The survey also sought to determine whether people believed that punishment or rehabilitation should be the main objective of the State prison system and whether they supported or opposed the use of minimum-security work-release programs in their communities to reintegrate inmates into communities. Results showed that the majority felt positively about the performance of their local police. They also thought that sentences were too lenient, but they were almost equally divided on the main objective of the State prison system. Two-thirds supported the use of work-release programs both statewide and in their own communities. The environment in which they lived and their demographic characteristics were associated with their perceptions and opinions. Tables, figures, 7 reference notes, and appended methodological information and additional results.
Crime and Criminal Justice in New York State: A Survey of Public Opinion, Volume II: Police, Criminal Courts and the State Prison System
NCJ Number
122903
Date Published
February 1989
Annotation
A telephone survey of 1,000 New York residents took place in October and November 1987 to gather information on perceptions and attitudes regarding the performance of local police and the criminal sentences handed down by the courts in their communities.
Abstract
Date Published: February 1, 1989