First-time Offenders Research Articles

Effects of Goal Commitment and Solution Building on the Completion Rates for a Juvenile Diversion Program

Strengths-based, goal-focused approaches to working with at-risk youth have been successfully used by mentoring programs, therapeutic interventions, prevention programs, and self-help groups. However, few such approaches have been used to inform juvenile diversion programs. This is partially explained by limited empirical research on mechanisms of change used by goal-focused interventions in populations of young offenders. The authors use goal-setting theory to explore the effects of goal commitment and solution building on program completion, in a sample of violent first-time offenders ( N = 159). Mediation effects of solution building in the relationship between goal commitment and program completion were tested using both Baron and Kenny’s and Preacher and Hayes’s approaches. Results showed that high goal commitment and solution building were significant predictors of program completion. In addition, solution building fully mediated the impact of goal commitment on program completion. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Matching images captured from unmanned aerial vehicle

Police database cannot have images of first-time offenders; hence, apprehending them becomes a very challenging task. In this paper, we propose a novel technique to apprehend first-time offenders using composite sketches and images captured by unmanned aerial vehicles. The key contribution of this paper is we have developed a new technology to match composite sketches with images captured by unmanned aerial vehicle to apprehend first-time criminals in a very short time period. The unmanned aerial vehicle is sent in the area where the first-time offender is likely to be present. The image captured by unmanned aerial vehicle is passed to face detection module so that only human faces are obtained. Feature extraction is performed using multi-resolution uniform local binary pattern, and classification is performed using dictionary matching. This proposed method is validated by composite sketches generated using SketchCop FACETTE face design system software and images captured by Phantom 3 professional unmanned aerial vehicle.

Impaired executive function in 14- to 16-year-old boys with conduct disorder is related to recidivism: A prospective longitudinal study.

Several studies have suggested a relationship between cognitive impairment and recidivism, but most have adopted a retrospective design. The aim of this study was to test for any relationship between impaired executive function in adolescents with conduct disorder and subsequent recidivism up to 3 years later. In this prospective cohort study, 221 male adolescents with conduct disorder, admitted to a juvenile justice assessment centre for the first time, were interviewed about their offence, age, onset of delinquency and family history. They completed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (Keio version) (KWCST) and the Iowa gambling task. Scores were compared between those who subsequently re-offended and those who did not. Seventy-six (34%) participants re-offended. There was no direct difference between groups in executive function, but there were age differences both in executive function and in recidivism. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the variables, which were independently associated with recidivism, were younger age, change in the person who brought up the child, and fewer (≤4) categories achieved on the KWCST. Recidivists were about twice as likely as single offenders to have achieved four categories or less on the KWCST (odds ratio 2.2, 95% confidence interval 1.1-4.4). Impaired executive function appears to predispose to recidivism among young first-time male offenders with conduct disorder. Our findings also suggest that further precise assessments of environmental stress on developing neurocognitive function could clarify the background of antisocial behaviour. © 2016 The Authors. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Self-Control Assessments and Implications for Predicting Adolescent Offending.

Although low self-control is consistently related to adolescent offending, it is unknown whether self-report measures or laboratory behavior tasks yield better predictive utility, or if a combination yields incremental predictive power. This is particularly important because developmental theory indicates that self-control is related to adolescent offending and, consequently, risk assessments rely on self-control measures. The present study (a) examines relationships between self-reported self-control on the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory with Go/No-Go response inhibition, and (b) compares the predictive utility of both assessment strategies for short- and long-term adolescent reoffending. It uses longitudinal data from the Crossroads Study of male, first-time adolescent offenders ages 13-17 (N = 930; 46 % Hispanic/Latino, 37 % Black/African-American, 15 % non-Hispanic White, 2 % other race). The results of the study indicate that the measures are largely unrelated, and that the self-report measure is a better indicator of both short- and long-term reoffending. The laboratory task measure does not add value to what is already predicted by the self-report measure. Implications for assessing self-control during adolescence and consequences of assessment strategy are discussed.

