Audit Objective
Determine whether the Jefferson County (County) Probation Department (Department) officials enforced restitution orders, notified the court when a probationer violated the court order and disbursed victim restitution payments promptly and appropriately.
Key Findings
Department officials did not always properly enforce restitution orders or notify the court when a probationer violated the court order. As a result, some victims may not receive the payments to which they are entitled.
- Officials did not establish adequate policies and procedures to enforce and monitor restitution obligations.
- The Department retained $18,589 in restitution that could have been used to pay victims with unsatisfied orders: some of the money was collected between seven and 27 years ago.
- The Department cannot account for $1,879 that was deposited in the restitution account.
In addition, officials did not maintain an accurate list of unsatisfied restitution orders, make undisbursed restitution payments or maintain sufficient undisbursed restitution records.
Key Recommendations
- Establish adequate policies and procedures for enforcing and monitoring restitution obligations.
- Provide meaningful oversight.
- Enforce and monitor restitution according to court orders and Department policies and procedures.
County officials agreed with our recommendations and indicated they will take corrective action. Appendix B includes our comment to the County’s response.