinda nine we might do thirty claims of the board to review at a time maybe each claim for the for the for the crime victims claims. We have to it depends on each claim is different it depends on what benefits that the victims asking for if it's medical if this work laws Then we and depending on how many of those bills we're we first have to talk with law enforcement to determine if this is an eligible claim we have to find out about the victimization what happened they're not all just. In July we have to talk to them we have to find out what happened a lot of times in the narratives that we get from the incident report the notice of not real clear it's not a lot of information some of them and in in some of and it's it's just sometimes a little confusing so we're talking to the detectives to find out exactly what's going on now to get a whole we see we do send them a form to fill out for us as a law for that we send during the announcmenet of phase of it and we ask them to get it back to us within two weeks sometimes it doesn't happen sometimes it does but then when it doesn't will pick up the phone and call on and we're trying to talk to them and and and that used to be on one of our major. Time consuming things is to get with the detectives because they're so busy and then some we need to talk to they work at night you know so it's it's a matter of getting Thomas since we have now established a contact us crime victims contact person in several of the police departments and we're still trying to get people and in place there so that when we need to talk about a claim will have somebody to go to they can give us the information that we need and so getting that information that's the main things to get the information to determine if this is even more good time okay so even if it's a good claim so between getting all of the information that we need it might be could be two months before we get it back and then the board only meets once a month and we have to get that information to them within two weeks of so that they'll have turned to you know review all the documents to make a decision at all on the board dates so. Generally before we had this this these hiccups we had a three month turnaround time but now since I staffing is kind of limited and we probably have a six month turn around I'm sorry I still didn't ask your question to. Sure let me just say this this is not a criticism just the suggestion would probably be better if you know I'm in I used to handle claims will probably be better if you could give us better statistics as to the non actual number you you've given us percentages so I don't know from this report how many claims are actually pending within your department at least I I was not able to determine that I looked at the stats to look at that that didn't have any so I'll just leave it at that I will talk off line yes ma'am well I will I'll yeah I'll get you what you want thank us later Linda sting and. Can. I have a few questions of a job in here real quick this church or miss Parham can you guys get us a copy of your budget can we provide that the staff so that we can send that to the members another been several questions today about the budget what you guys have available could you guys give us a copy of that. Okay thank you and. When we talk about the budget and the money that you guys have come in and. And I know there was the CFO who was here is he still here. Okay would you mind to come back to the table. In your John Smith is that correct yes Sir okay and do you work solely for the crime victims reparation board or no I work for the department public safety you're with okay department public safety and. So I heard all of the funding sources that you have and I just wanna clarify so my understanding is there's two point three million in general revenue that you guys are going to receive going forward is that correct going forward that will start July the first okay. And then you mentioned that there's money that you get from the A. O. C. the administrative office of the courts yes Sir how much is that this year were projected to get eight six hundred. And twenty six about six hundred twenty seven thousand and we've been told we can expect that next fiscal year okay now on top of the two point three I'm gonna get that all's okay so we talk about the six hundred twenty seven thousand. Coming from the administrative office of the courses that come from a particular fund like the Administration of Justice Fund is funded by certain fines or fees they're paid in can you break that down at all and I can't break that down is from the administration of justice fund okay split out between many agencies that's right yeah and and you know there's a lot of concern about the Administration of Justice Fund. You know of all the folks who are in it man who or who take out of it and I think there's there's been a decrease in revenue this going into the administration of justice fund and everyone who's and it's getting less share than what they should but you but you guys also get funding from that fund we do okay and then you said that you get some federal grants is that right that's correct okay what what do you get in federal grants or what do you expect to get in federal grants in the coming year what we get is basically forty percent of what the state pays out in claims for the prior year so that's how much for eligible for from the federal government. Since we received of this board I've seen that go up from seven hundred seventy one thousand. To our current funding is one point one and that's because of the amount of claims that you pay out yes what is that their particular programs that that comes back to the state under like you know crime some voca funding or sent back a finding is that's what it is okay. And so that's forty percent of the money that this state pays and claims which has amounted to about how much again. Well we'll use the two point three point would also look at next year which are the two point three so reporting address six hundred thousand operations for this board Max will be five hundred thousand so they'll have two point five million available to paying claims in state revenue next year. And that's after the expenses the board yes so then the governor is giving you money the Attorney General is giving you money do you expect that to continue or what I don't I don't expect that to continue right now I don't know that we're going to have the need. We didn't have the general revenue funding. Until. What we just got a fiscal session so we what we don't even have it yet but we will have a starting July one okay do you suppose and I'm asking you to speculate here but but but maybe actually know do you think that you got the two point three million in general revenue funding in part to help pay for the medical exams because they know that makes up over a third of the budget that kind of goes through the CA cities or at what I mean. How did that come about what was the kind of the