A new resource center from The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center and the National Crime Victim Law Institute (NCVLI) offers free assistance to states as they seek to improve the quality of their victim restitution systems.
When a crime is committed, the victim of the crime pays a price—whether physically, emotionally, financially, or a combination of these. Restitution—the repayment of the financial losses by the person convicted of the crime—can be a crucial resource for victims.
However, while restitution is a widely supported practice among criminal justice and victims’ rights practitioners and policymakers, there is no guarantee that it will be collected. States and local jurisdictions often don’t know who owes restitution, how much people owe, to whom restitution is owed, and how it is collected and disbursed.
The Restitution Resource Center will help states improve their ability to effectively order, collect, disburse, and fulfill restitution sentences. The center, supported by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, will facilitate peer networks and information exchange as well as provide a central hub for best practices and successful innovations in the field.
States and local communities can contact the Restitution Resource Center for help with restitution improvement. The CSG Justice Center’s partnership with NCVLI also provides the ability to offer assistance related to restitution case law, legal practices, and victim rights, which will help jurisdictions improve their practices and ensure that victims are not left behind.
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The Restitution Resource Center (RRC) is designed to help states improve their ability to effectively order, collect, disburse,…
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