High-risk Offenders Research Articles

Unfortunate, unforgivable and unacceptable? A comprehensive review of applications under Terrorism (High Risk Offenders) Act 2017 NSW

ABSTRACT Australia’s legislative response to the threat of terrorism has been characterised as ‘hyper legislation' [Roach, K. (2011). The 9/11 effect: Comparative counter-terrorism (p. 309). Cambridge University Press)]. New South Wales’ Terrorism (High Risk Offenders) Act 2017 NSW (THRO Act) is one part of this response. This paper seeks to provide a descriptive analysis of the THRO Act’s operation in practice. To do so a quantitative content analysis was performed by coding the judgments made subject to the Act since its commencement in 2017 to June 2023. While the population is small, the analysis indicates that the offenders themselves are often subject to structural disadvantage and that order outcomes may not be proportionate to the offender’s assessed level of risk. It also suggests that the use of the controversial VERA-2R tool has been expanded beyond its purported purpose.

A sovereign citizen by any other name? Risks in the terrorism high-risk offender context

While the nuisance that ‘sovereign citizens’ pose to courts and authorities across Australia continues to gain media attention, there is much less known about the controversial New South Wales government scheme which seeks to preventatively supervise and detain these individuals. This article argues that use of this scheme to quell the risk posed by sovereign citizens would be at its most problematic and potentially misguided if set upon members of First Nations communities, who are reportedly showing signs of increased receptiveness to sovereign citizen rhetoric.

The impact of testosterone-lowering medication on recidivism in individuals convicted of sexual offenses.

Treatment of individuals who have committed sexual offences with Testosterone-Lowering Medication (TLM) is a comparatively intrusive kind of intervention, which regularly takes place in coercive contexts. Thus, the question of efficacy, but also the question of who should be treated, when and for how long, are of great importance. Recidivism rates of TLM-treated high-risk individuals (+TLM; n = 54) were compared with high-risk individuals treated with psychotherapy only in the same forensic outpatient clinic (-TLM; n = 79). Group differences suggested a higher initial risk of + TLM (e.g. higher ris-assessment, previous convictions). Despite the increased risk, after an average time at risk of six years, +TLM recidivated significantly less often and significantly later than - TLM (27.8% vs. 51.9%). Such an effect was also found for violent (1.9% vs. 15.2%), but not for sexual (5.6% vs. 10.1%) and serious recidivism (5.6% vs. 10.1%), which could be explained partly by the small number of cases. In the course of treatment, TLM proved to be a significant variable for a positive process, whereas a high risk-assessment score indicated a rather negative course. In total, n = 19 individuals had stopped their TLM treatment, of these 31.6% recidivated. The results support the efficacy of TLM, particularly in the group of high-risk offenders.

A pilot study regarding the feasibility and efficacy of an outpatient treatment program for young adult high-risk offenders (YAHOP).

This pilot study examines whether the Young Adult Habitual Offender Program (YAHOP), an intensive and outpatient program, is related to a reduction in the general risk of recidivism, common forensic symptomology as well as cognitive distortions. The program integrity (PI) was assessed, with the intent to explore the relationship between the level of PI and any changes in several outcome variables. Additionally, the study examines whether participants with a migration background benefitted equally from YAHOP compared to participants with a native Dutch background. The sample comprised n = 90 high-risk young adult offenders. Results show a decrease in general risk of recidivism. The dynamic risk factors delinquent social network, insufficient impulse control, and dysfunctional problem-solving skills also show a decrease, as well as the forensic symptoms of aggression and anger. Effect sizes are small, except for anger, which has a medium effect size. We found no change in cognitive distortions and problematic substance use. YAHOP shows to be responsive and culturally sensitive, as the participants with a migration background show a significant decrease in general risk of recidivism. No moderator analysis was conducted due to an overall low level of program integrity. After improving program integrity, full-scale quantitative research is needed as YAHOP has the potential as a promising desistance program for high-risk offenders, as in this study the 56 non-completers were also included.

No Matter Your Age, "It's Your Life, It's Your Choice": Compulsory Persuasion and Informal Rehabilitative Support in Youth and Adult Intensive Supervision Programs.

Although existing literature identifies that public protection and risk reduction are the primary goals of intensive supervision programs (ISP), little is known about how or whether rehabilitation of high-risk offenders is prioritized outside of enforcing court-mandated conditions. Using qualitative semi-structured interviews and focus groups within two Canadian metropolitan ISPs, our study explores how rehabilitative support is offered to youth and adult high-risk offenders in the absence of formal conditions. Using the framework of late-modern rehabilitation and compulsory persuasion, we draw on themes of offender responsibilization and coercion to interrogate the provision of informal rehabilitative support. Our findings indicate that officers negotiate "voluntary agreements" with select high-risk offenders, which hierarchicalizes them into two groups: those worthy of informal support and those who "choose" not to want to rehabilitate. We also find that youth and adults are treated similarly despite substantive differences between the types of crimes committed.