Recidivism in Brunei Inmates – Estimating the Rates and Predicting Reoffending

The survey investigated the recidivism problem in a random sample of Brunei prisoners (N = 64) representing both genders. Overall, there were more recidivists than firsttime offenders on all the three major crimes (theft, drugs, and sex offenses). The relapse cases were overrepresented in the 36-40 age-group. Offending and re-offending occurred almost at the same rate in married and non-married inmates. Both groups cited the need to support dependent relatives as one of the main reasons for stealing. Four variables (interpersonal-sensitivity, lifestyle, parents’ marital status, and obsessive-compulsive disorder) were significantly related to recidivism, all at p<0.05 level. Of these, the best predictor of recidivism was interpersonal-sensitivity (OR = 1.199; 95% CI for OR = 1.028 - 1.398; p<0.05). Inmates who scored high on the interpersonalsensitivity variable (lack of sensitivity when dealing with other people) were 1.2 times more likely to reoffend and be re-imprisoned upon release. Sex offenses were 28 times more likely to be repeated by perpetrators upon release. The likelihood of drug and stealing offenses to recurr was 10.9 and 7.4 times respectively. Preventive, community-based, and in-prison interventions were recommended to address the convicts’ recidivism, labeling, stigma, and discrimination problems to facilitate reintegration. Large-scale mixed-methods research was suggested to gain additional insights and solutions.

Avoiding Convictions: Regression Discontinuity Evidence on Court Deferrals for First-Time Drug Offenders

This paper studies the causal impact of court deferrals, a legal strategy to help defendants avoid a felony conviction record, on the future criminal and labor market outcomes of first-time felony drug offenders. To accomplish this, we exploit two natural experiments in Harris County, Texas, in which defendants appearing in court one day versus the next experienced abruptly different likelihoods of deferral. In 1994 deferral rates dropped by 34 percentage points the day following the implementation of a penal code reform; in 2007 deferral rates increased by 22 percentage points the day after the unexpected failure of a ballot initiative to expand the county jail. Using administrative data and local polynomial regression discontinuity methods, we find robust evidence consistent across both experiments that regimes with expanded use of court deferrals generated substantially lower rates of reoffending and unemployment over a five-year follow-up period. Additional analysis delves further into the timing, nature and incidence of these impacts. Together our results suggest that increasing the use of deferral programs may be an attractive and feasible option for a jurisdiction seeking to reduce the fiscal cost and community impact of its criminal justice system.

The role of peer arrests on the development of youths' attitudes towards the justice system.

During adolescence, youths develop attitudes about the justice system. Although there is consistent evidence that personal experiences with legal actors contribute to attitudes toward the justice system, adolescents' attitudes may also be influenced vicariously through their friends' experiences with the justice system. Using data from a sample of 1,216 first-time male adolescent offenders, the present study examines how attitudes toward the justice system develop over 24 months following the adolescent's first arrest. Even after accounting for personal justice system experiences, including self-reported offending, time on the streets, and contacts with the police, results indicate that adolescents with friends who were arrested report more negative attitudes toward the justice system than those without friends who were arrested. Further, experiencing a friend's arrest has a larger impact on the attitudes of youths who are experiencing it for the first time. We provide evidence that attitudes toward the justice system are a product of accumulated social experiences-both personal and vicarious-with the justice system.

The suspended sentence in French Criminal Law

From the ancient times until today, criminal law has provided different criminal sanctions as measures of social control. These coercive measures are imposed on the criminal offender by the competent court and aimed at limitting the offender's rights and freedoms or depriving the offender of certain rights and freedoms. These sanctions are applied to the natural or legal persons who violate the norms of the legal order and injure or endanger other legal goods that enjoy legal protection. In order to effectively protect social values, criminal legislations in all countries predict a number of criminal sanctions. These are: 1) imprisonment, 2) precautions, 3) safety measures, 4) penalties for juveniles, and 5) sanctions for legal persons. Apart and instead of punishment, warning measures have a significant role in the jurisprudence. Since they emerged in the early 20th century in the system of criminal sanctions, there has been an increase in their application to criminal offenders, especially when it comes to first-time offenders who committed a negligent or accidental criminal act. Warnings are applied in case of crimes that do not have serious consequences, and whose perpetrators are not hardened and incorrigible criminals. All contemporary criminal legislations (including the French legilation) provide a warning measure of suspended sentence. Suspended sentence is a conditional stay of execution of sentence of imprisonment for a specified time, provided that the convicted person does not commit another criminal offense and fulfills other obligations. This sanction applies if the following two conditions are fulfilled: a) forma! -which is attached to the sentence of imprisonment; and b) material -which is the court assessment that the application of this sanction is justified and necessary in a particular case. In many modern criminal legislations, there are two different types of suspended (conditional) sentence: 1) ordinary (classical) suspended sentence, and 2) a suspended sentence with supervision. If the convicted person fails to comply with a court order, the law provides for the mandatory or optional revocation of the suspended sentence.

