CRIME AND CORRECTIONS:

The Views of the People of North Carolina

October 1995


Note: The analysis in this report is the sole responsibility of John Doble Research Associates, Inc. and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation or any policy maker, government official or state agency within the State of North Carolina.


Contents

Introduction

Executive Summary

Beliefs About Crime in the State

Beliefs About The Causes Of Crime

Beliefs About the Police and Courts, and Two Proposed Sentencing Reforms: Truth-in-Sentencing and the Use of Sentencing Guidelines

Views About Corrections

Views About Possible Changes in Corrections Policy

Views About the Use of Alternative Sentences or Intermediate Sanctions

Sentencing Preferences in a Variety of Cases

Glossary of Terms: How North Carolinians Understand The Language of Corrections

Summary Table of What North Carolinians Want from Corrections

Methodology

About John Doble Research Associates, Inc.

Prepared for:

The N. C. State-Centered Project

and

The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation

John Doble Research Associates, Inc.

375 Sylvan Avenue

Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632

(201) 568-7200


I. Introduction

The State-Centered Project of the State of North Carolina and The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation asked John Doble Research Associates, Inc. to ascertain the views of the people of North Carolina about crime and corrections policy in that state. Doble Research is a New York-area firm with extensive experience studying public opinion about crime and other policy issues from a nonpartisan perspective. As Research Director at Public Agenda, a nonpartisan research organization headed by Dan Yankelovich and Cyrus Vance, John Doble directed studies of public opinion about corrections in Alabama and Delaware. Doble Research subsequently conducted studies in Vermont, Oklahoma, and Oregon and, in conjunction with Public Agenda, in Pennsylvania.

To explore public opinion in North Carolina, we first conducted a series of four focus groups across the state in June 1995. Each group, lasting two hours, consisted of a cross section of adults chosen to reflect the adult population in terms of age, gender, and education level. Groups were held in Durham, Greenville, Charlotte and Asheville to ensure geographical representation. The group in Durham was made up of only African-American respondents, while the other three reflected a cross section of the community. Results from the focus groups were analyzed and a series of hypotheses developed for testing in phase two, the telephone survey.

Working with Tulsa Surveys, a nationally known interviewing firm, we interviewed, by telephone in August 1995, a total of 810 North Carolina adults, age 18 or older, reflecting a cross section of the state's population. The sample was a random or probability sample, drawn using scrambled telephone numbers so that every household in the state had an equal chance of being called. We used a larger sample to enable us to explore with greater statistical confidence the views of people in different parts of the state. (For a more complete description of the methodology used, see Section XII Methodology.) Interviews lasted an average of 25 minutes. Respondents were first asked about crime and its causes, then to assess the criminal justice system and corrections policy, and whether the state should make greater use of community-based sanctions or alternative sentences. The sampling error for each item is plus or minus 4 percentage points, at a confidence interval of 95 percent.

This report integrates the survey results with comments from the focus groups. In addition to an Executive Summary, we include two summary tables: "Glossary of Terms" and "Summary Table: What North Carolinians Want From Corrections."

Note: Some tables compare the North Carolina results with results from similar studies conducted in Alabama, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Vermont, Oregon and Oklahoma over the past six years. The major themes are strikingly similar. But where differences exist, it is unclear whether attitudes in North Carolina are different from those in other states or whether U.S. public opinion as a whole has shifted since the studies were conducted, especially in view of the recent media focus on violent crime as opposed to the prominence of the "war against drugs" a few years ago. That is, if they were surveyed today, people in Alabama might feel differently than they did in 1989. In view of the volatility of public opinion about certain aspects of this issue, readers are advised to take into consideration differences in geography and state experience, along with shifts in the national mood when comparing results.
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II. Executive Summary

Beliefs About Crime in the State

1. North Carolinians overwhelmingly believe crime has increased in the past five years, in spite of the fact that data from the FBI and other reliable sources show crime has leveled off or even decreased.

2. Large numbers also think that violent crime, juvenile crime, and illegal drug use are increasing.

3. A number of North Carolinians speak from experience. Nearly one in four said that within the past five years, they or a member of their immediate family had been a crime victim. Similarly, 1 family in 11 was reportedly victimized by a violent crime.

Beliefs About the Causes of Crime

4. North Carolinians believe an erosion of what might be called "family values" is the main cause of crime, with large numbers naming "parents who don't teach the difference between right and wrong" and "not enough emphasis on values in schools" as very important causes. But to most North Carolinians, such "family values" lack a political context and ideological overtones.

5. People in North Carolina have similar beliefs about the causes of crime as do people in Oregon, Oklahoma and other states.

Beliefs About the Police and the Courts, and Two Proposed Sentencing Reforms: Truth-in-Sentencing and Sentencing Guidelines

6. Large majorities say the courts and the police treat rich people better than the poor. Most whites say the courts and police treat people equally, regardless of race. But solid majorities of black, Hispanic and Native Americans say that both the police and the courts treat whites better than minorities.

7. North Carolinians overwhelmingly support truth-in-sentencing. The idea of bringing time served into conformity with what a judge hands down in court is very popular. When people learn that truth-in-sentencing would also mean longer sentences for violent offenders, support increases to near unanimity.

8. North Carolinians solidly support the idea of "structured sentencing."

Views About Corrections

9. North Carolinians see the criminal justice system as a single entity, drawing little distinction between, for example, federal or state prisons, or city and county jails. Like people in other states studied by Doble Research, North Carolinians have a set of beliefs, perceptions and misperceptions that influence their thinking about the whole issue. Their views about corrections, therefore, should not be seen as a judgment of current officials or recent policies, but rather as an assessment about the entire country. In that regard, North Carolinians give the system a comparatively low grade, an assessment similar to people's in other states.

10. North Carolinians see four goals for corrections: they want a sentence to deter would-be criminals while simultaneously punishing offenders, rehabilitating them, and requiring them to make restitution. When asked to rate the system -- and here again, the rating North Carolinians give actually applies to the entire American criminal justice system --- North Carolinians hand out low marks for each goal.

11. North Carolinians believe that almost anyone convicted of a violent crime using a gun or a knife should be sent to prison. But only one in ten believes that actually occurs. Of the violent offenders who are sent to prison, the vast majority, North Carolinians believe, do not serve the full sentence given by the judge.

12. Nearly two-thirds of the people in North Carolina believe most prison inmates are idle all day, instead of working productively at a prison job. About two-thirds believe that after a stay in prison, offenders are more dangerous, not less.

13. Taken together, these beliefs are a major source of public discontent with the corrections system. They also fuel public support for using alternative sentences or community-based punishments.

Views About Possible Changes in Corrections Policy

14. By large margins, North Carolinians favor three changes in corrections policy: they want inmates to be required to work; they favor reducing how often inmates can watch TV; and they want to make sure violent offenders are never released early because of overcrowding.

15. While a large majority says that prison sentences should be longer, North Carolinians are split about whether that would have much effect on the crime rate.

16. North Carolinians feel that juveniles who are 15 or older and commit a very violent crime should receive the same sentence as an adult.

17. North Carolinians believe that offenders who successfully complete drug or alcohol treatment are not rehabilitated most of the time. Yet North Carolinians overwhelmingly favor providing such treatments for any offenders in need, even if that means higher spending.

18. Large majorities also favor psychiatric treatment for every mentally ill offender and ensuring that every inmate has a chance to earn a high school diploma, even if that means increased spending,.

19. North Carolinians are split about the use of day fines (a fine based on the value of one day's wages), with a sizable minority, 40 percent, strongly opposed to the idea.

Views About the Use of Alternative Sentences

20. North Carolinians want, by lopsided margins, to make much greater use of alternative sentences with nonviolent offenders currently sent to prison.

21. North Carolinians' support for using alternatives is deep as well as broad, with nearly 9 in 10 strongly favoring much greater use of restitution and about 8 in 10 favoring much greater use of community service, boot camp, and intensively supervised probation (ISP).

22. When asked how the state should deal with prison overcrowding, North Carolinians' first preference is to make greater use of alternative sentences. While 84 percent also favor using capital punishment more often with murderers, overwhelming majorities reject building more prisons if that means paying for them by either cutting social services or raising taxes.

