Restitution is a court-ordered payment from the offender to the victim for the harm caused by the offender’s wrongful acts. Orders most frequently cover medical and counseling costs, lost wages, lost or damaged property, funeral expenses and other direct out-of-pocket expenses. The cost of emotional distress or suffering cannot be covered. Restitution differs from civil damages and crime victim compensation (CVC) in that it is not a civil action or government assistance. Judges will more often point survivors to CVC instead of ordering restitution, but most CVC provisions fail to restore many of the losses suffered by domestic or sexual violence victims due to scope and administrative barriers.10 Because there is a severe lack of data, it is unknown how often restitution is requested, ordered or enforced in sexual or domestic violence and stalking cases.
Justice System Policy Brief Series: Restitution Policy and Survivors
By Wider Opportunities for Women|2021-01-07T00:26:07-05:00October 1, 2012|IWPR|Comments Off on Justice System Policy Brief Series: Restitution Policy and Survivors