NCJ Number
216702
Journal
Criminology & Public Policy Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2006 Pages: 627-652
Date Published
November 2006
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This study examined public support for punitive (incarceration) and nonpunitive (rehabilitation) juvenile justice policies through an analysis of respondents’ willingness to pay for policy proposals.
Abstract
Results indicated that respondents were moderately more willing to pay for rehabilitation ($98.10) than for longer incarceration terms ($80.97) for youths charged with serious crimes. Respondents also expressed a willingness to pay for early childhood prevention programming ($125.71). While the findings suggest comparable levels of support for both punitive and nonpunitive policy responses to serious juvenile crime, respondents were generally more willing to pay for crime prevention programs than longer incarceration terms. The cost-benefit analysis of rehabilitation versus incarceration revealed that 1 year of incarceration was significantly more expensive than 1 year of rehabilitation. The findings suggest that policymakers who propose rehabilitation and prevention programming should enjoy substantial public support across the political spectrum. Data were gathered via telephone interview with a random sample of 1,500 Pennsylvania households between March and August 2005. The interview focused on respondents’ background and attitudes and then presented respondents with several hypothetical scenarios designed to probe respondents’ willingness to pay for juvenile incarceration versus rehabilitation options. A cost-benefit analysis of rehabilitation versus incarceration was conducted using the results of the survey. Tables, footnotes, references