Current Offense Research Articles

The complexities of prior record, current crime type, and Hukou status in China: interactive effects in sentencing

Using sentencing data all over China from 2000 to 2011, this study examines the complex relationship between offenders’ prior record, current offense, hukou status and sentencing outcomes. Based on the perspectives and findings of previous studies conducted in common-law jurisdictions, this study suggests that prior record influences sentencing decisions in a complex manner and the number of prior conviction as a measure of prior record is not adequate. Furthermore, it also appears that the prior record effects are contingent upon current offense type, carrying more weight on the less serious current crime compared to more serious current crime. Finally, after illustrating the existence of sentencing disparity based on hukou status, this study uncovers that the interactive effects between prior record and hukou discrimination are dependent on the current offense type in China.

A Novel Reputation Management Mechanism with Forgiveness in P2P File Sharing Networks

In peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing networks, it is common practice to manage each peer using reputation systems. A reputation system systematically tracks the reputation of each peer and punishes peers for malicious behaviors (like uploading bad file, or virus, etc). However, current reputation systems could hurt the normal peers, since they might occasionally make mistakes. Therefore, in this paper, we introduce forgiveness mechanism into the EigenTrust reputation system to reduce such malicious treatments and give them opportunities to gain reputation back. Particularly, we take four motivations (the severity of current offence, the frequency of offences, the compensation and the reciprocity of the offender) into consideration to measure forgiveness. The simulation work shows that the forgiveness model can repair the direct trust breakdown caused by unintentional mistakes and lead to less invalid downloads, which improves the performance of P2P file sharing systems.

Strain, Negative Emotions, and Level of Criminality Among Chinese Incarcerated Women.

General strain theory (GST) has been one of the most frequently tested criminological theories. According to GST, strain tends to generate negative emotions, which create pressures for corrective action, such as crime and delinquency. Although GST has received strong empirical support, one under-addressed issue is the lack of diversity in sampling population in assessing the generalizability of the theory. Using survey data collected from 335 incarcerated women in four Chinese prisons, this study examined the impact of strain and negative emotions on the level of female criminality. The strain variable, physical abuse, and discrimination, exerted a positive effect on female inmates' levels of criminality, whereas negative emotions were not significantly related to female criminality. Two control variables, age of current offense and educational attainment, were predictive of female criminality, with younger and less-educated women having more serious criminality. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.

The Impact of Prison for Women on the Edge: Paying the Price for Wrong Decisions

A small number of previous studies have investigated the impact of custody on reoffending by males and mixed sex groups, but this is the first to investigate the impact of prison exclusively on women. Propensity score matching (PSM) using information on over 3,000 women’s current offense and criminal history was used to create a sample 320 women who had been sentenced to prison who were equivalent on all measured variables to 320 women who received a community sentence. Twelve months after release those from prison were found to have committed significantly more and more costly offenses and also to be more likely to be sent back to prison. The overall additional cost of prison in this sample was estimated to be £3.6 million, and this was a conservative estimate.

California’s Public Safety Realignment

This study examines the potential impacts on public safety of a sentencing policy focused on offense, as opposed to risk. We utilize a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 2005-2006 recidivism dataset to simulate recidivism patterns of newly realigned state and local supervision groups under California’s “Public Safety Realignment.” The distinction between high- and low-stakes (offense-based) offenders is analyzed through arrest and conviction rates, as well as returns-to-prison. We find that corrections policies based on stakes, as opposed to risk, may produce adverse results regarding public safety. The findings from this study suggest that policy makers should consider risk to recidivate before making large changes to sentencing or supervision policies. Most low-stakes offenders are not at low risk to reoffend, and the types of offenses for which released offenders recidivate are not predictable based on current offense. Thus, risk assessment using criminal histories may be necessary to protect the public and produce better recidivism results.