impetus to get you guys into the general revenue and two point three million. We requested a steady funding source and the fiscal session M. and was given the two point three enjoy revenue it's never had anything besides I. O. J. money and a little bit they bring in and restitution each year besides federal. So this just gave it a steady funding stream. Okay. So you say it looks like going forward there's going to be two point five million approximately to pay. In reparations or to pay claims and claims it having taking into account the expenses of the board yes Sir okay thank you. All right senator Hammer you're recognized. Thank you Mr continuing that line of thought do you have the ability to do and and I know policy we make is going to affect your budget okay do you have any way to do a projection based on past historical data and the increasing crime rate how that might look say two to five years out do you do you all have the resources to do that or even keep the data to be able to do that I can look at the financial history. Of what this board is paid out but. I'm sure we have the ability I I don't personal. Okay may we we have offline conversation about that because I want to we're gonna be sitting two to five years based on other committee meetings and what they project we're going to be like ten years out from now you're going to have increase request from victims as well under I'd rather be proactive and try to do little projection you know five to ten years out unless we can see miracle from god get a crime rates down but the the awards by county I'm looking in our hand out Page fifty seven three fifty nine. the all health is do you have historical reports or. How far back can you go to give us a trend. Chart as far as you know you mentioned while ago you should not have any reports of any counties in and now it looks like the majority the counties are on this reported in Adam all up but do you do you have the ability of how far back from where you started picking up counties so we could see some trends. We can you can do that yes Sir okay. And. One of things I find interesting about this report that may tie into other conversation is the. The the. The areas where the crime seems to be highest based on the percentage of request for assistance that you have gotten is that a is that a fair statement or accurate statement that we could look at this and determined that based on where the number of claims are is where the highest percentage of crime is I think so yes okay and then. You are the payer of last resort is that what you said a while ago that's correct and so how much does that have to do with how quick you can offer assistance to people who have requested assistance because their victim of a crime is there a connection between the fact that you're payer of last resort and your ability to turn around and give them assistance quicker. No I don't think that would matter. I don't think we can do any quicker the process is still the same. Okay. And when it comes recovery of funds you mentioned so I thought I heard you say ninety thousand dollars in restitution or did did I hear that number well yes Sir okay the sources restitution or from where. I'm most of that comes from the to our people that are incarcerated that were charged with crimes. Okay and I and I was reading some your testimonies in here like a couple of more drunk drivers you have the are there any is there anything is limiting you from being able to get greater access to the resources of those individuals to be able to collect a higher rate of restitution. As soon as determined by the courts. Chairman may I address the question. Yes thank you Sir. You Senator with the board is not allowed to my understanding is allowed to hold a proceeding to find somebody or to authorize legal remedies against someone like a drunk driver or something like that to my knowledge the only way the board could have something like done is like the gentleman just testified to that person to pled guilty was found guilty was adjudicated guilty and was sentenced and placed a fine on there with restitution awarded from that court back to the person but that's that's to my knowledge the only way we could we're doing anything like that the board itself cannot do anything on it so. All right and then. The last question when and this can go senator garner question definition of the victim how far down the line. Can that extend from the person that was actually. Directly impact like the two testimonies are given a while ago they were at they were directly impacted how far down the line can people claim to be victims as a result of that and is that determined in the statute or is that determined by you all. Your art center I believe is in the in the packet for homicide victims there's a little bit wider. Array of people who can recover. But as far as actual US crime itself it's a very very small window if any to Bailey the victim themselves or it or if it happened at their home maybe the homeowner could recover for clean up of a crime or something like that it's it's very limited for any non homicidal charge if if that makes sense to you Sir okay last last question would be then based on y'all's years of experience in working capacity have as board members are affiliated do you think that that definition of victim is tight enough or would it would there be any benefit to tighten up who could claim or make claims to the board under victim status in order to conserve the resources and and may be re directed. I'm not sure I know the answer to that question Sir but I think that's something that the board could certainly discuss I think this board. I am honored to be on here and I'm honored to serve and I think this board does a very good job of trying to be judicious with its awards I do think and and your tracking along with what we've talked about and said with an expanding. Pile of claims we've unfortunately had you know we unfortunately had an expanding need for services because we've had an answer expanding you know criminal you know people victims of crime. I think the board routinely looks to see if the rules need to be changed and suggest that to the legislature every year for adopting during each session. I don't me personally not talk as a board member I think me personally I think the definitions are pretty self explanatory and and allows the staff the bill the two. Say no but the wiggle room to say yes if that makes sense Senator okay our thank you I just add that the definitions are on pages twelve through fourteen after packet. But my question is based on your years of experience in the capacity such all served. Do you think that it needs to be visited as far as the definition of victim to maybe tighten that up a little bit are we where we need to be or should we expand that a little bit more. I would say I'd like to keep in a holding pattern right now if you ask me personally because I don't know where we're headed I don't want to expand a definition or until