Need help with college assignment! Need at least 10 responses please!!!!?

Question

I'm doing a survey for Sociology, would you please answer these short questions, and provide basic demographic info (approximate age, race, sex). Thanks for your help!

1. do you think there are more people in prison for violent or non violent crimes?

2. do you think there are more people in prison because there is more crime?

3. What percentage of prisoners do you think were seriously involved with drug and/or alchohol abuse/addiction before incarceration?

4. do you think prisoners today are serving more, less, or about the same amount of time than they did a few years ago?

5. do you think that if we take prisoner's privileges (tv, phone, computer access) they'll stop committing crime because they won't want to come back to prison?

6. do you think the death penalty has any impact on crime?

7. do you think the "3rd strike" rule has any impact?

8. do you believe prisoners should be allowed to marry?

9. do you think convicted felons should be allowed to vote

Answer 1

41,f, Caucasian
1. no violent
2. yes
3. 50%
4. more
5. no
6. no
7. yes
8. no
9. NO!

Answer 2

1. do you think there are more people in prison for violent or non violent crimes?

Non-violent.


2. do you think there are more people in prison because there is more crime?

Not really; just more politicians with more personal agendas.


3. What percentage of prisoners do you think were seriously involved with drug and/or alchohol abuse/addiction before incarceration?

Most, with most of the "crimes" being victimless.


4. do you think prisoners today are serving more, less, or about the same amount of time than they did a few years ago?

More in some areas, thanks to the "war on terror," the same in other areas.


5. do you think that if we take prisoner's privileges (tv, phone, computer access) they'll stop committing crime because they won't want to come back to prison?

No.


6. do you think the death penalty has any impact on crime?

None whatsoever, else we would be a murder-less society.


7. do you think the "3rd strike" rule has any impact?

No, not beyond the ruining of lives via disproportional punishment.


8. do you believe prisoners should be allowed to marry?

Of course.


9. do you think convicted felons should be allowed to vote

Yes, they have as much stake in the system that exerts force over them as anyone else.

M - 25 to 30 - Southern USA

Answer 3

Male, Caucasian, 40's



1. do you think there are more people in prison for violent or non violent crimes? Non Violent

2. do you think there are more people in prison because there is more crime? If crime is defined as breaking laws, yes

3. What percentage of prisoners do you think were seriously involved with drug and/or alcohol abuse/addiction before incarceration? 80% plus

4. do you think prisoners today are serving more, less, or about the same amount of time than they did a few years ago? More

5. do you think that if we take prisoner's privileges (tv, phone, computer access) they'll stop committing crime because they won't want to come back to prison? Yes, but a chain gang might be more effective.

6. do you think the death penalty has any impact on crime? Yes. At least one less

7. do you think the "3rd strike" rule has any impact? Perhaps, but not what's intended.

8. do you believe prisoners should be allowed to marry? No, not while in prison.

9. do you think convicted felons should be allowed to vote

No, not unless their conviction is overturned.

Answer 4

I am a 23 year old African American woman born and living in Oklahoma and currently enrolled in intro to sociology.

1. do you think there are more people in prison for violent or non violent crimes?

violent because the higher collared crimes get out faster or dont go for as long as the street crime inmates.


2. do you think there are more people in prison because there is more crime?

no, more people getting caught and sentenced.

3. What percentage of prisoners do you think were seriously involved with drug and/or alchohol abuse/addiction before incarceration?

less than half


4. do you think prisoners today are serving more, less, or about the same amount of time than they did a few years ago?

maybe less because prisons are overpopulated, maybe more because victims families are demanding harder sentences

5. do you think that if we take prisoner's privileges (tv, phone, computer access) they'll stop committing crime because they won't want to come back to prison?

no

6. do you think the death penalty has any impact on crime?

yes but i dont know how to explain, the action of death penalty is a crime

7. do you think the "3rd strike" rule has any impact?

i think they try harder not to get caught or beg for mercy more, some really may stay away from crime altogether

8. do you believe prisoners should be allowed to marry?

yes they are still people but they should not entitle them to be released sooner or slower.

9. do you think convicted felons should be allowed to vote

sure, they are still citizens

Answer 5

White Female 27

1. do you think there are more people in prison for violent or non violent crimes? Violent - arent most crimes violent in some way... doesnt someone always get hurt.. even white coller crimes can trickle down to someone being physically hurt (ie.. insurance crimes)

2. do you think there are more people in prison because there is more crime? Yes - because society has made crime glamorous in some ways

3. What percentage of prisoners do you think were seriously involved with drug and/or alchohol abuse/addiction before incarceration? 50% but less for white coller crimes

4. do you think prisoners today are serving more, less, or about the same amount of time than they did a few years ago? Less due to the over crouding

5. do you think that if we take prisoner's privileges (tv, phone, computer access) they'll stop committing crime because they won't want to come back to prison? Yes, but we should also take away exercise equipment... why make them stronger and more fierce for when they return to society

6. do you think the death penalty has any impact on crime? No, it doesnt prevent such crimes

7. do you think the "3rd strike" rule has any impact? No, it should be two strikes. if you dont shape up after one strike... your most likely going to foul up 2,3,4,etc times after

8. do you believe prisoners should be allowed to marry? No, they can wait to get all their freedoms back after time was served

9. do you think convicted felons should be allowed to vote? No, civil rights should be put on hold while serving time

Answer 6

White, female, 48, wife of a federal prisoner who has served 26 years of a 41+ year sentence.

