Convicted Offenders Research Articles

Why We Committed Murder: Views from Convicted Prisoners in Niger State, Nigeria

The killing of a human being by his or her fellow beats rational imagination. It becomes extremely difficult to comprehend the rationale that makes individuals become deliberately responsible for the death of their kind. Murder is a baffling issue that poses a significant threat to humanity and highlights the challenges to civilization and societal development. Its ongoing presence questions the overall health of any society. This paper examines the reasons murderers in prisons provide for their actions, using strain and social disorganization theories as a framework. Semi-structured questionnaires were given to 615 convicted violent offenders in four Niger State prisons, selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. Additionally, sixteen prison warders were interviewed for further insights. The findings indicate that low income (P= .934) was not statistically significant at (P= 0.05) level of significance for the explanation of murder unless redolent with peer pressure (p= 0.02). Special loan packages and partnerships for and between members of the community are suggested to be instituted and encouraged to reduce the pangs of hard economic situations and lack of social capital, which are also potent factors for the explanation of murder.

Forms of prevention of crimes and other offenses by groups of minors in places of prisonance

Subject of research: forms of preventive influence used in educational colonies in relation to groups of minors whose activities are focused on committing crimes and other offenses. Purpose of research: to analyze the complex of forms of preventive influence used at the present stage of development of the penal system in relation to delinquent groups of convicts in educational colonies, to identify shortcomings in their implementation, to propose a number of new forms of prevention for the practice of educational colonies that can affect the group delinquent activity of juvenile convicts. Methods and objects of research: the basis of the research is the dialectical method of scientific knowledge, along with which formal-legal, logical and systemic-structural methods were used; when considering individual issues of prevention, analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction were used. Main results of research: it is proposed to normatively consolidate and in the process of prevention consider the group of convicted offenders held in a correctional colony as the main object of preventive influence. The limitations of preventive forms that the administration of the educational colony has the ability to use are established. The conclusion is drawn about the inconsistency of federal legislation and by-laws in the field of prevention of group crimes and other offenses of convicts. The directions for improving the forms of preventive influence are revealed, which are based on proposals for including in such a process the disengagement and reorientation of offending groups. For practical purposes, circumstances are given that may complicate the use of these forms of influence.

Advancing justice: The impact of Brazil’s convict genetic profile identification project after 5 years

This comprehensive study analyzed the implementation and impacts of the Convict Genetic Profile Identification Project in Brazil. By examining semiannual reports from the Integrated Network of DNA Databases (RIBPG) alongside a literature review covering the period from January 2018 to February 2024, the study evaluated the project’s relevance. The project’s primary aim was to enhance DNA databases, thereby fortifying crime prevention and resolution efforts. Notably, the results revealed a substantial increase in genetic profiles of convicted offenders included into the Brazilian National DNA Database (from 2,008 in 2017 to 54,657 in 2019) − a development that aligns with legislative goals. Despite legal and ethical debates, the project demonstrated a positive impact on criminal investigations, with a notable rise in database matches (from 376 in 2017 to 1,418 in 2019). Scientific literature had highlighted the project’s effectiveness in resolving crimes. The project has matured into a well-established process, characterized by continuous insertions and advancements, emphasizing a comprehensive operational framework. Beyond quantitative milestones, it has made qualitative contributions to justice. This collaborative model serves as an example for impactful public policies under Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

Automated Comparative Predictive Analysis of Deception Detection in Convicted Offenders Using Polygraph with Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and Artificial Neural Network Models

Automated Comparative Predictive Analysis of Deception Detection in Convicted Offenders Using Polygraph with Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and Artificial Neural Network Models

Assessing the Validity of Open-Source Biographical Data in Terrorism Research

ABSTRACT A multitude of studies in terrorism research depend on biographical data gathered through the cliometric method. This technique entails reconstructing and aggregating demographic and socio-economic data on terrorism offenders from publicly accessible sources. A notable limitation of this method is the substantial number of missing values. Researchers often employ this data collection strategy as comprehensive official sources are not publicly accessible and are rarely provided to researchers due to privacy concerns, among other factors. In this study, we analyze original data on 53 convicted Islamist terrorism offenders, collected from both publicly available media data and court records. We concentrate on and compare a number of demographic, socio-economic, and biographic variables. The insights derived from these analyses hold important implications for the reliability of biographical research that relies on open-source data.