I think we truly have and unnecessary need to expand that however I do believe our staff is a good she does a good enough job notifying the board that if there's a rule that needs to be changed in that regard that the board would definitely take that under consideration okay thank you thank Mr I'm gonna jump in here are based on some Senator hammers questions we talk about the Boca funding that you guys receive my understanding is that some of these definitions some of these statutes that we have are set because the money that we get from the federal government dictates that and so for instance made it may be that the definition of victim is what it is because the federal government for you to qualify provoking funding requires that the statute. be a certain way is that correct or or or is there more latitude there than what we're aware of you're correct Mr chairman most of the definitions are designed because until this year where the board was awarded a continuous fund it's was pretty much exclusively off the federal grant system and and things and so many of our definitions of come from of the ability to procure funding okay so one of the things that I would ask is I mean let's verify that you know if there is some latitude there and this we can through legislation or through a rule change you know expand that petitions contract definitions do whatever we need to do to make the program work better they we wanna know what we're capable of doing and not running afoul of you know the federal funding that you guys have to have to. To continue to operate so we need to check that and if someone could provide that to staff I think that would be very helpful one of the other things is when you talk about evaluating claims I mean you know I can see this like an insurance situation and you know that Mr Bure I know you're very familiar with with how insurance adjusters working when claims are submitted I don't want to see. My my take on the board now I'm just I'm editorializing here see bear with me but my take on the board is that you guys should be there for crime victims and it should not be the type of instance where you're looking to deny every claim the first time and make them go through an appeals process or whatever it may be in fact if anything you my opinion you should go out of your way to try to to to grant those requests and to pay those claims and so I would just be interested to hear you know how do you approach what kind of mentality do you approach this with because is it like an insurance adjuster mentality where when they submit me the claim we stamp it denied the first time because we're trying to be very fiscally conservative and we we you know we're not going to spend a dime or the state's money the necessary so we're going to die every claim the first time we're gonna look for every opportunity under every definition to deny the claim then we're going to make an appeal it then we're going to give on the least amount that we have to give them so that we can concert conserve the limited amount of funds that we have is that the mentality or is there another mentality and I'd like to hear that from you. No that's not the mentality of the board Mr Speaker If five set that is a tone of the board please don't take that is the tone of the board I wanted to take the the Committee to know that we take the job seriously that we have to do this job of our staff is small but they're very capable they go out of their way to try to find every which way to approve a claim and those claims you know they'll track it down to the last penny to the sent to the you know we this bill was for twenty eight dollars we can pay twenty seven dollars because of statute but if you'll let us will pay the other calendar our staff gives those claims to us and and and each month we're provided a voluminous. Packet of claims for us to review and the majority of those claims are approval claims of you to be proved that the staff is recommending that the board approved the claim as awarded and it's we don't have a lot of claims that we need to adjudicate as far as we thank you all may want to diminish this one or anything like that but we they bring those to us and women review the evaluate those and then we will pay those claims many times the way that we feel the evidence pulls out of the the appeals sadly sometimes the appeals Mr Speaker come from the fact that our rules prevent us from some allowing someone who themselves may be a past criminal they may not understand or want to believe that so they may appeal that or sadly we've had situations where family just didn't want to believe that their lives loved one may have been involved in themselves like a drug deal gone bad or something like that so the appeals it's not a all day we've got twenty people out here to hear appeals we have very few appeals and I attribute that to our staff did a very good job of getting the claims paid that need to be paid as quick as they can get them done to be paid for okay well I want to talk about your staff real quick and I'm gonna move on representative raid representative Godfrey and and everyone else that we have in the queue because we still have several in the queue and then we have one more presenter so we're going to try to move this along but you know I do want to say When you talk about staff. I heard a six month turnaround time maybe average on claims I heard from the witnesses who testified earlier who testified about the what they perceived as delays I understand that these things are not clear cut that you're you many times are waiting on police reports your but waiting on medical records you're waiting on the medical bills themselves you're waiting for someone to finish treatment any number of things that can cause something to drag out before you have to pay it. But at the same time I have to wonder do you have enough staff and you know this is not the this is not the time. To be humble you know and say and say oh yeah that we have plenty of staff if you don't have to hear me out if you don't have enough staff tell us that this is part of what we're here for because my understanding is is that when you move from the Attorney General to under the Attorney General to the office of public safety that the staff was cut down from nine members to five members I don't know if that's true but maybe someone can verify that. My point is if if there are delays it needs to be because they they are absolutely necessary delays and not because you don't have a number of adequate staff to process the claims and if you don't now's the time to say that you don't and so I'm I'm asking. Well let me first of all start by saying I think in the department of public safety were planning a pretty thorough analysis sometime over the next six to nine months just to look at our process see see if there are ways that things can be streamlined we're moving towards everything being handled electronically and that may actually reduce some of our turnaround time as