NCJ Number
155146
Date Published
1992
Length
126 pages
Annotation
Because Maryland's criminal justice does not have adequate space to house the overwhelming number of convicted offenders, attention is being shifted from prison to noncustodial forms of punishment as appropriate and acceptable sentences for criminals.
Abstract
The effective implementation of policies involving the punishment of criminals outside prison walls requires public support, and it is therefore necessary to assess the degree to which alternatives to incarceration are accepted by Maryland residents. Using data from the Maryland Crime Survey, logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the influence of respondent and offender characteristics on public acceptance of alternatives for offenders convicted of cocaine distribution, robbery, burglary, and assault. Findings did not indicate differences in acceptance according to age, education, gender, race, experience with crime, or perceived cause of crime. Differences in acceptance were found that related to fear of crime. Citizens who had higher fear levels were less accepting of alternatives to incarceration. While citizens were not less likely to accept alternatives for offenders having prior criminal records, they were more likely to accept alternatives for younger offenders convicted of less serious offenses. Alternatives to incarceration are described, including boot camps/shock incarceration, electronic monitoring, day reporting centers, community service, fines, house arrest, restitution, intensive supervision probation, and regular probation. Implications of the findings for policymaking are discussed. Appendixes contain the study questionnaire and data tables. References and tables