Ideologies and Incarceration: Legislator Attitudes Toward Jail Overcrowding

1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
WAYNE N. WELSH
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Criminal Justice Policy ◽  
Clear Distinction ◽  
Intermediate Sanctions ◽  
Legislative Influence

Despite increasing legislative influence on criminal justice policy, research on the determinants and effects of lawmakers' attitudes toward specific criminal justice problems has been sparse. Combining interview and survey methods, this study examined punishment ideologies of California legislators and investigated linkages with attitudes about incarceration and jail overcrowding (perceived causes, effects, and solutions). Results suggested that legislators held beliefs supporting a mix of punishment ideologies, and ideology was only weakly related to support for specific punishment policies. Mixed ideologies and the lack of a clear distinction between liberal and conservative responses imply greater potential for bipartisan solutions to jail overcrowding and other criminal justice problems than has commonly been assumed. Support for initiatives such as juvenile prevention and intermediate sanctions was widespread and cut across party lines.

‘Penal populism’ and penological change in contemporary Japan

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Fenwick
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice Policy ◽  
Clear Distinction ◽  
State Sovereignty ◽  
Culturally Specific ◽  
State Punishment ◽  
Japanese Experience ◽  
Unmet Demand ◽  
Severity Of State ◽  
Opening Up

This article examines whether the concept of penal populism can be useful in understanding contemporary developments in Japanese criminal justice. In addressing this issue it is suggested that we need to draw a clear distinction between different conceptions of penal populism and, in particular, we should avoid equating penal populism with intensification of the severity of state punishment. A discussion of the Japanese experience highlights the importance of focusing on populism as a process by which new voices emerge and influence criminal justice policy as a result of an unmet demand for justice and security. This perception of a lack of security and justice is a global phenomenon that, nevertheless, expresses itself in distinctive, culturally specific ways. Although the extent of this shift should not be exaggerated, at least in a Japanese context, penal populism has contributed to an opening up of criminal justice and a disaggregation of state sovereignty.

Criminology, Economics, and Public Policy

1979 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Conyers
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Crime Control ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Social Costs ◽  
Criminal Justice Policy ◽  
Economic Conditions ◽  
Simplified Model ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Economic and crime issues are closely related, just as the disciplines of economics and criminology bear close resemblance in their approaches to public policy. Criminologists have neglected the impact of economic conditions on crime, just as economists often overlook the social costs—including increased crime—of the policies they prescribe. Professionals in both fields subscribe to an overly simplified model of human affairs that has the effect of protecting society's reputation while casting blame for society's ills on the victims. At a time when Congress is facing critical decisions with respect to criminal justice policy, the participation of crimi nologists in the formation of these policies remains negligible. A commit ment by criminologists to policy research that examines the links between economic conditions and crime would constitute an enlightened approach to crime control.

Contributions of Family Violence Research to Criminal Justice Policy on Wife Assault: Paradigms of Science and Social Control

1988 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Fagan
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Social Control ◽  
Family Violence ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Criminal Justice Policy ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
Female Partners ◽  
Integrated Policy ◽  
Stranger Violence

Criminal justice policy on family violence has evolved over the past two decades, informed by political activism as well as theory and research from divergent and often competing perspectives. Experimental research on mandatory arrest of men who assault female partners, policy research on special prosecution programs, and the development of treatment programs for men who batter, typify the strategies for applying criminal sanctions to family violence. However, other critical research on family violence has not been integrated into criminal justice policy, limiting policy development and intervention strategies to practices which reflect contemporary models of sanctions and social control. The limited contributions of family violence research to criminal justice policy reflect competing paradigms of social science, the challenge of family violence cases to the normative processes and the social organization of the criminal courts, and divergent perspectives on social control of offenders in family and stranger violence cases. Strategies for an integrated policy development process are suggested.

Religion and the Military

2018 ◽  
pp. 535-552
Author(s):  
Leana A. Bouffard ◽  
Haerim Jin
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Criminal Justice Policy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Period Effects ◽  
Offending Patterns ◽  
Role Of Religion ◽  
The Military ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter provides an overview of the literature examining the role of religion and military service in the desistance process. It also identifies outstanding issues and directions for future research. It first presents an overview of research examining the role of religion in desistance and highlights measurement issues, potential intervening mechanisms, and a consideration of faith-based programs as criminal justice policy. Next, this chapter covers the relationship between military service and offending patterns, including period effects that explain variation in the relationship, selection effects, and the incorporation of military factors in criminal justice policy and programming. The chapter concludes by highlighting general conclusions from these two bodies of research and questions to be considered in future research.

scholarly journals Exploring criminal justice policy transfer models and mobilities using a case study of violence reduction

2021 ◽  
pp. 174889582199160
Author(s):  
William Graham ◽  
Annette Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Policy Transfer ◽  
Social Constructionist ◽  
Criminal Justice Policy ◽  
Gang Violence ◽  
Single Model ◽  
Violence Reduction ◽  
Transfer Models

Although there is growing interest in criminal justice policy transfer, a dearth of empirical research in this area has been acknowledged. This article addresses this gap by presenting the results of research conducted on a case of policy transfer of a criminal justice programme, focused on group/gang violence reduction, from America to Scotland. Policy transfer models were used to develop, frame and conduct the analysis of what was considered a ‘successful’ programme transfer; however, it was found that no single model could fully account conceptually for a key finding of the research, namely a policy transfer ‘backflow’. This article details the key processes, mechanisms and outcomes of the policy transfer and in doing so reflects on the usefulness of orthodox and non-orthodox/social-constructionist policy transfer approaches in understanding the outcomes of this case of criminal justice programme transfer.

Evaluation and Criminal Justice Policy

1982 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 138
Author(s):  
Robert F. Coulam ◽  
Ronald Roesch ◽  
Raymond R. Corrado
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice Policy
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