Social Attitudes Toward Life Sentence in Relation to Minor and Juvenile Offenders - Replication of Edie Green's and Andrew Evelo's Studies (2013)

Abstract

The article points out some of the differences between Polish and American juvenile penal policy. It shows the differences between Polish and American society in terms of attitudes towards the use of life sentences without the possibility of parole (LWOP) for juvenile offenders. Studies also show that in both (Polish and American) societies, the tendency to impose the harshest sentences reflects the perceived purpose of the penalty.

Attitudes Toward Punishment and Rehabilitation as Perceived Through Playing a Prison Tycoon Game

“…In Poland, people generally accept the administration of punishment and are generally opposed to the rehabilitation of adult prisoners; conversely they accept rehabilitation and are against punishing adolescents. These results are largely similar to those observed in the United States (Jaworska, 2015), which suggests that our results may be generalizable to other Westernized countries. However, future replications using computer games and involving more distant cultures (e.g., African or Asian countries) should be conducted, as societal attitudes or beliefs about rehabilitation verses punishment or imprisonment might affect the observed findings.…”