Work

Belief in Redeemability and Punitive Public Opinion: “Once a Criminal, Always a Criminal” Revisited

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: In 2009, Maruna and King presented results from a British survey showing that the public’s belief in the redeemability of people who committed offenses curbed their level of punitiveness. Based on a 2017 national survey in the United States ( n = 1,000), the current study confirms that redeemability is negatively related to punitive attitudes. In addition, the analyses reveal that this belief predicts support for rehabilitation and specific inclusionary policies (i.e., ban-the-box in employment, expungement of criminal records, and voting rights for people with a felony conviction). Findings regarding measures for punishment and rehabilitation were confirmed by a 2019 Mechanical Turk (MTurk) survey. These results suggest that beliefs about capacity for change among people who committed offenses are key to understanding crime-control public policy.

Source: Criminal Justice and Behavior

DOI: 10.1177/0093854820913585

Authors: Alexander L. Burton, Francis T. Cullen, Velmer S. Burton, Amanda Graham, Leah C. Butler, Angela J. Thielo

Institutions: University of Cincinnati, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Georgia Southern University, University of Louisville

Language: English

Topic: Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W3023766218