Utah Should Adopt a Law Allowing Courts to Apply Cash Bail Toward Restitution

Utah’s restitution laws are not effective. Too many victims are not fully compensated for their losses following a crime. Many states allow courts to require defendants to pay cash bail and to apply cash bail toward restitution. Utah should adopt a similar law to improve the collection of court-ordered restitution. This Note analyzes Utah’s current restitution process and identifies its weaknesses. Then it proposes a cash bail plan to improve the collection of restitution. Finally, it examines potential problems to having a cash bail system and how Utah can avoid those problems to create a successful restitution collection system