Abstract
The problem addressed in this study regards the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Florida’s incarceration system as well as the use of alternative sanctions. The current Florida criminal justice system requires criminals to serve minimum sentences depending on the crime they have committed. Unfortunately, this has caused a massive increase in the prison population. Offenders must serve long prison sentences regardless of the intensity of the crime they have committed. This means that high-level criminals are serving the same sentences as low-level criminals. With a lack of utilization of rehabilitative programs, and a strict limit on sentence reduction programs, more people are serving sentences in Florida prison when it could be safer for them to be in alternative programs and such a high prison population, the burden of costs is left to the public. The purpose of this study was to determine, based on the perceptions of research participants, if there is a significant difference between the opinions of Florida law enforcement and non-law enforcement residents on these topics. In particular, the research questions concerned whether these two groups held separate opinions about effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and the use of alternative sanctions and what this means for law and policies in the state. The overall research designed utilized online survey data, providing a questionnaire to participants. This study found that Florida law enforcement and non-law enforcement residents hold significantly different opinions regarding the effectiveness of incarceration in the state of Florida as well as the effectiveness of the use of alternative sanctions. This study also found that there is no significant difference between these groups regarding the cost-effectiveness of incarceration in the state. The negative opinions on these topics has significant implications for the ability of law enforcement officers to be able to do their jobs effectively due to their negative perceptions about corrections causing lower motivation, more stress, and higher turnover rates.