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Recidivism Among Child Sexual Abusers: Initial Results Of A 13 Year Longitudinal Random Sample, Steven Patrick, Robert Marsh

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the initial analysis of data from a random sample of all those charged with child sexual abuse in Idaho over a 13 year period, only one predictive variable was found that related to recidivism of those convicted. Variables such as ethnicity, relationship, gender and age differences did not show a significant or even large association with recidivism. The only variable that seemed to show both a significant and almost moderate association to recidivism was the Risk Assessment in the Sex Offender Evaluation re-offense. Comparisons were made to prior research as well as a discussion of implications of the sex …

Using Criminal Punishment To Serve Both Victim And Social Needs, Erin Ann O'Hara, Maria Mayo Robbins

Law and Contemporary Problems

In recent decades, the criminal-justice pendulum has swung to the opposite extreme. Criminal law is often described as covering disputes between the offender and the state. Victims are not direct parties to criminal proceedings, they have no formal right to either initiate or terminate a criminal action, and they have no control over the punishment meted out to offenders. In this state-centric system, victim needs have been left unsatisfied, giving rise to a politically powerful victims' rights movement that has had success in giving victims rights of access to prosecutors and rights to be heard in the courtroom. Here, O'Hara …

Leveraging Maximum Reform While Enforcing Minimum Standards, Alphonse Gerhardstein

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Article focuses on criminal justice reform in the context of litigation. Specifically, it offers solutions for how to promote effective policies to reduce recidivism and ultimately keep the public safe from crime. It takes the position that litigation that merely focuses on constitutional violations of prison confinement is not complete without a focus on programming and supervision options upon return to society. Part I of the Article reviews some of the problems facing efforts to improve recidivism rates, specifically litigation that solely focuses on prison conditions. Part II deals with programs that should be undertaken to reduce recidivism in …

A Validation Study Of Risk Management Systems, Bridget Kelly

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive validity of Risk Management Systems (RMS) as a risk assessment instrument. To date, a published validation study does not exist for the RMS. The study employs secondary data analysis to examine the predictive validity of RMS recidivism and violence scores on three outcomes: arrest, unsuccessful termination from supervision, and technical violations. The study sample consisted of 830 probationers from the United States Probation Office, District of Nevada. The analyses showed that RMS recidivism and violence scores were moderately predictive of all three outcomes.

Evidence-Based Sentencing: The Application Of Principles Of Evidence Based Practice To State Sentencing Practice And Policy, Roger K. Warren

University of San Francisco Law Review

This Article examines these basic recidivism reduction principles of Evidence-Based Practice and the research on which they are based.

Creeping By Moonlight: A Look At Civil Commitment Laws For Sexually Violent Predators Through The Lens Of The Yellow Wallpaper, Heather R. Willis

William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice

This note examines the constitutional and social implications of the civil commitment of sexually violent predators in the United States. These commitments are implemented on sexual offenders deemed too dangerous to be placed back into society after serving prison sentences and have been gaining popularity across the United States. Currently, these commitments are considered constitutional in limited circumstances by the Supreme Court, but while these commitments are meant for only the most dangerous and least controllable individuals, the public reaction to sexual offenses increases the possibility these commitments will be misused. As a part of examining this commitment process, this …

Recidivism As Omission: A Relational Account , Youngjae Lee

Faculty Scholarship

Are repeat offenders more culpable than first-time offenders? In the United States, the most important determinant of punishment for a crime, other than the seriousness of the crime itself, is the offender's criminal history. Despite the popularity of the view that repeat offenders deserve to be treated more harshly than first-time offenders, there is no satisfactory retributivist account of the "recidivist premium." This Article advances a retributivist defense of the recidivist premium and proposes that the recidivist premium be thought of as punishment not, as sometimes suggested, for a defiant attitude or a bad character trait, but as punishment for …

The Role Of Faith-Based/Government Partnerships In Prisoner Reentry, Bridgette Bassford

