NCJ Number
74125
Date Published
1980
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This paper reviews restitution and community service research reports, focusing on the categories of research that have been completed on the use of restitutive sanctions; the characteristics of this research in relation to use of theory and research design; and the findings of the research and the extent to which these have implications for policy, programming, and research.
Abstract
A total of 43 studies were selected for review; 7 were completed in Great Britain, 1 in New Zealand, 2 in Canada, and the remainder in the United States. All were based on empirical data and used restitution as either a dependent or independent variable. The studies dealing with community service projects and programs show that a large number of persons can be handled at relatively low cost, with few in-project failures, and they result in large amounts of work being performed for community agencies. However, they also show that restitution projects and programs established for the purpose of diverting offenders from custodial confinement generally fail. The evaluative studies consistently document the facts that most property offenses result in relatively small losses, that the amount of restitution is also small, that the amount actually paid is smaller yet, and that the largest proportion of victims are likely to be business firms. Other evaluative studies show that restitution is most frequently ordered in conjunction with a fine. A description of the studies reviewed, their data collection methods, and evaluation measures is included. Tabular data and 43 references are supplied.