NCJ Number
164900
Journal
Australian Psychologist Volume: 29 Issue: 2 Dated: (July 1994) Pages: 140-144
Date Published
1994
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Offenders' perceptions of sentencing solicited in the current Australian study reported in this paper are compared with the results of previous work on public and judicial perceptions of sentencing (Indermaur, 1990).
Abstract
In the current study, 53 offenders (40 inmates and 13 offenders serving noncustodial orders) were interviewed by the author between May and September 1992. Public opinion responses obtained in a previous study involved personal interviews with a random sample of Perth residents in 1989. The questionnaire used in the public survey was also administered in 1989 and 1990 to six judges of the Supreme Court of Western Australia, nine judges of the District Court of Western Australia, and two stipendiary magistrates. Findings show that although rehabilitation as the primary function of sentencing is favored by offenders and judges, it has fallen out of favor with the general public. Judges favor rehabilitation, but the correctional system is primarily concerned with supervision, control, and custody, not with rehabilitation. Approximately half of the offenders interviewed reported they did not feel guilty about any of the offenses they had committed. These findings suggest the need for a closer look at the links between offender psychology, sentencing, and corrections. Many offenders continue to view themselves as victims and feel hostile toward the criminal justice system for "persecuting" them. Until a meaningful intervention system or dialogue can be established, sentencing is likely to remain ineffective. 2 figures, 1 table, and 23 references