Research Note: Punish and Rehabilitate? Public Attitudes Toward Six Common Crimes

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Abstract
Opinion polls show increasing punitiveness among the public toward criminals. However, methodological issues raise questions about the use of such polls in developing public policy. To provide a more accurate description of attitudes toward crime, a telephone survey of 397 adults was conducted in which punitive and rehabilitative sentiments toward six common crimes were examined. Respondents expressed a strong punishment orientation toward all six offenses, this punitiveness being relatively uniform across a variety of demographic and attitudinal subpopulations within the sample. However, strong support was also expressed for rehabilitative programs, particularly among the young, poor, and minority populations.