NCJ Number
59395
Journal
Rural Sociology Volume: 36 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1971) Pages: 195-202
Date Published
1971
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THE ATTITUDES TOWARD LAW HELD BY KENTUCKY PROPERTY OFFENDERS WERE STUDIED TO DISCOVER IF THERE ARE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OFFENDERS WITH URBAN OR RURAL BACKGROUNDS.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH EARLIER STUDIES APPARENTLY FOUND RURAL-URBAN DIFFERENCES (WITH RURAL OFFENDERS HAVING A MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD THE LAW), LATER STUDIES FOUND NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES. THIS STUDY PREDICTED THAT INCARCERATED WHITE MALES FROM A RURAL RESIDENTIAL BACKGROUND WOULD HOLD MORE FAVORABLE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE LAW THAN THOSE FROM AN URBAN BACKGROUND. INTERVIEWING WAS COMPLETED IN THE SPRING OF 1970 WITH 111 WHITE MALE PROPERTY OFFENDERS INCARCERATED IN KENTUCKY'S 2 MAJOR PENAL INSTITUTIONS, KENTUCKY STATE PENITENTIARY AT EDDYVILLE AND KENTUCKY STATE REFORMATORY AT LAGRANGE. THE SAMPLE WAS LIMITED TO PROPERTY OFFENDERS BECAUSE THEY REPRESENT THE LARGEST SINGLE CATEGORY OF OFFENDERS, AND BECAUSE THEY ARE REGARDED AS THE GROUP IN WHICH CRIMINAL CAREERS ARE CONCENTRATED. FROM PRISON FILES, A POPULATION LISTING WAS PREPARED, INCLUDING ONLY WHITE PROPERTY OFFENDERS; INTERVIEWEES WERE THEN DRAWN AT STATED INTERVALS FROM THE LISTING. FINDINGS SHOW THAT URBAN RESPONDENTS (THOSE FROM A COMMUNITY OF 10,000 OR LARGER) WERE MORE LIKELY TO SCORE HIGH ON THE ANTILAW INDEX, WHICH INCLUDED PREFERENCE FOR ASSOCIATION WITH OFFENDERS AND CONDONING BREAKING THE LAW; AGE WAS INVERSELY RELATED TO ANTILAW ATTITUDE BUT NOT SIGNIFICANTLY; THE NUMBER OF PREVIOUS SENTENCES IS POSITIVELY RELATED TO ANTILAW ATTITUDE; AND RESIDENCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH ANTILAW ATTITUDE ONLY FOR THOSE RESPONDENTS WHO HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY SERVED ONE OR MORE SENTENCES--RURAL RESPONDENTS WITH ONE OR MORE PREVIOUS SENTENCES WERE LIKE THEIR URBAN COUNTERPARTS. FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE RURAL-URBAN VARIABLE IS RECOMMENDED. TABLES SUPPORT THE TEXT.