NCJ Number
59307
Date Published
1975
Length
54 pages
Annotation
A CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT UNDERTAKEN TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF A COMMUNITY-BASED, RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM OF VICTIM RESTITUTION FOR PROPERTY OFFENDERS IS REPORTED.
Abstract
BETWEEN MAY 1972 AND MARCH 1974, MINNESOTA STATE PRISON INMATES WHO MET THE RESTITUTION PROGRAM'S CRITERIA WERE ASSIGNED RANDOMLY TO CONTROL AND EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS. THE 69 CONTROLS REMAINED IN PRISON PRIOR TO RELEASE ON EITHER PAROLE OR DISCHARGE, WHILE THE 62 MEMBERS OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WERE RELEASED ON PAROLE TO THE RESTITUTION CENTER. MOST SUBJECTS WERE FROM MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, WERE WHITE, HAD BEEN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR BURGLARY, HAD MANY PRIOR FELONY CONVICTIONS, AND WERE 30 YEARS OLD OR YOUNGER. THE 62 OFFENDERS ADMITTED TO THE CENTER HAD A TOTAL OF 221 OFFICIALLY LISTED VICTIMS, THE LARGEST PROPORTION OF WHOM WERE PRIVATE CITIZENS. MOST MONETARY RESTITUTION OBLIGATIONS WERE FOR $200 OR LESS. OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONETARY RESTITUTION OBLIGATED BY PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS ($16,934.99), $9,459.10 HAD BEEN PAID AS OF AUGUST 1975, WHILE 372.2 OF THE OBLIGATED 1,084 HOURS OF SYMBOLIC RESTITUTION (COMMUNITY SERVICE) HAD BEEN COMPLETED. A FOLLOWUP CHECK ON THE LEGAL STATUS OF EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECTS AND CONTROLS 18 MONTHS AFTER THEIR ADMISSION TO PRISON FOUND THAT MORE CONTROLS THAN EXPERIMENTALS HAD RECEIVED PAROLE DISCHARGE AND NEW COURT COMMITMENTS, WHILE MORE EXPERIMENTALS THAN CONTROLS HAD BEEN RETURNED TO PRISON ON TECHNICAL PAROLE VIOLATIONS. (DIFFERENCES IN AT-RISK PERIODS IN THE COMMUNITY MAY BE A FACTOR IN THIS FINDING.) EXPERIMENTALS SERVED SIGNIFICANTLY SHORTER PERIODS OF TIME IN PRISON AND SIGNIFICANLTY LONGER PERIODS OF TIME ON PAROLE THAN DID CONTROLS, AND ALSO SERVED SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER OVERALL PERIODS UNDER SUPERVISION (PRISON AND PAROLE) THAN DID CONTROLS. DETAILS OF THE RESTITUTION PROGRAM, EVALUATION METHODS, AND FINDINGS ARE PROVIDED, TOGETHER WITH INTERPRETATIONS OF THE FINDINGS. IT IS POINTED OUT THAT THE RESTITUTION CENTER, WHICH WAS DESIGNED AS A PARTIAL DIVERSION FROM PRISON, ACTUALLY COMPOUNDS SANCTIONS BY ADDING TO THE TOTAL LENGTH OF TIME SPENT BY OFFENDERS UNDER SUPERVISION. SUPPORTING DATA ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)