The Imposition of Restitution in Federal Criminal Cases

This article proposes a four-step analysis to help probation officers determine the victims of, and compensable losses incurred from, an offense for restitution purposes. Those steps involve 1) the determination of whether restitution is mandatory or discretionary, 2) the identification of victims of the offense, 3) the determination of victims' harms caused by the offense, and 4) the determination of which of those harms are compensable as restitution.