well as we move completely into the digital error era so you know do we have enough staff probably not but I think we do need in all fairness to do a thorough review of the process sees make sure that things are running as efficiently as possible before we say we need X. number of of new staff but definitely we have lost staff and again I as Mr burrows already commented the staff work extremely hard and diligently I think they're working as efficiently as they possibly can given a huge volume of claims so could we use more I'm sure we could but we also need to do a little bit more of an internal review before we make a specific request for how many positions would be most useful. Thank you for that a representative ray you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman so as as chairman Gazaway alluded to the board was previously housed under the AG's office and is now under the department of public safety when did that change occur. That was in October twenty nineteen okay And. Just so you'll know I'm a freshman so my institutional knowledge doesn't even go back to twenty nineteen so that's the reason I'm asking some of these questions why was why was that change made. I believe it was the government that created the department of public safety and certain agencies for I guess House standard I can I came in on that and on that at the that when we say this that might be something that secretary cook might help to address. Thank you. Well if it if it happened under transformation yes that's okay and this information on to the Department R. six sorry did the board request that change to be made or was that just to how things shook out and transformation I believe that's how things shook out and transmission okay All right I guess so my next question is. How do crime victims typically find out about this reparation process well a lot of more than that word of mouth we have victim advocates in most of the seventy five counties in the prosecuting attorney's offices they are advise people about the program on the staff and I we go out and we do presentations about the program we have developed relationships with hospitals will go if they need us to come over and talk about the program to the hospitals we do presentations with different agencies shelters and different other advocacies that we interact with so and people call us so. okay so it's primarily word of mouth yes the reason I ask that is because and I'm maybe I should be embarrassed to say this but I'm the only freshman and here so maybe I can get away with it and prior to the story reading the story in the democratic is that I was not even aware of the existence of this board and so I wonder if you know besides word of mouth if there are any efforts to to let people know about the existence of we also two presentations with law enforcement first responders we talk with them about and COS we are now partnering with the on the does the difference I think they're three a leader agencies in the state that will be going talking with those officers about the program and just just you know we're we see there's a need for them to for people to know about us we try and make arrangements so that we can go and talk to and do presentations about our program because we do know so many people in the state we've been around for a while the someone agencies or people that still don't know about our program we go to churches into presentations to churches we kinda had to kind of stop since covid we would do one pretty regularly since before covid and so now spring is coming up and we are getting ready to start going to a lot of a. community communities to talk about the crime victims program yes so I know there's been several questions about the the revenue for the board in the budget and all of that so I just wanna make sure I'm understanding this correctly so in a typical year you're funding from administrative office the court to somewhere in the eight to nine hundred thousand dollar range along with approximately eighty five to ninety thousand dollars in restitution plus whatever federal grant money comes in so. That comes out to just a little over two million. if I'm just doing the math in my head. That's correct with with all that funding continuing and the addition of the general revenue and the amount of two point three million. Am I right the ballpark figure that your your budgets basically doubling at this point is that right yes Sir okay so going back to German Gazaway this line of questioning on the on the. The time table on the processing the complaints and the staff and the staff resources. D. are there any planned I mean I know you it was mentioned that there's a review in place but are there any plans to use that increase in the budget to try to address the the time line on some of these claims and how quickly their process. This moment. I always get that backwards I'm Jamie cook secretary for the department of public safety and thank you for your questions representative Ryan representative Gazaway Senator Hammer I've been a listing back in there in the corner on budget. And that's really part of the problem right so from the beginning since we got the crime victims board moved over to the department public safety on transformation first up in July of two thousand nineteen of the funding is been very unsteady and so you would go from a hundred thousand in a O. J. funds down to last year was of just over three hundred thousand I think. Two hundred thousand. Of it was it wasn't even enough to operate of crime victims contribute nothing to our shared service model even though they get the benefits of HR of fiscal I. T. of legal because they don't they don't have anything to contribute a and then also or federal funds are directly tied to how much state contrave or claims that we pay so the funding has literally done this for so long and I'm to get I'll get you I'll get a hold of committee the trajectory of or that the history and then the trajectory moving forward by you guys allocating the two point three million dollars in general revenues it's going to give us consistent stable funding moving forward so do we need additional staff I'm gonna say probably we have positions we just didn't have any money a we also have to do our due diligence like Dr church said to make sure there's not any of over bureaucratic processes that we could streamline to make sure we're B. and good stewards of the resources we have gone through an automation was some cares funding that we received of for the product the program hopefully that's going to live in the next you know thirty to sixty days I think that's going to stream on an awful lot but at at minimum is going to give us the analytics we need to be able to to a project out what are funding was gonna need to be we're going to be for the very first time in the history of crime victims board funded stable a where we can make plans moving forward so I probably danced around a little bit of your question but we're really