Attitudes
about Crime and Criminal Justice
Policy
in
2004
Special
Legislative Survey
Dennis R. Longmire, Ph.D.
Professor and Director
Survey Research Program
Robert G. Morris, M.A.
Doctoral Fellow
Survey Research Program
(936) 294-1651
e-mail: Longmire@shsu.edu
http://www.cjcenter.org/cjcenter/research/srp/txpi.php
Recommended
citation:
Longmire, Dennis R. & Robert G. Morris (2004). Attitudes
about Crime and Criminal Justice Policy in
http://www.cjcenter.org/cjcenter/research/srp/cparchive/2004/2004SLSreport.html
Introduction
This General Report was prepared as a resource document intended to
assist legislative policy makers during the 79th Texas State
Legislative Session. It examines
questions based on several Bills that were left pending after the close of the
78th Texas State Legislative Session. Items focusing on citizens’ confidence in
difference components of the criminal justice system and victimization experiences
were also included in the survey instrument to allow a comparison of how
Texans’ attitudes about these issues has changed over time. This General Report presents the simple
frequency distributions drawn from all items included in the 2004 Texas Crime Poll Special Legislative
Survey. The three following “Special
Legislative Reports” will also be released that include a more detailed
breakdown of attitudes about specific legislative initiatives that were raised
during the 78th Texas State Legislative Session. These Special Reports will be posted to the
Survey Research Program’s general home-page (www.cjcenter.org/srp):
·
2004 Texas Crime
Poll Special Legislative Report I: Citizens’ Attitudes About the Regulation and
Certification of Forensic Crime Labs (http://www.cjcenter.org/cjcenter/research/srp/cparchive/2004/2004SLRfs.pdf);
·
2004
(http://www.cjcenter.org/cjcenter/research/srp/cparchive/2004/2004SLRdp.pdf);
and
·
2004
(http://www.cjcenter.org/cjcenter/research/srp/cparchive/2004/2004SLRgen.pdf)
This survey represents the 36th statewide public opinion survey completed under the
auspices of
1) establish degree programs for individuals seeking careers in
criminal
justice;
2) provide continuing education programs for professionals
already
employed
in the field of criminal justice;
3) conduct research on the problems of crime and the
administration of
justice;
and
4) provide technical assistance to criminal justice agencies.
The 2004 Texas Crime Poll Special Legislative Survey and all activities
conducted under the auspices of the Criminal Justice Center’s Survey Research
Program help to fulfill the third of these objectives by reporting information
on public opinions regarding criminal justice and related issues. The first Texas Crime Poll was completed in 1977,
and surveys have been repeated annually since that date with multiple surveys
completed in several of these years. Copies of the Final Reports for each of
these surveys are available for review at the Center’s web-site located at http://www.cjcenter.org/cjcenter/research/srp/txpi.php. The general purpose of these surveys
is to provide legislators, public officials, and
A general discussion of the
survey’s methodology and a description of the respondents to the special
legislative survey is followed by simple frequency distributions of response to
each question included in the survey. Ad hoc arrangements can be made for
further analysis, interpretation of findings, and/or testimony before relevant
legislative committees as a “Resource Witness.” Please contact Dr. Dennis R.
Longmire at the Survey Research Program for further assistance.
SECTION 1: The 2004 Special Legislative Survey and
Characteristics of the Sample
The 2004 Texas Crime Poll Special Legislative Survey involved a statewide postal survey designed and completed by the Criminal Justice Center’s Survey Research Program at Sam Houston State University. In October of 2004, surveys were sent via mail to 2,463 households and 562 were returned completed. The overall response rate was 22.8%.
Unlike previous Texas Crime Poll surveys, of which returns
have generally been underrepresented by ethnic minorities, the 2004 survey
attempted to increase the representation of ethnic minorities by escalating the
number of surveys sent to ethnic minority Texans. To do this, the survey mailing list was
divided into three equally sized groups. The first group included a general
sample of
The data presented in Table 1 show the age, ethnicity/race, and gender of the participants in the 2004 survey. The size of this year’s sample size allows general frequencies reported to fall within a margin of error of (+/-) 3.6%. Caution should be exercised when interpreting the results of this survey because the sample under represents those in lower socio-economic brackets and women. The sample also over represents older Texans and those with higher levels of education.
