Workers’ Perspectives Study of Procedural Justice and Criminal Justice System Legitimacy
Summary
The Justice Collaboratory conducted a study of perspectives of individuals working at the frontline of six key institutions in New York City’s criminal justice system: prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, correction officers, probation officers and Criminal Justice Agency interviewers. This study explored actors’ perceptions of the legitimacy of the institutions in which they work. The study assessed their perspectives on procedural justice in order to enhance our understandings of how criminal justice agencies build and sustain their legitimacy, and how workers in those systems contribute to these processes.
Approach
This study involved in-depth, qualitative interviews with a sample of 30 individuals from each of the six criminal justice institutions described above.
Participants were asked about their treatment of the individuals with whom they interact in their professional role (clients, suspects, defendants, victims, etc.) and what emotional performance (toughness, detachment, anger, etc.) they perceive is required of them during these interactions. They were also asked about perceptions of organizational justice in the agencies they work for, as well as legitimacy and fairness in the criminal justice system more generally.
Funding
This project was funded by the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ).
Publications
Cox, A., Johnston, R. and Gripp, C. (2018) A Study of Procedural Justice and Criminal Justice System Legitimacy – Criminal Justice Workers. New Haven: The Justice Collaboratory/Yale Law School.
Additional publications are forthcoming.
Researchers
Tracey Meares
Principal Investigator
Tracey Meares is the Walton Hale Hamilton Professor and a Founding Director of the Justice Collaboratory at Yale Law School.
Tom Tyler
Principal Investigator
Tom Tyler is the Macklin Fleming Professor of Law and Professor of Psychology at Yale Law School and a Founding Director of the Justice Collaboratory.
Monica Bell
Researcher
Monica Bell is Associate Professor of Law and Associate Professor of Sociology at Yale University.
Alexandra Cox
Researcher
Alexandra Cox is Lecturer at the Department of Sociology at the University of Essex.
Camila Gripp
Researcher
Camila Gripp is Senior Research Associate at the Justice Collaboratory at Yale Law School.
Rachel Johnston
Researcher
Rachel Johnston is Research Director at the Justice Collaboratory at Yale Law School.
Megan Quattlebaum
Researcher
Megan Quattlebaum is Research Scholar in Law and the Program Director of the Justice Collaboratory at the Yale Law School.