Some of your questions are not specific. Unless you just want a paper on public opinion, a lot of these questions could be answered correctly and backed up by professional statistics with a few Google searches. Like the Department of Justice Statistics, the November Coalition's web site (drug charges and legislation) and so forth. Good luck to you.

1. Nonviolent crimes

2. No. More people are in prison due to increased legislation because politicians promise "good people" they will get tough on crime, regardless of the good people or their families that get caught up in the ridiculous legislation (like mandatory minimums). Judges can no longer base decisions on individual cases, because the law tells them how much time they HAVE to give someone.

3. Define "seriously." And do you mean usage or selling? 95% were involved were drugs at some level.

4. Depends on federal or state. State: They are serving shorter sentences for murders and rapes, but more often. Federal: Usually convicted for non-violent drug offenses, which have extreme sentences compared to murders. Since parole was abolished, the sentences are longer with no hope of release.

5. Absolutely not. They simply find other ways to entertain themselves. Prisons are not about rehabbing anyway. THey don't have the budget or ability. They are simply warehouses to keep the "bad" people away from the "good" people. In fact, they learn a LOT of new bad tricks and scams while there.

6. No, because it is not used often enough.

7. Yes, but not as intended. This is more legislation gone wrong. TOo often, that third strike is for a petty crime years after the others, something simple or unintentional like bouncing a check or a fictional complaint from an ex-wife. Someone with a new life can go to prison for the rest of his life on a third strike because an old spouse wants revenge and will lie to burn him.

8. Yes. Why not?

9. Yes. They know politics better than most people, and also have an appreciation for freedom that few others realize.

Answer 7

I know how hard it is to survey people (just graduated college), so I'll help you out. : ) 23, caucasian, female, SF Bay Area.

1. Non-violent
2. No... maybe because of harsher laws and new classifications of what exactly is a "crime".
3. maybe about 75%
4. less
5. Not likely, no... it might discourage some people, though. But highly unlikely. If people are going to commit crimes, they're going to commit crimes no matter what.
6. Yes, a little. I think it may discourage some people from commiting more serious crimes.
7. No.
8. No. Prisoners are there for a reason: to be punished for crimes they committed. Thus, I don't think they should have the same privileges as people who aren't in prison.
9. No. For the same reason as listed above. Plus, I wouldn't want someone in prison voting, anyway; they committed a crime, and IMHO have no right to participate in the election process while serving time.

Answer 8

40s, Caucasian, Female.

1. Non-violent.
2. No.
3. 20%
4. Less.
5. Yes, some will. Not all.
6. No.
7. Yes, but some of its impact is negative.
8. Not while in prison.
9. Not while in prison. But after they have served their time and been paroled, yes.

Answer 9

In my 20's, female, Caucasian. (Born in Africa living in UK)
1. More for non violent crime. There are a lot of fraudsters out there.
2.No, more people in prison, because we are getting better at catching and convicting them with evidence.
3. A large percentage, maybe 60%. I feel drugs go hand in hand with crime.
4. Less. To much red tape and laws protecting "human rights", in the last hundred years we went from easily handing out a death penalty to simply 20 years for murder.
5. Give them the basics to survive, food a bed and some activity to keep them from getting bored eg making furniture.
Maybe allow computer access for studying but no TV, phone or Internet.
6.Yes. Dying is more scary than going to prison, people are less likely to carry firearms, weapons etc knowing that using it will cost them their lives.
7. Don't understand it to well, but feel that it only gives people a change to recommit.
8.No. Not until they leave prison.
9.No. Voting should be a right that one earns. I wont like a government chosen by felons.

Answer 10

Age:23
Race:White
Sex: yes...I mean Female

1.) Violent Crimes
2.) There are more in prison b/c they are the ones who got caught
3.) About 65-78%
4.) They are sentenced more times but are allowed to get out on more things and then it cuts down their time.
5.) No not at all.
6.) Nope, I think they are going to do it regardless of the penalty.
7.) I think it just gives the criminals 2 attempts to achieve what they are going for before they hit the 3rd strike. Its like a cushion for them.
8.) Not while they are in jail no.
9.) That is tough to say b/c how can one make an educated vote if there are not aware of the political campaigns. Some prisons offer phone, TV and Internet access but for those that don't how are they supposed to know the campaigns. But overall yes, they should be given the choice to vote.

Answer 11

White,female,42,Turkey(South African)
1. More for violent than non violent i would guess.
2. Yes, I do.
3. Probably as high as 70-80%?
4. I think less.
5. Yes, I do. Some prisons are better equipped than their homes!
6. Yes, I do and i wish PUBLIC HANGING could come back.
7. ?
8. No they shouldn't have any priviliges or rights, since they have done crime, they have lost or should have lost any so called HUMAN RIGHTS..they surely weren't thinking about their victim's rights?
9. No as I said above..they should not have any rights..