Aberrant type 2 dopamine receptor availability in violent offenders with psychopathy

Psychopathy is characterized by antisocial behavior, poor behavioral control and lacking empathy, and structural alterations in the corresponding neural circuits. Molecular brain basis of psychopathy remains poorly characterized. Here we studied type 2 dopamine receptor (D2R) and mu-opioid receptor (MOR) availability in convicted violent offenders with high psychopathic traits (n = 11) and healthy matched controls (n = 17) using positron emission tomography (PET). D2R were measured with radioligand [11C]raclopride and MORs with radioligand [11C]carfentanil. Psychopathic subjects had lowered D2R availability in caudate and putamen, and striatal D2R availability was also associated with degree of psychopathic traits in this prisoner sample. No group differences were found in MOR availability, although in the prisoner sample, psychopathic traits were negatively correlated with MOR availability in the amygdala and nucleus accumbens. We conclude that D2R signaling could be the putative neuromolecular pathway for psychopathy, whereas evidence for alterations in the MOR system is more limited.

The right to be forgotten concerning the criminal past: Developments in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights with particular reference to the anonymisation of digital press archives

Do offenders have a right “to be forgotten”? What is the content of this right, and against whom can it be exercised? These questions have become more pressing with the irruption of new information and communication technologies, which entail a new risk of perpetuating a virtual criminal record. The growing role of the digital archives of the press has led some jurisdictions to adopt different measures to anonymise or de-reference personal data. The Strasbourg Court, historically reluctant to accept any interference with the initial publication of personal data concerning convicted offenders, has recently dealt with the compatibility of different measures involving the anonymisation or de-indexing of news articles in the digital archives. This contribution describes these recent legal developments, focusing on the criteria developed by Strasbourg to assess the legitimacy of anonymisation measures adopted by States in response to right-to-be-forgotten requests against the media.

Unlawful Carnal Knowledge in the Irish Free State, 1924–1935

Abstract Despite a growing body of research on sexual violence in Irish history, and on recently reported historic sexual offences, few studies have focused on sex offenders who were prosecuted and convicted contemporaneously in the early decades of the Irish Free State. This article examines hitherto restricted archival files on sixty-five offenders who were convicted of unlawful carnal knowledge under the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885, and, in doing so, constitutes the first comprehensive analysis of convicted sex offenders during the formative years of the independent Irish state. The findings reveal the modus operandi of these perpetrators and that the majority of the victims were exploited by someone who was known to them. The article also challenges the view that there was little recognition of child sexual abuse as a societal problem in the early years of the state and demonstrates that there was an awareness of predatory individuals within Irish communities during this period.

The connection between organizational structure variables and organizational justice views among correctional staff

ABSTRACT A growing body of research on organizational justice views indicates that distributive (i.e. perceived fairness of outcomes) and procedural justice (i.e. perceived fairness of procedures to reach outcomes) are linked to salient correctional staff outcomes, such as job stress, job involvement, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and life satisfaction; however, limited research investigates the relationships between workplace factors and the organizational justice views among prison staff. The current study investigated the relationships between organizational structure variables of instrumental communication, formalization, integration, and input into organizational decision-making with the procedural and distributive views of staff at a state-run U.S. prison. Data was from 257 staff who worked at a prison holding medium- and high-security convicted male offenders. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis indicated formalization, integration, and input were significantly positively correlated with procedural justice. Instrumental communication, however, was not significantly correlated with procedural justice. Input was a significant positive predictor of distributive justice, while instrumental communication, formalization, and integration were not significant predictors. Considerably more variance was explained in procedural justice compared to distributive justice views. The findings suggest that correctional administrators should be aware that input into decision-making is associated with prison staff’s views of both distributive and procedural justice.

