NCJ Number
16610
Date Published
1971
Length
216 pages
Annotation
STUDY OF THE ROLES AND ATTITUDES OF THE PUBLIC CONCERNING CRIMINAL JUSTICE, INCLUDING A REVIEW OF HISTORICAL FACTORS, EXAMPLES OF COOPERATION AND NONCOOPERATION, AND RESULTS OF A PUBLIC ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE.
Abstract
DISCUSSED ARE THE INFLUENCE OF ISLAMIC CULTURE, THE EXPERIENCE OF COLONIALIZATION BY THE FRENCH, AND THE FORCES OF MODERNIZATION AND SOCIAL CHANGE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE INSTITUTIONS AND PUBLIC ATTITUDES. TO STUDY SPECIFIC FORMS OF PUBLIC COOPERATION AND NONCOOPERATION, THE RECORDS OF THE URBAN POLICE, THE RURAL POLICE, AND THE COURTS WERE EXAMINED AND STATISTICS COMPILED ON THE PROVISION OF DENUNCIATIONS, TESTIMONY, AND OTHER INFORMATION BY WITNESSES CONCERNING CRIMINAL CASES. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT PUBLIC SUPPORT IN THIS AREA WAS WEAK AND THAT ATTITUDES TOWARD THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE WERE POOR. ALSO ANALYZED WAS THE COVERAGE OF CRIME IN 1968 BY TWO TUNISIAN NEWSPAPERS AS AN INDICATION OF THE TYPE OF INFLUENCE THEY HAVE ON THE PUBLIC. PROVIDED ARE STATISTICS ON THE TYPES OF CASES REPORTED AND THE DEGREE OF SYMPATHY OR ANTIPATHY TOWARD THE OFFENDERS. AS A DIRECT MEANS OF MEASURING PUBLIC ATTITUDES, A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS SUBMITTED TO A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF 285 TUNISIANS, IN WHICH THEY RATED THE DEGREE OF THEIR APPROVAL OF THE SENTENCES GIVEN IN TEN ACTUAL CRIMINAL CASES. THEY ALSO RANK-ORDERED THE CRIMES ACCORDING TO SERIOUSNESS AND DESCRIBED OTHER SENTENCES WHICH THEY WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO SEE. THE STUDY INTERPRETED THE RESPONSES AS INDICATING A SERIOUS DISAFFECTION WITH JUDICIAL INSTITUTIONS. THE OVERALL CONCLUSION OF THE STUDY WAS THAT TUNISIA IS EXPERIENCING A CRISIS OF PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR ITS CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AS THE SOCIAL VALUES OF THE PUBLIC DIVERGE FROM THOSE EXPRESSED IN THE LAW. INCLUDED ARE STATISTICAL TABLES ON THE RESULTS OF THE STUDIES OF WITNESSES, NEWSPAPER COVERAGE, AND PUBLIC ATTITUDES. A COPY OF THE PUBLIC ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE IS INCLUDED IN THE APPENDIX. --IN FRENCH