Relationships between denial, risk, and recidivism in sexual offenders.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between denial, static risk, and sexual recidivism for offenders with different types of current sexual offense. Denial was defined as failure to accept responsibility for the current offense and was assessed using the Offender Assessment System. Static risk level (measured using a revised version of the Risk Matrix 2000) was examined as a moderator in the relationship between denial and sexual and violent recidivism. In the full sample (N=6,891), lower levels of sexual recidivism were found for those who denied responsibility for their offense, independent of static risk in a Cox regression analysis. Higher levels of violent recidivism among those denying responsibility were not significant after controlling for static risk using Cox regression. For specific offender types, denial of responsibility was not significantly associated with sexual or violent recidivism. In conclusion, the presumption that denial represents increased risk, which is common in much of the decision making surrounding sex offenders, should be reconsidered. Instead, important decisions regarding sentencing, treatment, and release decisions should be based on empirically supported factors.

Who Benefits From Cognitive Skills Programs?

Cognitive skills programs, which teach problem-solving skills and perspective taking, have a strong evidence base for their ability to reduce recidivism with convicted populations. This study explored whether the Enhanced Thinking Skills program, delivered over several years to 21,000 male prisoners in England and Wales, reduced reoffending for some categories of offenders more than others by comparing predicted with actual reconviction rates. Consistent with earlier research, attending the program was associated with significantly reduced reoffending for sexual offenders (a 13 percentage point reduction), violent offenders (17 point reduction), and other non-acquisitive offenders (10-12 points), but not for offenders convicted of burglary or robbery. After controlling for risk, age, previous offenses committed, sentence length, and program completion, current offense type persisted as an independent and significant predictor of reoffending. Implications for the targeting of cognitive skills programs from this evaluation of a real world, large-scale implementation, and directions for future research, are discussed.

Evaluation of Pedophilia Patients of the National Forensic Hospital by Types of Offense according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Typologies of Child Molesters

This study aimed to classify individuals who had perpetrated child sexual abuse according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) typologies of child molesters and to assess the correlations between sociodemographic and criminal variables. We examined a total of 26 patients diagnosed with pedophilia (DSM-Ⅳ-TR criteria) who had been hospitalized in the National Forensic Hospital for Cure Custody. Data were obtained through self-administered questionnaires and reviews of patient records. Patients were classified into preferential offenders or situational offenders based on FBI typologies. Current and first offense ages of preferential offenders were younger than those of situational offenders. Preferential offenders were more likely to have been exposed to sexual abuse during childhood, and were more likely to watch child pornography than situational offenders (p < 0.05). Additionally, recidivists had lower IQs (intelligence quotient), lower levels of education, and longer illness durations than first-time offenders (p < 0.05). A multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that IQ and duration of illness might be risk factors of recidivism, although results were not statistically significant (p < 0.1). We found that classification of individuals who had sexually abused children into preferential or situational types, based on FBI typologies, provided on pedophile characteristics and probability of recidivism. We highly recommended that low IQ patients receive intensive treatment and education in order to reduce the possibility of future offenses.

Comparing Gender Across Risk and Recidivism in Nonviolent Offenders

The purpose of this study was to examine whether gender differences exist in the rate, type, and general predictors of recidivism for nonviolent offenders. A total of 328 male and female Texas state jail offenders were matched on current offense, total number of arrests, age, and race. Contrary to previous findings, the results demonstrated no significant gender differences for recidivism rates, although significant gender differences were found for those who had reoffended with property and prostitution offenses. Similar to previous findings, age and total arrests were significant predictors for both male and female offenders. In the current sample, substance abuse was predictive for male offenders only. Although no gender differences were found across the recidivism predictors of static and criminogenic need, the protective factors of positive social support significantly predicted recidivism for female offenders and not male offenders. The current results add to the understanding of gender differences for the assessment, risk prediction, and treatment of offenders.

The Relationship between a Schneider-Based Measure of Remorse and Chronic Offending in a Sample of Incarcerated Young Offenders

The present study assesses whether feeling remorseful about one's current offence is associated with chronic offending among a population of incarcerated serious young offenders in British Columbia, Canada. The importance of remorse in criminal justice, generally, and in regard to Canadian youth justice is discussed. A self-report delinquency survey administered to youths incarcerated in Burnaby and Victoria, BC (N=447) revealed that 218 (49%) youths could be classified as chronic offenders under the definition used in this study and further that 19% of young offenders fit this study's definition of chronic serious violent offender. Multivariate results indicated that remorse was not associated with general chronic offending once other traditional risk factors were considered, likely because the latter attenuated the impact of remorse. However, once the sample was divided into chronic serious violent offenders and chronic non-serious violent offenders, remorse was a significant predictor of these phenomena. This suggests that the emphasis placed on remorse toward offending behaviours is useful, but that it is highly dependent on the type and frequency of offences.

