Punitiveness, Fear of Crime and Perceptions of Violence (From Insights Into Violence in Contemporary Canadian Society, P 344-348, 1987, James M MacLatchie, ed. -- See NCJ-122437)

• NCJ Number: 122482
• Author(s): T C Caputo; R A Wanner
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 5 pages
• Sale Source: John Howard Soc of Canada
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: Canada
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This paper develops a multivariate model to explain attitudes of punitiveness towards offenders among a random sample of adults in Calgary (Canada).

Abstract

The only factor that substantially affected the degree of respondents' punitiveness was the nature of the crime, i.e., whether or not it was violent. Since violent crime is such a small proportion of all crime, this public response may cause policymakers to re-examine the sentencing of those convicted for nonviolent crimes. Findings also indicate that persons with accurate information on the violent-crime rate were significantly less fearful, and they tended to favor less severe sentences than respondents with inaccurate crime perceptions. Respondents attributed a far higher degree of harm to victims of violent crime than victims of nonviolent crime. Consistent with this result is the finding that respondents were more likely to support alternative release programs for property offenders than for violent offenders. There is no evidence that a public having accurate information on violent crimes will be any less likely to advocate prison sentences for violent offenders.