excited right now for the future the crime victims board no one what hindrances we had in the past moving forward based on the stable funding that you guys have provided in the last fiscal session okay thank you for that I do I do have one one additional question you mentioned the care sector funding I don't. I don't know if you know the answer this or not but there's been a lot of discussion about how crime has increased since the onset of covid. And I'm wondering if paying restitution to some of these victims would be an allowable expense of some of these rescue funds do you have any idea for the carriers funding or the care spending is in well well the well there's the rescue plan I mean there there were several waves of federal funding. right now all I think we're looking at the I thank I'm not sure about or but I don't think the infrastructure funds would I do know on or before and I think this EACs receive some money of from of that federal program I can verify that let you know as far as a direct payment to victims of crime from any of those federal stimulus packages I do not think so of the two programs and to foundations and nonprofits state I think that a lot of the of the victim assistance programs may have received some of those federal findings our board did not okay all right that's all the questions I have Mister chairman thank and I apologize for my voice a county Khalkhal sinuses going on here. Representative Godfrey you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman thank all of you very much this is been very helpful and I think many of the questions I initially had and also that were raised and have by the first prisoners were answered through your thorough presentation through the the questions if you answer I also throughout the meeting have gotten some tax from folks to and that kind of from a board perspective into victim's perspective have have praised your work and the work of the board and I think that that. It is important to say into here but I also just kind of big picture do you want to circle back to the beginning of the meeting where there was criticism and again you you address some of those particular points that were raised but at the same time I think and perception is reality in many instances and I think it's very important that in state government that we are always looking for opportunities to improve opportunities to become more efficient more effective for that the citizens and residents we serve and so based on just kind of the general interest of the committee here and I know you've lost a lot of your audience today but but based on our general curiosity and and lines of questioning and also from some of the criticism you've received either today or or in other instances I'm asking the same question that I asked initially which is if you can make two changes one internally are structurally within the board and the staff and then another in the way you operate and communicate correspond with victims what would those be what would that that changes are the reforms or that it's weeks be that you would make based on feedback and criticism just added a operations of and your initiative to continue to improve. I think that We would definitely stay in better contact with our victims we don't want anyone ever to feel re victimized for any reason and that is very important to me and I think if we could do something with the timing of our processing. That is also a major thing for us to I don't know what I don't know how but we will try everything we can to to continue to get these claims process in a timely manner we will stay in communication with our I think communication with the victims is very important I I never want anyone to feel re victimized ever especially not by me not by staff on not even buy anything that you know any about process you know but and I think that to me this is really really important so I appreciate your responsiveness and and being reflective on that and and we just encourage you you know in the. If. And just to encourage you that in the face of criticism and pushback that you do you know reflect on that processes and and things that work well and I appreciate being in the loop and learning about this state I like representative ray this is my first time in learning about your program but also to continue to look for opportunities to improve I love hearing your story about going to training to be more compassionate and empathetic about victims of domestic violence I think that the less than that that's worth replicating especially in the in the face of of you know hearing that perhaps victims that had an unpleasant experiences just to take that leadership in and continued on so thank you all very much and thank you Mr Speaker thank you. Mister chair if I may add to that may I. You're recognized as thank you Sir a representative Godfrey thank you for you know pointing out the continues improvements one of armada or one of our core values that the department of public safety we're we're certainly always wanting to see how we can improve in the only way that we can written proof is when we hear where we need to improve and you know so we're always willing to to receive however hard it is some of that can criticism it helps us one of the things that's going to act I failed to mention on the budget earlier. By giving us general revenue moving forward that steady stream of revenue so that we know when we can plan we will be just playing catch up all the time right so like when we got the funding in from the Terry General's office it didn't it didn't we didn't use that from this point forward we use it from this point back catching up the old claimed the same with the funding that the governor gave we were catching up claim so if we could ever get to a point and we will if we can ever get to a point where we're not catching up past claims but we're just going forward we're gonna be a whole different is going to be a whole different mission force and we look very forward to that day thank you. Senator reckon you're recognized. Thank you chair of this questions either for Secretary coke or CFO Mr Smith When you're. Going through the numbers with the chair here you said that you get about six hundred twenty seven thousand year from the courts. About two point about one point one million federal and now two point three in general revenue comes up to be about four million a year. And with that you'll have two and a half million to pay claims is that correct. going forward I'm gonna have to point three in general revenues. Of a projected six hundred twenty six thousand in a O. J.. Three million there another million in federal so they give us three and a half million to a claims. I don't think you mastery their operating six hundred twenty seven. Plus two point three is rated three million. That either in another one point one million four point one the okay you can operate that's about five to six hundred thousand by the salaries matching okay rations of