NCJ Number
54503
Date Published
1976
Length
71 pages
Annotation
RESULTS ARE REPORTED FROM A PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY TO DETERMINE THE ATTITUDES OF MAINE CITIZENS TOWARD CRIME AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
Abstract
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE SURVEY, WHICH CONSISTED OF 742 PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, WERE AS FOLLOWS: (1) TO MEASURE THE PUBLIC'S CONCERN ABOUT CRIME, COMPARED TO OTHER MAJOR PROBLEMS; (2) TO DETERMINE THE PUBLIC'S PRIORITIES WITH RESPECT TO CRIME AND CRIME PREVENTION; (3) TO MEASURE THE PUBLIC'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND ITS PROBLEMS; (4) TO MEASURE THE DEGREE OF PUBLIC WILLINGNESS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL TAX RESOURCES TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND SPECIFY THE PRIORITIES WITHIN THE SYSTEM; (5) TO DETERMINE WHICH TYPES OF CRIME THE PUBLIC BELIEVES SHOULD RECEIVE THE MOST ATTENTION FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM; AND (6) TO DETERMINE THE WILLINGNESS OF THE PUBLIC TO BECOME INVOLVED WITH CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING. A MULTISTAGE STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLING PROCEDURE WAS USED; THE LEVELS OF STRATIFICATION WERE THREE REGIONS COMPOSED OF A NUMBER OF COUNTIES, ROUGHLY REPRESENTING THE SOUTHERN, CENTRAL, AND NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE. RESPONSES TO 'OPEN-ENDED' QUESTIONS (THE PARTICIPANT WAS ASKED TO RESPOND IN HIS OWN WORDS WITHOUT BEING PROVIDED A STRUCTURE OF CHOICES) SHOW THAT CITIZENS BELIEVE JUVENILE CRIME TO BE A SIGNIFICANT LOCAL PROBLEM, PARTICULARLY DRUG ABUSE AND VANDALISM. THE CAUSES ARE PERCEIVED TO BE LACK OF PARENTAL SUPERVISION AND A SPARSITY OF CONSTRUCTIVE RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR YOUTH IN THE COMMUNITY. SURVEYS QUESTIONS ARE INCLUDED, AND DATA DERIVED FROM THE RESPONSES ARE PRESENTED. A SUMMARY OF FINDINGS IS PROVIDED FOR EACH OF 42 MAJOR TOPICS CONSIDERED IN THE SURVEY. (RCB)