FEAR OF CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION AND ATTITUDES TOWARD CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES AND PRACTICES - A COMPARATIVE STUDY AMONG ELDERLY

• NCJ Number: 38899
• Author(s): R A SUNDEEN
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PAPER PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY, TUCSON, ARIZONA, NOVEMBER 4-6, 1976

Annotation

COMPARISON OF THE ATTITUDINAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TWO GROUPS OF ELDERLY - ONE RELATIVELY POOR AND LIVING IN URBAN, HIGH CRIME THREAT AREAS, THE OTHER MORE AFFLUENT AND LIVING IN A SUBURBAN, LOW CRIME THREAT AREA.

Abstract

A TOTAL OF 134 PERSONS FROM FOUR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITIES WERE INTERVIEWED. RESPONDENTS WERE ASKED TO RATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF POLICE, COURTS, PRISONS, AND PAROLE IN CARRYING OUT THEIR RESPECTIVE DUTIES, TO STATE THE PURPOSE OF PRISONS, AND TO PROVIDE THEIR PREFERED LENGTH OF SENTENCE FOR SIX CRIMINAL OFFENSES. THE SUBURBAN, RETIREMENT SAMPLE RATED THE POLICE, PRISONS, AND PAROLE HIGHER THAN THE URBAN SAMPLE, WHILE THE RATING OF THE COURTS WAS VIRTUALLY THE SAME. THE GREATEST DIFFERENCES IN EFFECTIVENESS SCORES WERE FOR PRISONS. THE SUBURBAN RESIDENTS WAS MORE SATISFIED AND THE URBAN LESSER SATISFIED WITH THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. APPARENTLY, LOWER STATUS GROUPS RESIDING IN AN AREA STATUS GROUP, FACING A HIGHER CRIME THREAT AND BEING MORE CRITICAL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES, ESPECIALLY THE CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS, WAS MORE PUNITIVE AND LESS REHABILITATIVE IN ITS PERCEPTION OF WHAT PRISONS SHOULD BE DOING WITH OFFENDERS. THE URBAN GROUP ALSO HAD HIGHER SEVERITY OF SENTENCE SCORES FOR FOUR OFFENSES - RAPE, ARMED ROBBERY, AUTO THEFT, AND DRUG POSSESSION. THE MEAN SCORES FOR MURDER WERE VIRTUALLY THE SAME BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS, AS WERE THE SCORES FOR PROSTITUTION.