NCJ Number
81950
Date Published
1982
Length
33 pages
Annotation
This study found that placement in a restitution group results in a higher level of compliance with restitution orders and lower reoffense probability than comparable youths placed on regular probation.
Abstract
The Ventura Juvenile Restitution Project focuses primarily upon influencing juveniles to fulfill restitution orders under the administrative structure of a nonsecure facility, employment services, and probation officer supervision in the field. This study evaluated the evidence bearing upon restitution compliance and the empirical distributions of in-program reoffenses for experimental and control groups (those who received regular probation with restitution orders). The groups are similar as to the types and magnitude of restitution ordered. The findings show that the experimental groups consistently outperformed the control group in terms of actual restitution dollars paid and the percentage of the original order paid. The examination of in-program reoffense rates covered 2 years 3 months and 429 referrals. The two indicators of total reoffense show that restitution youths are less likely to reoffend during the period of supervision than youths on probation. For the probation group, the first month is the most critical for reoffending; whereas for the experimental group, the second and third months are high reoffense probability periods. After the first quarter, both groups have similar reoffense dynamics, with the experimental group generally having a lower rate than the probation group. Tabular data, nine footnotes, and nine references are provided.