23. North Carolinians are enthusiastic supporters of alternatives, even though people do not believe that offenders sentenced to an alternative are usually rehabilitated.

24. North Carolinians' favorite alternatives are boot camp, restitution, and community service. The more passive, control-centered alternatives such as the halfway house and house arrest are comparatively much less well regarded.

Sentencing Preferences in a Variety of Cases

25. Even after learning about the cost of incarceration and about various alternative or intermediate punishments, North Carolinians wanted to incarcerate three violent offenders -- a rapist, an armed robber, and a man who beat his spouse for the third time. Solid majorities also want to incarcerate two drug traffickers and a burglar convicted for the second time.

26. There is an array of cases in which North Carolinians want to use alternatives instead of incarceration, including a burglar who steals $2,000, an addict caught selling cocaine, a man caught shoplifting for the third time, a man convicted of statutory rape, and a man who beat up his wife.

27. There are four cases where North Carolinians are split about alternatives or incarceration. From the focus groups we know that in such cases, people generally want more details about the offender and the offense before determining whether to incarcerate.

28. North Carolinians do not necessarily want to incarcerate every violent offender. Most want to know the details of the case before determining whether an offender should go to prison.

29. While North Carolinians want to be tough on drug dealers, large numbers do not want to incarcerate offenders in a wide variety of property crimes.

30. When calling for the use of alternatives, the most popular sentencing option changes, depending on the offense and offender. In effect, North Carolinians want to make the punishment fit the crime.

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III. Beliefs About Crime in the State

Finding #1. North Carolinians overwhelmingly believe crime has increased in the past five years.

Table 1--Beliefs About Crime in North Carolina
Compared to five years ago, crime in North Carolina is: Per cent agree
increasing 81%
about the same 14%
decreasing 1%
not sure/don't know 4%
Quotes from the focus groups:

"Having a shooting in Asheville is not unusual anymore." Asheville man.

"I was surprised when I moved down here at how much crime there is. When I watch the evening news, I feel like I'm back in New York." Charlotte woman.

"[Crime] is increasing every day." Durham woman.

In North Carolina, people are about as likely to say crime is increasing as were people in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Oregon.

Table 1a--Beliefs About Crime In North Carolina Compared to Other States
Statement
NC 95 OK 95 OR 95 VT 94 PA 93 DE 91 AL 89
Crime is increasing 81% 79% 78% 62% 71% 49% 83%

Finding #2. Four out of five North Carolinians think that violent crime is on the rise.

Table 2--Beliefs About Violent Crime in North Carolina
Compared to five years ago, violent crime in North Carolina is:
Per cent agree
increasing 80%
about the same 14%
decreasing 2%
not sure/don't know 4%
Quote from the focus groups:

"I just heard on the news about a 2-year-old who was [caught up in a drug-related crossfire and] shot on her porch." Durham woman.

"In my neighborhood, there is a lot of shooting going on. I'm scared of bullets coming through the window at any time." Greenville woman.

"We're getting serious crimes like drive-by shootings." Asheville woman.

In North Carolina people are about as likely to believe that violent crime is increasing as were people in Oklahoma and Oregon.

Table 2a--Beliefs About Violent Crime In North Carolina Compared to Other States
Statement
NC 95 OK 95 OR 95 VT 94 PA 93 DE 91 AL 89
Violent crime is increasing 80% 76% 77% 60% na na na

Finding #3. North Carolinians are also concerned about rising juvenile crime, with 85 percent saying it is up over the past five years.

Table 3--Beliefs About Juvenile Crime in North Carolina
Compared to five years ago, juvenile crime in North Carolina is:
Per cent agree
increasing 85%
about the same 10%
decreasing 1%
not sure/don't know 5%
Quotes from the focus groups:

"It's the young people I'm worried about." Greenville woman.

Fear of juvenile crime is about as high in North Carolina as it was in Oklahoma and Oregon.

Table 3a--Beliefs About Juvenile Crime In North Carolina Compared to Other States
Statement
NC 95 OK 95 OR 95 VT 94 PA 93 DE 91 AL 89
Juvenile crime is increasing 85% 90% 88% na na na na

Finding #4. Two-thirds say illegal drug use is increasing.

Table 4--Beliefs About Illegal Drug Use in North Carolina
Compared to five years ago, illegal drug use in North Carolina is:
Per cent agree
increasing 67%
about the same 23
decreasing 3
not sure/don't know 7
Quotes from the focus groups:

"Drugs are a big problem and the main cause of a lot of crime." Charlotte woman.

"[The crime] all goes back to drugs." Greenville woman.

"Right behind the police station they sell drugs." Asheville woman.

"I went to drop off my daughter at school and she said don't go up that street because everybody will hit you up to buy drugs." Asheville woman.

North Carolinians are more likely to say illegal drug use is increasing than are people in other states.

Table 4a--Beliefs About Illegal Drug Use Crime In North Carolina Compared to Other States
Statement
NC 95 OK 95 OR 95 VT 94 PA 93 DE 91 AL 89
Illegal drug use is increasing 67% 52% 52% 51% 50% 50% na

Finding #5. A number of North Carolinians speak from experience about crime. Nearly one in four said that within the past five years, they or a member of their immediate family had been the victim of a crime.

Table 5--Recent Crime Victims in North Carolina
"Over the past five years, has anyone in your immediate family been a victim of crime?"
Per cent total
Yes 23%
No 77%
Quotes from the focus groups:

"My house was broken into." Durham woman.

"[Criminals] stole a lot of our inventory about three months ago." Asheville man.

"I'm scared of bullets coming through the window at any time." Greenville woman.

"We had two ladies murdered last year. They never found out who killed one of them who left a three-year-old daughter. But the second lady, her neighbor killed her, and that was right where we live. It was shocking to walk out your door and to see a taped-off murder scene, especially because we live out in the country." " Durham woman.

"I live in the projects and it's getting rough over there. Especially robbery and drug-related crime." Greenville woman.

North Carolinians were somewhat less likely to be victims than were people in Oregon and Oklahoma.

Table 5a--Recent Crime Victims in North Carolina Compared to Other States
"In the past five years has anyone in your immediate family been a victim of crime?"
NC 95 OK 95 OR 95
Yes, crime victim in family 23% 30% 27%

Finding #6. About 1 family in 11 was reportedly victimized by a violent crime within the past 5 years.

Table 6--Violent and Nonviolent Crime Victims in North Carolina
(Asked of the 23% who answered "Yes" to the question shown in Table 5, above)
"Was the crime you were victimized by a violent crime?"
Per cent total
Yes 9%
No 14%
Quotes from the focus groups:

"My brother was killed last year, shot in the mouth trying to break up a dispute." Asheville woman.

"I've lived in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. But it wasn't until I moved down here that I was held up at gunpoint, at the mall at 11 a.m. with my son." Charlotte woman.

"I was the victim of an armed robbery and a car theft." Durham man.

Table 6a--Violent and Nonviolent Crime Victims in North Carolina
(Asked of those who answered "Yes" to the question shown in Table 5, above)
Statement NC 95 OK 95 OR 95
Yes, a violent crime 9% 10% 6%
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IV. Beliefs About The Causes Of Crime

Finding #7. North Carolinians believe that drugs and an erosion of what might be called "family values" are the main causes of crime, with 89 percent calling "parents who don't teach the difference between right and wrong" a very important cause. Large majorities also see "not enough emphasis on values in schools" and a "breakdown of the family" as major causes. But to most North Carolinians, such "family values" lack a political context and ideological overtones. People see values like teaching right from wrong as essential building blocks for a civil society.

Table 7--Beliefs About the Causes of Crime
Causes of crime
Per cent very important Per cent fairly important Percent not that important
Parents who don't teach children the difference between right and wrong 89% 8% 2%
Illegal drug use 85% 13% 2%
Not enough emphasis on basic moral training and values in schools 71% 19% 8%
Breakdown of family, especially among poor 66% 21% 12%
Judges who are too lenient 63% 25% 10%
Not enough emphasis on basic law and order 56% 31% 11%
Alcohol abuse 55% 33% 10%
Lack of education/poor schools 55% 29% 15%
Not enough prison space 50% 25% 22%
Poverty and economic hardship 45% 34% 21%
Unemployment 42% 33% 23%
Not enough police 39% 33% 25%
Quotes from the focus groups:

About the breakdown of the family, how parents raise children, and a general erosion of social civility.

