Restitution At A Glance

One common practice in criminal law is restitution. Restitution occurs when a criminal is required to compensate a victim or society for any damage that he or she has caused as part of his or her sentence. In many instances, restitution will occur in addition to one or more of the other criminal law objectives. Under this philosophy, a level of fairness must be attained. It will prevent an individual from benefiting from behavior that has caused harm to another person or another person's property. The judge will decide on a restitution that is fitting for the crime that the individual has committed. For example, the offender may be required to reimburse an individual for an object that the perpetrator stole or damaged. This philosophy and practice ensures that a victim is compensated for their loss and that an offender does not benefit from their detrimental and illegal actions. An individual who has violated a criminal law may be required to pay restitution. A person who has stolen money from another individual or from a company may be obligated to pay back the money that he or she has spent. Criminal law may require an individual who has disregarded the law to pay restitution even after he or she has carried out other aspects of their sentence. For example, an individual who has served time in jail as punishment for a crime that he or she has committed may be obligated to start paying restitution once he or she is released from prison. The judge may order the criminal to provide the victim with a monthly check for a designated amount of money. The convict will need to continue paying the victim until the allocated amount of restitution has been paid. Although it is very common for restitution to involve payment by money, it may also occur through the dedication of time and services. Under criminal law, an individual who has committed a crime that has harmed society or that has presented a danger to their community may be required to take part in community service. During community service, an individual will be required to complete various tasks for which he or she is not compensated. A specific number of hours will be designated by the court and the convict will be obligated to complete all of these service hours. The services that the individual will provide will directly benefit the community. The tasks will range a great deal and may include painting, assisting local non-profit organizations, picking up litter and trash off of the streets and in parks, and gardening. This work may take part in large groups, or an individual may complete their community service sentence on their own under the supervision of an appointed authority. An individual who is required to pay restitution may also be sentenced to provide services and labor directly to the victim that he or she has harmed. For example, if the criminal has damaged the property of another individual, then the offender may be required to repair the damages. The judge may order a perpetrator to take part in activities, such as rebuilding a shed that he or she has damaged, replacing windows that he or she has broken, or repairing fences that were crippled during the offender’s deviant escapade. Restitution will help to attain a level of balance and fairness that not only assists in deterring an offender from future crime, but also compensates a victim for the damage that the perpetrator has caused.