Restitution
ORCID
Haynes: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1408-9291
MSU Affiliation
College of Arts and Sciences; Department of Sociology
Creation Date
2026-06-01
Abstract
Restitution is a court-ordered sanction requiring offenders to pay their victims for the victims' economic losses resulting from the crime. It provides offenders an opportunity to right their wrong by paying back their victim(s) and helps victims by reimbursing them monetarily and publicly recognizing that they were wronged. As such, it can be considered a restorative justice approach. Restitution is regularly imposed and amounts average several thousand dollars, but payment levels remain low, due largely to offenders' lack of means. Recently there has been significant concern that restitution, as part of the package of economic sanctions (monetary penalties comprised of restitution, fines, and costs and fees) offenders are ordered to pay upon conviction, is an undue financial burden that makes it difficult for offenders to complete criminal justice supervision and lead productive lives.
Publication Date
8-1-2017
Publication Title
Encyclopedia of Corrections
Publisher
Wiley
Rights
Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Recommended Citation
Cares, A.C. and Haynes, S.H. (2017). Restitution. In The Encyclopedia of Corrections, K.R. Kerley (Ed.). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118845387.wbeoc010
