NCJ Number
131964
Journal
Judicature Volume: 74 Issue: 5 Dated: (February-March 1991) Pages: 245-248
Date Published
1991
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Courts must increase the efforts and resources involved in enforcing restitution orders if they are to increase offender compliance, regardless of whether they view restitution as a sanction for offenders or as a means of victim compensation.
Abstract
Restitution is being increasingly used, but a survey of directors of 75 restitution programs and 2 detailed analysis of the programs in Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, Montgomery, Ala., and Brooklyn, N.Y. found compliance to be a serious national problem. Survey participants reported that 67 percent of offenders paid their restitution awards in full, and officials of the 4 programs reported a 62-percent rate. However, detailed analysis of the 4 programs showed that only 42 percent of the offenders made full payments, even though these programs had been selected because they were well run. In addition, interviews with 198 victims showed a low rate of satisfaction. Offenders were more likely to pay if they had ties to the community and no prior criminal record. Results indicated the need to consider the offender's ability to pay in setting the size of the restitution award, to monitor offenders closely, to tailor enforcement efforts to offender characteristics, to improve victim services, and to improve recordkeeping and communication. Table and footnotes