is a two point five million my concern was if it was two point five million earlier when if this three million it's a little different the two point three million and that's new money from general revenue yes Sir we since you spend more money on overhead or as much on overhead you do paying claims currently now well. Slightly less who was telling the. In FY twenty I spent about four hundred twenty thousand in operations but not all the salary matching and operating cost of the board FY twenty one I paid right under three hundred thousand. Okay. Okay sees your I am by one point three million in claims with one point seven budget right now yes okay During transformation it was someone mentioned that you lost the one from nine to five positions is that actors that is of great number. What positions were lost. With the investigators this may be for. For a farm I'm sorry we only when we made and I transition has seven positions thanks for seven five seven five yes Sir what positions were lost the two investigative positions Cedarville chaos to invest in yes Sir okay what what have you will. During the presentation there were some Actual presentation before you'll get there with the sergeant doctor park there is some concern about the amount of money available to mental health. And during their testimony. It it seems that the issue was. A I believe one point miss archer said the. That the Thomas passed as legislators to change the amount that you could pay out. But some job at the table I've heard that you could pay a. Whatever you want so seems like that certain rules and not. In code is that correct passcode so the board and the the board can set the amount that's paid off paid out for mental health and things like that yes Sir okay so as not legislative is not. This side of the table this not doing the job it's you'll just have to vote to change that. Yes Sir okay that's correct. And Dr church I have a quick question for you as well will miss archer was on the board and wishes testifying here today. She said there's issues with the emails going out for the packets. Have you heard at other people have issues with those. No not to my awareness is there a particular reason why of a board member asked for the documents be printed there denied. This is the best way I can externally call please. I can hear me now yes the sorry for that the best way I can explain it is we have just made the decision that we we were going to completely up electronic packets. Request for miss archer came in very late on a Friday afternoon for several hundred pages of documents so I recommended that we not copy those documents for her but that we actually work with her to help her get the electronic documents situation works through because that was the way all the documents we're going to continue to be sent to her and so that was kind of the critical piece there to eliminate all the copying into women at a last minute copy but to actually get everybody's emails functioning properly so we can all access the documents in that format. Do you recall how long the time frame was between when the request was made for to be printed and the decision was made to work with her to get the electronic side fixed in the next board meeting what the what the time line was between those two. Okay I'm not sure I totally understand the question meeting is on a Wednesday or Monday or what I don't know what days of the week the board meetings on. Wednesday or Thursday Wednesday or Thursday so was the following Wednesday or Thursday when the board meeting was or rise and that that has been a little bit of an issue for us getting the materials a little bit later than the expected two week time table so it was the Friday before the meeting whether was on Wednesday or Thursday the following week I don't remember and so this was late on the Friday immediately after it had been sent out electronically so she just got it that day in the afternoon and we were meeting then the following week so again because we were moving towards electronic transmission my recommendation was let's not copy let's work with her to get her understanding the ability for her to download whatever she needed on her computer because that was how we were going to be going forward. I mean if it's late on Friday you're not you there's no. From what I'm hearing is not really an expectation that you not work late on Friday to try to fix whatever issues let's order had electronically it was going to come back next week and see if we can straighten it out is that accurate. No Mr Clinton's I believe offered that afternoon to help her work on figuring out how to open up the document I just wanna troubling do we have a board member this not able to access the documents within a week of the meeting. Whenever they're on the vote on these. Right in all of us to just receive those same documents in the same time table that miss archer would have received okay. Thank you Sir. Representative Springer you're recognized. Thank you Mr out of almost again it's going to S. but I did one of follow up with respect to The amount of the pages seventeen this is a follow up to four to a brought up Mr chairman pages seventeen if that the the start of paid fifteen about the rules. The criteria for compensation. I think it was senator Hammer that asked about whether not you should change the definition of a victim in order to maybe help with the processing of your claims. I'm finding that maybe you all should this is just a suggestion maybe you also look at your eligible criteria for compensation. On pages sixteen. Through the nineteen because if you read through start in on those pages if the investigators are going to be required to follow those to the T. it seems to me they're going to have a difficult time in the processing claims within a timely manner like chairman guess we mention that the ideas once you receive the claim to go and do everything you can to pay it but if they have to follow all these rules that are listed on these pages they're going to have a difficult time trying to process claims for person so it may be I make a suggestion that you take a look at those rules that are on those pages because I mean. You can read in for yourself and see that if you have to go through each one of those I is a claim representative would have a difficult time in trying to make an assessment as to whether or not I would pay a claim it would take me quite a bit by the time in order to make that type of assessment those are just my comments thank you Mr. Thank you representative senator Hammer you're recognized. Thank you Mr just couple quick ones do any of you know if there's anything that hinders you from being able to seek restitution for those of committed crimes that error in a work release program and have accumulated money before they're discharged. It and if not just check into that I just wanna make sure you can tap into that pot of money that if any of those that have committed committed crimes that are we're seeking