Summary and Conclusions

The most obvious conclusion that can be drawn from the data collected in the 1991 RESTTA survey is that restitution programming is alive and well in America. Despite declining support by OJJDP -- the principal funding agency -- the number of programs has continued to grow. However, the rate of growth has declined sharply, and many jurisdictions still do not have even informal programs.

It is also clear that programs are moving toward increased formalization and greater standardization of policies and procedures. This reflects a major thrust of the RESTTA project over the years. A principal, if not central, theme of RESTTA training and technical assistance has been the importance of program planning and the creation of written guidelines.

Both OJJDP and the RESTTA project can take satisfaction from the clear finding that successful completion rates remain high even while programs are accepting increasingly more risky offenders. Moreover, these new data reinforce earlier findings that performance of restitution has a positive impact on reoffense rates. OJJDP's original design for restitution called for it to be considered, in appropriate cases, as a sentence for serious offenders in lieu of incarceration. This remains a reasonable and achievable goal.