A new survey argues criminals should get rehabilitation rather than punishment. The recommendation comes straight from crime victims themselves.
The study says one in three Illinoisans have been a victim of crime in the last decade. More likely to be victimized are people who are younger and lower-income, as well as blacks, Latinos and residents of Chicago.
Lenore Anderson is president of the Alliance for Safety and Justice, which commissioned the survey. She says contrary to the conventional wisdom, a majority of victims do not support long prison sentences.
“Crime victims see over incarceration as something that could contribute to future crime, which is not what anybody wants."
The study also found a majority of crime victims would rather judges decide the best prison sentence … on a case-by-case basis, rather than having mandatory minimum sentences set by law.
