CSDE Affiliate Karin Martin and UW PhD Candidate Matthew Fowle Co-author Study on Restitution
Posted: 1/11/2021 (CSDE Research)
CSDE Affiliate Karin Martin and UW Public Policy Doctoral Candidate and CSDE Trainee Matthew Fowle recently published an article in Sociological Perspectives examining restitution as a concept and a practice. Employing descriptive analyses of a national survey experiment and document review, they find that the common and strongly preferred conception of restitution is “direct,” entailing a convicted person compensating a victim for quantifiable loss. Evidence from Victim Compensation Funds (VCFs) in all 50 states demonstrate the widespread use of “indirect” restitution, through which funds from various sources are distributed to qualifying victims. They conclude that the divergence between common conception and widespread practice indicates a need for a revised notion of restitution. To read the article click here.