The Impact of the Proposed Changes for the DSM-5 on Diagnoses of First-time DUI/DWI Offenders

Driving while impaired (DWI) is a frequently committed crime with enormous individual and social costs. The type of disposition and/or treatment appropriate for an individual offender is often determined, in part, by diagnostic criteria based on the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistics Manual. The DSM-5 significantly modified these criteria by eliminating legal problems as a criterion and dropping the categories of abuse and dependence. A brief substance abuse focused interview was conducted with 658 consecutive first-time DUI offenders who were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. Most were white, well-educated males. Contingency analyses were utilized to compare the current with the new diagnostic criteria based on algorithms for both diagnostic formulations. The major change observed when moving from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5 criteria was that, approximately 54% of first-time DUI/DWI offenders would no longer meet diagnostic criteria based on the DSM-5. Of the nearly 17% who met dependence criteria, the majority were in the severe designation of the DSM-5.

The dilemma of re-licensing DWI offenders: The offenders’ point of view

In many jurisdictions, drivers convicted for the first-time of driving while impaired by alcohol undertake a risk assessment that will determine the severity of sanctions and the remedial measures they must follow as requisites for re-licensing. There is uncertainty inherent in the assessment of risk for recidivism, however, many offenders feel unfairly assessed and discommoded by the decision-making process and its consequences. The objective of this qualitative study was to gain insight into the perspectives of offenders regarding re-licensing decision making and sanctioning. Specifically, in focus groups first-time offenders and recidivists were probed as to whether they favoured erring on the side of road safety in decision making, with its consequent greater risk of false positive assessments, or erring on the side of maintaining driving privileges, with its consequent greater risk of false negative assessments. In general, participants preferred a higher probability of false negative vs. false positive assessments. Most cited the consequences of sanctions and remedial measures as too severe to impose them on potentially low-risk drivers, as the assessment and monitoring protocols’ limitations could lead to non-equitable treatment. At the same time, recidivists evoked a greater preference for a higher probability of false positive assessments compared to first-time offenders, as they believed that recidivism was more likely to follow a first conviction than did first-time offenders. This information can be useful for a more comprehensive and societally coherent exercise of DWI prevention policies.

Sex Differences in the Personality and Cognitive Characteristics of First-Time DWI Offenders.

Driving while impaired by alcohol (DWI) is a significant yet preventable public health problem. The overrepresentation of males among DWI offenders has been attributed in part to greater sensation seeking and impulsivity features in males, although recent evidence points to increasing female DWI events. Studies exploring sex differences in DWI to better understand and intervene in these trends are rare and often methodologically lacking. This study examined sex differences among first-time DWI offenders by testing the hypotheses that, compared with non-DWI drivers, male offending is primarily associated with greater impulsive and sensation-seeking personality features and response disinhibition, whereas female offending is primarily associated with greater alcohol misuse. Male and female drivers ages 18-44 years convicted of a first DWI offense (n = 217) and non-DWI driver controls (n = 79) were recruited and compared on measures of psychosocial characteristics, substance use, personality, and response inhibition. In partial support of our hypotheses, greater alcohol misuse severity was found in female DWI offenders compared with female non-DWI drivers but an equivalent effect was not detected in males. Counter to hypothesis, greater impulsivity, sensation seeking, and response disinhibition were not found in male non-DWI drivers compared with male non-DWI drivers. Unexpectedly, greater impulsivity was found in female DWI offenders compared with female DWI drivers. Little evidence was found for impulsivity, sensation seeking, and response disinhibition being factors that directly explain higher rates of DWI offending in males. In contrast, more marked alcohol misuse and trait impulsivity in female DWI drivers suggest a greater vulnerability to uncontrolled drinking leading to dangerous driving. These findings represent a basis for examining sex-related responsivity to distinct approaches to DWI prevention.

Crossover youth post arrest: Placement status and recidivism

The association between child maltreatment and juvenile delinquency is well established. Maltreated youth experience significantly higher delinquency rates than their peers. Studies report that placement instability in substitute care and placement in congregate settings (e.g., group homes) contribute to higher rates of offending. To date, no studies have focused on the judicial response and the likelihood of continued offending. The current study investigates the association between post-arrest placement decisions and recidivism. We analyze administrative records from the Los Angeles County Department of Probation and the Department of Children and Family Services. The sample includes all first-time violent offenders with an open child welfare case. Forty-nine percent of youth experienced a subsequent arrest. Using Cox regression, we find that moving crossover youth from a family-like setting to a congregate care setting was associated with significantly higher rates of recidivism. We discuss the policy and practice implications of these findings.