"There seems to be more anger among people against their own family, and that's frightening to me." Charlotte woman.

"We have got to think about the children because that's our future. If we don't get our kids straightened out, we're doomed." Asheville woman.

"When I was in other countries in the Navy, everybody knew what they were supposed to do, and they'd do it. [Those countries] were crime free. Here, we are brought up differently." Durham man.

About the loss of community.

"Twenty-five years ago, all of us lived in neighborhoods where we knew each other well and you could leave the doors open and unlocked. All that's gone. The attitudes of people has changed since then." Charlotte man.

About changing values.

"People are more selfish today. We all think our problems are the only problems." Asheville man.

Finding #8. People in North Carolina have similar beliefs about the causes of crime as do people in Oklahoma, Oregon, and other states. The most important causes are inadequate parenting and illegal drugs.

Table 8--Views About the Causes of Crime in North Carolina Compared to Other States
Very Important Cause Per cent that agree
NC

95

OK

95

OR

95

VT

94

PA

93

DE

91

Parents who don't teach difference between right and wrong 89% 85% 86% 86% na na
Illegal drug use 85% 80% 72% 69% 93% 94%
Lack of moral training 71% 70% 67% 59% na na
Breakdown of family 66% 63% 67% 69% 70% 71%
Lenient judges 63% 62% 59% 49% 44% 39%
Not enough emphasis on basic law and order 56% 55% 67% 50% 50% 39%
Alcohol abuse 55% 57% na na na na
Lack of education/poor schools 55% 48% 60% 63% 65% 67%
Not enough jails/prisons 50% 48% 59% 50% na na
Poverty/economic hardship 45% 46% 50% 54% 64% 63%
Not enough jobs 42% 44% 44% 56% 68% 54%
Not enough police 39% 36% 38% 41% 37% 28%
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V. Beliefs About the Police and Courts, and Two Proposed Sentencing Reforms: Truth-in-Sentencing and the Use of Sentencing Guidelines

Finding #9. By a large margin, North Carolinians think the police treat rich people better than the poor. Most whites say the police treat people equally, regardless of race. But two-thirds of black, Hispanic and Native Americans say the police treat whites better than racial minorities. (Other Doble Research studies show that the police are highly regarded in an overall sense.)

Table 9--Beliefs About How Police Treat People
Do the police: Per cent agree
treat rich people better than poor people 68%
treat everyone equally, rich and poor, alike 24%
treat whites better than blacks or native Americans 47%
treat everyone equally, blacks, native Americans and whites alike 39%

Table 9a--Beliefs About How Police Treat People
Do the police in North Carolina: Per cent whites agree Per cent blacks agree Per cent native Americans. Hispanics, etc. agree
treat whites better than blacks or native Americans 44% 64% 67%
Many African-American respondents said the police routinely treat blacks more harshly than whites.

"A black cop told me about a call he [and his white partner] got about a man fighting. They didn't catch him, just two [black] guys wrestling who said they weren't fighting. The white cop slammed them down onto the hood of the car. Then the black cop got mad." Durham man.

But the majority of whites did not agree.

It's not so much black and white as rich and poor." Greenville man.

"It's the blacks who commit most of the crimes." Charlotte woman.

"Even Jesse Jackson admitted he's more afraid of a group of black teenagers coming at him on a deserted street late at night [than a group of white teenagers]." Asheville woman.

Finding #10. North Carolinians say the court system treats rich people better than the poor. As with law enforcement, a majority of African Americans and other minorities say the courts are harsher on minority defendants than on white defendants; but most whites do not share this view.

Table 10--Beliefs About How the Court System Treats People
Does the court system: Per cent agree
treat rich people better than poor people 75%
treat everyone equally, rich and poor, alike 19%
treat whites better than blacks or native Americans 39%
treat everyone equally, blacks, native Americans and whites alike 47%
Quotes from the focus groups:

About rich and poor:

"A rich person's going to get off a little easier, and that's not right." Greenville man.

"If I kill somebody, I won't be put to death. I'm smart enough to get a lawyer and a psychiatrist who's say I went 'ga-ga' -- criminal insanity or something like that. But a person who's poor and uneducated [who commits an identical crime] isn't going to get all that." Greenville man.

"I think the judicial system in this country is a joke. Those with money get off a lot easier than the average guy." Asheville man.

About the treatment of Caucasian, African, and Native Americans:

"[A white drug dealer], even a kingpin, gets to stay out for years and years. If he's black, it's a different situation." Durham man.

Table 10a--Beliefs About How the Courts Treat People
The courts in North Carolina Per cent whites agree Per cent blacks agree Per cent native Americans, Hispanics, etc. agree
treat whites better than blacks or native Americans 36% 53% 48%

Finding #11. North Carolinians overwhelmingly support truth-in-sentencing. The idea of bringing time served into conformity with what judges hand down in court is very popular. If people learn that truth-in-sentencing would, in addition, mean longer sentences for violent offenders, their support would increase to a level of nearly nine out of ten.

Table 11--Views About Truth-in-Sentencing
Truth-in-sentencing is: Per cent agree
a good idea 66%
Not a good idea 28%
QUESTION: "Offenders in North Carolina used to receive sentences of, say, 10 years but after time off for good behavior, etc., they often ended up serving much less time, say 2 years. Under a new law called 'Truth-in-Sentencing,' offenders get what SOUNDS LIKE a shorter term but they must serve all of it. Now this offender might get a sentence of 2 years instead of 10, but he must serve the whole 2 years. Do you think 'Truth-in-Sentencing' is a good idea or not?"
Table 11a--Views About Truth-in-Sentencing
(Asked of the 28% saying "Not a good idea" above)
Considering that it will mean longer sentences for violent offenders, truth-in-sentencing is: Percent agree Total percent agree
a good idea 15% 88%
not a good idea 8% 9%
QUESTIONS: "Another part of Truth-in-sentencing is that violent offenders must serve longer sentences. Now do you think it is a good idea or not?
Quotes from the focus groups:

"Our system allows for too much plea bargaining and sentences where the judge says, '20 years' but they only do 3. That all says to the criminal: 'You don't really have to worry. You'll get charged with something less and not [be punished or] have to go to prison.'" Charlotte man.

Finding #12. North Carolinians solidly support the idea of "structured sentencing."

Table 12--Views About Structured Sentencing or Sentencing Guidelines
Structured sentencing is: Per cent agree
a good idea 83%
not a good idea 14%
not sure 3%
QUESTION: "Another change is called "structured sentencing" -- guidelines for judges to make sure offenders with similar records who commit the same crime receive roughly the same sentence, no matter who the judge is or where the crime occurred. Do you favor structured sentencing EVEN IF it means that judges have less control over the sentences they give to offenders?"
Table 12a--Views About Structured Sentencing or Sentencing Guidelines
(Demographic Comparisons)
Structured sentencing is a good idea: Per cent agree
TOTAL 83%
men 84%
women 83%
18-29 82%
30 and over (average, all other age groups) 83%
Charlotte 85%
Triangle area 76%
Triad area 80%
Asheville and West 93%
Eastern North Carolina 86%
Other Piedmont 80%
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VI. Views About Corrections

Finding #13. North Carolinians see the criminal justice system as a single entity, drawing little or no distinction between federal or state prison, or city and county jails, and not understanding who is responsible for what, including judges, prosecutors, probation and parole officers, etc. As in other states studied by Doble Research, the people of North Carolina have a set of beliefs, perceptions and misperceptions that influence their thinking. These results, therefore, should not be seen as a judgment about current officials or recent policies and practices, but rather as North Carolinians' assessment of crime and criminal justice in the entire country in the mid-1990s. In that regard, North Carolinians give the system a comparatively low grade.

Table 13--Overall View of the Performance of the North Carolina Corrections System
In an overall sense, rate the job being done by North Carolina's corrections system Per cent agree
excellent 2% =25%
good 23%
only fair 52% =61%
poor 19%

Finding #14. North Carolinians' views are not unique. In four other states, people had similar views about the corrections system.

