Victim restitution (sometimes referred to as a restitution order) is different from general restitution (which is also referred to as a restitution fine). The difference between the two is that victim compensation is money that the defendant pays directly to the victim for his/her wrongdoing. A restitution fine, though, is money that a criminal defendant pays in every case to the state’s Restitution Fund – which helps support the California Victims Compensation Fund.