Criminal Backgrounds Research Articles

Criminal Genius or Everyday Villain? A Comparison of Malevolent Creativity Among Prisoners, Police Officers, and the General Population

ABSTRACTCriminals allegedly use effective novelty to intentionally exploit and harm others (creative fraud, theft, and murder). However, empirical evidence that criminals possess higher malevolent creativity than individuals without criminal backgrounds is lacking. We compared a male sample of prisoners in a maximum‐security penitentiary (n = 140), police officers (n = 122), and the general population (n = 106) on three different aspects of malevolent creativity: self‐reported malevolent creativity behavior (MCBS), willingness to engage in malevolent creativity on a test (MCT), and malevolent creativity potential on that test (reduced n = 285). Group comparisons (ANOVAs) differed for different malevolent creativity aspects: Prisoners reported more malevolent creativity behavior in daily life (MCBS) than nonprisoners, which may reflect their alleged criminal personality or the effects of confinement on creative coping with threat. However, prisoners also performed worse than police officers in generating creative ideas for taking revenge on others (MCT). No differences in initial willingness to engage in malevolent creativity (MCT) emerged. This discrepancy of self‐report and ability is discussed from several angles, including suitability of the applied measures and heterogeneity of prison populations. This study constitutes the first empirical insights into the often hypothesized but rarely tested malevolent creativity expression in the criminal mind.

Быт, нравы, образ жизни уголовных ссыльных в Восточной Сибири 80–90-х гг. XIX в.

Exile to Siberia during the late XIX century was a significant phenomenon in Russian history, particularly for convicted criminals. This article explores the daily experiences, cultural practices, and societal integration of penal exiles in Eastern Siberia during the 1880–1890s, shedding light on a neglected aspect of Russian social history. The mass exodus of individuals to Siberia, including criminals, was a prominent feature of Russia’s penal system in the XIX century. Despite its prevalence, scientific attention to the lived experiences of exiles, especially those with criminal backgrounds, has been limited. This article seeks to address this gap by examining the challenges and adaptations of penal exiles in Eastern Siberia. Penal exiles in Siberia encountered numerous challenges, including economic hardship, social stigma, and legal restrictions. The lack of financial resources often forced exiles into precarious living conditions, prompting many to resort to illicit activities or adopt a transient lifestyle. Moreover, the absence of familial support compounded the difficulties faced by exiles, highlighting the importance of social networks in adaptation and survival. The role of the family was crucial in the adaptation of penal exiles to Siberian life. However, familial ties were often strained by the challenges of exile, leading to familial fragmentation and isolation. Despite efforts to maintain familial cohesion, many exiles remained unmarried, further complicating their social integration and support networks. In conclusion, the study of the way of life, morals and lifestyle of penal exiles in Eastern Siberia during the 1880–1890s offers valuable insights into the complexities of Russia’s penal system and societal dynamics. By examining the experiences of exiles, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of the human impact of punitive policies and the resilience of marginalized communities in adapting to adverse circumstances.

Ban-the-box laws: Fair and effective?

Ban-the-box (BTB) laws are a widely used public policy rooted in employment law related to unnecessarily exclusionary hiring practices. BTB laws are intended to improve the employment opportunities of those with criminal backgrounds by giving them a fair chance during the hiring process. Prior research on the effectiveness of these laws in meeting their objective is limited and inconclusive. In this article, we extend the prior literature in two ways: we expand the years of analysis to a period of rapid expansion of BTB laws and we examine different types of BTB laws depending on the employers affected (e.g., public sector). Results indicate that BTB laws, any type of BTB law or BTB laws covering different types of employers, have no systematic or statistically significant association with employment of low-educated men, both young and old and across racial and ethnic groups. We speculate that the lack of effectiveness of BTB laws stems from the difficulty in enforcing such laws and already high rates of employer willingness to hire those with criminal histories.

British influence on continental legal tradition in Croatia: Holy Grail or a Wrong Trail?

