THE STUDY FOCUSES ON TWO SAMPLES OF DELINQUENTS--A SAMPLE (N=71) OF DELINQUENTS PAYING RESTITUTION BUT NOT INCLUDED IN THE VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND A SAMPLE (N=129) OF JUVENILES PAYING RESTITUTION UNDER THE VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. WHEN THE RESTITUTION PROCESS WAS COMPARED FOR THE 9-MONTH PERIOD BEFORE THE OPERATION OF THE PROGRAM WITH THE 7-MONTH PERIOD DURING THE PROGRAM'S OPERATION, IT WAS FOUND THAT UNDER THE PROGRAM A GREATER PROPORTION OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS WERE PAYING RESTITUTION, A GREATER PROPORTION OF THE TOTAL RESTITUTION OWED HAD BEEN PAID, AND RESTITUTION PAYMENTS WERE FASTER. IN COMPARING SUBJECT CHARACTERISTICS TO PATTERNS OF RESTITUTION PAYMENTS, IT WAS SHOWN THAT THOSE MOST FAITHFUL IN THEIR PAYMENTS WERE LIKELY TO BE EMPLOYED, MALE, WITH A POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE, CONVICTED OF A LESS SERIOUS CRIME, HAD A FATHER IN LOWER-MIDDLE-CLASS AS COMPARED TO UPPER-CLASS OCCUPATIONAL ACTIVITY, AND WERE VIEWED BY PARENTS AS 'ESSENTIALLY GOOD.' WHITES COMPARED TO BLACKS PAID LARGER AMOUNTS OF RESTITUTION; HOWEVER, WHEN ONLY THOSE WHO HAD COMPLETELY PAID RESTITUTION WERE CONSIDERED, BLACKS AND MEXICANS MADE THE REQUIRED RESTITUTION AT A FASTER RATE THAN OTHERS. ALSO, WHEN ONLY THOSE WHO HAD COMPLETELY PAID RESTITUTION WERE CONSIDERED, JUVENILE OFFENDERS FROM HOMES WHERE SIBLING COMMUNICATIONS WERE POSITIVE COMPARED TO HOMES WHERE IT WAS NEGATIVE PAID THE REQUIRED RESTITUTION AT A SLOWER RATE. TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. DOCUMENTS IN THE SERIES ARE NCJ 65642-47. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)