The Impact of Teen Courts on Youth Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Processing juvenile offenders in the traditional justice system can lead to a range of negative consequences. As an alternative to formal criminal processing, many jurisdictions have begun to implement diversion programs for first-time or low-level offenders. This systematic review sought to summarize evidence of the effectiveness of one commonly used diversion model, Teen Courts, on outcomes for juvenile offenders. Teen Courts were defined as any intervention for youth (ages 10–17) in which the participating offenders’ peers were involved in verdict or sentencing. Final analysis included 22 studies. Among the 15 studies that assessed statistical significance of recidivism, 4 found statistically significant results favoring Teen Courts, 1 found statistically significant results favoring the traditional justice system, and 10 found null results. Most studies provided little detail regarding the structure or approach of Teen Courts under study and varied widely in research design, comparison group, and operationalization of recidivism, making it difficult to compare results. In order to inform decision-making about the use of Teen Courts, additional studies are needed that maximize internal and external validity, consider pathways of intervention effects, and examine potentially differential impacts of the program on participating youth.

A Prospective Study of Psychiatric Comorbidity and Recidivism Among Repeat DUI Offenders.

Psychiatric comorbidity has emerged as a key element distinguishing DUI offenders from others, and, in some cases, distinguishing repeat offenders from first-time offenders. This paper utilizes a prospective design to determine whether the comorbid disorders identified among repeat DUI offenders can predict recidivism. Seven hundred forty-three repeat DUI offenders were recruited from a two-week inpatient treatment program at which they received a standardized mental health assessment and followed across five years post-treatment to track DUI offense, motor vehicle-related offenses, and general criminal offenses. Psychiatric comorbidity, though it did not predict DUI recidivism specifically, predicted criminal re-offense more generally. In addition, there was a specific relationship between lifetime attention deficit disorder and repeated motor vehicle-related offenses. These findings suggest that for many repeat offenders, DUI is one outlet in a constellation of criminal behavior, and that psychiatric comorbidity increases vulnerability for criminal re-offense.

Turning Point-Rethinking Violence: A Youth Violence Reduction Intervention

Objectives: In response to a significant increase in adolescent violence, a multi-dimensional, multi-agency program involving at-risk adolescents and their parents was implemented, housed at the urban Level One Trauma Center of a southeastern hospital. “Turning Point: Re-Thinking Violence,” (TPRV) was initiated in 1999 as a focused 14-hour alternative to the standard sentence of 100 hours of “community service” for first time violent juvenile offenders. Juvenile participants attended a total of six group sessions which included: trauma experience activities; a victim impact panel; a processing and psycho educational group focused on anger management, conflict resolution, and communication skills; community networking; and a program graduation. This study analyzes the long-term effect both in rates of Violence Recidivism (VR) and program efficiency as indicated by maintained therapeutic effect. Methods: VR of TPRV consenting program participants (N=115) during seven years of TPRV was compared to the initial cohort sentenced to the “traditional” community service. TPRV participants were then stratified by year of program entry, and compared among themselves. Results: For the six year duration of TPRV, the VR rate still remains significantly below that which was reported in the index group. Stratified annual analysis demonstrates a statistically significant decrease in VR as TPRV has evolved. Conclusions: These data suggest that TPRV is an efficient and effective violence intervention program as compared to traditional sentencing options for first-time adolescent violent offenders and that the treatment effect of TPRV is sustained over time and is judged to be a successful strategy for addressing the epidemic of adolescent violence.

‘Indelible Characters’

ABSTRACTSince the late nineteenth-century works of criminologists Lombroso and Lacassagne, tattoos in Europe have been commonly associated with deviant bodies. Like many other studies of tattoos of non-indigenous origin, the locus of our research is the convict body. Given the corporeal emphasis of prison records, we argue that tattoos form a crucial part of the power dynamic. Tattoos in the carceral context embody an inherent paradox of their being a component in the reidentification of ‘habitual criminals’. We argue that their presence can be regarded as an expression of convict agency: by the act of imprinting unique identifiers on their bodies, convicts boldly defied the official gaze, while equally their description in official records exacted power over the deviant body. Cursory findings show an alignment with other national studies; corporeal inscriptions in Ireland were more prevalent in men's prisons than women's and associated, however loosely, with certain occupations. For instance, maritime and military motifs find representation. Recidivists were more likely to have tattoos than first-time offenders; inscriptions were described as monotone, rudimentary in design and incorporated a limited range of impressions. Further to our argument that tattoos form an expression of convict defiance of prison authority, we have found an unusual idiosyncrasy in the convict record, that is, that the agency of photography, while undermined in general terms, was manipulated by prison officers.

Overdeterrence of repeat offenders when penalties for first-time offenders are restricted

When penalties for first-time offenders are restricted, it is typically optimal for the lawmaker to overdeter repeat offenders. First-time offenders are then deterred not only by the (restricted) fine for a first offense, but also by the prospect of a large fine for a subsequent offense. Now suppose the restriction on penalties for first-time offenders is relaxed; i.e., larger fines for a first offense become enforceable. Should overdeterrence of repeat offenders now be reduced? We show that this is the case only if the original restriction was not very strong. Otherwise, overdeterrence of repeat offenders should actually be further amplified.

