NCJ Number
121269
Date Published
1989
Length
30 pages
Annotation
To understand how restitution program procedures affect compliance with restitution orders and victim satisfaction, this study interviewed program directors, abstracted information from case files, and conducted telephone surveys with victims who were awarded restitution.
Abstract
Case file data showed a negative relationship between award size and the proportion paid by offenders in the site that imposed the largest restitution awards. Programs which considered offenders' means before determining restitution awards reported higher compliance rates than programs that have not considered offenders' ability to pay. Programs with close monitoring of offenders, beginning as soon as a restitution award is imposed, also reported greater compliance than programs without such monitoring. Case file data from the onsite study indicated that the risk of nonpayment posed by offenders was related to their community ties and prior criminal records. Victim satisfaction with restitution programs was closely related to the amount of restitution received and the quality of the communication between the program and the victim. Restitution program resources, especially in the area of technology development and implementation, were related to offender compliance and victim satisfaction. 20 tables, 6 references.