restitution you can access that before their discharge from the Department correction. The second thing is on the transformation now some down for me I thought I heard you went from nine positions to five then heard seven five during transformation. Or was it nine to five or seven to five we came over with seven and we went from seven to five where those fill positions or those just positions they were field position so you lost two investigators in the process of of transformation that went where. I dozed to logo or one of them went back to the AG's office and the other one went to another department within the department public safety how adversely did that affect your ability to get the turn around time on the investigations because I've heard about how far you run behind on the case loads and I'm just thank you to the future you know with the trans how adversely did that affected lose those two well it did affect us I actually there two of us that a handling claims from all of the judicial districts and so we had to pick up there are counties so yeah it it it added to our already. Hi busy Claims and so one transformation took place did you lose any of your funding that that your maintenance just the general profession of your Department did did you lose any funding that went with them or did you what was the realization of savings by losing two and moving over to you Jamie. Senator Hammer they of thank they were funded the same at the turning general's office as they are now on the department public safety until July one we start putting G. are in there The They were if they had seven nine positions appropriated are they had seven field and we've seen a deep dive on those A. O. J. finds the truth the matter is that they would had had seven field now we would have been able to pay on through the existing funds that have come in we cannot use our vocal grant for a salaries or operations so that all has to come out of A. O. J. so we only brought in. Two hundred or no. How much are administrative Office of the Courts funding in FY twenty was nine hundred and fourteen thousand FY twenty one was three hundred and ninety seven thousand of and an FY twenty one operating cost was two hundred and ninety three thousand so we would have been able to operate we wouldn't have been able to pay them if we would have had to more of those two more bodies over there it's just from the the decline in that a J. fun like representative Gazaway was talking about there's been a steady decline in that funding for all of our divisions and and we're not the only deplorable that safety is not the only entity that receives those A. L. J. fund I know a lot entities do of five or six divisions or four of our six divisions receive it and it's real tough when you rely on that money and it's going down before the crime victims which is a hundred percent reliant on that fun those funds to pay their operating costs it's been detrimental so would the G. R. funding moving forward we will have that worry and so hopefully we'll be able to you know again look at our processes make sure see what this automation's going to do for us I think it's gonna do a lot of but if we need to add additional of personal back we certainly can now moving forward after July one and I think that's finish up with this I think that the the the critical thing based on the comments of made about you know doing analysis over the next six months course multiple issues that you know some different scene of opinion of how people are handled and treated you've got absolutely you know you've got all this other stuff going on there but one of the injury like to focus on in addition is when making projections moving forward that if that staff needs to be added back in order for those investigations to be moved for timely of that might help with some other pressure points that have been discussed today. It just seems are so we didn't have the money but if removing two investigators set us back I think that be a property take a look at reinstating them and maybe even coming up with a different name than investigators we come up with the softer term but very good thank you Sir thank you thank you Sir. Okay I just have some final questions then we have one more presenter hopefully this goes pretty quickly but up. I want to go back to the mental health issue that was talked about when I look at your pie chart. Again you have for the forensic exams that takes up over a third of your budget at thirty eight percent you've got funeral which you guys pay forty nine nearly half the budget is funeral expenses which I think is wonderful by the way a seventy five hundred dollars actually sounds low to me and so if you guys are paying out seventy five hundred dollars for funerals you know I can't imagine any more dramatic of a situation and someone who's lost a loved one due to crime and not have them not having the ability to pay for a proper burial and so the state company and through this. Find to do that a really is a wonderful thing and so you know I commend you on that I think that's absolutely necessary and appropriate expense I'm glad that you guys do that. My concern the other I. see ten percent. Close to eleven percent for medical and then we have a little sliver. that shows to be a point zero point four three percent is spent on mental health and I want to explain to you my concern about that. Any victim of crime you know particularly and I think there might be explanation for this but hear me out any victim of crime. particularly. Children who've suffered sexual assault rate. They're physical trauma may heal very quickly but the mental trauma that they experience from that can last a lifetime. Our little and in many cases does that with and the same for adults who are or victims of those types of crimes are many types of crimes that the physical trauma pales in comparison to the of promotion are emotional and mental trauma that they experienced. For example the presenter that we heard earlier with all the gunshots he wasn't shot at his significant other wasn't shot but the the type of post traumatic stress that one would experience from that you know I can't imagine and so I understand that you guys are payer of last resort and my guess would be that that contributes to why that percentage is so low because likely people with private insurance people with Medicaid people with other sources of payment likely I have claims that are paid through those first and when it comes to you guys there's very little left to pay. But maybe that's one explanation you know maybe other explanation is your cap is twenty five hundred and so if you pay out your cap of twenty five hundred you know given all the other expenses that you pay that are much more than that for example seventy five hundred for a funeral war medical bills that you know could be much more catastrophic cases reset your cap was twenty five thousand I just like to examine and like you think about how mental health is included in