Public Opinion, Crime, and Criminal Justice (From Crime and Justice: A Review of Research, V 16, P 99-180, 1992, Michael Tonry, ed. -- See NCJ-140392)

• NCJ Number: 140395
• Author(s): J V Roberts
• Date Published: 1992
• Length: 82 pages
• Sale Source: University of Chicago Press
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This essay provides a general introduction to polling and academic research on public opinion concerning criminal justice.

Abstract

Historical analyses are presented, where appropriate, but the emphasis is on recent research. Before reviewing research on public attitudes toward crime and criminal justice, the author discusses the methods that have been used to measure public attitudes and identifies some of the problems and caveats that should be considered when examining the research findings. The research reviewed indicates that the public knows little about crime or the criminal justice system, including crime-related statistics such as crime rates, recidivism rates, and average sentences. Members of the public have little familiarity with specific laws or with their legal rights. Although some research shows that most people favor the imposition of harsher sentences on convicted offenders, more refined research reveals that the public is not more punitive than the judiciary. Research on crime seriousness reveals substantial consensus between different groups and over time. Policymakers and criminal justice professionals believe attitudes to be harsher than they are. The essay argues that a priority for the criminal justice system is to dispel misperceptions of crime held by the public and misperceptions of public attitudes held by professionals and policymakers. 298 references