The Croatian legal system is traditionally under the dominant influence of the Germanic legal tradition. This is a logical consequence of historical circumstances, which state that present-day Croatia was long part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the field of criminal law, which is the focus of this paper, there is a significant influence of Austrian, German, and Swiss criminal law. However, since 2008, new trends have emerged, first evident in procedural law (through the introduction of the previously typical AngloAmerican institution of plea bargaining in criminal proceedings), and then from 2013 also in substantive criminal law. In the Criminal Code of 2013, sexual offenses were modeled after the English Sexual Offences Act of 2003, which has sparked considerable controversy in theory and practice. In this text, the author critically examines this legislative shift in tradition from the perspective of comparing the historical circumstances of the English and Croatian criminal law backgrounds. The author discusses the differences in criminal justice systems of these countries, compares the circumstances of the origin and shaping of sexual offenses in the mentioned legislations, and presents the results of their own research conducted in Croatia, reflecting whether the new legal solution was successful and whether it achieved its purpose. Based on this, the author provides an answer to the hypothetical question of whether a solution implemented from one legal tradition can successfully exist in the conditions of another significantly different legal tradition.

The Views of Police Officers Toward Gun Legislation and Public Health Policies Driven by Firearm Safety Concerns.

Gun violence is a principal cause of premature death in America. It has been suggested that solutions to gun violence may be found using a public health approach, which is broader than dealing with the problem via law enforcement alone. A component of a public health approach to gun violence is the implementation of policies or laws. Unfortunately, there is a serious gap in our understanding of how street-level police officers view proposed or existing firearms legislation. This is an important omission, because it is line-level personnel who are tasked with enforcing these policies within highly discretionary contexts. We surveyed police from three jurisdictions to establish a baseline understanding of officers' views about potential gun legislation and identify possible resistance and implementation barriers of firearms laws. The findings suggest that those responsible for enforcing new laws show limited or mixed support for the same. Officers were most supportive of laws that increase the presence of trained gun owners within certain contexts and ensure that individuals with criminal backgrounds or mental health concerns do not have access to firearms. Most officers support prohibiting gun ownership following conviction of a domestic violence offense. However, officers generally opposed gun legislation banning assault weapons, large capacity magazines, and internet ammunition purchases. Finally, officers with the Buffalo Police Department-which recently had experienced an active-shooter event-were more supportive of almost all types of legislation. Respondents expressing greater concern about officer safety related to firearms were supportive of several types of firearm legislation.

Research on the Impact of Restorative Justice Implementation on the Social Reintegration of Offenders and the Reduction of Recidivism Rates

Restorative justice has emerged as a powerful framework within the criminal justice system, offering innovative solutions to reduce recidivism and promote the social reintegration of individuals with criminal backgrounds. This paper explores the impact of restorative justice on these crucial aspects of the criminal justice process. It delves into the principles, practices, and theoretical underpinnings of restorative justice. Real-world cases and empirical evidence are presented to illustrate its effectiveness, while also acknowledging the challenges and limitations. The implications of this research highlight the need for wider integration of restorative justice programs, the development of skilled facilitators, and the importance of community involvement. As a holistic approach, restorative justice provides a promising path toward safer and more inclusive communities.

Second chance: The paradox of felony convictions.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of individuals with felony convictions are released into the community with the expectation that those reentering society will be "successful" upon reentry. Society tells persons with criminal backgrounds they have a "second chance" upon release, yet we are reluctant to provide the resources necessary to make this happen. Stigma is frequently identified as a potential obstacle to reentry (DeFina & Hannon, 2009; Shivy et al., 2007); however, research examining stigma surrounding conviction and obstacles to employment for felony convictions is lacking. Interviews with 14 men with felonies were examined to identify how the stigma associated with felony convictions has affected their perceived choice of employment options, including the potential barriers they experience to employment. Participants reported postconviction obstacles, specifically employment/job-related obstacles. They discussed experiencing stigma related to their felony convictions and described strategies employed to mitigate that stigma. Participants' work history involved largely manual labor work, and they discussed having work aspirations despite their felony convictions. Implications for counseling, future research, and limitations are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Navigating the Carceral State: The Experience of Citizens With Criminal Backgrounds After Finding Stable Housing.