that calculation and how that might be increased in the event that there's not a primary payer. And you guys are all you know that you guys are the payment of last resort the source of last resort or if the primary payer payments run out. And then that you guys could pick up the slack on that so I think that would be something you know I just ask you to look into and then there was a mention and because you not again I don't want to leave it out the terms of the board members you know my understanding is that there are board members who have been serving for twenty plus years. I'm not saying that that's good or bad I'm not saying that that's right or wrong I don't know the answer I'm not saying that I have the answer to that but it does give some cause for concern and maybe there does need to be some turnover anyone would like to address that I'm happy to hear it but I know we have one more presenter it's it's getting close to five o'clock people are tired we want to move on but if anyone wants to address those issues quickly I'd be happy to to hear. Well I'm the longest serving member on the board right at this moment and I started in nineteen ninety eight and my term actually expires this year so. I appreciate very much the need for new ideas but I also think there is some merit to having folks who are experienced and having some institutional recollection and so I think we have a mixture right now myself and Mr brewer upon been on the board the longest and then our other three members are quite new actually and just a point in the last few years so. Again hi yeah it's a hard question is it good or bad I think there are pros and cons But I think that is definitely something that could be examined and if term limits is something that is desired certainly that's something that the board would comply with. The other thing I would like to just address on the mental health peace because I am a mental health clinician and I work with child sexual abuse victims all the time that's the work that I do personally at UAMS children's hospital family treatment program. And actually mano a program gets hardly any if any in most months for most years dollars from crime victims reparations Board and in part it really does come back to what you've been saying German Gazaway. We have other funding sources for a lot of mental health needs Medicaid in particular for kids and then there are some other contracts at least that my program has available to us but I do that and then the private insurance of course cover some so particularly for children I think the mental health needs are covered perhaps a little bit better than they might be for adults and so that may be an area more for us to explore how can we be more available for mental health needs for adult victims Again there may be Medicaid and private insurance for those folks as well but it may not be quite as complete of coverages that would be for the kids I think kids are fairly well covered right now with that. Thank you. Okay thank you very much I think that concludes all the questions for for you guys we appreciate you being here create the explanation I think you answered a lot of questions today and and certainly appreciate the thoroughness of your presentation thank you very much. We have the prosecutor coordinator's office here Mr McMahon and this computer is. I think they may have. A few things to add to this discussion I know it's getting late so if the if they want to keep their presentations brief I certainly understand. Bob McMahon prosecutor coordinator. I'm Laurie compared as a deputy prosecutor coordinator. I will be briefer than you've ever heard means more than likely I want to say this is a very appropriate topic today being the first day of national crime victims rights week so I will point that out we spoke at a meeting this morning briefly I'd I'd like to answer one question I may be able to help a little bit with the administration of justice funding I'm not to speak on anybody else's budget but I can tell you we are training money is funded out of that as well and I can understand where they're coming from with regard to the cuts that they receive I'm I'm receiving about thirty percent what I normally would get a just avail J. money so hopefully that puts into perspective they get a much bigger amount but my guess is we're all cut the same they're probably receiving about thirty percent of what they used to receive with regard to a J. money so I wanted to hopefully clarify that I think that's all the same for us we have daily contact with prosecutors around the state so our contact generally with the crime victims reparations Board is by number one having them come to our training they actually train our new victim witness coordinators so our our regular contact with the board is usually when a prosecutor's office has a case referred to them and then our victim witness coordinators advise victims as to what services are available through them and I can say that we've reached out to our prosecutors an object witness coordinators and we're not hearing any complaints about the process at all so from our perspective I think it is working I'm not to discount in anyway the the individual incidents for the victims I mean I'm I feel very sorry that that happened to them in and again would discount anything that they said about their own experiences but in general of the prosecutors do not have complaints at all we're not hearing them about the victim preparation process and was there any questions that's really all that I specifically have to say lord we have a little more. The the only thing I would add to that is I know at some point this afternoon in the discussion there was someone brought up how do people find out about the crime victims reparations program and I just wanted to let you all know because I didn't hear anyone else address this but our Arkansas statutes provide we have victims rights in the legislation and there's a thing that you'll probably have heard of called Lars card which basically law enforcement is also required to notify victims of the crime victims restorations program among several other services that might be available so as Bob mentioned our victim witness coordinators would also provide that information and provide assistance in helping fill out the forms but a lot of times not every case gets to the prosecutor's office or it may be a long time before the it guesses prosecutor's office for example in Dr Parker's case I don't believe that anyone has been arrested yet even so that that particular investigation is still ongoing but as you heard the need for mental health services and other things is pretty immediate so that's where the law enforcement acknowledging and providing that information to the victims becomes important as well. Seeing no questions Preciado you've been here today I think that concludes our meeting do I see a motion to adjourn. Sam motion the second. We're. We're we're meeting adjourned thank you very much.