Violence Against Women Bulletin: Future Expenses: A Necessary Component of Restitution

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NCVLI

Violence Against Women

N AT I O N A L C R I M E V I C T I M L AW I N ST I T U T E

P R OT E C T I N G , E N F O R C I N G & A DVA N C I N G V I C T I M S ’ R I G H T S Protec ting, Enforcing & Advancing V ic tims’ Right s

Meg Garvin, M.A., J.D., Executive Director Alison Wilkinson, J.D., Responding to Violence Against Women Project Director Sarah LeClair, J.D., Legal Publications Director

Bulletin May 2014

L E G A L P U B L I C AT I O N S P R O J E C T O F T H E N AT I O N A L C R I M E V I C T I M L AW I N S T I T U T E AT L E W I S & C L A R K L AW S C H O O L *

Future Expenses: A Necessary Component of Restitution Criminal restitution is an order directing a convicted offender to provide financial recompense to victims for the consequences of his or her criminal conduct. The right to restitution is provided for by state constitutions and statutes, as well as federal statutes.1 The modern practice of restitution arises out of a unique historical framework embodying compensatory and penological aims, including rehabilitation and deterrence.2 The “primary and overarching goal” of restitution is “to fully compensate these victims for their losses and to restore these victims to their original state of well-being.”3 If victims are to be made financially whole and restored to their original state of well-being, restitution must be forward-looking; expenses resulting from defendant’s criminal conduct that occur subsequent to the crime—even well into the future—must be included in restitution orders. As one court has observed, “[m]any, if not all, of the categories of loss compensable as direct restitution include losses that are incurred after the occurrence of the crime, and which may continue to be incurred for a substantial period of time following a restitution hearing.”4 Future losses that should be factored into a restitution award include, for example, losses to future income, and future medical and counseling costs. Ordering restitution for such future expenses not only helps restore the victim but helps to ensure that defendants “confront concretely, and take responsibility for, the entire harm resulting from their acts.”5

* View NCVLI’s other

legal publications at https://law.lclark. edu/centers/national_crime_victim_ law_institute/professional_resources/ ncvli_library/

When considering whether to order future expenses in restitution, jurisdictions tend to follow one of four approaches: 1) explicit provision for the recovery of either all or some future expenses in restitution laws6; 2) implicit incorporation of restitution for some future expenses by reference to civil standards of recovery that allow awards for future losses7; 3) in the absence of statutory authority, determine that at least some subset of forward-looking expenses is not recoverable in restitution8; or 4) in the absence of statutory authority, establish by case law that restitution is authorized for certain future expenses.9 Courts from many jurisdictions—including both those that have explicit statutory authority providing for future losses and those that do not—have held that restitution is appropriate for a range of future expenses, including future medical and mental health expenses,10 future lost income,11 future child support,12 and future moving expenses,13 among others.14

© 2014 National Crime Victim Law Institute


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