NCJ Number
87640
Journal
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology Volume: 15 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1982) Pages: 219-234
Date Published
1982
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Results of a survey on crime penalties of 278 Western Australians showed much variance, even when the crimes were defined as violent or very serious.
Abstract
The respondents completed questions asking them to suggest penalties for 27 'crime vignettes' based on a cross cultural study by Scott and Althakeb (1977). A moral indignation score (average number of days in jail) was then calculated and compared to other factors such as information about criminal justice, general punitive or nonpunitive attitude, and demographic factors such as location, sex, age, marital status, education, political status, etc. The sample produced scores (averaged for all crimes) higher than for other comparable data. Nonpunitive and punitive groups were highly correlated with moral indignation. Information, while statistically significant, was not a useful predictor of the moral indignation score. Assumed penalties also were not a useful predictor of attitude or moral indignation. On the average, assumed penalties were half the suggested penalty. The high degree of variance was found except for those crimes defined as victimless (suicide, prostitution, homosexuality), where the suggested penalty was predominantly no penalty. Study data and 29 references are provided. (Author abstract modified)