Evil perceptions but not entertainment value appraisals relate to conspiracy beliefs

The current research examined whether the perception of evil intentions by the conspirators influences conspiracy beliefs about particular narratives. Study 1 manipulated texts describing the death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to be either low or high in conspiratorial information. Studies 2 and 3 manipulated texts describing a fictional country's election to be either low or high in antagonism. The studies revealed that the conspiratorial/antagonistic texts increased evil perceptions and conspiracy beliefs. Moreover, they revealed that perceptions of evil mediated the effect of the text condition on conspiracy beliefs. Although the studies found that the conspiratorial/antagonistic texts increased entertainment value appraisals, they did not find evidence of entertainment value mediating the effect of text condition on conspiracy beliefs. These latter results do not replicate those of van Prooijen et al. (2022). The novel results with evil perceptions suggest that perceiving that the conspirators acted with evil intentions may increase conspiracy beliefs.

The Sex Offenders Public Registry of the Republic of Poland: Problems that require solutions

The paper examines the experience of the Republic of Poland in recording and classifying convicted sexual offenders. The register is a comprehensive criminal law tool for crime prevention of sexual violent crimes. The author examines the effectiveness of the register as well as compares it to the similar practices in some Western countries. The author dwells upon the experience of one of the very few publicly available crime registries in the European Union, The Polish Public Sex Offenders Registry, which is currently functioning on the base of the Act of 13 May of 2016 on counteracting sexual crime threats. The current registry could be checked from any device from any part of the globe (which makes it similar to some US public registries). The article examines how such regulations correlate with General Data Protection Regulation of the European Parliament and if this type of crime prevention could be considered to be adequate to its task.

Differences in Sociodemographic Characteristics and Treatment Refusal Between Lone and Multiple Perpetrator Rapists.

Studies that compare lone and multiple perpetrator rape offenders often use police files. This study explores the differences between lone and multiple perpetrator rapists using a sample of 172 convicted sexual offenders. The first objective is to explore sociodemographic differences between the two groups of perpetrators. Differences are found in offenders' age, the use of drugs or alcohol, the release phase, sexual behavior, the use of a vehicle, the place and time of the assault, and victim characteristics. The second objective is to explore differences between the two groups regarding the number of perpetrators. No differences are found, except for the presence of a leader in groups of three or more perpetrators. Finally, no differences are found regarding treatment variables (responsibility assumption, treatment program participation, program dropout or expulsion, and reconviction rates) that support a different profile for the purpose of intervention.

Parental access to ‘Sexual Conviction Record Check’ sex offender registry in Hong Kong

BackgroundSex offender registry systems aim to prevent child sexual abuse (CSA) by restricting the interaction between convicted offenders and children. Although Hong Kong enacted the Sexual Conviction Record Check (SCRC) policy in 2011, debates regarding legal access to the sex offender registry remain unresolved. ObjectiveThis study examines parental beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge of the SCRC policy. It explores if parents' motivation to learn more about SCRC can mediate the relationships between parental support for the SCRC and policy advocacy actions. MethodIn Hong Kong, a social service agency employed a digital randomization method to invite 507 consented parents of elementary schoolers to participate in a phone survey. Human Subjects Protection Board approved using the survey data to analyze the variables related to SCRC and policy advocacy. ResultsThe results demonstrate that parents' beliefs in CSA prevention, attitudes toward home-based sex education, and SCRC knowledge are associated with parental advocacy for SCRC access. Furthermore, parental motivation mediates the relationships between advocacy efforts and (1) beliefs in CSA prevention, (2) home-based sex education, and (3) support of SCRC. ConclusionThis study highlights the importance of establishing a community-professional-government partnership platform to mobilize parents and promote public awareness regarding SCRC access regulations.

