A Survey on Public Acceptance of Restitution as an Alternative to Incarceration for Property Offenders in Hennepin County, Minnesota, U.S.A.

A comparison of punishment exchange rates between offenders under supervision and their supervising officers

“…English, Crouch, and Pullen (1989) and Applegate, Cullen, and Fisher (2002) demonstrated that the public was more supportive than judges of utilizing community corrections alternatives for offenders who had not committed serious offenses and who had limited criminal histories. This finding was replicated by data from: responses to a national opinion survey (Haghighi & Lopez, 1998), Minnesota residents (Bae, 1991), Missouri residents (Fichter & Veneziano, 1988), and jurors (Diamond & Stalans, 1989). Roberts and Stalans also determined from public opinion surveys of Michigan residents that two out of three respondents believed that, for offenders with limited criminal histories and who had not committed serious offenses, community-based alternative sanctions should be used instead of prison.…”

The Effect of Retributive and Restorative Sentencing on Psychological Effects of Criminal Proceedings

“…Numerous studies have already examined and compared preferences for retributive and restorative sanctions, though this research tends to focus on the general population rather than specifically analyzing crime victims (Ruback, Cares, & Hoskins, 2008; Shapland, 1984). Many studies support the notion that when people know about all sentencing possibilities, they are likely to opt for compensation or community service (Bae, 1992; Doble, 1998; Doob, Sprott, Marinos, & Varma, 1998; Wright, 1989). In fact, research has shown that preferences for capital punishment can decrease when compensation as a punishment has been utilized (McGarrell & Sandys, 1996).…”

Toward a Balancing Approach: The Use of Apology in Japanese Society

“…Critics of restorative justice say that because restorative justice programs are so victim-oriented they would make the system more punitive. Contrary to this image of victims, however, the International Crime Victimization Survey (ICVS) in 1989 and 1996 revealed that there was no substantial difference in sentencing preference between victims and non-victims (Newman, 1999), victims do not necessarily expect harsh punishment for their perpetrators (Bae, 1992;Sessar, 1990), and victims' primary concern regarding length of incarceration is their own safety (Hagemman, 1991 ).…”

“…The public preference for alternative sanctions is seen in other countries as well. Bae (1992) conducted a survey in Hennepin County, Minnesota, to determine whether the public accepts restitution as an alternative punishment to incarceration for property offenders. The results of the study showed that the public strongly supported restitution as an alternative sentence and believed that payments by offenders should go to the victims, rather than to the state or the community.…”