Title: NVAA Learning Activity: Chapter 5.2: Financial Assistance for Victims of
Crime, Restitution
Series: Training Manual
Author: Office for Victims of Crime and National Victim Assistance Academy
Published: June 2002
Subject: organizational leadership
2 pages
2,771 bytes

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NVAA Learning Activity

Chapter 5.2: Financial Assistance for Victims of Crime, Restitution

INSTRUCTOR GUIDELINES

Key Concepts/Objectives to Emphasize in Instruction and Learning Activities:

1. Three concepts related to the rationale and history of restitution. (5.2-3 to
5.2-6)
2. Roles of each criminal and juvenile justice agency in implementing victims'
rights to restitution. (5.2-12 to 5.2-16)
3. Key elements of documentation of victims' losses for the purpose of
restitution. (5.2-16 to 5.2-19)

Objectives:

1. To illustrate how the criminal and juvenile justice systems accept a variety of
excuses for offenders who refuse to fulfill their legal/financial obligations.
2. To link victim restitution directly to offender accountability as well as to the
victim's capability to endure losses that result from crime.

Description of Activity and Faculty Guidelines:

This exercise is designed to offer an overview of the myriad excuses that
offenders use for not paying their victim restitution.

At the beginning of the NVAA week, place two or three tear sheets up that are
entitled "Best Excuses for Not Paying Victim Restitution." Ask students to list
"the best excuses they have heard from offenders/probation officers/others for
offenders' not fulfilling their restitution obligations." Tell students that a "fabulous
prize" will be awarded for "the best excuse." When selecting "the best excuse,"
highlight the following points:

o When agencies with jurisdiction over offenders allow them to not pay
restitution based upon "ability," it infers (wrongly) that victims (who did not
choose to be victimized) are somehow able to pay.
o Victim restitution needs to be linked directly to offender accountability for the
harm he/she has caused.

During the NVAA session on "restitution," award fabulous prizes for the "top
three best excuses for not paying restitution."

Can Be Utilized As:

__X__ Individual Activity
_____ Small Group Activity
__X__ Large Group Activity

Anticipated Amount of Time Required: 3 Minutes

03 minutes to award "fabulous prizes"

RESOURCES NEEDED  (Please check all that apply:)

__X__ Tear sheets and felt pens
_____ VCR/monitor
_____ Overhead projector and screen/LCD and laptop
_____ Blank overhead transparencies and overhead pens
_____ Masking tape
_____ Index cards
_____ Individual or group worksheets
_____ Timer
_____ Other (please describe):