Making Restitution More than an Empty Promise |CITY|

Submitted by dan. on 2007-04-06 21:07.
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Only one-third of restitution owed to crime victims is actually collected. House Corrections Committee Chairman Jerry Madden (R-Plano) is filing a constitutional amendment to allow Texas judges to order the garnishment of an offender's wages to pay restitution. Currently, the Texas Constitution only permits garnishment for child support, but restitution to crime victims is equally important.

Texas can also strengthen restitution for crime victims by linking the funding of probation departments to their restitution collections. Not all departments report their collections to the state.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation, based on our research, has recommended to the Corrections Committee that 5 percent of basic adult probation funding be tied to restitution collections so that departments receive 9.4 cents for every dollar in restitution they collect. Such performance-based funding will encourage departments to maximize their efforts in collecting restitution, which should include assisting offenders with finding work and effectively managing their finances.

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