What phrase describes the practice of ensuring that offenders compensate victims for losses?

The phrase that accurately describes the practice of ensuring that offenders compensate victims for losses is restitution. Restitution refers specifically to the act of restoring or compensating for injury, loss, or damage. In the context of the criminal justice system, it usually involves offenders paying monetary damages to victims as a form of compensation for the harm caused by their actions. This concept aims to make victims whole again to the extent possible by relieving them of financial burdens resulting from the crime.

Reparation, while conceptually similar, is generally broader and can encompass various forms of compensation and restoration beyond monetary payments, which may not strictly focus on victim compensation. Retribution refers to punishment rather than compensation and is based on the principle of giving offenders their just desserts for their actions. Reintegration concerns the process of reintegrating offenders into society after serving their time but does not explicitly involve compensation to victims.