In 1972, the Alaska legislature established the Violent Crimes Compensation Board, which appropriates financial compensation to victims of violent crimes in concurrence with Federal funding. Alaska has had difficulty maintaining its support of victim compensation; similar experiences and actions taken by Arizona, Utah, and Alabama are noted. There is a brief assessment of restitution laws in Alaska, Alabama, Michigan, and Texas; a list of penalty assessments from 44 States; a veto letter; Congressional restitution bills; the Federal act concerning restitution; and statutes from Alabama, Michigan, Utah, Texas, and Utah. In 1982, the US Congress passed the Victim and Witness Protection Act which makes restitution a condition of probation or parole.