Oregon Department of Justice

Restitution Pilot Project

In a criminal trial a judge may order an offender to pay restitution (a sum of money to help cover the cost of the damage they have caused) to the people they have harmed.

Passed in the 2011 legislative session and effective August 2, 2011, House Bill 3066 creates an innovative pilot program to improve restitution efforts around the state.

When implemented, the project will yield these important results:

• More crime victims will receive the financial support they are promised and often desperately need.

• More offenders will be held accountable for their actions.

• More money will be returned to the General Fund.

House Bill 3066 establishes a competitive grant program that will make grant awards to five District Attorney’s offices or regional collaboration of DA offices throughout the state. The grants must fund at least a 0.5 FTE restitution clerk in the DA’s office to value victim losses and prepare information for the DA to present to the court. The grantees will also be required to establish Memoranda of Understanding with their local court and community corrections agencies in order to ensure a coordinated county effort in the ordering and collection of restitution.

The legislation also allows DOJ’s Crime Victims’ Services Division to hire five Collection Agents to be outstationed in the counties receiving the Restitution Pilot Grants. The Collection Agents will work closely with the DA’s office, court and community corrections offices and offenders ordered to pay restitution to ensure the entire criminal money judgments are paid in full.

Restitution Pilot Program Grant Application tentative timeline:

If you have questions or need more information, please contact Cynthia Stinson or Rebecca Shaw at 503-378-5348