A pilot project demonstrating the importance of access to stable housing for people with criminal backgrounds and experiencing homelessness produced exploratory qualitative findings that illuminate the experience of folks who must navigate the carceral state of supervision. Principles of a participatory action paradigm guided development and implementation of the pilot project. Grounded Theory and narrative research principles guided data collection and analysis in the 3-year study. A convenience sample of 27 participants was obtained by the organization's staff recruiting each of the individuals on behalf of the researchers as they entered the pilot program during the 3 years of pilot activity. Qualitative data collection was carried out during the 3 years of program implementation. A semi-structured open-ended interview script was utilized by the research team as a guide to ensure focus on the experience of participants. Current extreme challenges included living with a criminal background and carrying the weight of a troubled past. Great strength was evidenced in their navigation of their worlds. Essential resources for successful navigation were identified including the use of prayer, religion and spirituality, persistent hopefulness, recognition of personal change, and the use of supportive relationships. Getting stable housing and employment, while important, was not seen as enough in itself to ensure successful reentry. Therefore, relationships that recognize strengths and help navigating inevitable disappointments and challenges must also be incorporated into the available housing, educational, mental health, employment programs, and other services. The findings of this study suggest that practice approaches, services, and policies that are intended to help people with criminal backgrounds must incorporate and emphasize the lived experiences of returning citizens as they navigate the challenging tasks of living in a carceral state.

Exploring the relationship between psychopathy and criminal thinking: utilising the Tri-PM within a forensic sample

PurposeThe Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (Tri-PM) was developed in 2010 as an alternative approach to the assessment of psychopathy. The measure aims to capture psychopathic traits on a 3-factor model, which encompass the characteristics established in previous measures, as well as those evidenced within practise. Though support for the tool in academic research is growing, less is known about the scale’s utility within crime forensic settings. Thus, this study aims to explore the relationship between the Tri-PM psychopathy constructs and criminal cognition within a forensic sample.Design/methodology/approachSeventy-three adult male offenders, convicted for acquisitive or sexual crimes, from a Category B prison within the Northwest of England completed questionnaires measuring their criminal backgrounds, psychopathy traits (Tri-PM; Patrick, 2010) and criminal thinking styles (Psychology Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles; Walters, 2001).FindingsThe Tri-PM measurement proved to be a successful predictor of most criminal thinking styles. Moreover, the meanness construct was the strongest predictor of proactive thinking styles, whereas the disinhibition construct was the strongest predictor of reactive thinking styles, and the boldness construct was negatively associated with reactive thinking. Comparisons among offender groups also indicated that acquisitive offenders reported higher scores of psychopathy and criminal thinking.Originality/valueThis study offers valuable insight into the proposed relationship between psychopathy and criminal thinking, using a recent addition to the repertoire of psychopathy measurements, the Tri-PM. This study also offers practical implications for those offering treatment within forensic settings, with significant relationships identified between the highly scoring psychopathy constructs and various criminal thinking styles.

The relations among career-related self-efficacy, perceived career barriers, and stigma consciousness in men with felony convictions.

Research on persons with felony convictions readily acknowledges that the stigma associated with incarceration is an obstacle for successful reentry; we, therefore, employed a correlational research design utilizing a survey-based data collection method to investigate the relations among stigma consciousness, career barriers, and career-related self-efficacy in a sample of 148 men with felony convictions. Participants were recruited online and in person from various reentry organizations in the Midwestern United States. Findings revealed that stigma consciousness related to several career barriers and was inversely associated with career-related self-efficacy. Implications for providing services to persons with criminal backgrounds are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Fear of Immigrants, Support for Exclusionary Immigration Policies & Police Stops against Illegal Immigrants with a Criminal Background in the US

