Prisons or Problem-Solving: Does the Public Support Specialty Courts?

• In Event: Public Attitudes toward Inmates and Criminal Justice Policies

Abstract

Recently, “problem-oriented” courts have been developed as an alternative to the use of prisons. They are often called specialty courts because they are used to process and to divert offenders into treatment programs. Offenders who enter are seen as different from the general criminal population, such as those with mental health or drug problems, those who are homeless or veterans, and those who engage in domestic violence. Based on a 2017 national survey of 1,000 respondents, the current study examines overall support for different types of specialty courts. The analysis also examined how the level of support is shaped by punitiveness, belief in the redeemability of offenders, and a range of other variables. The policy implications of these findings are explored.

Authors

• Angela J. Thielo, University of Louisville

• Melissa M. Moon, Northern Kentucky University

• Alexander Burton, University of Cincinnati

• Velmer S. Burton Jr., University of Mississippi

• Francis T. Cullen, University of Cincinnati