Residency Restrictions for Sex Offenders

Anderson, Amy C.; Sample, Lisa L.; Cain, Calli M.

doi:10.1177/0887403413513897

Cited by 24 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…When calculated in accordance with the recommendations of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR, 2004), the overall response rate was 48.6%. This response rate compares favorably with those obtained in other recent public opinion studies (e.g., Anderson et al, 2013;Garland et al, 2013). In addition, the break-off rate, another important indicator of the potential for nonresponse bias in public opinion polls, was low in this survey-91% of those who began the interview completed the questionnaire.…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 80%

“…Understanding public opinion about criminal justice is important because of its potential influence on the development, implementation, and effectiveness of crime policies (Anderson, Sample, & Cain, 2013;Baumer & Martin, 2013;Enns, 2014;Garland, Wodahl, & Schuhmann, 2013;. In particular, considerable social and practical grounds exist for focusing greater empirical attention on popular knowledge about sentencing law and corrections.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Public (Mis)Understanding of Crime Policy

Pickett

Mancini

Mears

et al. 2014

Criminal Justice Policy Review

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Scholars attribute the public's low level of knowledge about sentencing and corrections to its lack of extensive criminal justice experience and consequent reliance on the media for justice-related information. However, scant research exists that evaluates how criminal justice experience affects media consumption, or how such consumption may influence knowledge about sentencing laws or the extent of imprisonment. To extend this literature, we develop and test three hypotheses about the relationships between prior criminal justice experience, reliance on the mass media for information about crime and justice, and knowledge about criminal punishment. Analysis of data from a random telephone survey of 1,308 adult Floridians reveal that individuals with prior criminal justice experience are less likely to rely on the media for crime-related information. The evidence also shows that media reliance is associated with lower levels of knowledge about criminal punishment, and that this effect is particularly strong for female respondents.

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Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 80%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Public (Mis)Understanding of Crime Policy

Pickett

Mancini

Mears

et al. 2014

Criminal Justice Policy Review

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show abstract

“…In the case of action that improves the living conditions of SOs, elected officials may hesitate if their constituents believe that action to be improper. As noted by Sample and Kadleck (2008) and Anderson, Sample, and Cain (2015), when considering SO policies, public officials rely on personal opinion, public perception, and media coverage about SOs and sex crimes. Therefore, it is important for legislators to have an accurate reading on what types of policies the public would support, both in terms of successfully proposing policies and in terms of keeping their constituents satisfied.…”

Section: Theoretical and Empirical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Turning a Blind Eye: Public Support of Emergency Housing Policies for Sex Offenders

2017

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In this study, we examine the influences of citizen decision making in the context of four policy scenarios that would affect the living conditions of sex offenders (SOs) residing at an "emergency shelter" budget motel. We surveyed 773 citizens in an online survey about their support for four policy scenarios that would improve the living conditions of SOs: (a) at no cost to the respondent, (b) in exchange for a US$100 tax increase, and (c) by relocating SOs within the respondent's neighborhood (i.e., "in my backyard"/IMBY scenario). The fourth scenario involved moving nearby SOs into substandard housing located far away from the respondent (i.e., "not in my backyard"/NIMBY). While prior research finds that the public overwhelmingly supports punitive SO policies, we find that indifference is a mainstay of public opinion about improving SO housing conditions. That is, we find only modest levels of average support for any of the policy scenarios, and policy support decreased when increased taxes would be involved, compared with a "no cost" scenario. While no respondent characteristics significantly predicted policy support consistently across all four scenarios, some scenarios showed stark differences in support when considering specific respondent characteristics. Overall, these results suggest that what does affect support depends on the details of the policy being proposed, as well as who is considering the policy. We end by discussing the policy implications of our study for both policymakers and the public.

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“…At the same time, “get tough” sex crime laws appear to rest on a “vulnerable protection” rationale. For instance, residence restrictions typically prohibit offenders from living near areas frequented by children, such as schools, daycare centers, and playgrounds (Anderson, Sample, & Cain, 2013). Sample and Kadleck (2008) in their qualitative analysis examining legislators’ views about sex offenders remarked, “to no surprise, women and children were most frequently mentioned [by respondents as victims of sex crime]” (p. 52).…”

Section: Societal Impressions Of Sex Crime Victims and Sex Offendersmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Good, the Bad, and the Incomprehensible

Mancini

Pickett

2014

J Interpers Violence

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Public opinion has played a critical role in the development of sex crime laws. However, little scholarly work has focused directly on the origins of negative attitudes toward sex offenders. We address this research gap by developing and testing a theoretical account of such views. Drawing on recent national survey data, we examine the extent to which typifications about sexual victims and offenders--believing sex crime typically affects children and female victims and is committed by strangers--explain beliefs about the reformability of sex offenders, harm inflicted on victims, and the causes of offending. Results indicate that judging children to be typical targets of sex crimes is a key determinant of public views. We discuss the implications of our findings.

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Residency Restrictions for Sex Offenders

Cited by 24 publications

References 26 publications

Public (Mis)Understanding of Crime Policy

Public (Mis)Understanding of Crime Policy

Turning a Blind Eye: Public Support of Emergency Housing Policies for Sex Offenders

The Good, the Bad, and the Incomprehensible

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