Most studies suggest that the fear of immigrants strongly influences public opinion about immigrants and immigration policies in the United States. Despite this knowledge, there is a lack of depth in the literature examining the effect of the fear of immigrants on police stops against undocumented immigrants and immigrants with criminal backgrounds. The present study fills this void in the literature by examining the effect of public fear of immigrants on public support for policing immigrants, specifically, undocumented immigrants with a criminal record, while controlling for other factors. Results from the regression analysis suggest that fear of immigrants, illustrated in exclusionary immigration policies, coupled with some socio-demographic factors, influence public attitude towards police stops against undocumented immigrants with criminal records. Theoretically, the present study fills a gap in the existing literature on the fear of immigrants, immigration, and policing, by exclusively focusing on undocumented immigrants with a criminal record. Policy-wise, the findings of these studies can be useful in developing more pragmatic and inclusionary immigration policies void of sentiments.

Prison misconduct, prisoners’ backgrounds, and reoffending

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact on recidivism of offenders’ misconduct in prison, net of offenders’ socio-economic and criminal backgrounds, longer imprisonments, and of other, unobserved factors explaining selection into prison. The data come from representative samples of offenders (N = 4524) and prisoners (N = 1848) convicted of at least one crime in Catalonia, Spain, during a 5-year period (2010–2015). We applied a system of four simultaneous equations to estimate which factors increase the most the risks of reoffending, focusing on the role of prison misconduct, and using better methods than previously to correct for selectivity into prison. We also identify the characteristics of the offenders most likely to misbehave and reoffend – chronic offenders with complex criminal histories. Our results confirm that misconduct significantly predicts reoffending. It is not just a reflection of offender’s problematic dispositions imported into prison, but also a sign of maladjustment to imprisonment that undermines its possibly deterrent or capacitating effects.

Judicial Dissent at the International Criminal Court: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis

AbstractThis article explores the phenomenon of judicial dissents at the ICC. The main subject is the process of collective decision-making and judicial deliberations in cases where members of a particular ICC chamber cannot reach a consensus on factual, substantive or procedural issues and render a unanimous decision. The article examines why and when international criminal judges dissent according to the views expressed by ICC judges. Drawing heavily on field research in The Hague, the article presents a qualitative analysis of the ICC judges’ perceptions and experiences of using dissenting opinions at the Court. Empirical findings derived from interviewing ICC judges support the hypothesis that international criminal judges’ personality, that is, their character differences (such as self-discipline and other work habits), their previous career experience, and their field of expertise determine their likelihood of using judicial dissents. In case of disagreement within an ICC Chamber, judges with criminal law backgrounds who previously worked as professional judges are more likely to append their dissent to a majority ruling with which they do not agree than international judges, diplomats, and professors with public international law expertise who are more willing to discuss and negotiate in order for the Court to speak with one voice.

Risk Matrix for Violent Radicalization: A Machine Learning Approach.

Hypothesis-driven approaches identified important characteristics that differentiate violent from non-violent radicals. However, they produced a mosaic of explanations as they investigated a restricted number of preselected variables. Here we analyzed without a priory assumption all the variables of the “Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States” database by a machine learning approach. Out of the 79 variables considered, 19 proved critical, and predicted the emergence of violence with an accuracy of 86.3%. Typically, violent extremists came from criminal but not radical backgrounds and were radicalized in late stages of their life. They were followers in terrorist groups, sought training, and were radicalized by social media. They belonged to low social strata and had problematic social relations. By contrast, non-violent but still criminal extremists were characterized by a family tradition of radicalism without having criminal backgrounds, belonged to higher social strata, were leaders in terrorist organizations, and backed terrorism by supporting activities. Violence was also promoted by anti-gay, Sunni Islam and Far Right, and hindered by Far Left, Anti-abortion, Animal Rights and Environment ideologies. Critical characteristics were used to elaborate a risk-matrix, which may be used to predict violence risk at individual level.

