[Attitude to prisoners] Multivariate analysis of public attitudes towards ex-offenders in a non-Western context: a survey among representative sample (n=390)

Since its development in 1985 by Melvin and colleagues, Attitudes Towards Prisoners scale (ATP) has been employed to measure attitudes towards ex offenders. However, our current knowledge of public attitudes towards ex offenders is limited primarily to a) Anglo-Saxon countries and Hong Kong and b) non-random samples. The present paper differs from most of the previous research in its use of random urban sample in a hitherto unexplored jurisdiction and multivariate analysis to identify demographic correlates of public attitudes towards ex offenders. The representative urban sample in the capital city of Azerbaijan (n=390) points to relatively positive attitudes towards ex-prisoners. Knowledge of a former or current convict and being male are associated with a more positive attitude. Attitudes become more tolerant as age and the level of education increase. The findings show the validity and applicability of ATP in a post-Soviet context, and similar attitudes between Azerbaijani sample and participants elsewhere.