Rural Jail Reentry Non-Clinical Case Management: An Examination of the Middle Tennessee Rural Reentry (MTRR) Program

This study evaluates the Middle Tennessee Rural Reentry (MTRR) program. MTRR is a rural reentry program funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance that uses non-clinical case managers. Specifically, the program provided non-clinical case management and services to 144 medium and high-risk offenders released from a rural county correctional facility for up to 12 months after incarceration. Fully 56.9% of offenders completed the program, with 52.8% recidivating (i.e., arrest and revocation of supervision). Program completion did not have a statistically significant impact on recidivism. Moreover, females who participated in the program had a significantly lower overall likelihood of recidivism than when compared to male participants. Additional findings and policy implications for rural jail programs are also discussed.

Citizens’ sex offence myths and perceived effectiveness of sex offender community notification in South Korea

ABSTRACT Scholars have argued that myths about sex offences and offenders lead to support for sex offender community notification. However, studies on a direct association supporting this argument are scarce. This study therefore explored the relationship between citizens’ perceived sex offence myths and the perceived effectiveness of notification using a survey of more than 2,000 citizens in South Korea. The ordinal regression analysis suggests that citizens who support sex offence myths (e.g., sex offenders are likely to reoffend, target strangers, are mentally ill, or have no plan for sex offences) showed a high level of perceived effectiveness of notification (e.g., deterring sex offenders’ reoffending, deterring citizens’ sex offences, increasing public awareness of sex offences, and protecting children from sexual assaults). These findings imply that citizens need education about sex offence myths. Additionally, sex offender community notification should be used primarily for high-risk offenders.

Does Procedural Justice Matter in Probation? Investigating the Relationship Between Procedural Just Treatment and Law-Abiding Behavior Among a Sample of High-Risk Offenders

Community supervision programs are instrumental for reducing the prison population and successfully reintegrating offenders back into society. Prior literature suggests that supportive relationships between legal authorities and their clients may foster law-abiding behavior. Using data from the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI) program (N = 781), the current study investigates whether fair (procedurally just) treatment by community supervision officers is associated with compliance and receiving a formal violation. Findings from multivariate analyses suggest that individuals who perceive their supervising officer as treating them procedurally just are more likely to comply with directives and less likely to receive formal violations. Such findings underscore the importance of legal authorities treating probationers with dignity and respect. Policy implications and limitations are discussed.

고위험범죄자에 대한 사회내 관리제도 개선방안

In 2007, when cases of sexual violence and murder against children and women began to occur simultaneously in Korea, the government introduced and implemented new policies such as the 'electronic monitoring system' and 'chemical castration'. However, the release of Jo Doo-soon in 2021 and subsequent murders of those wearing electronic ankles has highlighted the need for better management of high-risk criminals in society. This study examines some meaningful policies that are being carried out to protect the safety of the people from high-risk crimes in foreign countries through literature research and examines their applicability to the current situation in Korea. The UK, having already experienced brutal sexual assault and murder cases targeting children and women, established the MAPPA (Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangement) in 2001 to manage about 80,000 dangerous criminals. The U.S.A is also trying to manage the high-risk criminals meticulously through the collaboration of criminal justice agencies. Meanwhile, apart from control-centered management of high-risk offenders through collaboration of institutions, it is also necessary to examine efforts to solve problems more fundamentally by realizing social reintegration through social support such as CoSA(Circle of Support & Accountability) programs. In the case of Korea, I would like to discuss the applicability of cooperation between criminal justice agencies for the effective management of high-risk offenders and the lack of awareness of support in the society for high-risk offenders. Of course, according to the difference of social, economic, and cultural environment of Korea, foreign systems may not just fit the Korean situation, it will be difficult to introduce foreign systems right away. However, if the purpose of the system implemented in foreign countries is reasonable and desirable, it is necessary to consider actively the introduction of a new system in Korea.

Can community notifications be improved to change public perceptions of released justice-involved persons and of the criminal justice system?

