Restitution programs have received widespread recognition and favorable reviews from adherents to the school of rehabilitation as well as retributivists. The popular acclaim is attributed to the easy integration of restitution into existing organizational frameworks and to its ability to satisfy several important functions: an alternative function, an equal treatment function, and a reformative function. Restitution programs offer an attractive solution to both conservatives and liberals alike, and can be justified simply by adjusting the underlying rationale according to the prevailing correctional ideology. (Author abstract)