The role of victim-related factors in victim restitution: a multi-method analysis of restitution in Pennsylvania.
Mandatory statutes do not always produce change, but a 1995 Pennsylvania statutory change making restitution mandatory dramatically increased the proportion of cases in which restitution was imposed. There are three possible reasons for this generally successful implementation: (a) judges agreed with the victim-centered goals of the statute, (b) there were mechanisms in place to implement the goals of assisting victims, and (c) there was a context supportive of victims that made it easier to follow the law. Two studies investigated these possible explanations. First, a statewide survey of trial court judges suggested that they agreed with the statute's goals of compensating victims. Second, hierarchical logistic models of 55,119 statewide restitution-eligible decisions indicated that a victim-related contextual factor, the nature and location of the victim/witness assistance office, was significantly related to the imposition of restitution, although a more general contextual factor relating to funding for victim programs had only small effects.
Ruback
R Barry
RB
Department of Sociology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. bruback@psu.edu
Shaffer
Jennifer N
JN
D000328:Adult; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D010414:Pennsylvania; D012935:Social Justice; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires