NCJ Number
69038
Date Published
1973
Length
18 pages
Annotation
THE PERCEPTIONS OF THE ROLE OF CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCHERS ARE GIVEN AS FELT BY THE PUBLIC AT LARGE, BY RESEARCHERS' COLLEAGUES, BY MEMBERS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ESTABLISHMENT, AND BY THE RESEARCHERS THEMSELVES.
Abstract
FROM A CRIMINOLOGIST'S PERSPECTIVE, RESEARCHERS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS THEIR SUBJECTS (DEVIANTS AND OFFENDERS) ARE SEEN AS AMBIVALENT AND COMPLEX. MEMBERS OF THE SOCALLED NORMAL, OR STRAIGHT, SOCIETY, WHICH CREATES THE NORMS OF MORALITY AND LEGALITY, ACCUSE CRIMINOLOGISTS OF SYMPATHIZING OR EMPATHIZING TOO MUCH WITH THE DEVIANT INDIVIDUALS THEY ARE STUDYING, AND OF BLAMING SOCIETY, IMPLICITLY OR EXPLICITLY, FOR BEING THE CAUSE OF THE BEHAVIOR OF THOSE WHO DEVIATE FROM ITS NORMS. FOR INSTANCE, CRIMINOLOGISTS STUDYING DRUG ADDICTS ARE SUSPECTED OF BEING ON THEIR SIDE AGAINST THE POLICE AND THE AUTHORITIES. CRIMINOLOGISTS ARE SELDOM GIVEN CREDIT FOR BEING OBJECTIVE, BUT ARE ASSUMED TO BE AUTOMATICALLY ON THE SIDE OF DEVIANTS, TO REGARD THESE OFFENDERS AS THE UNDERDOGS WITHIN SOCIETY, AND TO PORTRAY THEM AS MORE SINNED AGAINST THAN SINNERS. POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES AND PREFERENCES ON THE CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCHERS' PART CANNOT, OF COURSE, ALWAYS BE RULED OUT AS INFLUENCING THEIR OPINIONS. ON THE OTHER HAND, POLITICIANS, POLICE, AND PRISON AUTHORITIES ARE CAUGHT IN A MESH OF CONSTRAINTS, LIES, AND COVER-UPS, ARE NOT FREE TO FRANKLY EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON THE DEVIANTS AND OFFENDERS UNDER THEIR CONTROL, AND ARE BOUND TO CHALLENGE THE LATTER'S CREDIBILITY WHEN THEY COMPLAIN OF ABUSES OF AUTHORITY AND PRISON CONDITIONS. THE MEMBERS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ESTABLISHMENT ARE COMPELLED TO SAY THAT PRISONERS' COMPLAINTS ARE UNFOUNDED, OR ARE ONE-SIDED AT BEST. CONSCIENTIOUS CRIMINOLOGISTS CAN ONLY TRY TO COMPROMISE WITH THEIR OWN BIASES AND IDEOLOGIES AND STRIVE FOR OBJECTIVITY. EVEN IF TOTAL OBJECTIVITY IS HUMANLY IMPOSSIBLE, THEY WILL AT LEAST AVOID GROSS DISTORTIONS OF THE TRUTH. --IN SPANISH.