Public opinion and criminal justice / edited by Jane L. Wood and Theresa A. Gannon.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Wood, Jane L.

Gannon, Theresa A.

Lipman Criminology Library Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Criminal justice, Administration of--Great Britain--Public opinion.

Criminal justice, Administration of.

Criminal law--Great Britain--Public opinion.

Criminal law.

Public opinion--Great Britain.

Public opinion.

Great Britain.

Physical Description:

xix, 252 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Cullompton, UK ; Portland, Or. : Willan, 2009.

Summary:

Public opinion is vital to the functioning of the criminal justice system but it is not at all clear how best to establish what this is, and what views people have on different aspects of criminal justice and the criminal justice system. Politicians and the media often assume that the public wants harsher, tougher and longer sentences, and policies may be shaped accordingly. Detailed research and more specific polling often tells a different story.

This book is concerned to shed further light on the nature of public views on criminal justice, paying particular attention to public opinion towards specific types of offenders, such as sex offenders and mentally disordered offenders. It seeks to identify the consistencies in people's attitudes and opinions regarding justice, how these feed into the formation of public opinion and its subsequent impact on the justice process.

This book challenges many enduring assumptions regarding people's views on justice, and confronts the myths that infect our understanding of what people think about the criminal justice system. It will be essential reading for policy-makers, students, researchers and others with an interest in this increasingly important subject.

Contents:

Part 1 Public Opinion: Its Formation and Function

1 The psychology of attitudes and persuasion / Gerd Bohner, Michaela Wanke 3

2 Why public opinion of the criminal justice system is important / Jane Wood 33

3 What shapes public opinion of the criminal justice system? / Jacqueline M. Gray 49

4 The myth of public support for capital punishment / Francis T. Cullen, James D. Unnever, Kristie R. Blevins, Jennifer A. Pealer, Shannon A. Santana, Bonnie S. Fisher, Brandon K. Applegate 73

5 Achieving accurate assessment of attitudes toward the criminal justice system: methodological issues / G. Tendayi Viki, Gerd Bohner 96

Part 2 Public Opinion: Victims and Offenders

6 The typical rape: factors affecting victims' decision to report / Margaret Wilson, Angela Scholes 123

7 Attitudes towards victims of crime: a double-edged sword? / Elizabeth Gilchrist 145

8 Public attitudes towards offending, offenders and reintegration / Natalie Reynolds, Leam A. Craig, Douglas P. Boer 166

9 Attitudes towards sexual offenders and their rehabilitation: a special case? / Sarah Brown 187

10 Stigma and offenders with mental illness / Patrick W. Corrigan, Jessica L. Walton 214.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Lipman Criminology Library Fund.

ISBN:

9781843924012

1843924013

1843924005

9781843924005

OCLC:

191927452