Table
1: Age, Race, and Gender of Respondents (2000)
% of Total (N = 551)
|
Age 18 - 29 30 - 44 45 - 61 Over 61 Refused |
4% (22) 21% (117) 40% (222) 32% (174) 3% (16) |
|
Ethnicity White Black/or African American Hispanic Other Refused/Don’t Know |
57% (309) 12% (67) 25% (135) 6% (30) 2% (10) |
|
Gender Male Female Refused |
59% (324) 40% (218) 1% (9) |
Table 2: Education
Level, Time Spent on a Computer, Source for News, and Political Party of
Respondents (2004)
% of Total (N = 551)
|
Education
Level Less than High School High School Graduate Some College, Business or Trade School College Graduate Graduate Work Refused/Don’t Know |
11% (59) 20% (109) 35% (193) 20% (110) 12% (69) 2% (11) |
|
Time Spent
on a Computer/Online None Low Moderate Frequent Refused/Don’t Know |
17% (97) 18% (99) 23% (125) 38% (208) 4%(22) |
|
Source for
News about Crime Television Newspapers Co-workers Friends Neighbors Other Refused/Don’t Know |
64% (355) 26% (143) 1% (6) 0.5% (3) 0.5% (3) 6% (33) 2% (8) |
|
Political
Party Representation Republican Democrat Independent Other Refused/Don’t Know |
38% (209) 39% (215) 10% (55) 3% (17) 10% (55) |
Table 3: Community Size, Religious Preference, and Annual Household
Income of Respondents (2004)
% of Total (N = 551)
|
Size of
Respondent Community Rural Suburb Urban Refused/Don’t Know |
12% (65) 15% (83) 23% (129) 24% (134) 21% (114) 5% (26) |
|
Religious
Preference Protestant Catholic Jewish Other Refused/Don’t Know |
49% (267) 29% (159) 1% (9) 17% (92) 4% (24) |
|
Annual
Household Income Less than $15,000 Between $15,001 and $30,000 Between $30,001 and $60,000 Over $60,000 Refused/Don’t Know |
14% (76) 20% (109) 27% (147) 29% (162) 10% (57) |
The following tables and figures show the simple frequency distributions of responses to the questions included in the survey.
Problems Facing the Community (2004 vs.
2000)
Survey
Item: What do you consider to be the
single most important problem facing
your local community?
Most Important Problem
Facing the Community
Problems Facing the State (2004 vs. 2000)
Survey Item: What
do you consider to be the single most
important problem facing the State of
Most Important Problem
Facing
Problems
Facing the Country (2004 vs. 2000)
Survey Item: What do you consider to be the single most important issue facing the
country?
Most Important Issue Facing the Country
SECTION 2:
Assessment of the Criminal Justice
System and Its Components (2004 vs. 2000)
Job Done by Local Police Departments
Survey
Item: When
you think about your local police
department, how would you rate
the job they are doing?
|
|
2000 |
2004 |
|
Response |
% |
% |
|
Excellent |
19% |
11% |
|
Above Average |
28% |
34% |
|
Adequate |
44% |
43% |
|
Below Average |
3% |
9% |
|
Poor |
4% |
4% |
Job Done by Local Sheriff’s Departments
Survey Item: What about your local sheriff’s department? How would you rate the job they are
doing?
|
|
2000 |
2004 |
|
Response |
% |
% |
|
Excellent |
15% |
8% |
|
Above Average |
22% |
30% |
|
Adequate |
45% |
49% |
|
Below Average |
5% |
10% |
|
Poor |
4% |
3% |
Job
Done by State Level Police (Department of Public Safety)
Survey Item: How
would you rate the job being performed by the state level police (Department of Public Safety)?
|
|
2000 |
2004 |
|
Response |
% |
% |
|
Excellent |
18% |
15% |
|
Above Average |
34% |
36% |
|
Adequate |
37% |
41% |
|
Below Average |
3% |
5% |
|
Poor |
2% |
3% |
Job
Done by Local Judges (2000 vs. 2004)
Survey Item: Now think
about your local judges. What kind
of job do you think they are doing?
|
|
2000 |
2004 |
|
Response |
% |
% |
|
Excellent |
10% |
7% |
|
Above Average |
30% |
25% |
|
Adequate |
39% |
46% |
|
Below Average |
4% |
17% |
|
Poor |
4% |
5% |
Job
Done by State Level Appellate Courts (2004
only)
Survey Item: How
would you rate the job being done by the state
level appeal courts?
|
Response |
Frequency |
% |
|
Excellent |
25 |
5% |
|
Above Average |
121 |
23% |
|
Adequate |
276 |
53% |
|
Below Average |
70 |