College students’ perceptions of crime, prison and prisoners

This research addresses the perceptions and degree of accuracy in information that university students have regarding some basic criminal justice issues that are often misrepresented by entertainment media. The media often distorts information regarding criminal justice issues leading to over‐exaggerated beliefs of crime and justice. It is our belief that the criminal justice majors’ perceptions will better reflect that of reality than the non‐criminal justice majors because they have received education in these areas, presumably negating or balancing the effects of what they have “learned” from media presentations.