SPNA Review

Every year, 650,000 individuals are released from prison in the United States. In the near future the number is expected to rise to 1.2 million. Of those released, statistics confirm that two-thirds will commit additional crimes and return to prison shortly after their initial release. This failure in prison reform comes at great expense to society not only in increased crime, but increased tax and spending. In recent years, the government has recognized this dilemma and called upon the faith-based community to partner with them in creating reentry programs aimed at reducing recidivism. In some circumstances the government is solely …

'The Devil Is In The Details': A Continued Dissection Of The Constitutionality Of Faith-Based Prison Units, Lynn S. Branham

All Faculty Scholarship

Faith-based prison units can afford prisoners who choose to be housed in them the concentrated and sustained spiritual nourishment that they believe they need to grow spiritually or in other ways. But critics claim that these units abridge the Establishment Clause. This Article debunks two of the arguments most frequently asserted against the constitutionality of faith-based units. The first is that prisoners cannot exercise a "true private choice" in the "inherently coercive" environment of a prison to live in such a unit. But court decisions confirm that confinement does not abnegate the voluntariness of other decisions made by prisoners, such …

"You Fall Into Scylla In Seeking To Avoid Charybdis": The Second Circuit's Pragmatic Approach To Supervised Release For Sex Offenders, Frank E. Correll Jr.

William & Mary Law Review

No abstract provided.

Alaska Justice Forum ; Vol. 24, No. 3 (Fall 2007), Deborah Periman, André B. Rosay, G. Matthew Snodgrass, Shel L. Evans

Vols 21-30 (2004-2014)

The Fall 2007 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum features articles on the collateral consequences of criminal conviction in Alaska, results of an Alaska Judicial Council evaluation of the Alaska Court System's three felony-level therapeutic courts, disproportionate minority contact within the juvenile justice system in Fairbanks North Star Borough, and results of a community survey in Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

"Balancing Your Strengths Against Your Felonies": Considerations For Military Recruitment Of Ex-Offenders, Michael Boucai

Journal Articles

Existing work on ex-offenders’ access to military employment too narrowly represents both the Armed Forces’ and the public’s interests in the issue. This Article proposes to shift the conversation from ex-offenders’ usefulness to the Armed Forces to the reciprocal responsibilities and benefits involved for these potential recruits, the military, and society at large. Part One reviews the rules, policies, and procedures governing the “moral waivers” that allow thousands of individuals with criminal histories to enlist each year, and it shows that that the waiver system nonetheless often fails to detect the criminal backgrounds of many recruits. Part Two reviews some …

Capital And Punishment:Supporting The Death Of Deterrence, Amanda Paige Cook

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has examined certainty and severity of punishment as serving a deterrent function. This research examines the effects of economic, cultural, and social capital, as well as the effects of certainty, severity, and prior punishment on likelihood of re-offending. Data collected at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility suggest that traditional deterrence indicators are insufficient for predicting likelihood of re-offending. This research finds that prior punishment increases likelihood of re-offending, a finding completely counter to that of traditional deterrence. Re-offending may be best understood by considering the effects of punishment on increasing prison capital and decreasing real world capital. The …

The Effectiveness Of Anger Management Counseling On Recidivism Rates Of Gang-Related Adolescents In The Project Bridge Program, Candace Kay Johnson

Theses Digitization Project

This study explores recidivism rates of gang-related adolescents newly enrolled in the Project BRIDGE (Building Resources for the Intervention and Deterrence of Gang Engagement) Program. The goal of this project is to reduce the incidence of youth gang violence, gang membership, and gang related activities in the city of Riverside, California.

Alaska Justice Forum ; Vol. 23, No. 4 (Winter 2007), John Riley, N/A Uaa Justice Center

Vols 21-30 (2004-2014)

The Winter 2007 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum presents articles on Alaska justice system operating expenses (FY 1984–2006), a review essay of a recent book about terrorism and the constitution, a study by the Alaska Judicial Council of offender recidivism in Alaska, and U.S. and Alaska incarceration rates in 2005.

