NCJ Number
44505
Date Published
1977
Length
148 pages
Annotation
THE AUTHOR PROPOSES A VICTIM-ORIENTED SYSTEM OF JUSTICE THROUGH RESTITUTION BASED ON A BIBLICAL VIEWPOINT.
Abstract
PRISONS ARE REEXAMINED IN TERMS OF COST AND EFFECTIVENESS IN REDUCING THE CRIME RATE. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ARE MADE CONCERNING CRIME, PRISON PROBLEMS, THE STAGGERING COST OF IMPRISONMENT, THE BURDEN TO THE TAXPAYER, AND THE FAILURE OF THE PENAL SYSTEM TO DEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH THE CRIMINAL. THE AUTHOR CALLS FOR A RETURN TO THE 'BASICS' TO ENSURE JUSTICE FOR BOTH VICTIMS AND OFFENDERS, BY INSTITUTING A SYSTEM OF OFFENDER RESTITUTION TO THE VICTIM. EXPERIMENTS IN RESTITUTION AND COMPENSATION ARE CITED. THIS ALTERNATIVE TO IMPRISONMENT WOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING ADVANTAGES: THE VICTIM IS HELPED, RATHER THAN IGNORED; SINCE RESTITUTION IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE OFFENSE, THE LAWBREAKER IS REMINDED OF HIS WRONGDOING; THE PROFIT IS REMOVED FROM CRIME; THE PUBLIC WOULD BE SPARED THE COSTS OF IMPRISONMENT. AN APPENDIX PROVIDES A NATIONWIDE SURVEY OF THE DAILY COST OF INMATE CARE AND CUSTODY. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED.