The results found that persons previously incarcerated did not possess a greater knowledge of the criminal justice system, despite their increased experience. Their attitude, however, was significantly more negative than first time prisoners or nonprisoners. Those young persons with no prior incarceration demonstrated a better understanding and a significantly more positive attitude towards their human rights than either of the two offender groups studied. The study indicates that the current level of understanding and attitudes of young offenders about the criminal justice system and their human rights suggests that they may be limited in their capacity to make informed decisions regarding active participation. Knowledge and attitudes were measured using a 120-item questionnaire that was administered to 140 young offenders in 3 groups: those incarcerated for the first time; young offenders incarcerated more than once; and a control group of nonincarcerated young people. The voluntary participants, all male, were sent these questionnaires, with the incarceration groups selected from three prisons in the United Kingdom, and the control group selected from a secondary school in the United Kingdom and the University of Kent. The questionnaire was divided into three sections: the courts and police; the court personnel; and human rights that related to the criminal justice process. References