Prison Education Program Participation And Recidivism, Zarona Ismailova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study utilizes logistic regression techniques to investigate the effect of prison education program participation on recidivism rates. I tested the hypothesis that inmates who actively participate in educational programs have a lower likelihood of being reconvicted. The purpose of this study is to help identify correctional programs that have a positive impact on recidivism, to then suggest policies that are directed at rehabilitating inmates and, ultimately, to reduce recidivism rates.

I used pre-existing data from reputable sources so I did not have to survey inmates. The initial tests found that there were several variables that had a relationship with …

Undermining Individual And Collective Citizenship: The Impact Of The Exclusion Laws On The African-American Community, S. David Mitchell

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The purpose of this Article is to demonstrate that felon exclusion laws are not race neutral and that the application of the laws has a racially discriminatory effect, and to call for their abolition. The laws contribute to the erosion of citizenship rights for the individual African-American ex-felon, and the undermining of the collective citizenship rights of the larger African-American community. Part II discusses the conceptualization of citizenship that underscores the premise of the Article. Part III discusses the exclusions that ex-felons encounter and the resulting impact on the individual and the community. Using Alabama as a case study, Part …

Building Criminal Capital Behind Bars: Peer Effects In Juvenile Corrections, Patrick J. Bayer, Randi Hjalmarsson, David Pozen

Faculty Scholarship

This paper analyzes the influence that juvenile offenders serving time in the same correctional facility have on each other's subsequent criminal behavior. The analysis is based on data on over 8,000 individuals serving time in 169 juvenile correctional facilities during a two-year period in Florida. These data provide a complete record of past crimes, facility assignments, and arrests and adjudications in the year following release for each individual. To control for the non-random assignment to facilities, we include facility and facility-by-prior offense fixed effects, thereby estimating peer effects using only within-facility variation over time. We find strong evidence of peer …

Mentally Ill Prisoners In The California Department Of Corrections And Rehabilitation: Strategies For Improving Treatment And Reducing Recidivism, W. David Ball

Faculty Publications

The California state prison system is proving ill-equipped to deal with the state's mentally ill prisoner population. This paper examines the ways in which mentally ill felons are not receiving adequate care while in prison as well as appropriate preparation for life after their release. The paper argues that the result is an avoidable drain on the state's budget as well as unnecessarily high recidivism rates for this population. Accordingly, constructive policy recommendations for ameliorating this shortcoming of the prison system are proposed.

Probation And Parole Officers Speak Out--Caseload And Workload Allocation, Matthew Demichele, Brian K. Payne

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The article deals with the perceptions of the Probation and Parole Officers on making case load and workload decisions. Caseload is the number of offenders an officer supervised while the workload is the amount of time needed to accomplish a task. The American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) provides baseline data in assisting policy-makers to resolve caseload and workload allocation issues. According to the article, officials should establish a definite goal to diminish recidivism through research-based processes.

Analysis Of The Association Between Socio-Demographic Variables, Juvenile Offending, And Formal Vs. Informal Juvenile Justice System Handling In A Non-Urban Sample, Stephen W. Phillippi, Jr.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

PURPOSE: This study compares and contrasts first-time juvenile offenders enrolled in a community-based intervention program whose cases were processed either informally or formally, and examines empirically- and conceptually-relevant contributors to re-offending. METHODS: This is a longitudinal, secondary analysis of 1072 male and female offenders. The study includes descriptive univariate analyses; chi-square bivariate analyses of each independent variable with the dependent variables (level of processing and recidivism at both one and three years); and binary logistic regression analyses to identify significant predictors of the dependent variables. Independent variables include age, gender, race, family structure, marital status of biological parents, family income, …

Sexually Violent Predator Legislation And The Sexual Psychopath Act: Will New York "Police" Their Sexual Predators Via Civil Commitment?, Stephanie M. Adduci, M.A.

