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Adult Probation seeks budget to expand restitution and victim services after auditors find gaps in pre-sentence victim data
Summary
Adult Probation proposed a survivor restitution and offender accountability program after the department reported 80% of pre-sentence reports lack victim input; officials and advocates urged budget support for restitution specialists, forensic accounting and in-office social work to increase compensation and services for crime victims.
President David Chu opened a hearing to examine services for victims of violent crime whose perpetrators are supervised by the Adult Probation Department (APD). APD and advocates described gaps in pre-sentence investigations, restitution collection and victim supports and asked the committee to consider new staffing and budgetary measures.
APD explained it supervises roughly 4,800 people and conservatively estimates more than 1,000 identified victims tied to violence-related probation cases; when secondary victims (children, family) are included APD said the number could grow to several thousand. APD reported that approximately 80% of pre-sentence reports lack victim impact input and therefore often produce low-value "general" restitution orders (the department cited an average general order of about $200). APD said that short timelines (about two and a half weeks to produce a pre-sentence report) and lack of dedicated victim-assistance resources prevent thorough damage assessments and reduce victims' ability to secure direct orders against the specific offender.
To address the gap APD proposed a Survivor Restitution and Offender Accountability Program that would: deploy restitution specialists to assemble forensic accounting and victim-impact evidence before sentencing; create restitution work crews or a fund to channel offender payments to victims; and expand trauma-informed services for offenders to reduce recidivism. APD said better front-end investigation and ongoing enforcement could materially increase restitution captured for victims.
The District Attorney's Office supported the concept of "parallel justice," urging investment in victim services after noting their office served nearly 6,000 victims last year (about 90% victims of violent crime) with a small advocate staff. The DA asked for a social worker embedded in the victim services unit and a housing specialist to help victims who face emergency relocation or housing instability. Survivor-service groups (La Casa de las Madres, Domestic Violence Consortium) and victim advocates urged the committee to quantify uncollected restitution as a first budgeting step.
Whatnext: Committee members expressed strong interest and asked APD, the DA's office and partner agencies to return with cost estimates and data showing the size of uncollected restitution to inform budget committee decisions.