Table 14--Opinions About the Corrections Systems Compared to Other States*
Corrections is doing Per cent that agree
NC 95 OK 95 OR 95 PA 93 DE 91
Good/excellent job 25% 26% 29% 13% 21%
Only fair/poor job 61% 72% 66% 68% 59%
* Question wording in Pennsylvania and Delaware was slightly different: "How do you rate the job being done by the jail and prison system."

Finding #15. North Carolinians see four goals for corrections: they want it to simultaneously punish offenders, rehabilitate them, require them to make restitution, and deter would-be criminals. The fact that greater attention to one of these four goals may necessarily come at the expense of another is an argument North Carolinians reject. They simply do not see tension among the four.

Table 15--Views About the Goals of the Corrections System
Possible goals Per cent that agree
Very important Fairly important Not that important
Punish offenders 89% 9% 1%
Require offenders to pay back their victims or society 87% 10% 3%
Discourage would-be criminals from breaking the law 86% 12% 2%
Rehabilitate offenders so they will become productive members of society 68% 22% 8%
Quotes from the focus groups:

Prison should punish offenders.

"I want prison to be an unpleasant experience. Prison is for punishment. They're there to learn how to act civilly in society." Durham woman.

"[Inmates] ought to be punished hard enough so that next time they think about getting in trouble, they'll think about prison life and say, 'Forget it!" Greenville man.

"Lots of people [not in prison] don't have HBO or Cinemax. Why should [inmates] get what we can't?" Greenville woman.

"They have TV, their meals, weight lifting -- it's too easy." Asheville woman.

"They shouldn't eat prime ribs and have their wives come for the weekend." Charlotte woman.

"I realize that you have to give [inmates] a certain amount of space and other kinds of basics, but what we do now is out of line." Charlotte man.

Inmates should work and, by so doing, pay society back for the cost of incarceration.

"If they're building roads and saving the state money, maybe the prison would get a kickback or the inmate gets some money. Then maybe a TV in the rec room." Charlotte man.

"Sports should be a privilege they could earn." Charlotte man.

"You do the crime, you do the time -- but not by sitting on your tushy, watching TV." Asheville woman.

Prison should deter would-be criminals from breaking the law.

"We have got to deter crime [by handing down longer sentences for violent crimes]." Asheville woman.

"Eventually you will stop [drug dealing] if you get stiff on [dealers who are convicted]." Durham man.

"We should give [armed robbers] 20 to 25 years. If they serve some serious time, they may think twice before they go out and do it again." Asheville woman.

Prison should rehabilitate.

"I don't think anybody should be just confined. All of them need job training or education, and [those with drug or alcohol problems need] treatment." Durham woman.

"I support the idea of rehabilitation. Give them a chance to see if they can get straightened out." Greenville man.

"We should get [inmates] some kind of training so they'll be ready to get back to society. If we don't prepare them, we've defeated the purpose of putting them in." Charlotte man.

"Set up something so they come out [of prison] with a trade. The people who don't want to get jobs, or don't have the skills to get jobs, are the ones that are repeating." Greenville woman.

"If [inmates] sit around all day or even do only hard labor, they're not going to have learned anything when they get back out on the street; they won't have [developed] a better way to live. And so they'll just go do something worse." Charlotte woman.

Finding #16. When asked to rate the system -- and here again, the rating North Carolinians give actually applies to the entire American criminal justice system --- North Carolinians hand out low marks for each of four goals. One goal in particular, requiring offenders to pay back their victims, received an especially low score, with 53 percent saying the performance in this area is poor.

Table 16--Views About the Performance of Corrections in Terms of Achieving Its Goals
Rate corrections in terms of: Per cent that agree
punishing offenders
excellent or good 28
only fair 45% =66%
poor 21%
discouraging would-be criminals
excellent or good 16%
only fair 41% =79%
poor 38%
rehabilitating offenders
excellent or good 15%
only fair 44% =77%
poor 33%
requiring offenders to pay back victims/society
excellent or good 10%
only fair 28% =81%
poor 53%
Quotes from the focus groups:

"They have it better than some of us. Weights, cable TV, phones, field trips -- it's not prison, it's summer camp." Charlotte woman.

"Prison's full of dope, let's face it. So [prison] ain't going to stop [addicts] because they can get it there anyway." Greenville man.

"If we weren't giving them so much free stuff, we could afford to hire more guards." Greenville woman.

"The idea of prison used to conjure up [the image of] guys swinging sledgehammers and cracking rocks. Now they have three hot meals a day, televisions, conjugal visits. We need to get rid of our Dr. Spock-attitude and make these guys pay for what they did." Asheville man.

"Some of them will want to go back to prison because it's an easier life [than what they face on the outside]." Greenville man.

"We can spend money to incarcerate [offenders] again and again, or we can give them an opportunity to develop that self-worth, that says I'm somebody who can do something." Charlotte man.

Table 16a--Views About the Performance of Corrections In Achieving Its Goals,
North Carolina Compared to Other States
The job done by corrections is only fair or poor in terms of: Per cent that agree
NC 95 OK 95 OR 95 PA 95
making offenders pay back their victims/society 81% 82% 71% 82%
discouraging would-be criminals 79% 78% 78% 87%
rehabilitating offenders 77% 78% 72% 85%
punishing offenders 66% 78% 68% 82%

Finding #17. North Carolinians believe almost anyone convicted of a violent crime using a gun, knife or force should be sent to prison.

Table 17--Beliefs About the Sentence That Should Be Given to Violent Criminals
"How often should anyone convicted of a violent crime using a gun, knife or force be sent to prison?" Per cent that agree
almost all the time, almost no exceptions 83% =95%
most of the time, depending on circumstances 12%
about half the time, depending on the circumstances 3% =4%
less than half the time 1%
Quotes from the focus groups:

"In the case [of an armed robbery and shooting], he should serve a minimum of eight years. He hurt someone and could have killed him." Charlotte woman.

"Eight years isn't long enough." Charlotte man in reply.

"This is really a case of attempted murderer. An attempted murderer should get 25 [years in prison], no parole, none of this getting out in 2 years." Asheville woman.

"Stealing is not that big a deal. But once [offenders] hurt somebody, that's a much bigger problem than shoplifting." Asheville man.

Finding #18. While saying nearly all violent offenders should be incarcerated, only one in ten believes that is what usually happens. Nearly three in four, 72%, say that those convicted of a violent crime are sent to prison half the time or less. Please note that this is North Carolinians' view about what happens to convicted violent offenders, not violent offenders per se. This belief that most violent offenders are not incarcerated is also a root cause of North Carolinians' discontent with corrections. Correcting this perception would help rebuild public confidence in corrections.

Table 18--Beliefs About the Sentences That Are, In Fact, Given to Violent Criminals
"In North Carolina today, how often do you think someone convicted of a violent crime using a gun, knife, or force is, in fact, sent to prison?" Per cent that agree
almost all the time, almost no exceptions 8% =25%
most of the time, depending on the circumstances 17%
about half the time, depending on the circumstances 41% =72%
less than half the time 31%

Attitudes in North Carolina are similar to other states.

Table 18a--Beliefs About the Sentences That Are, In Fact, Given to Violent Criminals
North Carolina Compared to Other States
How often is someone convicted of a violent crime actually sent to prison? Per cent that agree
NC 95 OK 95 OR 95 VT 94
almost all/most of the time 25% 24% 27% 46%
half the time or less 72% 75% 66% 48%

Finding #19. Most North Carolinians believe that of the minority of violent offenders who are sent to prison, most do not serve the full sentence given by the judge.

Table 19--Beliefs About the Sentences That Violent Criminals Actually Serve
"In North Carolina today, how often do criminals convicted of a violent crime USING A GUN OR KNIFE serve the full prison sentence the judge gives them?" Per cent that agree
almost all the time, almost no exceptions 3% =7%
most of the time, depending on the circumstances 4%
about half the time, depending on circumstances 23%
less than half the time 34% =68%
almost never 34%
Quotes from the focus groups:

"A murderer [from our town] was sentenced to ten years in prison and he'll probably serve, what -- maybe two? Then he'll be back on the streets to kill somebody else. He had a prior felony conviction too -- assault with a deadly weapon." Asheville woman.

