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Abstract

This paper examines the penetration impact of a multifaceted, deterrence-oriented public service advertisement campaign conducted in Kansas City. The campaign was designed to inform people with felonies about mandatory minimum sentencing related to being caught in possession of firearms. People under correctional supervision in the community completed self-report surveys regarding their awareness of federal sentence enhancements, their beliefs about future behaviors, and the impact such enhancements may have on future offending. Results from the survey of felons in the community indicate a high level of awareness of this campaign, and that the sentence enhancements significantly impacted their perceptions of criminal sanctioning.

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Felons in Possession: Examining the Impact of a Public Service Advertising Campaign and Sentence Enhancements

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