Callie Brown

Graduation Semester and Year

2012

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice

Department

Criminology and Criminal Justice

First Advisor

Alejandro del Carmen

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to determine if the public has a fear of wrongly convicted individuals that have since been exonerated through the use of DNA evidence. Existing research on DNA exonerations and exonerees has not addressed this phenomenon. The researcher distributed surveys to undergraduate students taking criminology and criminal justice courses at the University of Texas at Arlington. The data was analyzed using a t-test to compare the means of Caucasian and non-Caucasian respondents. The findings suggest that Caucasians and minorities have different levels of perceived fear of DNA exonerees in a variety of circumstances. The two groups felt differently about fear of exonerees in public and private places, during the day and at night. Caucasians were less likely to agree that they feared exonerees in these circumstances. Minorities were more likely to fear DNA exonerees would commit violent and property crime after being released.

Disciplines

Criminology and Criminal Justice | Legal Studies | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

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