More than a third of Washington victims don’t receive full restitution

TACOMA — An investigation into restitution payments has found that more than a third of victims in Washington are not being fully paid, and criminals who don’t pay victims rarely face serious consequences.

KOMO-TV reported Pierce County clerk’s office employee, Dan Bohnett, says the problem is partly due to a lack in funding as the budget no longer allows the county to enforce up to 10,000 new restitution cases each year.

Enforcement was transferred from the state to counties in 2003, and some counties have struggled to afford reviewing employment records and putting those who fail to pay in jail.

In Snohomish County, there are more than 22,000 open restitution cases, including those involving payments to victims. Only 4 percent of people in the county pay restitution within a year.