Redemption or forfeiture? Understanding diversity in Australians’ attitudes to parole

Recent Australian reforms to parole following high-profile violations are premised on a purported public desire for greater restrictions on the use of parole. These changes reflect the tendency of legislatures to presume that the public is largely punitive and invoke a ‘forfeiture’ of rights rationa...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Fitzgerald, Robin (Author)
Contributors: Bartels, Lorana ; Freiberg, Arie
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2020
In: Criminology & criminal justice
Year: 2020, Volume: 20, Issue: 2, Pages: 169-186
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Keywords:
Forfeiture
Latent Class Analysis
Parole
Public Opinion
Redeemability
Description
Summary:Recent Australian reforms to parole following high-profile violations are premised on a purported public desire for greater restrictions on the use of parole. These changes reflect the tendency of legislatures to presume that the public is largely punitive and invoke a ‘forfeiture’ of rights rationale that weakens support for offender rehabilitation. We consider whether restricting parole is based on a sound reading of public views. Drawing on a national study of public opinion on parole in Australia, we use a latent variable approach to look for distinct patterns in attitudes to parole and re-entry. We also examine what factors explain these patterns. The results support the conclusion that appealing to a public belief in offenders’ ability to change may be the most effective way to increase public confidence in parole systems.
ISSN:1748-8966
DOI:10.1177/1748895818800738