Criminal Justice Professionals' Attitudes Towards Offenders: Assessing the Link Between Global Orientations and Specific Attributions

• NCJ Number: 238740
• Author(s): Dale Willits M.A.; Lisa Broidy Ph.D.; Christopher Lyons Ph.D.; Ashley Gonzales B.A.
• Date Published: November 2011
• Length: 12 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2009-BJ-CX-K04
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Justice Programs (OJP)
• Sale Source: New Mexico Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Ctr
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined factors that affect criminal justice professionals' perceptions and attitudes towards offenders.

Abstract

This study found that criminal justice professionals believed that male offenders were more likely to recidivate than female offenders, offenders with some college education were less likely to recidivate than offenders who had not finished high school, and offenders with three or more prior arrests for violent crimes were more likely to recidivate. The study also found that criminal justice professionals with advanced educational degrees believed that offenders were more likely to recidivate than professionals with only a high school diploma, that professionals with liberal viewpoints believed that offenders were likely to recidivate than professionals with moderate or conservative viewpoints, and professionals who believed that the offenders they worked with were very dangerous were more likely to believe that the offenders would recidivate. Lastly, the study found that offenders who had contact with their children while incarcerated were viewed as less likely to recidivate than offenders who did not have children, and that offenders charged with a property offense were less likely to recidivate compared to offenders charged with a violent crime. This study examined the factors that affect criminal justice professionals' perceptions and attitudes towards offenders. Data for the study were obtained from survey results of 407 correctional workers at 9 correctional facilities in New Mexico. Regression analyses were used to examine how the following factors affected the workers' perceptions and attitudes towards offenders: 1) offender characteristics, 2) importation variables, 3) institutional variables, and 4) all factors combined. The findings indicate that while institutional and importation variables are important to correctional workers' attitudes and perceptions, offender characteristics are central to the view that workers have of offenders' chances at successful rehabilitation. Policy implications are discussed. 7 tables