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| The public speaks |
| By Sarah Etter, News Reporter |
| Published: 02/12/2007 |
There are many reports and studies that show a general shift towards rehabilitation and treatment programs as an alternative or an addition to incarceration. But rarely do they provide any insight as to how Americans feel about the issue; that is until now.
Last week, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency released the results of a U.S. poll on voter attitudes towards the juvenile justice system. The poll, conducted by Zogby International, shows the majority of voters believe youth crime is a problem and lack confidence in the juvenile justice system. “We worked on this poll because we felt like it had been a long time since anyone took stock on the public opinions of the juvenile justice system,” says NCCD researcher Dr. Barry Krisberg. “We came up with the questions we wanted to ask, and Zogby framed them in an unbiased way so we could get the best idea of what people really thought.” Attitudes of US Voters Towards Youth Crime and the Justice System is the result of a telephone poll of a random sampling of one thousand people. It shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans are against blanket policies that transfer juvenile offenders to adult courts. Additionally, 91 percent of those polled believe that “rehabilitative services and treatment for incarcerated youths will prevent future crimes,” while 80 percent believe that “treatment and rehabilitation will save tax dollars in the long run.” The numbers don't stop there. Two-thirds of those polled do not believe that incarcerating youth in adult facilities deters them from crime, and 60 percent believe “non-white youth are more likely than white youth to be prosecuted in the adult criminal justice system.” Some of these statistics might seem a little confusing, but they do show a bigger picture. “My short version of this poll is that the public is very concerned about young offenders,” says Krisberg. “The public is basically refuting a juvenile justice policy that has dominated this country since the early 90s. Back then, we saw a range of laws being passed that allowed children under the age of 18 to be tried as adults. The public no longer believes that practice will work.” And if voters really are turning away from the lock em up' mentality, this data might mean hard times for politicians running on a tough on crime' platform. “If you think you will get elected into office just by being hard on crime, especially when it comes to juveniles; well that no longer seems to be the case,” says Krisberg. “This is where the public is on the issue, and it's time for politicians to listen. Anyone arguing for more use of the adult systems is out of touch with what the voters want and out of touch with all of the research that shows it just doesn't work, especially for juveniles.” The results of the poll might also encourage states to make sure they are only trying as adults those older than the age of 18. “I think the next question will be how we can make changes that reflect the public opinion?”” he says. “We're offering an objective, well-done national survey that suggests we have been doing the wrong thing in the juvenile justice system. So now it's time to start doing things the right way.” |
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