Objectives

This study examines US popular support for mechanisms that provide early release and “second chances” for individuals serving long-term prison sentences.

Methods

An experiment using a national sample of US adults (N=836).

Results

Data showed moderate, consistent levels of general support for using a range of commonly available “second chance” mechanisms that also extended to offenders convicted of both violent and non-violent offenses. Levels of support significantly varied by race, gender, and age. There was significantly more support for using certain mechanisms in response to the trafficking of serious drugs, which was fully mediated by participants’ views on the importance of the cost of incarceration.

Conclusions

Members of the public appear open and supportive to utilizing “second chance” mechanisms in a variety of contexts. Yet the cost of incarceration to taxpayers appears to particularly motivate increased public interest in using such mechanisms for offenders convicted of the trafficking of serious drugs.

中文翻译：

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“第二次机会”的故事：对重新考虑长期监禁刑期的提前释放机制的民众支持的实验检验

目标

这项研究调查了美国民众对为长期服刑人员提供提前释放和“第二次机会”的机制的支持。

方法

使用美国成年人全国样本 ( N =836) 的实验。

结果

数据显示，普遍支持使用一系列普遍可用的“第二次机会”机制，这些机制也适用于被判犯有暴力和非暴力罪行的罪犯。支持水平因种族、性别和年龄而异。有更多人支持使用某些机制来应对严重毒品的贩运，这完全取决于参与者对监禁成本重要性的看法。

结论

公众似乎对在各种情况下使用“第二次机会”机制持开放和支持态度。然而，纳税人的监禁成本似乎特别激发了公众对使用此类机制对被判犯有贩运严重毒品罪的罪犯的兴趣。