Publisher's Synopsis
This collection of surveys examines and compares public reactions to sentencing policies in England, the USA, Canada, the Netherlands and Australia. - - How punitive is the public in these countries? How much leniency or severity will the public tolerate? How much do policy-makers know about the public's view? Are victims more punitive than non-victims? Are the elderly more punitive than the young? Do severe or lenient sentences influence people's disapproval of crimes? What is the influence of the media's selective reporting? - - The contributors set out to find answers to these and other questions in this wide-ranging collection of studies. The editors' introduction examines how surveys in this field have developed, and it comments on innovations in methodology illustrated by the contributors.
