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Effect of Washington, DC's Restitution Program on the Recidivism Rates of the Disadvantaged, Serious Offender

NCJ Number
98581
Author(s)
W R Griffith
Date Published
1983
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This report examines the nature and effectiveness of the District of Columbia's juvenile restitution program to reduce recidivism compared to those who received traditional probation.
Abstract
The problems with the use of restitution programs for serious juvenile offenders with disadvantaged backgrounds have been that serious offenders often commit offenses inappropriate for monetary restitution orders, and serious offenders often come from disadvantaged areas where unemployment is high and jobs that provide payment for restitution are scarce. The Superior Court of the District of Columbia developed a restitution program for disadvantaged, serious juvenile offenders that countered these obstacles. Unpaid community service restitution is the primary type of restitution required of the serious offender, and community service jobs are obtained through area nonprofit organizations; the job developers ensure that sufficient employment positions exist for all youth referred to the project. A recidivism analysis for randomly assigned groups of offenders with matched backgrounds found that youth who participated in the restitution program had significantly lower recidivism than those youth who participated in traditional probation. 6 tables