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Full-Text Articles in Criminology

Addressing The Ab 109 Population In Santa Cruz County: The Santa Cruz County Recidivism Study Of Post-Realignment Offenders (2011–2016), Shea Johnson May 2017

Addressing The Ab 109 Population In Santa Cruz County: The Santa Cruz County Recidivism Study Of Post-Realignment Offenders (2011–2016), Shea Johnson

Master's Projects

The goal of this paper and the included “Santa Cruz County Recidivism Study of Post-Realignment Offenders (2011–2016)” is to provide a meaningful presentation of recidivism rates for Santa Cruz County and, in doing so, help Santa Cruz County agencies to better design recidivism reduction programs, highlight the problems every county faces in trying to conduct recidivism reduction studies, and provide a roadmap for what is and is not possible for policymakers who are increasingly demanding more refined data sets and streamlined data for budgeting.


The Impact Of Employment On Probationer Recidivism, Clayton T. Cottle Mar 2017

The Impact Of Employment On Probationer Recidivism, Clayton T. Cottle

Theses and Dissertations

There is increasing need to understand and improve rates of recidivism in all fields associated with the Criminal Justice system. This research investigated the influence that employment status and job stability have on probationer recidivism. For this project, recidivism is defined as any arrest within four years after the termination of probation. Results from this study indicate that obtaining and sustaining employment can reduce the likelihood of recidivism in probationers. Additionally, the findings suggest that job stability is indicative of increased desistance. Findings from this study lend support to the notion that there is an employment-crime relationship. The findings of …


Pretrial Detention And Bail, Megan Stevenson, Sandra G. Mayson Mar 2017

Pretrial Detention And Bail, Megan Stevenson, Sandra G. Mayson

All Faculty Scholarship

Our current pretrial system imposes high costs on both the people who are detained pretrial and the taxpayers who foot the bill. These costs have prompted a surge of bail reform around the country. Reformers seek to reduce pretrial detention rates, as well as racial and socioeconomic disparities in the pretrial system, while simultaneously improving appearance rates and reducing pretrial crime. The current state of pretrial practice suggests that there is ample room for improvement. Bail hearings are often cursory, with no defense counsel present. Money-bail practices lead to high rates of detention even among misdemeanor defendants and those who …


Do Race And Ethnicity Matter? An Examination Of Racial/Ethnic Differences In Perceptions Of Procedural Justice And Recidivism Among Problem-Solving Court Clients, Cassandra A. Atkin-Plunk, Jennifer H. Peck, Gaylene Armstrong Feb 2017

Do Race And Ethnicity Matter? An Examination Of Racial/Ethnic Differences In Perceptions Of Procedural Justice And Recidivism Among Problem-Solving Court Clients, Cassandra A. Atkin-Plunk, Jennifer H. Peck, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Over the years, a distinct body of research has emerged that examines procedural justice in problem-solving courts. However, there is virtually no research to date on racial and ethnic differences in perceptions of procedural justice among problem-solving court clients. The present study seeks to understand the complexities of judicial procedural justice and race/ethnicity within problem-solving courts. Using a convenience sample of 132 clients from two problem-solving courts in a southern state, this study addresses a void in the literature by examining the influence of race/ethnicity on perceptions of procedural justice as well as the impact of race/ethnicity and procedural justice …


The Risk Principle Paradox: A Multilevel Approach To Examine Which High-Risk Offenders Successfully Change During Rehabilitation Programs, Cole Higley Jan 2017

The Risk Principle Paradox: A Multilevel Approach To Examine Which High-Risk Offenders Successfully Change During Rehabilitation Programs, Cole Higley

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The empirically supported risk principle demonstrates that correctional agencies can reduce recidivism by providing greater supervision and rehabilitation services to higher-risk offenders. The current study examined the paradox that offenders with the greatest risk to reoffend also have the most potential to successfully change; yet, little research has examined why some high-risk offenders succeed in programs, while others do not. Analyses examined whether certain demographic, motivation, and rehabilitative group features were related to program performance and post-release recidivism. Results showed that in certain rehabilitation types, statistically significant interactions were observed, such that the relationship between individual risk and outcome (either …


Offender Recidivism: A Quantitative Study Of Motivational Risk Factors And Counseling, Nazak Dadashazar Jan 2017

Offender Recidivism: A Quantitative Study Of Motivational Risk Factors And Counseling, Nazak Dadashazar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prison system releases over 590,000 inmates annually, adding to the current 5 million ex-offenders on supervised release. The purpose of this study was to explore the problem of increasing recidivism by identifying ex-offenders' dynamic risk and criminogenic need factors using the Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R), coupled with or without mental health services during reentry in relation to recidivism. This quantitative, nonexperimental, cross-sectional study included data collected from a sample of 128 male recidivist and nonrecidivist federal ex-offenders currently on supervised release, who were recruited during probation office meetings within the South Texas region. Regression analysis yielded statistical significance …


Static-99, Mnsost-R, And Pcl-R In Predicting Recidivism Among Texas' Sexual Violent Predators, Diana Jefferson Jefferson Jan 2017

