Public Opinion and Criminal Justice


Book Description

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. In doing so it 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.




Document Retrieval Index


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Public Attitudes about Crime


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Criminal Victimisation in International Perspective


Book Description

This report presents the key findings of the 2004/2005 International Crime Victims Survey (ICVS) together with the results of the European Survey on Crime and Safety (EU ICS). The surveys cover 30 countries and 33 capital or main cities. Where appropriate, the results are compared with those of the four earlier ICVS surveys, conducted in 1989, 1992, 1996 and 2000. The report presents data from the following 30 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, England & Wales, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA. Also data from 33 main cities of a selection of developed and developing countries are presented including cities from Argentina, Brazil, Peru, South Africa, Hong Kong-China and Cambodia. The report shows how individual countries and cities compare with each other in relation to crime victimisation rates for ten types of common crimes including car theft, household burglary, robbery, assaults and sexual offences. Where possible, comparisons are also made regarding trends in crime over time in various countries. Besides, the levels of some non-conventional crimes such as corruption, internetbased fraud and hate crimes are addressed as well. The report also gives information on related topics such as reporting to the police, fear of crime, crime prevention measures and opinions about the police and sentencing.




Out-of-Control Criminal Justice


Book Description

This book shows how to reduce out-of-control criminal justice and create greater public safety, justice, and accountability at less cost.