Examining the Effectiveness of a Restorative Justice Program for Various Types of Juvenile Offenders

Restorative justice (RJ) programs have become widespread in the United States and in other countries. These programs are often seen as a viable alternative to traditional retributive processing, especially for minor, and sometimes more serious, forms of delinquency and adult criminality. The programs hold promise for achieving several goals, including increased community and victim involvement, greater satisfaction with the case outcomes, improved offender compliance, increased perceptions of fairness, and even recidivism reduction. Meta-analyses have demonstrated varying degrees of program success in recidivism reduction, which may in part reflect differential effectiveness of the RJ approach for various kinds of offenders. This study examined whether an RJ program for juvenile offenders had differential impacts on recidivism across various offender characteristics (including age, gender, racial group, offending history, and current offense). Results generally support the effectiveness of the program for many types of offenders. Implications for future research and potential improvements to the RJ model are discussed.

The Effectiveness of Interactive Journaling in Reducing Recidivism Among Substance-Dependent Jail Inmates

The present study sought to evaluate the influence of interactive journaling on criminal recidivism and identify significant predictors of recidivism among a sample of 183 male inmates incarcerated in a local jail facility randomly assigned to either an interactive journaling condition or a control group. All participants met DSM-IV-TR criteria for substance dependence, had their current offense indicate substance involvement, and had a minimum of one previous arrest in the prior 12 months. The recidivism rate (51%), in terms of subsequent bookings within a 12-month period, for the journaling group was significantly lower than the recidivism rate (66%) for the control group, χ(2)(1, 183) = 4.13, p < .05. The three most significant independent predictors of subsequent bookings were severity of posttraumatic stress disorder, group assignment (journaling vs. placebo), and employment status. Interactive journaling appears to show promise as a brief treatment intervention strategy for substance dependence in local jail settings and may have the potential for reducing recidivism.

The use of off-trade glass as a weapon in violent assaults by Young Offenders

This article aims to highlight the neglected issue of ‘glassing’ injury risk from off-trade alcohol bottles. The study participants included a survey of male Young Offenders (n=172) recruited during their induction into Scotland's only Young Offenders Institution in 2007 and an interview sample (n=30) recruited in the same way during 2008. A self-complete questionnaire enquired about respondent's drinking and offending. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to qualitatively investigate issues raised by the 2007 survey. The survey comprised more than a quarter of Scotland's male Young Offenders. Over 80 per cent had been drinking before their current offence. Approximately two-thirds reported using a weapon (80 per cent while under the influence of alcohol). After knives, bottles were their most often ‘used’ weapon. Unlike knives, bottles were seldom reported as being ‘carried’. Interviewees more often gave accounts of using bottles than any other potential weapon, suggesting that bottles may not be considered as a weapon (in the same way as knives), but simply happen to be omnipresent when alcohol-related violence occurs. On-trade glass was never mentioned during this research. There is a clear need to highlight the risks posed by off-trade alcohol glassware, and for this to be replaced with plastic containers where possible.

PROTOCOL: The impact of juvenile system processing on delinquency

PROTOCOL: The impact of juvenile system processing on delinquency

A Sheep in Wolf ’s Clothing or a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing? Ohio Sex Offender Registration and the Role of Science

Many sex offender registration and notification procedures use an assignment process that places offenders into a lower, middle, or upper tier. This implies that the offenders on the lowest tier pose less risk than those on the highest tier; yet empirical testing of this assumption is lacking. As a first step to determining whether this approach correctly identifies the dangerousness of sex offenders, this study seeks to determine whether there is a statistically significant relationship between a sex offender’s probability of reoffending and his registration and notification assignment in an Ohio sample of male sex offenders. Chi-square results showed no significant relationship between a sex offender’s probability of reoffending and his registration and notification assignment. Regression results demonstrated only two variables to be predictive of registration assignment—prior sex offenses and current first degree felony offense— while other variables shown to be correlated to sex offending were not predictive of registration assignment.