"We are letting [offenders] out early because of overcrowding, not because of good behavior." Charlotte woman.

"It all comes down to the system. The cost and all these layers in between create the costs and the overcrowding." Charlotte man.

"The judges can't even sentence [some of the most dangerous offenders to prison] because there's no room for them." Charlotte man.

Finding #20. Nearly two-thirds of the people in North Carolina believe most prison inmates are idle all day instead of working productively at a prison job. This perception too is a major source of public discontent.

Table 20--Beliefs About Prison Life
BELIEF--In North Carolina, most prison inmates: Per cent that agree
sit around all day, watching TV and playing cards 63%
OR
work in prison jobs and attend school programs 24%
Quotes from the focus groups:

"Some prisons can almost be fun to some people." Asheville woman.

"It's just like hotels." Charlotte woman.

"I read about a prison in Massachusetts that shows violent, R-rated movies. This is prison? If they're violent prisoners, they shouldn't see violent movies." Charlotte woman.

"The basketball courts and TV sets -- that's a waste of my money." Durham man.

Finding #21. About two-thirds of the people in North Carolina believe that after a stay in prison, offenders are more dangerous, not less. This perception is a major source of public discontent with corrections and fuels support for using alternative sentences or community-based punishments.

Table 21--Beliefs About Prison Life
BELIEF--When the majority of inmates get out of prison in North Carolina, they are: Per cent that agree
LESS DANGEROUS because they've learned their lesson or been rehabilitated 19%
OR
MORE DANGEROUS because they've been hardened by their experience 64%
Quotes from the focus groups:

"If you stick [an offender] in prison for a long time, all he's going to do is make connections." Asheville man.

"Why put [nonviolent offenders] in prison when statistics show that [when] we put people into a bad atmosphere, they come out with more aggression?" Greenville woman.

"Put an 18-year-old into prison and he'll become a criminal for life." Asheville man.

Finding #22. In sum, North Carolinians' dissatisfaction with the criminal justice system is rooted in a series of beliefs and misperceptions. Some are interrelated and some serve, as we describe later in the report, as the foundation of support for the use of intermediate sanctions.

Table 22--Summary Table: Why North Carolinians Are Unhappy with the Criminal Justice System
Beliefs About Corrections Per cent that agree
Because of overcrowding, large numbers of dangerous criminals are released before serving their entire sentence 86%
Corrections does at most only a fair job at making offenders pay back their victims or society 81%
Corrections does at most only a fair job of deterring would-be criminals 79%
Corrections does at most only a fair job of rehabilitating offenders 77%
The courts treat rich people better than poor people 75%
Those convicted of violent crimes using a gun or knife are usually not sent to prison 72%
The vast majority of violent offenders do not serve the full prison sentence given by the judge 68%
The police treat rich people better than poor people 68%
Corrections does at most only a fair job at punishing offenders 66%
Prison makes offenders more dangerous upon release because they're hardened by their experience 64%
Prison terms are too short, should be longer 64%
Overly lenient judges are a major cause of crime 63%
Prison inmates sit around all day, watching TV and playing cards instead of working productively 63%
Police treat whites better than blacks or native Americans 47%
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VII. Views About Possible Changes in Corrections Policy

Finding #23. By huge margins, North Carolinians favor three changes in corrections policy: they want inmates to be required to work, they favor reducing how often inmates can watch TV, and they want to make sure violent offenders are never released early because of overcrowding.

Table 23--Views About Policy Changes In View of Accompanying Trade-offs
Per cent that FAVOR Percent that OPPOSE
Make sure every prison inmate works hard at a productive job at least 40 hours a week EVEN IF this requires hiring more guards and is more expensive than what we do now 91% 7%
Make sure there is enough prison space so violent criminals are never released early because of overcrowding EVEN IF THIS means building new prisons and paying for them by higher taxes or spending cuts in areas like education 90% 8%
Sharply reduce or eliminate how often inmates can watch television or movies EVEN IF this makes them more dangerous to supervise 74% 22%
Quotes from the focus groups:

"I want to put [violent offenders] in prison [and keep them there] until they're not going

to commit a crime again." Charlotte woman.

"If they behave themselves, hold out TV-watching as a reward." Greenville man.

"As long as you got to pay to put him up anyway, let's put him somewhere where he can learn to do things that are productive." Durham woman.

"Not busy work. Just good hard physical labor, which is something most of them probably aren't used to. But they may gain a sense of reality and also feel good about being able to accomplish something." Asheville woman.

Finding #24. While a large majority says prison sentences should be longer, North Carolinians are split about whether that would have much effect on the crime rate.

Table 24--Whether Prison Sentences Should Be Longer
"Should prison terms be longer, shorter or about same as they are now?" Per cent that agree
longer 64%
shorter 1%
about the same 27%
Quotes from the focus groups:

"You've got people coming [back to prison] four or five times. That's ridiculous! They should have to stay longer the first or second time." Durham man.

Table 24a--Beliefs About the Effects of Longer Prison Sentences
Would longer prison terms: Per cent that agree
Cut crime because criminals will see that breaking the law means a long sentence 50%
Have little or no effect because most criminals think they won't get caught 47%

Finding #25. North Carolinians feel that juveniles who are 15 or older and commit a very violent crime should receive the same sentence as an adult.

Table 25--Age When Juveniles Committing Very Violent Crimes Should Be Sentenced as Adults
"At what age do you think juveniles who commit very violent crimes like armed robbery should receive the same sentence as adults?" Per cent that agree
17 years old or older 21% =70%
16 years old 31%
15 years old 18%
14 years old 13% =28%
13 years old 7%
12 years old 8%
not sure 3%

Finding #26. North Carolinians are pessimistic about the effectiveness of drug treatment, saying it is not effective most of the time. Yet North Carolinians overwhelmingly favor providing such treatment for all offenders who need it, even if that means higher spending.

Table 26--Rate of Rehabilitation for Drug Treatment Programs
For every 10 addicts who complete a drug treatment program, how many are successfully rehabilitated? Per cent that agree
a solid majority (7 of 10 or more) 3%
about half (5 or 6 of 10) 22%
a sizable minority (4 of 10) 11% =69%
a definite minority (3 of 10 or fewer) 58%
not sure/don't know 7%

Table 26a--Views About Policy Changes In View of Accompanying Trade-offs
Per cent that FAVOR Per cent that OPPOSE
North Carolina should sentence any offender addicted to drugs to mandatory treatment EVEN IF this is more expensive than what we do now 84% 16%
Quotes from the focus groups:

"If you put addicts in [a center], they won't be out on the street to rob and kill you. I'd freely give money [to build more centers] to save my life." Greenville woman.

"I'd say, let's give an offender [drug or mental health] treatment to get him straightened out so he knows what he is doing." Greenville woman.

"I'd pay for drug treatment. Everyone [who's addicted] deserves that much." Charlotte woman.

Finding #27. North Carolinians are not very hopeful that alcohol treatment is generally successful. Yet they overwhelmingly favor providing such treatment for any offender in need of it, even after learning that it would mean increased spending.

Table 27--Rate of Rehabilitation for Alcohol Treatment Programs
For every 10 alcoholics who complete an alcohol treatment program, how many are successfully rehabilitated? Per cent that agree
a solid majority (7 of 10 or more) 8%
about half (5 or 6 of 10) 30%
a sizable minority (4 of 10) 12% =58%
a definite minority (3 in 10 or fewer) 46%
not sure/don't know 4%

Table 27a--Views About Policy Changes In View of Accompanying Trade-offs
Per cent that FAVOR Per cent that OPPOSE
Sentence any offender addicted to drugs or alcohol to MANDATORY treatment EVEN IF this is more expensive than what we do now 84% 16%
Quotes from the focus groups:

"If they're an alcoholic, they need to be in a rehab program as part of their punishment and rehabilitation." Asheville woman.

"Addiction is a medical problem and it can be taken care of. It's a crime problem, but it's also a medical problem." Charlotte man.

Finding #28. People generally believe that prison does not rehabilitate. Yet North Carolinians overwhelmingly favor providing psychiatric treatment for every mentally ill offender and ensuring that every inmate has the chance to earn a high school diploma, even after learning these steps would mean increased spending.

