NCJ Number
70966
Date Published
1980
Length
23 pages
Annotation
Fifth in a series of regularly scheduled crime poll surveys, this 1980 study examined the attitudes and opinions of a sample of Texas residents regarding issues related to criminal justice in Texas.
Abstract
Specific areas covered in this survey were punishment, fear of crime, effectiveness of the criminal justice system, collective bargaining by criminal justice employees, public perception of pornography and obscenity, electronic surveillance, and conjugal visits for inmates in Texas. Also surveyed were selected current issues and Texas residents' perceptions of what constitutes white-collar crime. Survey instruments were mailed to a scientifically selected random probability sample of 2,000 Texas residents, and 1,341 usable replies were returned. Of the usable returns, 82.6 percent of the respondents were white and 52.2 percent were male. Significant findings include the following: 86 percent of the respondents support the death penalty for at least one type of crime, and 56 percent said that it should be available for child sexual abuse cases. Concerning fear of crime, 60 percent said that they feel they may be a victim of crime during the next year, and 76 percent have placed at least one type of device in their home for purposes of security. While only 29 percent said that soft core pronography should be against the law in Texas, 89 percent stated that movies or magazines that display nudity of children (under 17) should be against the law in Texas. Concerning current issues, 72 percent responded that one or more type of guns should be registered, but 63 percent said that they are not in favor of Texas having a law that permits a wife to accuse her husband of rape. Tables and a map are provided.