California Opinion Poll: Public Attitudes on Youth Crime

• NCJ Number: 115272
• Author(s): D Steinhart
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 7 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Edna McConnell Clark Foundation; National Council on Crime and Delinquency; James Irvine Foundation
• Corporate Author: Carter Ctr
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: From the December 1988 issue of 'Focus.'

Annotation

California has some of the toughest youth sentencing policies in the Nation. To obtain information on public attitudes that might reinforce these sentencing policies, a telephone poll of 1,109 California adults was conducted during the week of October 10-16, 1988.

Abstract

The public overwhelmingly supported the juvenile justice system as separate from the adult system, with rehabilitation as its primary goal. There was also strong support for separating juvenile from adult offenders in confinement as well as for having a sentencing scheme for juveniles different from that for adults. There was a strong preference for sentencing juveniles to specialized treatment and counseling programs in lieu of incarceration, even for repeat serious offenders. Strong support was evidenced for educational, vocational, and drug treatment programs for young offenders. Moderate support was expressed for expenditures for constructing new youth facilities to relieve overcrowding. There were significant gaps in the public's comprehension of fundamental facts relating to youth crime and the California juvenile justice system. 8 tables.