Community notifications are released by law enforcement to warn the public of a high-risk offender re-entering the community. Unfortunately, negative media attention generated from community notifications can impact an individual's ability to successfully reintegrate, leading to increased recidivism. This study examines whether modifications to community notifications can change public perceptions of offenders. Participants were presented with community notifications including jargon or simple language, an explanation of release or no explanation, and various sentence lengths served by the justice-involved individual. Notable results included a higher tolerance for justice-involved individuals when legal jargon was used in the explanation of release. Moreover, justice-involved people were perceived to be more likeable when information on sentence length was not provided. These findings contribute to a greater understanding of factors that affect public perceptions of justice-involved individuals. Addressing these factors could decrease recidivism rates by adequately informing the public of risks without negatively impacting offender reintegration.

Predicting Prison Misconduct: Role of Criminogenic Cognitions of Adult Convicted Prisoners

Prison misconduct is violation of prison rules through which prisoners are governed to regulate their behavior by the prison authorities. The aim of present study was to examine relationship between criminogenic cognitions of prisoners and prison misconduct in the Punjab, Pakistan. Conducting a survey of 363 adult convicted prisoners from the Punjab prisons, data were collected by using structured questionnaires and analyzed in SPSS-26. The study concluded that the relationship between criminogenic cognitions of prisoners and prison misconduct was found strong and positive. On the basis of these findings, criminogenic cognitions—dynamic risk factors of the prisoners may be assessed by the prison authorities at the time of prisoners’ entry into custody which would help them in an appropriate and scientifically based classification. This classification would clearly distinguish the high, medium, and low risk offenders and their probability in engaging in future criminal activities inside the prisons and after their transition into society. Policies based on these conclusions derived from the classification would reduce prison misconduct as well as enhance the chances of institutional adjustment which would provide a conducive environment for prison management to run rehabilitation programs for prisoners. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that prison authorities in Punjab, Pakistan, incorporate assessments of criminogenic cognitions as part of the intake process for convicted prisoners.

Book Review: Sicard Louise A., Exploring High-Risk Offender Treatment and the Role of Music Therapy

Book Review: Sicard Louise A., Exploring High-Risk Offender Treatment and the Role of Music Therapy

Međuposmatračka pouzdanost instrumenta za procenu rizika od recidivizma kod visokorizičnih osuđenih

Recidivism risk assessment in the penal system has significantly advanced, and today assessment instruments are in use that should contribute to more effective treatment of convicts. However, despite the efforts invested in the development and enhancement of the instruments, there are still certain problems in their application, which researchers and practitioners strive to eliminate or minimize. In accordance with the aforementioned, the aim of this paper is to examine the interrater reliability of the Questionnaire for Assessing Risk, Capacity and Needs of convicts in the prison system of the Republic of Serbia. The study was conducted in three penitentiaries (Požarevac, Sremska Mitrovica and Niš) on a sample of 54 convicted persons who were assessed as having a high or extremely high recidivism risk in the reception department and 35 employed professional staff members. The obtained data indicate a moderate agreement (0.637) measured by Cohen's Kappa coefficient, and an absolute agreement among of the evaluators in 88.9% of cases. On the other hand, absolute agreement of the evaluators, when looking at the recidivsm risk score, exists in only 7 cases. It was found that the largest number of items have a moderate agreement, as well as that the static recidivism risk factors were most consistently evaluated. The findings of our research show that the instrument has moderate rater agreement, on a sample of a high recidivism risk offenders, but also that there are certain problems that affect interobserver reliability.

Strong predictors of offender drivers: Drug and alcohol addiction and the inability to dissociate binge alcohol or drug consumption from driving. Revoking their driver’s licence may not be enough

The causes underlying traffic offender behaviour might be the tip of the iceberg that represents a persistent burden on global health and serves to detect other serious social, family, work problems. Better understanding and prevention of recidivism following a First-time driving under the influence conviction and analysis of High Risk offender driver behaviors are needed. This study seeks to identify the factors that predict an offender driver profile, analysing not only drivers’ general use of alcohol and/or drugs, but also their ability to dissociate the use of alcohol and other substances from driving. A total of 315 drivers — 97 offenders (95.9 % men) and 218 non-offenders (47.2 % men) responded to a battery of self-report evaluation questionnaires on: alcohol use habits (measured with the AUDIT); drug use (measured with the DAST-20); the ability of dissociating alcohol and substance use from driving; educational level; self-reported traffic violations, errors and lapses (measured with the DBQ, Driver Behaviour Questionnaire); and sociodemographic questions. The model showed good fit indicators (R2 = 0.74). It also displayed good predictive power: (1). It correctly classified 91 % of participants as offender or non-offender drivers. (2). More specifically, its sensitivity was 88 %, having correctly classified offenders as offenders. And its specificity was 92 %, having correctly classified non-offenders as non-offenders. The findings underscores that not only is alcohol use a key predictor of offending behaviour, but so is drug use. These addictions are a health problem, and their consequences are more serious when the afflicted individual drives a vehicle. This article makes evident that repeat offenders have a lower ability of dissociating alcohol and substance use from driving than do non-offender drivers. Non-offenders are shown to be more capable than offenders of dissociating consumption from driving: offender drivers are unable to dissociate the consumption of more than 5 spirit drinks, or the consumption of cannabis, from driving. More than half of non-offender drivers admitted to driving after having had 1 or 2 beers. Along these same lines, we found that offenders believe they have fewer lapses than non-offenders. This could be due to the optimism bias of bold offender drivers, who overestimate their abilities and underestimate their lapses. We also found that offender drivers have a lower educational level. Revoking the High Risk offender’s driver’s licence may not be enough. Instead, High Risk Offenders should be given the support they need to give up the consumption of alcohol and drugs, at least while driving. This could be achieved if they receive motivational interventions and are referred for detoxification treatment.

