California Inmate Restitution Increases with New Law |PRISONS|
Submitted by dan.
on 2007-04-25 22:19.
A state fund that benefits crime victims should be getting several million dollars more from criminals each year because of a law that takes more money from prison inmates, corrections officials said on Monday. Prisons now collect half of every dollar each inmate earns or receives from outsiders and put it into a restitution fund. The percentage increased from 40 percent under a law that took effect Jan. 1. Prison officials timed Monday's announcement to the start of Crime Victims' Rights Week.
The law also requires the state to seize the money automatically, without waiting for victims to file claims. Previously, only about 19 percent of victims filed claims. In addition, the department is collecting the money from the moment inmates arrive in a reception center, instead of waiting until they get to prison... . The percentage has increased steadily since 1992, when it was first set at 20 percent of inmates' income. Legislators increased collections to 30 percent in 2003 and to 40 percent in 2005. Restitution is an important idea. The question here is whether the increase is in fact a restorative response to the needs of victims and capacities of offenders, or is instead a retributive response to offenders. Clues to this are that the restitution is taken automatically, that the percentage has increased steadily, and that it will be collected whether victims file claims or not. |
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