Perceived Probability of Going to Jail and Predictors of Attitudes toward Prisoners' Rights

Abstract

In examining correlates of prisoners' rights, 109 undergraduates indicated the likelihood that they would never go to prison, completed the Just World Scale, a measure of conservatism, and a measure of attitudes toward prisoners' rights. Perceived likelihood of going to jail moderated the relationship between conservatism and attitudes toward prisoners' rights. That is, conservative students who expected never to go to prison showed little support for prisoners' rights, while those who indicated a higher probability of going to prison showed support for prisoners' rights.