Static-99, Mnsost-R, And Pcl-R In Predicting Recidivism Among Texas' Sexual Violent Predators, Diana Jefferson Jefferson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recidivism within the sexually violent predator (SVP) population has gained worldwide attention because of the lack of protection offered to the victims that may lead to loss of life. Behavioral theory suggests that accuracy of predictive behaviors based on empirical judgement is more reliable than that based on clinical judgement. The purpose of this research was to see whether three actuarial assessment tools, Static-99, PCL-R, and MnSOST-R, could predict recidivism and whether the combination of the three-increased predictive value in the Texas SVP population. As yet, the literature provides no evidence. The Texas Open Record System provided assessment scores and …


Black Male Probationers' Perceptions Of Juvenile Probation Officers' Role In Reducing Recidivism, Fern H. Clarke Jan 2017

Black Male Probationers' Perceptions Of Juvenile Probation Officers' Role In Reducing Recidivism, Fern H. Clarke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The high recidivism rate of Black male juvenile offenders is a problem in the United States that continues to be of great concern. Probation has gained popularity as being a means of addressing and reducing the high recidivism rates of juvenile offenders. However, there is a lack of research regarding Black male juvenile probationers' perceptions of their probation officers' role in reducing their recidivism. This study examined the following: a) the predictive relationships between Black male probationers' perceptions of their probation officers, their perceptions of the probation officers' job, and their recidivism within 3 years of being place on probation; …


Domestic Violence Recidivism: Restorative Justice Intervention Programs For First-Time Domestic Violence Offenders, Tamika L. Payne Jan 2017

Domestic Violence Recidivism: Restorative Justice Intervention Programs For First-Time Domestic Violence Offenders, Tamika L. Payne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Domestic violence impacts millions of Americans annually and, in spite of the use of rehabilitative programs, recidivism in domestic violence continues to be more likely than in any other offense. To date, batterer intervention programs (BIPs) have not proven to be consistently impactful in reducing recidivism in cases of domestic violence. The purpose of this quasi-experimental, quantitative study was to examine differences in recidivism for first-time male domestic violence offenders who have participated in a BIP and a more recently developed alternative: victim-offender mediation (VOM). The theories of restorative justice and reintegrative shaming frame this study to determine if offenders …


Using Dynamic Risk To Predict Violent Recidivism In "Real Time": Applying A Framework For Proximal Assessment Of Risk Of General Recidivism To Predict Violent Outcomes, Ariel G. Stone Jan 2017

Using Dynamic Risk To Predict Violent Recidivism In "Real Time": Applying A Framework For Proximal Assessment Of Risk Of General Recidivism To Predict Violent Outcomes, Ariel G. Stone

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In correctional psychology, risk factors are offender characteristics and contexts that increase the likelihood of reoffending. Risk is generally conceptualized as being either static or dynamic (Andrews & Bonta, 2010). Static risk factors are variables that cannot change, such as one's criminal history or gender. Dynamic risk factors must, by definition, be able to change across time. Perhaps more importantly, changes in dynamic risk factors must correspond to changes in the likelihood of an offender committing a new offense. Although static risk is a more robust predictor of recidivism, dynamic risk is important, in that it (a) has clearer theoretical …


Recidivism Rates Among Juveniles With Mental Illness, Kia Chevon Russell Jan 2017

Recidivism Rates Among Juveniles With Mental Illness, Kia Chevon Russell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Treating mental illness is imperative to help reduce criminal justice involvement within the juvenile population. Receiving mental health care will help decrease the likelihood for youth to reoffend, ultimately reducing recidivism rates. Past studies showed there are risk factors associated with juveniles and recidivism; however, very few studies have examined what factors are prevalent after services have been received. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that increase the risk of recidivism among juveniles who have received psychiatric stabilization in Harris County, Texas. Risk factors that were assessed included age, gender, ethnicity, and criminal offense. The psychodynamic perspective …


Hopelessness Depression As A Predictive Risk Factor For Recidivism And Survival Time Among Juvenile Offenders, Todd Milton Mcginnis Jan 2017

Hopelessness Depression As A Predictive Risk Factor For Recidivism And Survival Time Among Juvenile Offenders, Todd Milton Mcginnis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, there is a high incidence of recidivism among juvenile offenders with mental health disorders. This is a critical social issue facing the public and the Department of Juvenile Justice Administration today. However, research is not clear on the role of psychological factors in recidivism frequency and survival time. The purpose of this study was to examine whether hopelessness depression, as measured by suicidal-ideation, depression-anxiety, anger-irritation, and alcohol-drug use, and offense type, were predictors of recidivism frequency and survival time when controlling for age, gender, and race. The total sample consisted of archival data from 404 juvenile …


Recidivism: An Analysis Of Race, Locus Of Control, And Resilience, Danisha Latrell Thomas Jan 2017

Recidivism: An Analysis Of Race, Locus Of Control, And Resilience, Danisha Latrell Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recidivism is a growing problem in the United States that has contributed to prison overcrowding. In the United States, this is especially true for minorities, who have the highest incarceration, conviction, and recidivism rates. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the relationship between race, recidivism, locus of control, and resilience. For the quantitative component, the Connor-Davidson Resilience scale (CD-RISC) and the multidimensional locus of control scales were used to measure resiliency and locus of control differences among racial groups (N = 126) on parole at a Fort Worth, Texas parole office. For the qualitative component, in-depth …