NCJ Number
59353
Date Published
1979
Length
141 pages
Annotation
THIS COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF EVALUATIVE AND DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH ON RESTITUTION INCLUDES A STATE-OF-THE-ART ASSESSMENT AND ABSTRACTS OF THE 29 STUDIES REVIEWED.
Abstract
INCLUDED IN THE REVIEW ARE 22 STUDIES AIMED AT EVALUATING RESTITUTION PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS AND 7 INVOLVING SURVEYS OF CITIZENS' AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROFESSIONALS' PERCEPTIONS OF RESTITUTION AS A SANCTION. THE STUDIES WERE PERFORMED IN THE UNITED STATES, GREAT BRITAIN, CANADA, AND NEW ZEALAND, MOST IN 1977 AND 1978. THE MAJOR OBJECTIVES AND FINDINGS OF EACH STUDY ARE SUMMARIZED. CRITICAL COMMENTS ARE PRESENTED ON THE STATUS OF EVALUATION RESEARCH ON RESTITUTION--RESEARCH PURPOSES, PROJECT AND PROGRAM SPECIFICATION, DATA COLLECTION METHODS, MEASURES, RESEARCH DESIGN, FINDINGS, AND IMPLICATIONS. THE LIMITED EXTENT TO WHICH GENERALIZATIONS CAN BE DRAWN FROM EVALUATIVE RESEARCH ON RESTITUTION IS EMPHASIZED. QUESTIONS ARE RAISED REGARDING THE APPARENT INABILITY OF RESTITUTION PROGRAMS ACTUALLY TO DIVERT OFFENDERS FROM IMPRISONMENT, AND THE EFFECT OF SUCH PROGRAMS IN EXPANDING THE DEGREE OF SOCIAL CONTROL EXERCISED OVER OFFENDERS. THAT RESTITUTION PROGRAMS CAN HANDLE LARGE NUMBERS OF PROPERTY OFFENDERS AT LOW COST AND WITH FEW IN-PROJECT FAILURES IS ALSO NOTED. A LESS EXTENSIVE STATE-OF-THE-ART CRITIQUE OF DESCRIPTIVE STUDIES NOTES THAT OPINION SURVEYS HAVE SHOWN BROAD-BASED SUPPORT FOR RESTITUTION AS A SANCTION. APPENDED TO THE REVIEW ARE ABSTRACTS COVERING IN CONSIDERABLE DETAIL THE OBJECTIVES, DESIGN, DEPENDENT VARIABLES AND MEASURES, DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS PROCEDURES, FINDINGS, AND SHORTCOMINGS OF EACH STUDY. (LKM)