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors’ Perceptions and Experiences of Career Theory Usage with Clients with a Criminal Record

PURPOSETo explore Louisiana Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors’ (VRCs’) perceptions and experiences in utilizing career theories suggested by Easter and Gaertner (2009) when providing vocational guidance and career counseling to clients with a criminal record. Results from this research will provide insight to current and prospective VRCs in their practice and heighten educators’ and supervisors’ awareness of VRCs’ experience using career theories.METHODSSix Louisiana VRCs with at least two years of experience working with clients who had a criminal background were interviewed twice using heuristic inquiry. This qualitative method relies on researchers’ ability to discover and interpret their own experiences while exploring others’ experiences. The data were analyzed by performing both opened-coding and axial-coding.RESULTSFour major themes were revealed from this qualitative study: (1) expectations, (2) autonomy, (3) counselor development, and (4) fidelity to career theories. Upon further analysis, the emergent theory suggested incongruence of theory and practice amongst participating VRCs. Findings suggest VRCs working with clients with criminal backgrounds do not feel their academic training has prepared them to use career theories with this population effectively.CONCLUSIONWhen the participants apply the career theories suggested by Easter and Gaertner to clients with a criminal record, they perceive them to be ineffective. Therefore, this study serves as a baseline for additional research and suggests additional training may be necessary for VRCs who work with clients with a criminal background.

Interventions to increase youth employment: An evidence and gap map.

Globally, 13% of the youth are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Moreover, this persistent problem has been exacerbated by the shock of Covid-19 pandemic. More youth from disadvantaged backgrounds are likely unemployed than those from better off backgrounds. Thus, the need for increased use of evidence in the design and implementation of youth employment interventions to increase effectiveness and sustainability of interventions and outcomes. Evidence and gap maps (EGMs) can promote evidence-based decision making by guiding policy makers, development partners and researchers to areas with good bodies of evidence and those with little or no evidence. The scope of the Youth Employment EGM is global. The map covers all youth aged 15-35 years. The three broad intervention categories included in the EGM are: strengthening training and education systems, enhancing labour market and, transforming financial sector markets. There are five outcome categories: education and skills; entrepreneurship; employment; welfare and economic outcomes. The EGM contains impact evaluations of interventions implemented to increase youth employment and systematic reviews of such single studies, published or made available between 2000 and 2019. The primary objective was to catalogue impact evaluations and systematic reviews on youth employment interventions to improve discoverability of evidence by decision makers, development patterners and researchers, so as to promote evidence-based decision making in programming and implementation of youth employment initiatives. Twenty databases and websites were searched using a validated search strategy. Additional searches included searching within 21 systematic reviews, snowballing 20 most recent studies and citation tracking of 10 most recent studies included in the EGM. The study selection criteria followed the PICOS approach of population, intervention, relevant comparison groups, outcomes and study design. Additional criterion is; study publication or availability period of between 2000 and 2021. Only impact evaluations and systematic reviews that included impact evaluations were selected. A total of 14,511 studies were uploaded in EPPI Reviewer 4 software, upon which 399 were selected using the criteria provided above. Coding of data took place in EPPI Reviewer basing on predefined codes. The unit of analysis for the report is individual studies where every entry represents a combination of interventions and outcomes. Overall, 399 studies (21 systematic reviews and 378 impact evaluations) are included in the EGM. Impact evaluations (n = 378) are much more than the systematic reviews (n = 21). Most impact evaluations are experimental studies (n = 177), followed by non-experimental matching (n = 167) and other regression designs (n = 35). Experimental studies were mostly conducted in both Lower-income countries and Lower Middle Income countries while non-experimental study designs are the most common in both High Income and Upper Middle Income countries. Most evidence is from low quality impact evaluations (71.2%) while majority of systematic reviews (71.4% of 21) are of medium and high quality rating. The area saturated with most evidence is the intervention category of 'training', while the underrepresented are three main intervention sub-categories: information services; decent work policies and; entrepreneurship promotion and financing. Older youth, youth in fragility, conflict and violence contexts, or humanitarian settings, or ethnic minorities or those with criminal backgrounds are least studied. The Youth Employment EGM identifies trends in evidence notably the following: Most evidence is from high-income countries, an indication of the relationship between a country's income status and research productivity.The most common study designs are experimental.Most of the evidence is of low quality. This finding serves to alert researchers, practitioners and policy makers that more rigorous work is needed to inform youth employment interventions. Blending of interventions is practiced. While this could be an indication that blended intervention could be offering better outcomes, this remains an area with a research gap.

