TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessing the impact of statutory change
T2 - A statewide multilevel analysis of restitution orders in Pennsylvania
AU - Ruback, R. Barry
AU - Ruth, Gretchen R.
AU - Shaffer, Jennifer N.
PY - 2005/7/1
Y1 - 2005/7/1
N2 - This research analyzed decisions in 170,260 restitution-eligible cases in Pennsylvania from 1990 to 1998 to infer the policies underlying the imposition of restitution when it was discretionary and to assess whether a 1995 statutory change making restitution mandatory changed those policies. Multilevel analyses of restitution decisions from the 1990-1994 prestatutory change period suggested that judges considered restitution to be both a victim-focused sanction, in that restitution was ordered more for offenders who committed more serious crimes and for property offenders (whose crimes could be more easily quantified), and an offender-focused sanction, in that restitution was ordered more for offenders who pleaded guilty, offenders with no prior record, White offenders, and female offenders. The statutory change increased the proportion of restitution orders statewide from 1996 to 1998. Moreover, it appeared to meet the policy goal of greater focus on victims.
AB - This research analyzed decisions in 170,260 restitution-eligible cases in Pennsylvania from 1990 to 1998 to infer the policies underlying the imposition of restitution when it was discretionary and to assess whether a 1995 statutory change making restitution mandatory changed those policies. Multilevel analyses of restitution decisions from the 1990-1994 prestatutory change period suggested that judges considered restitution to be both a victim-focused sanction, in that restitution was ordered more for offenders who committed more serious crimes and for property offenders (whose crimes could be more easily quantified), and an offender-focused sanction, in that restitution was ordered more for offenders who pleaded guilty, offenders with no prior record, White offenders, and female offenders. The statutory change increased the proportion of restitution orders statewide from 1996 to 1998. Moreover, it appeared to meet the policy goal of greater focus on victims.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=20744454427&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=20744454427&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0011128704269108
DO - 10.1177/0011128704269108
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:20744454427
SN - 0011-1287
VL - 51
SP - 318
EP - 342
JO - Crime and Delinquency
JF - Crime and Delinquency
IS - 3
ER -
