NCJ Number
228745
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 48 Issue: 7 Dated: October 2009 Pages: 605-619
Date Published
October 2009
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Using telephone interviews that involved 703 respondents across Michigan, this study reports on public attitudes toward sex offender sanctions.
Abstract
The study found strong public support for most current policies related to sex offender punishment and community management. The strongest support was found for community notification and residency restrictions, which confirmed previous research. Although support for severe sanctions (castration and life imprisonment for those convicted of child molestation) was lower than for other types of sanctions, support for these severe sanctions was still remarkably high. Fear of sex offenders had the strongest link to support for policies. Lower educational attainment was also significantly linked to support for a punitive policy. The authors advise that research has shown that these types of punishments are intended to make the public feel safe, rather than to achieve the rehabilitation of the sex offender. Popular policies toward sex offenders managed in the community have been shown to isolate them, which leads to reoffending. Restorative justice programs that use shame as reintegrative may be more effective in reducing sex offender recidivism. The response rate for this study was 46 percent of qualifying phone numbers. In order to qualify, respondents were required to be contacted at a residence, be 18 years old or older, and speak English. Support for offender sanctions was measured with 11 survey items, each measured on a 5-point Likert-type scale. Items included a wide range of sex offender management policies, including community notification, residency and work restrictions, monitoring, castration, and life in prison. These items were selected because of their significant variance in severity. 2 tables and 42 references