ABSTRACT
Crime and criminals are popular subjects in the psychological research literature, in the media and in everyday public discussions. There has been much research into the effect offending has on an ex-offender's life and how a criminal record can be a hindrance for many years after the individual actually offended. The criminal justice system in many countries relies on the participation of the public (see also Wood, this volume), therefore it is worthwhile to examine how the general public feels about offenders and prisoners. In this chapter, we draw on research from the United States and United Kingdom to examine the attitudes of the public and psycho-social factors that could mediate attitudes. All of these factors are involved in a complex manner with regard to the reintegration of ex-offenders into the community and may be facilitative or have a negative effect in terms of reintegration.
