The Criminal Justice Response To Policy Interventions: Evidence From Immigration Reform, Sarah Bohn, Matthew Freedman, Emily Owens
May 2015
The Criminal Justice Response To Policy Interventions: Evidence From Immigration Reform, Sarah Bohn, Matthew Freedman, Emily Owens
Matthew Freedman
Changes in the treatment of individuals by the criminal justice system following a policy intervention may bias estimates of the effects of the intervention on underlying criminal activity. We explore the importance of such changes in the context of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). Using administrative data from San Antonio, Texas, we examine variation across neighborhoods and ethnicities in police arrests and in the rate at which those arrests are prosecuted. We find that changes in police behavior around IRCA confound estimates of the effects of the policy and its restrictions on employment on criminal activity.
Theories Of Crime : A Reader, Claire Renzetti, Daniel Curran, Patrick Carr
Mar 2015
Theories Of Crime : A Reader, Claire Renzetti, Daniel Curran, Patrick Carr
Daniel J. Curran
This reader contains excerpts from criminologists' writings on many of the most recent sociological, biological, and psychological theories of crime.
Editors Renzetti, Curran, and Carr have compiled one of the most thorough books on the market in terms of presenting diverse theoretical perspectives. They offer introductions to each theory, briefly outlining the theory's strengths and weaknesses, and provide a set of discussion questions at the end of each theory. Excerpted readings were chosen for their accessibility to all students.
(Description from Google Books)
Bad Reputation: Stigma As An Inhibitor Of Risk Behaviors, Brian Newby, Whitney Decamp
Dec 2014
Bad Reputation: Stigma As An Inhibitor Of Risk Behaviors, Brian Newby, Whitney Decamp
Whitney DeCamp
In recent years, it has been suggested that technological and scientific advancements have made the world a safer place, yet the fear of risk and threats to safety is higher than ever. This theory suggests that people are increasingly basing decisions about risk behaviors on the potential impact on their reputation. Specifically, the stigma of taking risks has been alleged to be a primary factor inhibiting risk-taking behavior. This claim, however, has remained theoretical and without empirical tests to determine its validity. The present study uses data collected from a random sample of college students, including data from open-ended responses …
Developmental Victimology: Estimating Group Victimization Trajectories In The Age-Victimization Curve, Whitney Decamp, Heather Zaykowski
Dec 2014
Developmental Victimology: Estimating Group Victimization Trajectories In The Age-Victimization Curve, Whitney Decamp, Heather Zaykowski
Whitney DeCamp
Although research on the age-crime curve has made significant advances in the past few decades, our understanding of victimization has not benefited to the same degree. The present study examines the age-victim curve to explore victimization trajectories, which increases our understanding of risks over time through different life pathways. Using data from the Offending, Crime and Justice Survey, a national longitudinal survey in England and Wales, trajectory modeling is used to estimate different violent victimization trajectories for people aged 10 to 29 over four years of data. Analyses indicate the presence of four distinct victimization trajectories, including: rarely victimized, young …
Why So Many Questions? Measurement Issues And The Attitudinal Self-Control Scale, Whitney Decamp
Dec 2014
Why So Many Questions? Measurement Issues And The Attitudinal Self-Control Scale, Whitney Decamp
Whitney DeCamp
The Grasmick et al. scale is one of the most frequently used measures in criminology. Regardless of how common the scale is used, questions remain about its dimensionality and the nature of forming a composite measure from its 24 individual components. This study examines whether a composite measure is the most effective method for using the scale with a series of analyses using different approaches to combining - or not combining - these measures. Based on data from a sample of over 1,500 college students, the results indicate that a single-factor composite of the 24 items is the least effective …