Table 28--Rate of Rehabilitation for Prison Inmates
For every 10 offenders who go to prison, how many are successfully rehabilitated? Per cent that agree
a solid majority (7 of 10 or more) 4%
about half (5 or 6 of 10) 28%
a sizable minority (4 of 10) 13% =62%
a definite minority (3 in 10 or fewer) 49%
not sure/don't know 5%

Table 28a--Views About Policy Changes In View of Accompanying Trade-offs
Per cent that FAVOR Per cent that OPPOSE
Provide psychiatric treatment for every mentally ill inmate EVEN IF this is more expensive than what we do now 79% 19%
Make sure every inmate has a chance to get a high school diploma EVEN IF this is more expensive than what we do now 71% 27%
Quotes from the focus groups:

"I'd pay for drug treatment or mental health treatment for a paranoid schizophrenic. That's different than the recreation centers or the college degrees. Everybody deserves medical treatment, no matter what kind of scumbag they are." Charlotte woman.

"[Offenders] should get treatment because I would feel that nine times out of ten the problem was related to their crime." Charlotte woman.

Finding #29. North Carolinians are split about the use of day fines, a fine based on the value of one day's wages. However, support was noticeably lower than in Oregon and a sizable minority of North Carolinians, 40 percent, strongly opposed this idea.

Table 29--Support for Day Fines
How do you feel about day fines? Per cent that agree NORTH CAROLINA Per cent that agree OREGON
strongly favor 20% =50% 48% =66%
somewhat favor 30% 18%
somewhat oppose 10% =50% 16% =30%
strongly oppose 40% 14%
QUESTIONS: "Another idea is a day fine based on the value of one day's salary. Imagine two men, one earning the minimum wage and the other very well paid, who are convicted of the same crime and receive a fine of ten days pay. The first man would pay only $350 while the other, earning $1,000/day, would pay $10,000."
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VIII. Views About the Use of Alternative Sentences or Intermediate Sanctions

Finding #30. In the case of nonviolent offenders, North Carolinians want, by lopsided margins, to make much greater use of alternative sentences instead of prison.

Table 30--Views About Using Alternative Sentences Instead of Prison For Selected Nonviolent Offenders
Should North Carolina make greater use of: Percent that FAVOR Per cent that OPPOSE
RESTITUTION where offenders must pay back the victims of their crime 98% 2%
COMMUNITY SERVICE where offenders must do unpaid work such as cut brush or pick up litter 97% 3%
BOOT CAMP where for 90 days offenders must get up early and work hard all day under strict supervision and strong discipline 97% 3%
STRICT PROBATION where offenders must see s probation officer once a week. It includes unscheduled visits and mandatory drug testing 89% 11%
TREATMENT CENTERS where offenders work at their regular job, but are locked in at night and must attend mandatory drug treatment, job training, or high school classes 88% 10$
DAY REPORTING CENTERS where offenders must report in-person each morning, and their activities are monitored throughout the day 88% 12%
HOUSE ARREST where offenders must, by electronic monitoring, stay at home except to go to work or school 80% 18%
HALFWAY HOUSES where offenders are locked up at night but can go to work or school during the day 82% 16%
QUESTIONS: "The average cost of prison for one inmate is more than $21,000 per year. Do you favor or oppose making greater use of these less expensive alternatives for NONVIOLENT offenders?"

Finding #31. North Carolinians' support for making greater use of alternatives is deep as well as broad, with nearly 9 in 10 strongly favoring much greater use of restitution and about 8 in 10 favoring greater use of community service, boot camp, and intensively supervised probation (ISP) or what we called "strict probation."

Table 31--Views About Using Alternative Sentences Instead of Prison For Selected Nonviolent Offenders
Make much greater use of alternatives for selected nonviolent offenders Per cent that strongly FAVOR Per cent that somewhat FAVOR Percent that somewhat OPPOSE Per cent that strongly OPPOSE
RESTITUTION where offenders must pay back the victims of their crime 88% 10% 1% 1%
COMMUNITY SERVICE where offenders must do unpaid work such as cut brush or pick up litter 82% 15% 2% 1%
BOOT CAMP where for 90 days offenders must get up early and work hard all day 81% 16% 2% 1%
STRICT PROBATION where offenders must see a probation officer once a week. It includes unscheduled visits and mandatory drug testing 64% 25% 7% 4%
TREATMENT CENTERS where offenders work at a regular job, but are locked in at night and must attend drug treatment, job training, or high school classes 58% 30% 6% 4%
DAY REPORTING CENTERS where offenders must report in-person each morning and their activities are monitored throughout the day 55% 33% 7% 5%
HOUSE ARREST where offenders must, by electronic monitoring, stay at home except to go to work or school 51% 29% 8% 10%
HALFWAY HOUSES where offenders are locked up at night but can go to work or school during the day 44% 38% 8% 8%

Finding #32. When asked how the state should deal with prison overcrowding, North Carolinians' first preference is to make greater use of less expensive alternative sentences. (The cost of punishing offenders was more important in North Carolina than in other states.) A consensus-level majority of 93 percent wants to make greater use of less expensive punishments like community service, boot camp, and restitution. While 84 percent also favor using capital punishment more often with murderers, overwhelming majorities reject the idea of building more prisons if that means paying for them by either cutting social services or raising taxes.

Table 32--What To Do About Prison Overcrowding
Possible Steps to Reduce Overcrowding Per cent that FAVOR Per cent that OPPOSE
For nonviolent offenders, make much greater use of less expensive punishments like boot camp, community service, and restitution 93% 6%
Use capital punishment more often for convicted murderers 84% 13%
Build more prisons and pay for them by raising taxes 34% 64%
Build more prisons and pay for them by cutting spending on education, health care and other social programs 7% 90%
QUESTION: As you may know, North Carolina's prisons are overcrowded. Do you favor or oppose these steps we could take to reduce overcrowding.

We found less willingness in North Carolina to raise taxes to build more prisons than in Oklahoma and Oregon.

Table 32a--Willingness to Build More Prisons If That Means Raising Taxes
North Carolina Compared to Other States
Agree we should Per cent that agree
NC 95 OK 95 OR 95 VT 94 PA 93 DE 91 AL 89
build more prisons, even if that means raising taxes 34% 39% 57% 48% 18% 32% 19%

Finding #33: North Carolinians are enthusiastic supporters of alternatives even though most do not believe that offenders sentenced to an alternative are routinely rehabilitated.

Table 33--Rate of Rehabilitation for Offenders Sentenced to an Alternative
For every 10 offenders sentenced to an alternative, how many are successfully rehabilitated? Per cent that agree
a solid majority (7 of 10) 15%
about half (5 or 6 of 10) 38%
a sizable minority (4 of 10) 14% =43%
a definite minority (3 in 10 or fewer) 29%
not sure/don't know 6%

Finding #34: A comparison of North Carolinians' views about the rehabilitation potential of four sentencing possibilities shows that most people believe none is very likely to rehabilitate most of the time. Despite this belief, they overwhelmingly favor greater emphasis on rehabilitation.

Table 34--Beliefs About the Rate of Rehabilitation for Various Sentences and Programs
How many are successfully rehabilitated out of every 10 offenders sentenced to... Per cent who agree
AN ALTERNATIVE
a solid majority (7 of 10 or more) 15%
a sizable minority (4 of 10) 14% =43%
a definite minority (3 in 10 or fewer) 29%
ALCOHOL TREATMENT
a solid majority (7 of 10 or more) 8%
a sizable minority (4 of 10) 12% =58%
a definite minority (3 in 10 or fewer) 46%
PRISON
a solid majority (7 of 10 or more) 4%
a sizable minority (4 of 10) 13% =62%
a definite minority (3 in 10 or fewer) 49%
DRUG TREATMENT
a solid majority (7 of 10 or more) 3%
a sizable minority (4 of 10) 11% =69%
a definite minority (3 in 10 or fewer) 58%

Finding #35. North Carolinians' favorite alternatives are boot camp, restitution, and community service. The more passive, control-centered alternatives such as the halfway house and house arrest are comparatively much less well regarded.

