RISK PERCEPTIONS AMONG SERIOUS OFFENDERS: THE ROLE OF CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

JULIE HORNEY, INEKE HAEN MARSHALL

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

118 Scopus citations

Abstract

Previous research on the perceived certainty of punishment indicates that individuals with experience in committing crimes perceive arrest as less certain than do those without such experience. Studies assessing the influence of experiencing formal sanctions on perceptions of risk have produced mixed results. Most studies however, have not considered the experience of sanctions in conjunction with the frequency of criminal behavior. With a sample of 1,046 incarcerated felons, we examined relationships among perceived risk of arrest, arrest history, and frequency of committing crimes. Our findings suggest that it is important to measure the ratio of arrests to crimes and that perceptions of risk are formed in a manner consistent with a rational choice perspective, even in a sample of serious offenders.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)575-594
Number of pages20
JournalCriminology
Volume30
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1992

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Pathology and Forensic Medicine
  • Law

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