Department of Justice Criminal Justice Public Attitudes Survey 2022

8th December 2023

On Friday 8 December 2023, the Department of Justice published the results of the Criminal Justice Public Attitudes Survey 2022. Findings are drawn from a nationally representative face-to-face survey with 1,518 adults.

Perceptions of the justice system are important for shaping penal policy insofar as public opinion often plays a role in the decisions of policymakers. We know, however, that public understanding of the justice system varies, with recent figures indicating that 68% of people surveyed believed they understood how the Gardaí operate, compared to much lower levels of claimed understanding for the IPS (30%) and the Probation Service (24%). Confidence and trust in the system have implications for policy because they ultimately impact on support for initiatives. As stated in IPRT's report Progress in the Penal System: A Framework for Penal Reform (2022), ambitious policy should accordingly be coupled with public awareness and education initiatives, so that the merits of the policy approach are understood, appreciated, and ultimately championed by all.

Some findings for this year:

• 50% had confidence in the effectiveness of the criminal justice system as a whole. [This compares to 45% in 2021]
• The Irish Prison Service (IPS) and Probation Service remain the two criminal justice agencies for which people had the lowest claimed levels of understanding (at 30% and 24%, respectively). [Both are up compared to 2021, which was 24% and 19% respectively.]
• The number one factor that people reported that would make them feel safer is more Gardaí on the streets.
• More than half (51%) had confidence in the IPS providing safe and secure custody for offenders [compared with 49% in 2021], while just 34% had confidence in the Prison Service being effective in rehabilitating offenders [compared with 32% in 2021]. A similar level (30%) in terms of rehabilitation was seen for the Probation Services [compared with 28% in 2021].

Read the full results of the Criminal Justice Public Attitudes Survey 2022.

Results from the Criminal Justice Public Attitudes Survey 2021 are here.