Bureau of Victim Assistance

Resources:

• Domestic Abuse Protection Order brochure
• Domestic Abuse Protection Order brochure in Spanish
• Domestic Abuse Protection Order brochure in Vietnamese
• Emergency DAPO Reference Guide
• Instructions Petition for Domestic Abuse Protection Order form
• MS Protection Order Registry (MSPOR)

Petitions and Orders:

• Petition for Domestic Abuse Protection Order form
• Petition for Domestic Abuse Protection Order Form (Fillable)
• Ex Parte Emergency Domestic Abuse Protection Order form
• Order to Continue Hearing and Extend Ex Parte DAPO form
• Temporary Domestic Abuse Protection Order form
• Final Domestic Abuse Protection Order form  
• Order Dissolving Protection Order  
• Order Dismissing Petition for DAPO Failure to Appear or on Motion of Petitioner  
• Order Amending Domestic Abuse Protection Order 
• Criminal Domestic Abuse Protection Order
• Criminal Sexual Assault Protection Order

Service of Process:

• Notice to Respondent of Entry of Ex Parte DAPO and Summons
• Notice to Respondent of Filing of Petition for DAPO and Summons

Human Trafficking Assessment:

• Assessment for the Victims of Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation Fund

Bench Cards

• Domestic Abuse Protection Orders
• Temporary and Final DAPO Appeal Process

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Teri Gleason at 601-359-4279.

Our advocates can help crime victims and their families through this difficult experience. Our goal is to help victims understand the judicial process, advocate for their rights, and maintain contact, ensuring they are informed on matters pertaining to their case. For information on how to obtain these services, contact us at 1-800-829-6766.

Assistance provided includes court accompaniment, investigation and case updates, and notifications mandated by the Mississippi Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights.

View a video presentation of your rights by the staff of the Attorney General’s Office here.

You can also read more in our Crime Victims Guide.

Find Your Advocate

Advocates are located across Mississippi, and they stand ready to assist.

Northern District Advocate: Vanessa Wilbert

Central District Advocate: Maya Edwards

Southern District Advocate: Gwendolynn Santos

Victim Advocates By Region 

If you have any additional questions, please speak to your advocate or contact us at victimassistance@ago.ms.gov.

Helpful Links 

• Mississippi Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights
• Checklist for Law Enforcement Officers
• Checklist for Clerk’s Office
• Sample Crime Bill of Rights Packet
• State of Mississippi Request to Exercise Victims’ Rights
• Sexual Assault Crime Victims' Bill of Rights
• Address Confidentiality Form
• Post Conviction Procedures Guide 
• Crime Victim Criminal Appeal Process Notification Form

Mississippi Victim Services Resource Directory 

Victim Services By County 

The Victim Compensation Program provides financial assistance to innocent victims of violent crime and their eligible family members. The Program helps to reduce the financial burden resulting from a violent crime by reimbursing eligible victims/family members for their crime-related expenses not covered by any other benefit source (insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, disability/death benefits, Workers’ Compensation, etc.). Limitations do apply. You can read more about this program here.

The program brochure is also available in Spanish and Vietnamese.

Eligible applicants may be reimbursed for crime related expenses associated with:

• medical/dental treatment
• rehabilitation
• mental health services
• lost wages
• loss of support (dependent[s] of homicide victim)
• tuition loss
• funeral costs
• limited transportation costs
• repair/replacement of exterior windows, doors, and locks damaged during a crime,
• domestic violence temporary housing and relocation
• crime scene cleanup

The Crime Victim Compensation Application can be found here and the optional Victim Compensation Contact Request form can be found here.

The Crime Victim Compensation Application is also available in Spanish and Vietnamese. 

Helpful Links

FAQs

Provider's Application Status Request

Sexual Assault Payment Policy

Mississippi Administrative Code: Title 3, Part 1

Crime Victims Guide

Pursuant to Miss. Code Ann. § 99-37-25, the bill for a medical forensic examination and the preparation of the sexual assault evidence collection kit will be sent to the Office of the Attorney General, Division of Victim Compensation. No bill for the examination will be submitted to the victim, nor shall the medical facility hold the victim responsible for payment.

The Attorney General’s Office Sexual Assault Payment Policy can be found here.

In 2022 and 2023, Attorney General Lynn Fitch worked with Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners and other stakeholders to update the 15-year-old Sexual Assault Forensic Examination kits in line with advanced technology. The new kits reduce the number of steps in the evidence collection process from 21 to 9, reducing the duration of the evidence collection and trauma to the victim.

