IIRC, some states actually do that. While the convicted works in prison, part of their wage is given to the surviving family. Not sure honestly. Then once their time is served(assuming they don't have a life sentence)and they get into the workplace, their wages are garnished until the reparations are deemed complete. Though the way the court systems work, that would take the whole of someones' natural life.(assuming they don't have a "rainy day" fund). Then again, this assumes that the inmate doesn't fall of the radar, or go on the lamb/flee to a country where the US has no jurisdiction(I hear Guam is the go to place to disappear apparently)  Long ago, I saw a movie-mentary about it(it was ages ago). A guy raped and murdered a young woman(I think) and rather than locking the man up, the judge decreed that the man would pay reparations for the rest of his life. IIRC, it was to the tune of a mil. I might have gotten it totally wrong as I'm going off my fragmented memory. And granted it was a movie-mentary, so I'm sure a lot of stuff was probably left out.  Here's something to noodle on though, say if such a thing was done, what happens if the inmate dies(from natural causes of otherwise)? Does it pass to their relatives? If it did, that would kind of be a tad flawed. But in this day and age of legal systems(at least in the US) I wouldn't put it past the prosecutors.