Understanding the impact of functioning on career factors for individuals with disabilities and criminal backgrounds

Securing meaningful employment following incarceration has proven to be difficult for all individuals but disproportionately affects individuals with disabilities. Despite this knowledge, less research is focused on examining how various aspects of functioning impact specific behaviors related to career development. Utilizing a survey of 61 individuals, all of whom self-reported as having disabilities and prior criminal justice involvement, the current study investigated the relationship between individual functioning and career development variables. Results from this study can better inform reentry and rehabilitation professionals on how to provide support to individuals with disabilities and criminal backgrounds in gaining meaningful employment upon release.

Emotional intelligence as a part of critical reflection in social work practice and research

Social workers often experience higher levels of burnout compared with other healthcare professionals. The capacity to manage one’s own emotional reactions efficiently, frequently in complex care settings, is central to the role of social workers. This article highlights the complexity of emotions in social work research and practice by exploring the perspective of emotional intelligence. The article is both theoretical and empirical, based on reflections from a qualitative longitudinal study interviewing fathers with behavioural and criminal backgrounds, all in their 40 s. The analysis contains an exploration of the researcher position that illuminates the reflective, emotional aspects that took place within this interview process. Three overall themes emerged – first: Recognising emotional complexity; second: Reflecting on emotional themes; and third: Exploring my own prejudices and preconceptions. The findings apply to both theoretical and practical social work, addressing the need to understand emotions as a central part of critical reflection and reflexivity. The argument is that emotions have the potential to expand awareness of one’s own preconceptions, related to normative societal views. This form of analytical awareness entails identifying and paying attention to one’s own, sometimes embodied, emotional triggers.

The Implementation of Hadits on Dzikir and Ihsan: a Living Hadith Study on the Manaqiban Tradition in Majelis Dzikir Al-Khidmah Lampung

Al-Khidmah is a council of dzikir in which the congregations consist of various educational, economic, and social backgrounds. Uniquely, in the council, there are people who have criminal backgrounds such as drug addicts and thugs. In its development, these people experienced a change in character towards ihsan. This change is suspected to be the impact of their participation in Majelis Dzikir Al-Khidmah of dzikir. This paper examines the living hadith about dzikir and ihsan in Al-Khidmah and it’s role in shaping the character of its congregations towards ihsan. This paper was a field research in Simbarwaringin, Trimurjo sub-district, Central Lampung. This was a qualitative descriptive paper that provides a description of the living hadith and the formation of ihsan characters in Al-Khidmah Lampung. This paper was conducted by using participation method with the symbolic interaction method. The results concluded that Al-Khidmah revived the values of hadith about ihsan in three forms of tradition: practice, oral, and written. The character of the ihsan is measured by using the parameters of the asas al khomsa contained in the interaction model, the relation model, and the ritual dzikir of manaqib. This paper adds the treasure of the hadith study about the practice of hadith to form the character of ihsan through tarekat

Life after incarceration: The impact of stability on formerly imprisoned Oxford House residents

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, roughly 65% of the US prison population is diagnosed with a substance use disorder (SUD) and over 600,000 individuals are released from incarceration yearly. Thus, it is important to better understand the factors that allow individuals recovering from SUD to reintegrate into communities after incarceration. This study sought to understand the relationship between a personality mediator (stability) and quality of life (QOL) and belonging support (BS), as well as the relationship between this mediator and QOL and psychological sense of community (PSOC) for 131 individuals living in Oxford House (OH) recovery homes. Stability was found to mediate the relationship between BS and QOL, as well as PSOC and QOL. The findings suggest that OH is a supportive and positive recovery community for those with criminal justice backgrounds, particularly those with higher stability.