Exploring the associations between dark triad personality and psychopathology in convicted offenders: Identifying their role in reincarceration

AbstractDysfunctional personality and psychopathological characteristics are increasingly studied in offenders separately, but only a few studies have analysed their relationship in this specific population. In this research, we focus on the so‐called Dark Triad personality, consisting of the Machiavellian, the narcissistic and the psychopathic personalities. The main objective of this study was to examine the association between Dark Triad personality and psychopathology and also to know the role of these mental health variables in recidivism. Participants were 63 offenders (44 men and 19 women) from two different penitentiary institutions. Sociodemographic data as well as clinical and personality characteristics were recorded. Psychopathology was assessed with the third version of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory and dark personality with the Short Dark Triad. Results of descriptive statistical analyses revealed a high prevalence of psychopathology in convicted participants and reincarcerated offenders. Correlational analyses showed a strong relation between the Dark Triad personality and psychopathology, being the psychopathic personality the one with the highest association. Finally, we found that the psychopathological variables contributing most to the discrimination of reincarcerated participants were substance and alcohol abuse disorders and in relation to dysfunctional personality were psychopathy and narcissism, the latter in negative direction. These data highlight the relevance of a necessity for research exploring long‐term patterns of re‐incarceration for both men and women, including mental health disorders and personality models. The importance of taking into account the relationship between variables in preventive and treatment interventions inside and outside penitentiary institutions is discussed.

Perceived Effectiveness of Probation System under Criminal Justice Administration: Evidence from the Punjab, Pakistan

The probation system, as a functional part of criminal justice administration, deals with low-risk offenders to rehabilitate and bring them into mainstream socio-cultural and family life. The probation system provides opportunities to convicted offenders conditionally and releases them under the supervision of a probation officer. This empirical highlighted the importance and effectiveness of the probation system and its impacts on probationers. The primary data was collected from probationers who had experience imprisonment before probation order from ten districts of Punjab province. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire, and results revealed that the probationers who were ex-prisoners perceived the probation period very positively, with significant impacts on their physical, psychological, and social life. The probation system was found effective in the process of rehabilitation of offenders under criminal justice administration. Therefore, the offenders incarcerated for minor offenses may be released on probation orders instead of constructing new prisons.

Interrater and intra-rater reliability of the VERA-2R tool.

The Violent Extremism Risk Assessment - Version 2 Revised (VERA-2R) is an evidence-based structured professional judgement (SPJ) tool for ideologically motivated violence. Use of the tool can help professionals in risk assessment and risk management of suspected and convicted terrorists and violent extremists at different stages within the criminal process. It is important that the tool leads to reliable and valid risk assessments. The present study aimed to establish the reliability of the VERA-2R, focusing on the interrater- and intrarater reliability. Trained researchers assessed the interrater- and intrarater reliability, respectively in 30 and 33 cases of Dutch convicted terrorist offenders, on the basis of extensive judicial files. In general, the average amount of agreement on the indicators and structured risk judgements can be classified as good to excellent, for both the interrater- and intra-rater reliability. However, six indicators were found to have low reliability. Above clarifying the reliability of the VERA-2R, this study also showed how the interrater- and intrarater reliability of a SPJ tool can be investigated with trained assessors based on judicial files. This can be of added value, because existing reliability studies often use case vignettes, have a small sample size and/or do not include a stringent training program. With this research, we can make more substantiated recommendations on how the VERA-2R can be improved. This could lead to more accurate risk assessments and risk management strategies. However, in order to develop a more reliable and valid VERA-2R instrument, the remaining psychometric properties must also be investigated and published. That will be discussed in a future article.