Journal of Race, Gender, and Ethnicity

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of Recidivism In An Adolescent Substance Abusing Population, Christine Pacetti

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many adolescents with substance use disorders have ongoing problems with abuse and/or dependence throughout their lives. Little research has been conducted examining the differences among adolescents who do and do not continue to have difficulties. This study compared adolescents who recidivate versus those who do not recidivate after receiving treatment for substance abuse. Adolescents were compared on four categories of variables: (a) demographic variables, (c) delinquency /substance use history, (c) social/educational support, and (d) treatment history. It was found that the most powerful predictors of recidivism within these categories were criminal history severity, age at intake, and treatment completion. The …

Making America "The Land Of Second Chances": Restoring Socioeconomic Rights For Ex-Offenders, Deborah N. Archer, Kele Stewart

Articles

No abstract provided.

Making America ‘The Land Of Second Chances’: Restoring Socioeconomic Rights For Ex-Offenders, Deborah N. Archer, Kele S. Williams

Articles & Chapters

No abstract provided.

Assessing Risk For Violent Recidivism: A Comparison Of The Psychopathy Checklist—Revised And The Child And Adolescent Taxon Scale When Calculating Violence Risk Appraisal Guide Scores, Joseph Calvin Bolton Iii

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG) is the tool of choice when conducting forensic assessments of risk, and consists of 12-items correlated with violent recidivism. One of these items is level of psychopathy, which is normally assessed via the Psychopathy Checklist---Revised (PCL-R). The PCL-R is a 20-item instrument, based on an interview and a review of collateral information, which provides a score reflecting severity of psychopathy. The Child and Adolescent Taxon Scale (CATS) also provides an index of psychopathy, but is comprised of only 8-items. There is no interview associated with the CATS, and items are scored based on retrospective …

Threatened Egotism, Narcissism, And Identification With Criminal Others As Predictors Of Recidivism, Jeffrey M. Morris

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent research has challenged the assertion that low self-esteem leads to violence. Narcissists, who typically have elevated self-esteem, may have strong emotional responses to ego threats resulting in increased aggression. This relationship may be important to understand in relation to criminal behavior. Recidivism rates appear to be affected by an interaction of level of self-esteem and identification with criminal others. This study will examine the relationship between self-esteem, narcissism, identification with criminal others, and recidivism. This study included 56 male offenders recruited from a parole office and assessed with the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, Fleming and Courtney's 1984 Self-Rating Scale, and …

Bringing Families In: Recommendations Of The Incarceration, Reentry And Family Roundtables, Ann Cammett, Johnna Christian, Nancy Fisherman, Lori Scott-Pickens

Scholarly Works

Building on the findings of the New Jersey Reentry Roundtable and a growing concern around the state about how to improve outcomes for the more than 70,000 individuals expected to return home from prison over the next five years, the roundtable examined the complex role that families – broadly defined – play in the lives of prisoners during incarceration and after their release. This document presents a set of recommendations emerging directly from roundtable sessions and provides a road map for individual and collaborative efforts accepted by a range of key players in New Jersey, including government officials, community and …

Horizontal Federalism In An Age Of Criminal Justice Interconnectedness, Wayne A. Logan

Scholarly Publications

Despite their status as independent sovereigns, states increasingly exhibit a willingness to interact when it comes to crime control matters. This Article examines the two foremost examples of this phenomenon: criminal recidivist enhancement laws and sex offender registration laws. Both types of laws have been around for decades and have evolved to accommodate ex-offenders, who, consistent with constitutional freedom of movement, can (and often do) change state residences. This effort at accommodation, however, puts states in the unusual position of having to interpret and apply the criminal laws and outcomes of their fellow sovereigns. As the Article makes clear, recidivist …

Civil And Criminal Recidivists: Extraterritoriality In Tort And Crime, Wayne A. Logan

Scholarly Publications

Historically, punitive damage awards and criminal sentences have shared the common justifications of punishment and deterrence, with the culpability of tortfeasors and criminals alike being enhanced as a result of repeat misconduct. The Supreme Court’s 2003 decision in State Farm v. Campbell suggests, however, that the parallels now in effect stop at the state line. The extraterritorial misconduct of tortfeasors is permitted to play a very limited role, if any, in the assessment of punitive damage awards. Meanwhile, such misconduct continues to be used by courts to significantly enhance the sentences of criminal defendants, an asymmetry accentuated by California v. …