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Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

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Public opinion

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Full-Text Articles in Criminology

Catholics And Capital Punishment: Do Pope Francis’S Teachings Matter In Policy Preferences?, Francis T. Cullen, Amanda Graham, Kellie R. Hannan, Alexander L. Burton, Leah C. Butler, Velmer S. Burton Jr. Apr 2021

Catholics And Capital Punishment: Do Pope Francis’S Teachings Matter In Policy Preferences?, Francis T. Cullen, Amanda Graham, Kellie R. Hannan, Alexander L. Burton, Leah C. Butler, Velmer S. Burton Jr.

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

In the United States, Catholics make up more than 50 million members of the adult population, or about one in five Americans. It is unclear whether their religious affiliation shapes Catholics’ views on public policy issues, ranging from the legality of abortion to criminal justice practices. Capital punishment is especially salient, given that Pope Francis announced in 2018—as official Catholic Church teaching—that the death penalty is “inadmissible” under all circumstances. Based on two national surveys, the current project explores Catholics’ support for state executions before (2017) and after (2019) the Pope’s momentous change in the church’s Catechism. At present, little …


What Does The Public Want Police To Do During Pandemics? A National Experiment, Justin Nix, Stefan Ivanov, Justin T. Pickett Jan 2021

What Does The Public Want Police To Do During Pandemics? A National Experiment, Justin Nix, Stefan Ivanov, Justin T. Pickett

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

We administered a survey experiment to a national sample of 1,068 US adults in April 2020 to determine the factors that shape support for various policing tactics in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents were sharply divided in their views about pandemic policing tactics, and were least supportive of policies that might limit public access to officers or reduce crime deterrence. Information about the health risks to officers, but not to inmates, significantly increased support for “precautionary” policing, but not for “social distance” policing. The information effect was modest, but may be larger if the information came from official …


Belief In Redeemability And Punitive Public Opinion: “Once A Criminal, Always A Criminal” Revisited, Alexander L. Burton, Francis T. Cullen, Velmer S. Burton Jr., Amanda Graham, Leah C. Butler, Angela J. Thielo May 2020

Belief In Redeemability And Punitive Public Opinion: “Once A Criminal, Always A Criminal” Revisited, Alexander L. Burton, Francis T. Cullen, Velmer S. Burton Jr., Amanda Graham, Leah C. Butler, Angela J. Thielo

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

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 …


Mock Juror Perceptions Of Police Shootings: The Effects Of Victim Race And Shooting Justifiability, Jessica Huff, Muaricio J. Alvarez, Monica K. Miller Jan 2019

Mock Juror Perceptions Of Police Shootings: The Effects Of Victim Race And Shooting Justifiability, Jessica Huff, Muaricio J. Alvarez, Monica K. Miller

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Recent police shootings of African Americans have led citizens to question police officers’ use of force. Thus, it is important to determine whether mock jurors can distinguish between justifiable and unjustifiable police shootings—and whether their judgements depend on victim race. Media attention could lead jurors to be more punitive in cases in which an officer shoots an African American (compared to Caucasian) victim. A punitive verdict would reflect society’s opposition to such shootings, as suggested by the bandwagon effect. In a 2 (Shooting: Justified/Unjustified) x 2 (Victim’s race: African American/ Caucasian) experiment, mock jurors read a trial summary involving a …


Contents Full Article Content List Abstract Introduction How Media Affects Attitudes Media And Law Enforcement Public Perception Of And Support For Torture Linking Public Opinion And Policy Experimental Design Participants Results Discussion Future Directions Policy Implications Acknowledgements Notes References Did You Struggle To Get Access To This Article? This Product Could Help You Lean Library Figures & Tables Article Metrics Related Articles Cite Share Request Permissions Explore More Download Pdf Open Epub “If Torture Is Wrong, What About 24?” Torture And The Hollywood Effect, Erin M. Kearns, Joseph K. Young Nov 2017

Contents Full Article Content List Abstract Introduction How Media Affects Attitudes Media And Law Enforcement Public Perception Of And Support For Torture Linking Public Opinion And Policy Experimental Design Participants Results Discussion Future Directions Policy Implications Acknowledgements Notes References Did You Struggle To Get Access To This Article? This Product Could Help You Lean Library Figures & Tables Article Metrics Related Articles Cite Share Request Permissions Explore More Download Pdf Open Epub “If Torture Is Wrong, What About 24?” Torture And The Hollywood Effect, Erin M. Kearns, Joseph K. Young

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Since 9/11, entertainment media has focused on depictions of terrorism and counterterrorism. How do dramatic depictions of counterterrorism practices—specifically torture—affect public opinion and policy? Using a mixed within-subjects and between-subjects experimental design, we examine how framing affects support for torture. Participants (n = 150) were randomly assigned to a condition for dramatic depictions showing torture as (a) effective, (b) ineffective, or (c) not present (control). Participants who saw torture as effective increased their stated support for it. Participants who saw torture—regardless of whether or not it was effective—were more likely to sign a petition on …