Table 35--Preferences Among the Alternatives
Which alternatives should be USED MOST OFTEN? Favorite 2nd Favorite 1st or 2nd Favorite
boot camp 48% 18% 66%
restitution 15% 21% 36%
community service 11% 23% 34%
strict probation 6% 7% 13%
treatment center 5% 9% 14%
house arrest 5% 10% 15%
halfway house 5% 7% 12%
day reporting center 3% 4% 7%

Table 35a--Preferences Among the Alternatives
Which alternatives should be USED LEAST OFTEN? Least Favorite 2nd Least Favorite 1st or 2nd Least Favorite
halfway house 28% 19% 47%
house arrest 28% 18% 46%
day reporting center 9% 15% 24%
strict probation 9% 10% 19%
community service 7% 8% 15%
boot camp 6% 7% 13%
treatment center 6% 12% 18%
restitution center 4% 4% 8%
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IX. Sentencing Preferences in a Variety of Cases

Finding #36. Even after learning about the cost of incarceration and about various alternative or intermediate punishments, North Carolinians wanted to incarcerate three violent offenders -- a rapist, an armed robber, and a man who beats his spouse for the third time. Solid majorities also want to incarcerate two drug traffickers and a burglar convicted for the second time.

Table 36--Cases When North Carolinians Want to Incarcerate the Offender
Per cent for PRISON Per cent for ALTERNATIVE
VIOLENT CRIMES
Man stalks and viciously rapes a college student, FIRST offense -- prison or an alternative plus mandatory counseling? 94% 6%
Man shoots but does not kill store owner during robbery, FIRST offense 65% 35%
Man, after drinking heavily, beats his wife; she has no permanent injury and does not want him to go to prison. THIRD offense in three years -- prison or an alternative plus mandatory counseling? 59% 39%
DRUG TRAFFICKING
Man who is a drug addict sells $20 worth of cocaine to undercover police officer, SECOND offense -- prison or an alternative plus mandatory treatment? 67% 33%
Man sells $2,000 worth of heroin to undercover

police officer, FIRST offense

67% 32%
BURGLAR, SECOND OFFENSE
Unarmed burglar who is a drug addict stealing to pay for his habit. He breaks into empty store steals $2,000 worth of stereo equipment, SECOND offense in THREE YEARS 61% 39%

Finding #37. There is an array of cases in which North Carolinians want to use alternatives instead of incarceration. Among them are a burglar who steals $2,000 worth of merchandise, an addict caught selling cocaine, a man caught shoplifting for the third time, a man convicted of statutory rape, and a man who beat up his wife.

Table 37--Cases When North Carolinians Want the Offender Sentenced to an Alternative
Per cent for ALTERNATIVE Per cent for PRISON
A man takes a car for a joyride, but leaves it undamaged, FIRST offense 95% 5%
Unarmed burglar breaks into empty electronics store, steals $2,000 worth of stereo equipment, FIRST offense 81% 19%
Man who, after drinking heavily, beats his wife; she has no permanent injury, FIRST offense -- prison or an alternative plus mandatory counseling? 81% 19%
Woman driving with a suspended license one year after being convicted of drunk driving 80% 19%
Man who is a drug addict sells $20 worth of cocaine to undercover police officer, FIRST offense -- prison or an alternative plus mandatory counseling? 69% 30%
Man shoplifts $300 worth of clothing, THIRD offense in THREE YEARS but he has a steady job and three young children 62% 36%
Man driving while intoxicated, SECOND offense in THREE YEARS -- prison or an alternative plus mandatory alcohol treatment? 62% 38%
Man shoplifts $300 worth of clothing, SECOND offense in THREE YEARS 60% 40%
Man commits statutory rape, has sexual relations with a willing 15 year old, FIRST offense -- prison or an alternative plus mandatory counseling 50% 48%

Finding #38. There are four cases where North Carolinians were split, where narrow majorities favoring prison or an alternative and a large minority favored the opposite. From the focus groups we know that in cases like these, people would want more details about the offender and the offense before determining whether to incarcerate.

Table 38--Cases When North Carolinians Are Divided About Whether to Incarcerate or Use an Alternative
Per cent for PRISON Per cent for ALTERNATIVE
A 45 year old man who fondles his step daughter without her consent after she initially encourage him 51% 46%
Woman who is an accountant embezzles $200,000 from a bank, FIRST offense 51% 49%
Man who is not a drug addict sells $20 worth of cocaine to high school students, FIRST offense 50% 50%
Armed burglar breaks into empty electronics store, steals $2,000 worth of stereo equipment, FIRST offense 48% 51%

Finding #39. North Carolinians do not necessarily want to incarcerate every violent offender. Most want to know the details of the case before determining whether an offender should go to prison.

Table 39--North Carolinians' Sentencing Preferences in Cases Involving Violence Including the Threat of Violence and Domestic Abuse
Per cent for PRISON Per cent for ALTERNATIVE
Man stalks and viciously rapes a college student, FIRST offense -- prison or an alternative plus mandatory counseling? 94% 6%
Man shoots but does not kill store owner during robbery, FIRST offense 65% 35%
Man, after drinking heavily, beats his wife; she has no permanent injury and does not want him to go to prison. THIRD offense in three years -- prison or an alternative plus mandatory counseling? 59% 39%
Armed burglar breaks into empty electronics store, steals $2,000 worth of stereo equipment, FIRST offense 48% 51%
Man who, after drinking heavily, beats his wife; she has no permanent injury, FIRST offense -- prison or an alternative plus mandatory counseling? 19% 81%

Finding #40. North Carolinians want to be tough on drug dealers.

Table 40--North Carolinians' Sentencing Preferences in Cases Involving the Sale of Illegal Drugs
Per cent for PRISON Per cent for ALTERNATIVE
Man sells $2,000 worth of heroin to undercover police officer, FIRST offense 67% 32%
Man who is a drug addict sells $20 worth of cocaine to undercover police officer, SECOND offense -- prison or an alternative plus mandatory counseling? 67% 33%
Man who is not a drug addict sells $20 worth of cocaine to high school students, FIRST offense 50% 50%
Man who is a drug addict sells $20 worth of cocaine to undercover police officer, FIRST offense -- prison or an alternative plus mandatory counseling? 30% 69%

Finding #41. Large numbers did not want to incarcerate offenders in a wide variety of property crimes.

Table 41--North Carolinians' Sentencing Preferences in Cases Involving a Property Offense
Per cent for PRISON Per cent for ALTERNATIVE
Unarmed burglar who is a drug addict stealing to pay for his habit. He breaks into empty store, steals $2,000 worth of stereo equipment, SECOND offense in THREE YEARS 61% 39%
Woman accountant embezzles $200,000 from a bank, FIRST offense 51% 49%
Armed burglar breaks into empty electronics store, steals $2,000 worth of stereo equipment, FIRST offense 48% 51%
Man shoplifts $300 worth of clothing, THIRD offense in THREE YEARS but he has a steady job and three young children 36% 62%
Man shoplifts $300 worth of clothing, SECOND offense in THREE YEARS 40% 60%
Unarmed burglar breaks into empty electronics store, steals $2,000 worth of stereo equipment, FIRST offense 19% 81%
A man takes a car for a joyride, but leaves it undamaged, FIRST offense 5% 95%

Finding #42. North Carolinians want to use a variety of alternatives, depending on the crime and the offender. In effect, people want to make the punishment fit the crime.

