Australian Offenders Research Articles

The LSI-R in an Australian Setting: Implications for Risk/Needs Decision-Making in Forensic Contexts

The Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) is an actuarial tool that was created and normed in Canadian forensic settings. The tool is also used in Australia to conduct a risk/needs analysis of inmates, so that appropriate service provision can be mapped onto individuals in such a way as to minimise offender recidivism in community settings. Given differences between the Australian and Canadian cultural, forensic and macro socio-political contexts, questions arise regarding the adequacy of Canadian LSI-R norms, as an appropriate standard of comparison for Australian contexts. This study compiled LSI-R data from 254 male and 77 female offenders from five prison locations and then explored how Australian samples compared to Canadian samples. Inter-country comparisons compared percentile ranks as well as the overall profile of LSI-R subscale correlations in Australian versus Canadian samples. Both male and female Australian offenders scored higher on the LSI-R than Canadian inmates. Australian female offenders scored notably higher on the LSI-R than Canadian females. The overall profile of LSI-R subscale correlations also varied in Australian versus Canadian settings. An intra-country analysis of Australian data in isolation revealed that the relationships between LSI-R subscales was different for males and females. The implications of findings are considered in lieu of the cultural, forensic and socio-political context of Australian and Canadian settings. Implications are also considered in lieu of the limitations of the current study, the most prominent of which were sources of sampling biases, and the smaller sample size of the Australian data set.

Cross Validation of the Self-Appraisal Questionnaire (SAQ): A Tool for Assessing Violent and Nonviolent Recidivism in Australian Offenders

The aim of this study was to determine whether the Self-Appraisal Questionnaire (SAQ; Loza, 1996), a self-report measure designed to predict recidivism, which was found to be psychometrically sound with Canadian male offenders, would also be reliable and valid for use with Australian male offenders. The SAQ consists of 72 items; with 6 subscales that measure offenders' criminogenic risk/need areas. The SAQ was administered to 116 male offenders incarcerated in rural southwestern Australia, along with the Psychopathy Checklist — Revised (PCL-R; Hare, 1991) and the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG; Harris, Rice, & Quinsey, 1993). Data related to the offenders' criminal history were collected via review of institutional files. The Cronbach alphas for the SAQ subscale scores ranged from .68 to .76. The correlations between SAQ total score and subscale scores ranged from .48 to .86. The SAQ subscales significantly correlated with other instruments assessing recidivism. Offenders with high SAQ total scores had significantly more total number of offences, higher numbers of breaches of conditional releases, and higher numbers of violent offences. Offenders who committed violent offences scored significantly higher than those who committed nonviolent offences. These results support the previous findings establishing the reliability and validity of the SAQ for use with Canadian offenders and suggest that the SAQ may have applicability for use as an instrument for predicting violent and nonviolent recidivism in Australian populations. A follow-up predictive study is needed to further validate the SAQ on Australian offenders, and other offender populations, to widen its applicability.

Cross-validation of the Self-Appraisal Questionnaire (SAQ): an offender risk and need assessment measure on Australian, British, Canadian, Singaporean, and American offenders.

The Self-Appraisal Questionnaire (SAQ) is a 72-item self-report measure designed to predict violent and nonviolent recidivism among adult criminal offenders. The results from using samples from Australia, Canada, England, Singapore, and two samples from the United States (North Carolina and Pennsylvania) indicated that (a) the SAQ has sound psychometric properties, with acceptable reliability and concurrent validity for assessing recidivism and institutional adjustment; (b) there were no significant differences among the scores of the White, African American, Hispanic, and Aboriginal Australian offenders on the SAQ; (c) there were no significant differences among offenders who completed the SAQ for research purposes versus offenders who completed it as part of a decision-making process. Results provided support for the validity of the SAQ to be used with the culturally diverse offenders involved in this research and provided further evidence that contradicts concerns that the SAQ as a self-report measure may be susceptible to lying, and self-presentation biases.

Cross Validation of the Self-Appraisal Questionnaire (SAQ): A Tool for Assessing Violent and Nonviolent Recidivism in Australian Offenders