These new forms can be found here:

Prepubescent Exam Acute Less Than or Equal to 72 Hours
Adolescent-Adult Acute Less Than or Equal to 120 Hours
Appendix: MS Sexual Assault Kit Guidelines

The older forms can be found here should you need to access those:

Child/Adolescent Sexual Assault Exam Form Acute Less Than or Equal to 72 Hours
Child/Adolescent Less Than 18 YOA Sexual Assault Exam Form Non Acute Greater Than 72 Hours
Adolescent/Adult Sexual Assault Exam Form Acute Less Than/Equal To 72 Hours

Also, in 2023, the Mississippi Legislature passed HB 485, establishing protocols for collection, processing, and tracking of Sexual Assault Forensic Examination kits to improve transparency for victims and increase the likelihood of thorough investigations and successful prosecutions of sexual assault cases in Mississippi.  HB 485 also added new rights to the Mississippi Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights specific to victims of sexual assault.  Those rights can be found in this brochure.

The Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters Disability Benefits Trust Fund was created by the Mississippi Legislature to provide disability benefits to law enforcement officers and fire fighters injured in the line of duty. For a full overview of the program, view Mississippi Administrative Code: Title 3. Part 2.

See links to each application below

• Standard Application for Career Officers and Firefighters
• Standard Application for Volunteer Firefighters and Reserve/Auxiliary Law Enforcement

If you have any questions about this program, please contact us at LEOFFFund@ago.ms.gov or 601-359-6766.

Helpful Links

Return to work sample letter

Re-Certification form

Law Enforcement and Firefighter Benefits and Resources 

A Domestic Abuse Protection Order is a specific kind of restraining order available to individuals who are victims of domestic abuse, including physical violence, threats of physical violence, stalking, or sexual assault.

Resources:

• Create a Domestic Abuse Protection Order (DAPO) Petition to protect yourself or someone else from domestic violence
• Domestic Abuse Protection Order brochure
• Domestic Abuse Protection Order brochure in Spanish
• Domestic Abuse Protection Order brochure in Vietnamese
• Emergency DAPO Reference Guide 
• Instructions for Domestic Abuse Protection Order

Petitions and Orders:

• Petition for Domestic Abuse Protection Order form
• Petition for Domestic Abuse Protection Order Form (Fillable)
• Ex Parte Emergency Domestic Abuse Protection Order form
• Order to Continue Hearing and Extend Ex Parte DAPO form
• Temporary Domestic Abuse Protection Order form
• Final Domestic Abuse Protection Order form  
• Order Dissolving Protection Order  
• Order Dismissing Petition for DAPO Failure to Appear or on Motion of Petitioner  
• Order Amending Domestic Abuse Protection Order 

Service of Process:

• Notice to Respondent of Entry of Ex Parte DAPO and Summons
• Notice to Respondent of Filing of Petition for DAPO and Summons

My office also created a few documents to provide guidance for survivors and their friends and family.

See brochures below

• Strangulation
• Stalking
• Dating Violence
• Human Trafficking
• Revenge Porn

If you have any additional questions, or if you wish to speak to a victim advocate, please contact us at victimassistance@ago.ms.gov.

• VineLink: This free service allows crime victims and concerned citizens to obtain timely and reliable information about criminal cases and the custody status of offenders 24 hours a day. Please click here to register for this service. Victims and other concerned citizens can register to be notified by phone, email, text message (SMS) or TTY device when an offender’s custody status changes. VINELink mobile app is now available by accessing their website. This service is provided by the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
• Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline: The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services provides a toll free hotline (1-800-222-8000) and online access for reporting child abuse and neglect.
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: The NCMEC “get help now” page includes information on reporting a missing child, reporting tips to help find a missing child, and a cyber tipline for information on children being exploited online.
• Mental Health Helpline: For more information about services or if you or a loved one needs help, call the Mississippi Department of Mental Health’s Helpline at 1-877-210-8513 or visit the helpline web page.
• Suicide Prevention Lifeline: The Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.
• Veterans Crisis Line: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs runs a crisis line for veterans in need of help.  You can connect with caring, qualified responders, many of whom are veterans themselves, by calling 1-800-273-8255 (Press 1) or chatting online.
• National Human Trafficking Hotline: If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, call 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BEFREE (233733)
• Victims of Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation Fund: In 2020, the Mississippi Legislature established the Victims of Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation Fund in order to provide funding for direct service providers who serve victims of sex and labor trafficking. Miss. Code Ann. §97-3-54.11. The fund is funded by, among other things, assessments for certain criminal convictions and legislative appropriations. The funding solicitation for 2023 was released on September 18 and will close at 5:00 pm on October 30, 2023.