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Public Attitudes Toward the Criminal Justice System in Five Countries: Canada, United States, Holland, Australia, and Great Britian

NCJ Number
124110
Journal
Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: 1990 Pages: 28-32
Editor(s)
F. J. Porporino, C. Tellier
Date Published
1990
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This paper summarizes interesting research on public attitudes in different countries and highlights the major findings without attempting a detailed comparative analysis.
Abstract
A study by Yves Brillon looked at the general public attitudes of Canadians toward crime. The survey results showed that the public considers a variety of factors in their perceptions of the appropriateness of sanctions. Most people had dangerous criminals in mind when they answered the questions, leading the authors to conclude that the data gathered by the survey as with many other public surveys, overestimates the punitiveness of the population. A survey undertaken in Maryland sought to evaluate the perceived seriousness of different offenses across various groups of individuals. The authors of this survey found that the majority of the sample were interested in corrections issues, that they were aware of major problems facing the State correctional system, and they followed the issues regularly. The public also had strong opinions concerning the proper goals of the correctional system. They were not especially punitive, they stressed more utilitarian goals, such as rehabilitation, deterrence, and incapacitation. A national survey was conducted in Holland in 1975 by the Research and Documentation Center of The Ministry of Justice. The results showed a continuing support for a Dutch criminal policy that emphasizes both preventive and repressive measures. In 1986, a survey was commissioned in Australia to ask the public to determine an appropriate sentence for each of thirteen types of offenses. The authors of the survey were surprised to find a diversity of opinions regarding sentencing which indicated a high level of sophistication in public attitudes about crime and punishment. The findings showed that many Australians support non-custodial alternatives to imprisonment. A survey in England and Wales gave support to the belief that the English public generally supports sentences for common crimes. These profiles of the five countries suggest that people everywhere wish to contribute to the evolution of community and institutional corrections. The public is also less punitive and optimistic about offender rehabilitation. One of the more startling findings was that correctional policy makers underestimate the progressive views currently among the public. (Publishers abstract modified)