The state supreme court ranks restitution of crime victims as No. 36 on its list of funding priorities. Court costs, police training and a sheriff's retirement fund get money before victims of crimes. Beyond that, Missouri courts cannot order restitution after a criminal is released from probation. It is for this reason and others that more than half the Missouri crime victims who were entitled to restitution in 1999 got nothing.
Full restitution is mandatory in federal courts and is paid before all other costs.
At least 29 other states, including Kansas, have stronger laws providing restitution for victims of crimes. Missouri's criminal justice system should make justice for the victims of crime its top priority, not No. 36 on the list. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Information about our privacy policy , terms of use .