DATA DERIVE FROM INTERVIEWS WITH 50 FRENCH-SPEAKING ADULT CITIZENS OF QUEBEC SELECTED FOR DIVERSITY OF RESIDENCE, SEX, AGE, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, OCCUPATION, AND RACE, AND CLASSIFIED AS NORMAL CITIZENS, RECENT VICTIMS, OR EXPERTS. DATA ARE ANALYZED THROUGH IDENTIFICATION OF MAJOR THEMES AND OF ASSOCIATIONS AMONG DIFFERENT TYPES OF OPINIONS, COMPARISON WITH FINDINGS IN LITERATURE, AND ESTABLISHMENT OF A TYPOLOGY OF RESPONSES. FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT A CONSENSUS EXISTS ON THE VIOLENCE OF CERTAIN TRADITIONAL CRIMES (E.G., MURDER), BUT VARIES FOR OTHERS, AND THAT THE INTENTION OF THE OFFENDER AND THE CONSENT OF THE VICTIM ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT CRITERIA FOR JUDGING A CRIME'S VIOLENCE. ONLY RECENT VICTIMS OR VERY VIOLENT CRIMES EXPRESS FEAR OF VICTIMIZATION. MOREOVER, THE MOST VIOLENT CRIMES ARE REGARDED TO BE THE MOST SERIOUS, ALTHOUGH ELEMENTS SUCH AS OFFENDER INTENTIONS AND CHARACTER COLOR THIS JUDGMENT, AND THE SEVERITY OF PUNISHMENT IS AFFECTED BY SUCH FACTORS AS IMPROBABILITY OF RECIDIVISM RATHER THAN BY CRIME SERIOUSNESS. FURTHERMORE, THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS VIEWED AS BENEVOLENT BUT INEFFECTIVE, THE USE OF NONABUSIVE FORCE BY POLICE IS DEEMED ACCEPTABLE, AND POLICE HAVE A POSITIVE IMAGE, WHILE IMAGES OF THE COURTS AND THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM ARE STEREOTYPED AND NEGATIVE. THE POPULUS IS AWARE OF SUCH REALITIES AS THE INTIMIDATING POWER OF PENALTIES, BUT MOST CRIMES LIE OUTSIDE THE RANGE OF CONSCIOUSNESS OF NORMAL CITIZENS. AGE, SEX, AND LEVEL OF EDUCATION ALL AFFECT THE LEVEL OF CITIZEN TOLERANCE. FINALLY, CERTAIN METHODOLOGICAL FACTORS INFLUENCING ATTITUDES MUST BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, E.G., THE TENDENCY OF CURRENT EVENTS TO COLOR VIEWS, THE SCARCITY OF PUBLIC INFORMATION, AND THE MOTIVATIONS FOR CITIZENS' ATTITUDES ABOUT SUCH MATTERS AS CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. NEGLECTED RESEARCH AREAS ARE THE EFFECTS OF VICTIMIZATION ON ATTITUDES TOWARD CRIME AND THE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND THE INFLUENCE OF INFORMATION GAPS AND CITIZEN RESISTANCE. TABLES, INTERVIEW SAMPLES, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND APPENDIXES ARE SUPPLIED. --IN FRENCH. (KMD)