A sense of justice? Attitudes to punishment in Sweden

Research problem and specific questionsThere is a great political interest in trying to satisfy the public’s will.

Although it is often assumed that the public is more punitive than current penal practice, previous research points in different directions and we lack updated knowledge on if, under which conditions, and to what extent people wish for harsher punishment.

The aim of this project is to offer a thorough description of the public´s attitudes and emotions in Sweden, addressing the following research questions:How do people in Sweden think and feel about punishment and current penal practices?Have the public’s attitudes to punishment changed over time, and if so, how?How do attitudes to punishment vary between the Nordic countries?How do attitudes to punishment vary between different groups in society?Have differences in attitudes and/or in the underestimation of current punishments increased over time?Does the characteristics of the offender affect public attitudes to punishment and if so, how?Data and methodThe study combines surveys and in-depth focus-group interviews.

In study 1, the general sense of justice is measured by including a number of questions on penal attitudes into the SOM-institute’s population survey.

In study 2, the informed sense of justice and discriminatory attitudes in the Swedish population is examined through a vignette survey and an experimental design.

In study 3, we analyse culturally rooted norms and emotions related to punishment, and how they are constructed and negotiated in qualitative focus-group interviews.Societal relevance and utilisationThis project contributes to the public debate and provides knowledge useful for political decisions.

In order to maintain trust in the justice system, there needs to be a balance between the public’s sense of justice and legal practice. Therefore, deeper knowledge about people´s attitudes and feelings towards punishment is important. The Swedish criminal policy is undergoing significant restructuring with a shift towards more stringent punishments.

This study examines the legitimising ground of this development with the goal of offering nuanced insights on penal attitudes.Plan for project realisationThe project runs over three years.

The project group combines expertise on attitudes and emotions related to crime and punishment, both from criminology and political science, and broad methodological and theoretical expertise which is well suited for the research objective.