A combination of concern for the victim and a perceived need for community based corrections has led to a renewed interest in the concept of restitution - the idea that the offender should make direct reparation for the offence, to the victim. Recent studies show victims do not consider the criminal justice system to be of assistance to them. Discusses the implementation of schemes to reintroduce the idea of restitution into the Australian criminal justice system in a formalised way.
At the conference of Ministers in Charge of Prisons, Probation and Parole held in Broome, Western Australia on 29th June 1979, a paper prepared by Andy Duckworth, Acting Co-ordinator of Community Programmes, Western Australian Department of Corrections and titled Restitution: An analysis of the victim-offender relationship was reviewed. The Ministers decided to seek from the Australian Institute of Criminology further advice on this subject for consideration at their 1980 conference.
Contents
- Foreword
- Summary
- Recommendations
- Introduction
- Historical basis for the introduction of restitution programmes
- The revival of formalised restitution
- Problems of restitution as a disposition
- Evaluating restitution schemes: the problems
- Implementation of restitution schemes in Australia
- Conclusion
- Footnotes
- Note to Appendices
- Appendix I
- Canadian Corrections Association "Compensation to victims of crime and restitution by offenders"
- Appendix II
- Andy Duckworth
"Restitution: An analysis of the victim-offender relationship"
- Andy Duckworth
- Appendix III
- M.G. Josephs
"A summary of restitution and compensation orders for the period 1-1-1979 to 31-12-1979, Higher Criminal Courts of Victoria"
- M.G. Josephs
- Bibliography