VICTIM RESTITUTION - AN ASSESSMENT OF THE RESTITUTION IN PROBATION EXPERIMENT OPERATED BY THE FIFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT DEPARTMENT OF COURT SERVICES, POLK COUNTY, IOWA

• NCJ Number: 37008
• Author(s): R O STEGGERDA; S P DOLPHIN
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 73 pages
• Grant Number(s): 74-DF-07-0006-02
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Polk Cty
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

FINAL EVALUATION OF A PROJECT TO FACILITATE APPLICATION OF A LAW SETTING UP RESTITUTION AS A PROBATION CONDITION AND TO TEST THE EFFECTS OF FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGS OF VICTIMS AND OFFENDERS IN ADMINISTERING RESTITUTION PLANS.

Abstract

DUE TO THE LATE PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND THE SHORT-TERM NATURE OF THE EVALUATION, VALID MEASURES OF MAJOR EFFECTS SUCH AS REDUCTION OF RECIDIVISM OR REHABILITATION OF CLIENTS WERE NOT POSSIBLE. IMMEDIATE PROJECT EFFECTS RELATING TO SUCH CRITERIA AS CLIENT COOPERATION, VICTIM COOPERATION, AND CLIENT PAYMENT REGULARITY WERE MEASURED. IT WAS FOUND THAT COMPLETE ON-TIME PAYMENTS WERE MADE BY 77.5 PERCENT OF THE TIME BY CLIENTS WHO MET WITH THE VICTIMS OF THEIR OFFENSES, COMPARED WITH 62.2 PERCENT FOR THOSE WHITH NO VICTIM INVOLVEMENT, 55.1 PERCENT OF THOSE WHO MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE VICTIMS, AND 45.1 PERCENT OF THE TIME BY THOSE WHOSE CASES INVOLVED ONLY COUNSELOR-VICTIM CONTACTS. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT VICTIM AND OFFENDER FACE-TO-FACE INVOLVEMENT IN THE RESTITUTION PLAN WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE APPROACH. CODESHEETS USED TO COLLECT DATA ARE APPENDED.