The five chapters of Part 1 review existing research on the formation and function of public opinion. Chapter 1 introduces key concepts regarding the social psychology of how people form their attitudes. Chapter 2 focuses on why public opinion is important to the criminal justice system; and chapter 3 examines evidence that helps explain which members of the public are likely to hold certain opinions about the justice system. Factors such as conservatism, religiosity, just-world beliefs, and a philosophical belief in free are examined as factors that can influence the formation of opinions about the criminal justice system. Chapter 4 addresses public opinion on capital punishment. This chapter uses recent research and data from a national survey in America in showing that even in countries that use capital punishment, public opinion does not necessarily favor it. Chapter 5 presents a critical evaluation of the research methodology used to assess public opinion of the criminal justice system. Part 2 contains five chapters that examine specific aspects of public opinion. Chapter 6 considers public opinion of the criminal justice system from the crime victim’s perspective by analyzing how victims’ perceptions of the justice system influence their decision about whether to report their victimization. Other chapters in Part 2 address public attitudes toward crime victims; toward offending, offenders, and offender reintegration into the community; toward sexual offenders and their rehabilitation; and toward offenders with mental illness. Chapter references and a subject index