From awareness of correctional services to accepting ex-prisoners among the public

Abstract

ABSTRACT Public acceptance of ex-prisoners is a goal for correctional services to promote, supposedly by raising public awareness of the services. This possibility necessitates the present study because of disagreement between the reason-action approach and other views. The disagreement concerns the contributions of awareness about correctional services to favoring and accepting ex-prisoners. This study employed survey data on 1,321 Chinese adults in Hong Kong to examine pathways from awareness of correctional services to favor and action for accepting ex-prisoners generally. Such examination controlled for prior acceptance reported and background characteristics. Results support the pathways and, thus, its underlying approach. Notably, awareness about correctional services contributed to favoring and accepting ex-prisoners successively. This contribution substantiates the generalization of the reason-action approach. Thee substantiation implies that public acceptance is a reasoned action reasonably promotable by raising public awareness about correctional services.