NCJ Number
79709
Journal
Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 13 Issue: 3 Dated: (March 1981) Pages: 85-95
Date Published
1981
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Based largely upon an Australian survey, the public's view of corrections as a symbolic social drama is discussed.
Abstract
A survey was conducted in Sydney, Australia, for the purpose of exploring people's perceptions of 'evil' in the contemporary world. Respondents consisted of a sample of 1,002 persons over 18 years old, representative of age and occupational status groupings. Preliminary results show that perpetrators of physical violence are deemed the most 'evil,' with particularly brutal violence viewed as the most 'evil.' Respondents slightly overstated the proportion of the prison population committed for violent offenses. Few distinguished between the degree of threat posed by individual inmates, indicating the inmates as a whole symbolize a uniform 'evil' threat to law-abiding citizens. About two of every three respondents believed no one was inappropriately imprisoned. The findings of the survey support the theory that the prison system provides an instrumental social drama, whereby citizens reaffirm social solidarity and enhance individual and collective moral worth. The public apparently finds some satisfaction in viewing prisons as the containers of 'evil,' so that those outside of prison are 'good' and also safe from those in prison. This prevalent public view of inmates and prisons fails to provide support for corrections policy that individualizes inmate treatment and encourages appropriate prisoner access to the community. The development of alternatives to imprisonment may help to combat the public image of offenders as 'prisoners' and therefore 'evil.' Tabular data from the survey are provided.