Pre- and post-sentence mental health service use by a population cohort of older offenders (≥45 years) in Western Australia

Information on older offenders' mental health service (MHS) used before and after sentence is sparse. We therefore aimed to determine the 1-year prevalence of MHS use before sentence, and the likelihood and predictors of MHS use in the 5-year post-sentence period by first-time older adult offenders (≥45years). Pre- and post-sentence MHS use by a cohort of 1,853 first-time offenders over 45years in Western Australia was determined through whole-population linked administrative data. Logistic regression models compared the 1-year pre-sentence MHS contacts between offenders and matched non-offenders. Cox proportional hazards regression models identified the socio-demographic, offending and pre-sentence health service variables that determined post-sentence MHS use. Older offenders were six times more likely to have used MHSs than non-offenders before sentence. Substance use was the most commonly treated disorder. Non-custodial offenders were twice more likely than prisoners to have been treated for any mental disorder and substance use disorders, and violent offenders were four times more likely to have attempted self-harm than non-violent offenders before being sentenced. The strongest predictors of post-sentence MHS contact were past psychiatric diagnosis in offenders with a pre-sentence MHS contact, and pre-sentence hospitalisation for attempted self-harm or physical illness, or being a male in those without. Discontinuity in MHS use after sentence by over half of the offenders with a prior contact was prominent. Better detection and treatment of mental disorders in older offenders to ensure continuity of care at all transition points through age-sensitive correctional and community-based MHSs is needed.

DUI Offenders’ Experience With an Ignition Interlock Program: Comparing Those Who Have and Have Not Adapted From Their Primary Drinking Location

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare driving under the influence (DUI) offenders on an alcohol ignition interlock program who had or had not changed their primary drinking context from a bar/restaurant where they might be required to drive after drinking before the interlock was installed to drinking at home where driving would not be likely to be required following interlock installation.Methods: A total of 171 DUI offenders who were on an ignition interlock program completed a web-based survey. All of these offenders reported that they drank primarily in a bar/restaurant before the interlock was installed. These offenders were classified into 2 groups: adapters who said they currently drink at home and nonadapters who said they still drink in a bar/restaurant. Measures were made of their reported drinking, driving patterns, perceptions of the likely outcomes of being on the interlock, perceived effectiveness of various prevention strategies, and demographic characteristics. Chi-square and t-test analyses were used to compare these 2 groups.Results: Adapters and nonadapters did not differ with regard to any of the demographic characteristics, whether they were a first-time DUI offender, the length of time in the interlock program, number of lockouts (being blocked from starting their cars) they had experienced, miles driven per week, or current driving patterns since being on the interlock program. Adapters were more likely to report changing their drinking plans and habits. Currently they reported fewer drinks per occasion than nonadapters. They were more likely to report reducing the amount they drink, solo drinking or only drinking with a spouse/significant other, and changing their drinking plans and habits. They were also more likely to say that the interlock reminded them to limit their drinking after it is removed and that it might have longer term benefits in preventing future DUIs. They were also more receptive to interventions that might help them separate their drinking from their driving.Conclusions: Interlock clients who report that they have altered their drinking context and a willingness to receive programs that help them separate their drinking from their driving may be more receptive to and benefit from ignition interlock programs.

Driving under the influence as a turning point? A register-based study on financial and social consequences among first-time male offenders.

To examine gradual change in debt problems, divorce and income among men in Finland before and after a first conviction for driving under the influence (DUI). A register-based longitudinal study conducted in Finland between 1999 and 2013. A nationally representative sample of 70,659 Finnish males born between 1918 and 1983, and a subsample of males (n = 1782) who had their first DUI conviction during 2005-2012. Descriptive statistics showing the socio-demographic and economic determinants of DUI. The main analysis was based on a longitudinal, within-individual setting. The impact of DUI on debt problems, divorce and income was analysed using random effects regression models. DUI offenders were more likely to be younger and to have lower education and income than the non-DUI group. Criminal convictions were also more common among DUI offenders. Debt problems, divorce and loss of income were more likely after the DUI incident than before. The already increasing level of debt problems accelerated after the incident and divorce rates increased after the DUI incident, whereas the decrease in income was gradual over the whole observation period. Among men in Finland, DUI offences are more common among vulnerable social groups. The first drunk-driving conviction among men in Finland constitutes a significant life event that appears to increase the likelihood of financial problems and divorce.