Lindsey Pointer, Ph.D.

“A survey of US crime victims’ attitudes towards crime and punishment just came out: among the interesting findings is that, by a margin of three to one, victims of crime believe that prison makes people more likely to commit crimes than to rehabilitate them, and that people should be held accountable through mechanisms other than prison.”

The Alliance for Safety and Justice recently released a report on victims’ views on safety and justice. The Alliance commissioned the National Survey of Victims’ Views to fill in gaps in knowledge about who crime victims are, what their experiences are with the criminal justice system, and their views on public policy. Overall, the results indicate that victims are far more concerned with receiving adequate support, preventative measures, and offenders being rehabilitated than with severe punishment.

I highly recommend reading the entire report here.

“Seven in ten victims prefer that prosecutors focus on solving neighborhood problems and stopping repeat crimes through rehabilitation, even if it means fewer convictions and prison sentences.”