Assessing Criminal Thinking in Male Sex Offenders With the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles

A sample of 543 male inmates undergoing sex offender treatment completed the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS). As predicted, the PICTS General Criminal Thinking (GCT), Proactive (P), and Reactive (R) scores correlated with sexual risk as measured by the total score on the Static-99. However, only the GCT and P scores correlated with sentence length, and none of the PICTS scores successfully discriminated between a current offense of child molestation and a current offense of adult rape/sexual assault. A confirmatory factor analysis verified previous factor analyses of the PICTS conducted on nonsex offenders whereby the PICTS thinking style scales displayed significantly better fit with a two-factor (proactive, reactive) than with a one-factor (general criminal thinking) model. These results lend preliminary support to the notion that criminal thinking in general and proactive/instrumental criminal thinking in particular have something to offer sex offender assessment.

THE ROLE OF RACE AND ETHNICITY IN PAROLE DECISIONS*

The parole board plays an integral part in the reentry of offenders into the community from prison in most states; yet, little is known about the decision‐making practices of this group. In particular, few studies have used quantitative data to examine parole among a large group of offenders, and less is known about the direct and joint effects of race and ethnicity on this decision point. We extend previous work by considering variation in parole timing among a sample of young, serious offenders incarcerated in one state. Results from a series of proportional hazard models reveal substantial variation in parole timing. Consistent with the existing theoretical research on parole, parole actors are most concerned with community protection and heavily weigh measures of the current offense, institutional behavior, and the official parole guidelines score. The direct effects of race and ethnicity were also revealed. Black offenders spent a longer time in prison awaiting parole compared with white offenders, and the racial and ethnic differences are maintained net of legal and individual demographic and community characteristics. These findings provide important insight into the parole process and augment the existing theoretical work on disparities in decision making.

The Complexities of Prior Record, Race, Ethnicity, and Policy

Using sentencing data from 1994 to 2002, spanning two different sentencing policies, this study examines the complex relationship between felony offenders' prior record, race/ethnicity, current offense, and sentencing outcomes. Expanding on past research, this study incorporates multiple dimensions of prior record and analyzes the differential impact of these dimensions across race/ethnicity and offense type. Unlike previous research, the current study examines these complex effects across different sentencing policies. The findings suggest that sentencing authorities' calculations of risk and dangerousness may not be based solely on legal considerations such as prior record and offense type or on extralegal factors such as race and ethnicity. Instead, it appears that a complex interplay exists between these legal and extralegal characteristics. Furthermore, the importance of policy change with regard to prior record and race/ethnicity is highlighted by the findings.

The Dangerous Drug Offender in Federal Court

This study examines the complex relationships among stereotypes about crime, the offender’s race/ethnicity, and sentencing decisions. Using data on White, Black, and Hispanic male drug offenders sentenced in three U.S. district courts and a definition of the dangerous drug offender appropriate to the federal sentence system, the authors explore the degree to which stereotypes about dangerous drug offenders influence sentence length. The results reveal that fitting the stereotype of a dangerous federal drug offender (i.e., a male drug trafficker with a prior trafficking conviction who used a weapon to commit the current offense) affected the length of the prison sentence for Black offenders but not for White or Hispanic offenders. Further analysis revealed that this effect was confined to Black offenders convicted of drug offenses involving crack cocaine. The results provide further evidence that the focal concerns guiding judicial decision making may vary depending on the offender’s race or ethnicity.

Understanding the Decision to Pursue Revocation of Intensive Supervision: A Descriptive Survey of Juvenile Probation and Aftercare Officers

ABSTRACT This study examines staff perceptions of juvenile intensive supervision program goals and frequency of offender violations. It identifies factors staff consider in pursuing revocation and alternatives they use to avert revocation. Staff prioritized rehabilitation behind other goals. Regardless of whether they considered probated or aftercare cases, technical violations were perceived as the most frequent violation, and these weighed heavily in revocation decisions. Other factors given most weight included seriousness of prior and current offenses as well as substance abuse. Alternatives to revocation most likely to be pursued were oriented more toward control than rehabilitation. Implications of these findings are discussed.