NCJ Number
242404
Date Published
2012
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This fact sheet provides key information for enforcing restitution.
Abstract
This publication outlines key components for restitution collection, enforcement, and management in probation or parole settings. It also identifies a number of promising programs and practices that have been developed by community corrections agencies at the State and local levels to increase restitution collections. Despite these clear benefits to both victims and offenders, collecting restitution remains a challenge for the justice system. According to a report by the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC), uncollected criminal debt at the Federal level totals $50 billion, most of which is restitution owed to crime victims. For restitution to be truly meaningful there must be strict accountability on the part of the offender to pay. Similarly, the justice system also must be accountable for the effective and efficient collection and processing of restitution, and its agencies must have mechanisms for enforcing the collection of restitution when offenders' repayment becomes delinquent. Figures and references