NCJ Number
135982
Date Published
1991
Length
111 pages
Annotation
This survey of 432 Delaware citizens analyzes public attitudes on topics of crime and punishment. The Public Agenda Foundation conducted public opinion research on issues of corrections, intermediate sanctions, and alternatives to incarceration.
Abstract
Delawareans representing a cross-section of the population attended sessions where their views were assessed before and after an educational discussion. Using questionnaires, the representatives sentenced 23 offenders, with crimes ranging in severity, to either jail or probation. After watching a video on alternatives to prison and meeting in small groups with a moderator, they responded to a second questionnaire sentencing the same hypothetical cases. In the first questionnaire, only two sentencing options were given; the majority of respondents wanted to incarcerate the offenders. Support for alternatives was demonstrated in the second questionnaire after the respondents had their educational session. Though using alternatives would be less expensive, this was a secondary consideration. The group felt alternatives would be better for the community and would offer a better chance for rehabilitation. Community service, boot camp, and restitution were popular choices for alternatives to prisons. Each involved a work component that appealed to the respondents. The consensus of opinion was, however, that violent offenders need to be incarcerated. 9 charts and 53 tables