The aim of this study was to determine whether the Self-Appraisal Questionnaire (SAQ; Loza, 1996), a self-report measure designed to predict recidivism, which was found to be psychometrically sound with Canadian male offenders, would also be reliable and valid for use with Australian male offenders. The SAQ consists of 72 items; with 6 subscales that measure offenders' criminogenic risk/need areas. The SAQ was administered to 116 male offenders incarcerated in rural southwestern Australia, along with the Psychopathy Checklist — Revised (PCL-R; Hare, 1991) and the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG; Harris, Rice, & Quinsey, 1993). Data related to the offenders' criminal history were collected via review of institutional files. The Cronbach alphas for the SAQ subscale scores ranged from .68 to .76. The correlations between SAQ total score and subscale scores ranged from .48 to .86. The SAQ subscales significantly correlated with other instruments assessing recidivism. Offenders with high SAQ total scores had significantly more total number of offences, higher numbers of breaches of conditional releases, and higher numbers of violent offences. Offenders who committed violent offences scored significantly higher than those who committed nonviolent offences. These results support the previous findings establishing the reliability and validity of the SAQ for use with Canadian offenders and suggest that the SAQ may have applicability for use as an instrument for predicting violent and nonviolent recidivism in Australian populations. A follow-up predictive study is needed to further validate the SAQ on Australian offenders, and other offender populations, to widen its applicability.

Reducing the Risk of Re-Offending in Australian Indigenous Offenders

This paper discusses the application of the “what works” approach to the rehabilitation of indigenous Australian offenders. It is suggested that those from indigenous cultures may not share some of the theoretical assumptions that underpin the “what works” approach, potentially leading to discussion about the cultural appropriateness of rehabilitation programs. Finally, some options are presented about how cultural differences might be understood in ways that facilitate the further development of rehabilitation programs for indigenous peoples.

An improved methodology for analyzing age-arrest profiles: Application to a Western Australian offender population

A new methodology for displaying and analyzing “arrest profiles” of a population of offenders is illustrated on a data set containing information on all arrests made in the jurisdiction of the state of Western Australia in the 12-year period 1 April 1984 to 31 December 1995. The arrest profile shows the number of arrests accumulated by an individual offender as a function of the age at which each arrest took place. This provides a summary of the “arrest careers” of the individuals in the population and facilitates comparisons between groups of interest in the population, such as sex and race groups. In particular, it enables comparisons to be made between cohorts of offenders defined by the age-at-onset of their offending. For the Western Australian population analyzed here we find large differences between sex and race (Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal) groups, and also between age-at-onset cohorts, and we place these differences in the context of current criminological discussions which posit that higher mean numbers of offenses will be committed by early career starters.

The Adolescent Alcohol Involvement Scale: some findings with young offenders

The Adolescent Alcohol Involvement Scale (AAIS) has been questioned regarding its reliability, the amount of common variance among items and its clinical usefulness. Previous studies are reviewed and data for 197 South Australian young offenders in custody are presented. The AAIS was found to be a reliable and internally consistent measure of adolescent alcohol use and misuse. A strong general alcohol involvement component on which all items had positive loadings was found. The need for objective measures in work with at-risk populations was highlighted. The AAIS meets this need through a brief yet broad sampling of clinically-relevant behaviours.

“Treatment” or “sentence” for child molestors: A comparison of Australian offenders with a general prison population

In our study we aimed to demonstrate the relationship between the serum iron levels, and tears quality and quantity in term newborns. This study was conducted at a single institution between March 2013 and May 2013. A total of 46 newborns were prospectively enrolled. Serum iron levels were measured via the umbilical cord blood. Infants were divided into two groups according to their serum iron levels. Group A, serum iron level ≤70 μg/dL (n = 27) and Group B, serum iron level > 70 μg/dL (n = 19). The evaluation of the osmolarity was tested by using the TearLab Osmolarity System (TearLab Co, San Diego, CA, USA). The assessment of quantity was performed by using Schirmer I test. Osmolarity testing and Schirmer I test (with/without anesthesia) were performed bilaterally on the 1st day of life by an ophthalmologist. The outcomes of Schirmer I and tear osmolarity showed no statistically significant difference between right and left eyes of any infant in the groups. Moreover, there was no statistical difference between sexes in these two groups. Osmolarity was found to have a moderate negative correlation coefficient with serum iron level (r = −0.4, p < 0.01). Furthermore, there was a high positive correlation between Schirmer I with anesthesia and serum iron levels (r = 0.7, p < 0.01). We observed that the quality and quantity of the tears was lower in term newborns with lower serum iron levels than healthy newborns. These results indicate that low serum iron level could affect lacrimal gland functions.

Some features of Australian exhibitionists compared with pedophiles.

In an attempt to extend the findings of previous research and to investigate the hypothesis of a link between exhibitionism and pedophilia, samples of Australian offenders undergoing presentence psychiatric assessment were compared on a number of variables. The data suggested that the exhibitionists and pedophiles in the sample represented different populations: the exhibitionists were younger, tended to come from more stable and harmonious families, and had superior school and work records. The common assumption of disinhibition as a feature of exhibitionism was questioned on the basis of the finding that almost no exhibitionists were intoxicated at the time of their offense.

Extraversion and Anxiety Among Certain Groups of Australian Offenders*

Extraversion and Anxiety Among Certain Groups of Australian Offenders*