Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, 1983 - Bureau of Justice ...

~-~- ~--------------------------------------------Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics 1983Figure 2.13 Respondents agreeing that courts in own area do not deal harshly enough with criminals by race UnitedStates, 1977 .78, 1980, and 1982 ' ,NJTE: For a discussion of public opinion survey sampling procedures, see Appendix 7.Question: "In general, do you think the courts in this area deal too harshly or not harshly enough with criminals?"10080604020oI1972(Percent agreeing that courts do not deal harshly enough with criminals)i1973 1974 1975• ••1976••......•......•....•.•1977---------. ....... _ .•......•.......National--- White•• ••••••• B!~ck/other1978 1980 1982Sou\ce: Figure constructed by sa.RCEBOO< stoff from data provided by the Notional Opinion Research Center' data weremade available through the Roper PUblic Opinion Research Centel. • .259hji1\r\I\I.t1II1I!j, ~ttI, !Public Attitudes Toward Crime and Criminal Justice-Related TopicsTable 2.65 .4.Hltudes toward judicial discretion in determining' Table 2.66 Attitudes toward appointing more judges tothe len~th of prison sentences, by demographic shorten court delay, by demographic characteristics,characteristics, United States, 1982 United States, 1982NJTE: See NJTE, Table 2.1. For a discussion of plJbllc opinion survey NJTE: Respondents were asked whether they thought the followingsampling procedures, see Appendix 7. For detailed information nn proposa I was a good idea or a poor idea. For a discussion ofthis survey, see Appendix 8. public opinion survey sampling procedures, see Appendix 7.Question: "Some people say that each crime should carry a Question: "Appoint more judges in order to reduce theprison sentence of a definite length no matter what the Time between arrest and trial to a maximum of 2 months."clrcurmtances. Other say that judges shOUld decide how long prisonsentences should be on a case by case basis. What about you, do(Percent)you think judges should be able to set prison sentences of differentlengths for similar crimes or do you think judges shOUld have little Good Poor NOor no choice about the length of prison sentences for similar Idea Ideo opinioncrimes?"(Percent a National 74 18 8)Sex:NO opinion, Mole 7i 21 8Should ShOUld refused Female 77 15 8be able not be able to answerRace:Notional 60 36 4 White 75 17 8Nonwhite 73 20 7Sex:Mole 59 39 2 Education:Female 62 32 5 College 78 16 6High school 74 18 8Race, ethnlcity: Grode school 67 18 15White 61 36 4Block 56 39 5 Occupation:Hispanic 56 38 6 Professional and business 77 17 6Clerical and sales 86 12 2Education: Manual workers 75 18 7College 61 37 2 Nonlabor force 68 20 12High school 59 36 4Grade school 64 26 10 Income:1"'000 ood o~, 77 18 5Employment status: 20,000 to r4,999 80 18 2Full-time employed 60 38 2 15,000 to 19,999 70 21 9Port-time employed 63 34 3 10,000 to 14,999 74 16 10Unemployed 60 35 5 5,000 to $9,999 74 16 10Laid off 61 39 0 Under $5,000 73 16 IIRetired 60 33 7Full-time homemaker 63 29 7 Age:Student 54 45 2 Totai under 30 years 79 i4 718 to 24 years 82 10 8Income: 25 to 29 years 75 19 6130,000 0", 0",' 62 35 2 30 to 49 years 78 16 620,000 to 29,999 60 37 3 50 yeats and older 67 22 II12,000 to ~19,999 61 37 3 50 to 64 years 69 22 98,001) to $11,999 54 39 6 65 ~'ears and older 66 21 13Under $8,000 61 31 8City size:Age:1,000,000 and over 79 15 618 to 2li years 61 :;8 2 500,000 to 999,999 79 16 525 to 29 years 62 36 2 50,OOU to 11:1::1,999 79 16 530 f 49 years 59 37 4 2,500 to 49,999 67 22 II50 to 64 years 60 37 2 Under 2,500, rural 69 19 1265 years and older 60 30 10Region:Community size: East 80 16 4Lorge city 6i 34 6 Midwest 71 22 7Suburb 59 38 3 South 71 16 13Small town 62 35 3 West 75 17 8Rural 58 37 5Religion:Region: Protestant 73 18 9Northeast 64 33 3 Catholic 76 19 5Midwest 62 34 4South 58 38 4 Politics:West 59 38 3 Republican 70 20 10Democrat 77 16 7Neighborhood racial characteristics: Inde~ndent 75 18 7Mastly or all white 60 37 3Racially mixed 66 30 5 Source: George H. Gallup, The Gallup Reports Repart No.Mastly or all block 50 4S 4 200 (Prlncetan, N.J.: The Gallup Poll, May 19 2), p. 12.Reprinted by permission.Neighborhood age structlJre:Mostly younger thaI" 35 years 62 35 3Mostly between 35 and 55 years 58 38 3Mostly older than 55 "ears 65 31 4Mixed, all ages 60 36 4Opercents rnay not add to 100 due to rounding.Source: Table constructed by SC'~~CEBOO< staff fram dataprovided by the ABC News Poll; data were made available throughthe Criminal Justice Archive and Information Network, InteruniversityConsortium for Political and Social Research.259