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DETERRENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF LEGAL PUNISHMENTS

NCJ Number
55271
Author(s)
K R WILLIAMS
Date Published
1977
Length
198 pages
Annotation
DATA FROM INTERVIEWS WITH 2,400 TUCSON, ARIZ., RESIDENTS ARE ANALYZED IN A STUDY OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OFFICIAL CRIME RATES AND PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF LEGAL PUNISHMENTS.
Abstract
THE INTERVIEW DATA REFLECT TWO ASPECTS OF PERCEPTIONS OF LEGAL PUNISHMENTS FOR 19 DIFFERENT CRIMES: (1) THE APPLICABILITY OF A GIVEN PUNISHMENT (E.G., FINE, PROBATION, JAIL, IMPRISONMENT) FOR A GIVEN CRIME UNDER ARIZONA LAW AND (2) THE MAXIMUM FINE, PROBATION PERIOD, OR JAIL OR PRISON TERM FOR THE CRIME. RESPONDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF BOTH APPLICABILITY AND MAXIMUMS ARE SOMEWHAT, ALTHOUGH NOT ENTIRELY, ACCURATE. HOWEVER, RATHER THAN INDICATING ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE ARIZONA CRIMINAL CODE, PERCEPTIONS OF APPLICABILITY AND MAXIMUMS MAY REFLECT THE DEGREE TO WHICH RESPONDENTS CONDEMN SOME TYPES OF CRIMES MORE THAN OTHERS. A COMPARISON OF SURVEY FINDINGS WITH OFFICIAL CRIME RATES SHOWS THAT ACCURACY OF PERCEPTION (FOR BOTH APPLICABILITY AND MAXIMUMS) IS NOT RELATED TO CRIME RATES, ALTHOUGH THERE IS EVIDENCE OF A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEPTIONS (ACCURATE OR INACCURATE) AND CRIME RATES. SUCH FINDINGS SUPPORT A PURELY PERCEPTUAL VERSION OF THE DETERRENCE DOCTRINE; I.E., THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE MAY BE DETERRED FROM COMMITTING CRIMES BY THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF LEGAL PUNISHMENTS REGARDLESS OF THE ACCURACY OF THEIR PERCEPTIONS. IT MAY BE THAT THE OBJECTIVE PROPERTIES OF LEGAL PUNISHMENTS AND THE ACCURACY OF PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF THOSE PROPERTIES ARE IRRELEVANT IN TESTING THE VALIDITY OF THE DETERRENCE DOCTRINE. THESE AND OTHER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)

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