Dozier School abuse survivors can start applying for compensation from state

Applications open for Dozier abuse survivors

Survivors of abuse at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, along with another state reform school, can now apply for compensation from a fund set aside by the state.

TAMPA, Fla. - Survivors of abuse at Florida's infamous Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, along with another state reform school, can now apply for compensation from the state.

In March, State legislators passed House Bill 21, known as "The Dozier School for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim Compensation Program," allocating $20 million to be given to the hundreds of surviving former students who attended the school from 1940-1975.

The now shuttered facility was once the largest reform school in the country, before closing its doors in 2011 after 111 years in operation.

For decades, former students have traveled to Tallahassee to share their personal stories of physical, mental, and sexual abuse with lawmakers with hopes of securing both survivors' compensation and an acknowledgment from the state of the horrors committed by school employees to children who were in the care of the state.

That acknowledgment and compensation is now accessible online for anyone who qualifies.

Before downloading the three-page application, state officials want applicants to answer "yes" to the following questions:

Were you confined at the Dozier School for Boys and/or the Florida School for Boys at Okeechobee, between 1940 through 1975?
Can you provide proof of confinement during that timeframe?
While confined, were you the victim of abuse perpetuated by school personnel and can attest to the circumstances of your victimization in the presence of a notary?
Can you provide the application and all supporting documentation which must be received by the Florida Attorney General’s Bureau of Victim Compensation no later than December 31, 2024?

To download the application and read more about eligibility, click here.