Table 42--The Most Popular Alternatives in Cases When a Solid Majority of North Carolinians Want to Use an Alternative
cases most popular alternative
Man shoplifts $300 worth of clothing, THIRD offense in THREE YEARS but he has a steady job and three young children restitution
Man, after drinking heavily, beats his wife; she has no permanent injury and does not want him to go to prison. THIRD offense in three years treatment center
Man shoplifts $300 worth of clothing, SECOND offense in THREE YEARS boot camp
Drug addict sells $20 worth of cocaine to undercover police officer, FIRST offense treatment center
Man driving while intoxicated, SECOND offense in THREE YEARS treatment center
Man commits statutory rape, has sexual relations with a willing 15 year old, FIRST offense boot camp
Woman driving with a suspended license one year after being convicted of drunk driving community service
Man who, after drinking heavily, beats his wife; she has no permanent injury, FIRST offense treatment center
Unarmed burglar breaks into empty electronics store, steals $2,000 worth of stereo equipment, FIRST offense boot camp
A man takes a car for a joyride, but leaves it undamaged, FIRST offense community service
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X. Glossary of Terms

How North Carolinians Understand The Language of Corrections

Terms
What North Carolinians Think It Means
What They Don't Think Of
Burglary Robbery, burglary, theft, breaking and entering, larceny, grand larceny, embezzling, swindling, racketeering, extortion, or fraud. (These terms are almost synonymous in people's minds)

---
Community corrections A confusing or meaningless term
---
Community-based punishment A confusing or meaningless term

---
Crime Murder, rape, armed robbery, and other violent crimes Shoplifting, burglary, bad checks, joyriding
Day reporting center A confusing or meaningless term

---
Drug dealers Drug "kingpins"

Dealers who target students

Gangs, gang wars, drive-by shootings

Addicts selling small amounts to support their habit

Marijuana growers selling to friends

Drugs Heroin or crack cocaine Marijuana
Family offender A confusing or meaningless term
---
Felony Murder, rape, armed robbery, and other violent crimes Nonviolent property offenses involving up to as much as $2000

Growing marijuana

Intensively supervised probation A confusing or meaningless term

---
Intermediate Sanction A confusing or meaningless term
---
Jail Either state or federal prison, county or city jail
---
Juvenile crime Gang violence, assault, mugging, students bringing guns to school Shoplifting, etc.
Murder Premeditated, wanton, first-degree, during armed robbery or assault

Serial killing; cold-blooded act by career criminal

Unpremeditated by someone who's intoxicated or in a blind rage

A crime of passion by someone with no record

Murder victim A stranger to the murderer

A spouse, family member, or friend of the murderer
Parole Either probation or parole
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Prison Either state or federal prison, county or city jail
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Prison inmates

Violent, hard core offenders

Offenders with a string of nonviolent property convictions

Borderline retarded, learning disabled, or emotionally disturbed

Men over 65 needing health care

Probation Either probation or parole
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Robbery

Robbery, burglary, theft, breaking and entering, larceny, grand larceny, a hold-up, embezzling, swindling, racketeering, extortion, or fraud

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Sex offenders Predatory rapists

Child molesters

Flashers, family offenders, those who commit statutory rape
Violent crime Murder, rape, armed robbery

Shooting, stabbing, brutal attacks

A bar fight
Work center A confusing or meaningless term
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XI. Summary Table of What North Carolinians Want from Corrections

Sentencing Requirement
What North Carolinians Want
What They Do Not Want

COMMUNITY-BASED PUNISHMENTS

Boot camp Structure and discipline; offenders get up early and work hard all day

Productive, meaningful work (grow vegetables, reupholster furniture, etc.) to offset cost of incarceration

Offenders internalize work ethic, become more likely to get and keep a job upon release

An Officer and a Gentleman,

Louis Gossett Jr., a father figure/role model who dispenses "tough love"

Offenders acquire GED, job skills

Meaningless work; digging holes, then filling them in

Full Metal Jacket, sadistic drill sergeants who harass or debase offenders

Community service Hard, productive work to pay back community (e.g., picking up litter, clearing brush, emptying hospital bed pans)

Long, tough, meaningful sentences that deter would-be criminals

Supervision, strict enforcement

Visibility that will deter (e.g., offenders wearing orange DOC shirts while picking up litter along a highway)

Undemanding, easy assignments (e.g., working in a library)

Short sentences (e.g., 20 hours of community service)

Minimal supervision. Offender reports when convenient

Pete Rose teaching gym class; Leona Helmsley using her staff to put out a mailing for a hospital

House arrest Part of a sentence combined with a work requirement Offenders sitting around all day, watching television

Using or even selling drugs from their living room

Strict Pro-bation, ISP Part of a sentence combined with a work requirement Offenders who are solely monitored more closely
Restitution Offenders must pay back their victims to the best of their ability Indigent offenders who cannot make restitution going to prison, debtors' prisons

ABOUT CONDITIONS IN PRISON OR WHILE SERVING AN ALTERNATIVE

"We should make prison life tougher, more harsh"

Inmates should have to work

Taxpayers pay only for what citizens who don't break the law have

TV okay at night or weekends; no HBO; no VCR movies in cell during the day

College courses if inmates pay costs

Inmates breaking rocks

Bread and water

A ban on television or exercise

"Offenders should be punished" Make offenders work, deny privileges

Equivalent of "grounding," confining a child to bedroom

Corporal punishment, caning

Confining a child in a closet

"Offenders should be required to work"

Structure and discipline; offenders get up early and work hard all day

Meaningful, productive work

Offenders acquire GED, job skills

Prison like in old James Cagney movies

Chain gangs, Cool Hand Luke

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XII. Methodology

In July 1995, 800 North Carolina adults were interviewed by telephone. To ensure that all households with telephones, including those with unlisted numbers, had an equal chance of being contacted, telephone numbers were generated by random digit dialing by Tulsa Surveys, a nationally known sampling, interviewing, and data processing firm. The questionnaire was pretested for length and understandability with a total of ten North Carolina adults. Calls were completed by professional interviewers from Tulsa Surveys under direction by Doble Research. The interviews lasted an average of 25 minutes. The sampling error (margin of error) for each question is plus or minus 4 percentage points with a confidence interval of 95 percent. Data processing was performed by Tulsa Surveys.

Sample Demographics

GENDER TOTAL 800
men 50%
women 50%
EDUCATION ETHNICITY
6th-8th grade 3% White/Caucasian 82%
some high school 11% Indian/Native-American 1%
high school graduate 32% Black/African-American 15%
some college 28% Hispanic/Latino 1%
college graduate or more 26% Asian-American 2%
REGION AGE
Eastern North Carolina 24% 18 to 29 21%
Traingle area 16% 30 to 50 43%
Triad area 16% 51 to 64 20%
Charlotte area 15% 65 or over 15%
Other Piedmont 13%
Asheville and West 10%
other 6%
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XIII. About John Doble Research Associates, Inc.

Doble Research is a New York-area firm that specializes in analyzing public and leadership opinion about complex issues from a nonpartisan perspective. Clients and partner organizations include The Kettering Foundation, Public Agenda, the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, the Fetzer Institute, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation, the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the Western Governors' Association, the National Institute of Corrections, the Cleveland Summit on Education, the Educational and Social Science Consortium, the Council of Governors' Policy Advisors, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the States of Vermont, Oregon, North Carolina, Indiana and Oklahoma. Doble Research has explored public and leadership opinion about an array of complex issues including education, health care, poverty, mind-body health, AIDS, citizenship, race relations, foreign policy, immigration, science policy, and crime and corrections.

Professional Staff:

John Doble. A political scientist with over 20 years experience analyzing public opinion about policy issues, Mr. Doble was, prior to founding Doble Research, vice president and research director at Public Agenda, a nonpartisan research and educational institute headed by Cyrus Vance and Daniel Yankelovich. He graduated cum laude and received a masters degree at the University of Delaware. His articles about public opinion have appeared in Foreign Affairs (co-authored by Daniel Yankelovich), Technology Review, Judicature, Public Opinion, The Kettering Review, The Public Understanding of Science, and Public Opinion Quarterly, among others.

Damon Higgins, Senior Research Associate. Mr. Higgins is a former Assistant Program Officer at the Kettering Foundation, a nonpartisan operating foundation headed by Dr. David Mathews, where he directed numerous projects to increase citizen participation in politics. After graduating from Oberlin College, Mr. Higgins earned a masters degree in public policy studies from the University of Chicago where he was awarded an Alfred P. Sloan and a Patricia Roberts Harris Fellowship.

Jennifer Begasse, Research Associate. Ms. Begasse is a cum laude graduate of Bates College with majors in philosophy and Japanese studies. Prior to joining Doble Research, she worked for Ms. Magazine, J. Walter Thompson in New York City, and the Kettering Foundation where she conducted research on systems of political communication.

Celeste Fisher, Consultant. Ms. Fisher holds doctoral candidacy at New York University in the Department of Culture and Communication. Prior to joining Doble Research, Ms. Fisher graduated from Syracuse University and received a master's degree in Applied Public Affairs Studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

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