Characteristics and associated factors of self-reported sexual aggression in the Belgian population aged 16–69

Sexual violence is a major public health, societal, and judicial problem worldwide. Studies investigating the characteristics of its perpetrators often rely on samples of convicted offenders, which are biased by low reporting and conviction rates. Based on a self-report study in the Belgian general population aged 16 to 69 (n = 4687), we provide lifetime and past-year prevalence rates of sexual aggression and report the characteristics of the events, including type, target, and the applied coercion strategies. Future research should use behaviourally specific questions that take the perpetrator’s perspective into account to limit interpretation ambiguity which could reduce unintentional non-disclosure of sexual aggression.

Early maladaptive schemas in sex offenders versus the characteristics of offences against sexual freedom

This study examines the relationship between early maladaptive schemas (EMS) and the characteristics of offences committed by sex crime convicts. The research uses data collected from 102 convicts. The Polish version of Young’s Schema Questionnaire (YSQ-S3-PL) was used to gauge the severity of EMS. The author’s self-made questionnaire used for making extracts from prison records, coupled with Beisert’s Violence Scale (2012), was employed to study the characteristics of the offences committed by the criminals under study. A correlation was found between the characteristics of the committed criminal acts (choice of victim, the CSO’s modus operandi, sexual violence involved) and the type and severity of each EMS. Relevant for CSOs in the context of their criminal acts are 4 domains out of 5 and 11 EMSs out of 18. The findings suggest that EMS contribute to criminal sexual behaviour. It may be important and useful to consider these structures when constructing models of preventive measures and planning therapeutic or proactive interventions. As a result, it would seem that convicted sexual offenders (CSO’s) require a customised approach including therapeutic models designed to address the specific maladaptive schema.

An Analysis of Costs and Solutions to High Recidivism Rates in Florida

Recidivism affects a significant portion of convicted offenders. It represents the culmination of many factors like social isolation, a lack of work opportunities, and drug abuse. This project evaluates the risks and costs of recidivism in Florida's correctional facilities in terms of the physical cost of incarceration and the social cost that imprisonment has on communities. We derive and analyze data from six main sources: past recidivism trends from the Florida Department of Corrections, data of police employment, data of median income data, drug arrest data, and data of unemployment trends. We then evaluate the feasibility of measures involving drug rehabilitation, educational programs, police employment increases to discourage recidivism and facilitate reentry into society by using symbolic regression to calculate future trends. The R-squared values ranged from 65.4% to 97.3%. A primary component analysis (PCA) was performed with post hoc Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin, which yielded a value < 0.6, and Bartlett’s Sphericity, which yielded a value <<< 0.0001, tests, suggesting a substantial correlation. A Monte Carlo analysis was then performed to predict the total instances of recidivism through 2024. This research showed that increasing police efficiency and investing in drug rehabilitation services should be prioritized by the state of Florida.

Weeding out the Truth: A Survey Experiment on the Role of Scientific Evidence in Shaping Public Opinion on Marijuana Policy

PurposeThis study aims to explore the extent to which different forms of scientific research on the criminogenic effects of marijuana use impact public opinion on marijuana-related policy issues. MethodsWe conducted an experimental priming survey using Qualtrics, targeting heads of households in South Carolina with associated email addresses. Multiple OLS regression models were employed to analyze single-item and aggregate scores of our dependent variables. ResultsOur findings reveal that, except for the policy regarding the immediate release of a convicted offender, scientific research on the criminogenic effects of marijuana use did not significantly or substantively influence public perceptions of cannabis policies. Factors such as perceptions of police legitimacy, legal orientation, trust in law enforcement, and conservative or moderate political inclinations were significantly correlated with various outcomes. ConclusionsRespondents primed with research suggesting a link between marijuana use and an increased likelihood of engaging in violent and property crimes were more inclined to disapprove of releasing non-violent cannabis offenders from incarceration. However, exposure to scientific research generally did not influence participants' support or disapproval of other policies promoting the liberalization of marijuana-related policies. The study also discusses potential research and policy implications.