Restitution is most often ordered in cases of property crime but also may be used to reimburse violent crime victims for expenses related to their recovery and to make up for loss of support for homicide victim survivors. Other cases in which restitution is ordered include theft of services, fraud, forgery, and vehicle and traffic law violations. This bulletin explains that restitution is not a punishment or an alternative to offender fines, sanctions, and interventions; rather, it is a debt owed to victims. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172825); OVC.
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn16.pdf