“How mentoring impacts on recidivism after prison: Differences between low risk and high risk offenders”

“How mentoring impacts on recidivism after prison: Differences between low risk and high risk offenders”

Philosophical Legal Review on The Implementation of the Rights of the Child for Youth Offender Associated with Terrorism Case in Indonesia

Terrorism has been qualified as a serious crime in Indonesia. The gravity of the crime can be estimated based on the fact that a person accused of such an offence is classified as a high-risk offender. However, complications arise when children and/or youth are suspected of this crime. Indonesia has ratified international human rights instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The question emerges on how the rights can be exercised when youth is suspected to commit such high-degree crime. There are some laws that must be taken into account for further analysis in relation to this issue, especially the Law on Juveniles Justice System and the Terrorism Law. The context of how these laws intersect with the implementation of the Rights of the Child is important to be considered for the best interest of the child, including their comprehensive rehabilitation and reintegration process. The philosophical legal approach used in this research aims to have comprehensive analysis and solution of the complexity associated with the implementation of the rights of the children associated with a terrorism charge, especially when it comes to the legal system. It is also of critical importance to identify possibilities of improvement in the implementation of these rights.

Cultural scripts of risk consciousness: police practices in high-risk offender management programs

ABSTRACT Risk discourse pervades criminal justice institutions. One such example is high-risk offender management programmes. Officers who work in these programmes routinely carry out an array of policing practices to manage high-risk individuals. To reduce risks of recidivism and facilitate social reintegration, these practices range from traditional law enforcement tactics of monitoring and surveilling, to collaborating with agencies and organisations outside of the criminal justice system. Here, the authors utilise the concept of risk consciousness to describe and analyze the cultural logics officers mobilise when perceiving, evaluating, and managing high-risk individuals. Using qualitative interviews conducted with police agents working in Canadian high-risk offender management programmes, this study examines how offender management agents justify and inform their actions. We find officers often invoke a reflexive risk consciousness to interpret and respond to subjects’ riskiness and behaviours. Drawing on different cultural scripts, agents frame subjects as both needing help and as dangerous offenders necessitating further monitoring and law enforcement intervention. In doing so, agents simplify offender management strategies by enforcing accountability while simultaneously neglecting subjects’ subjectivity.

Investigating the effectiveness of forensic case formulation recommendations

ABSTRACT The Offender Personality Disorder Pathway (OPDP) was co-commissioned in 2011 to better manage high-risk offenders likely to have a personality disorder. Within the OPDP, forensic case formulation is used to develop a psychological understanding of each offender’s criminal behaviour, clinical problems, and criminogenic needs. Each formulation concludes with a set of recommendations aimed at addressing the problems and needs identified. However, no research has yet investigated the effectiveness of these recommendations. To address this, the present study used a multiple case-study method to investigate the effectiveness of recommendations generated within 10 OPDP formulations. Two sets of cases were examined: 5 with positive outcomes, and 5 with negative outcomes (known as a ‘two-tailed’ multiple case study). When these two sets of cases were compared, a clear pattern of differences emerged in the relevance, feasibility, utility, and impact of the formulation recommendations made (in favour of cases with positive outcomes). On the basis of these results, a provisional logic model was developed to operationalise the process by which formulation recommendations were hypothesised to have contributed to outcomes in ‘positive’ cases, and where and why this process commonly deteriorated in ‘negative’ cases. Implications of these results and avenues for further study are discussed.

Offender treatment program limitations with those who have complex needs: exploring the role for music therapy

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the perspectives and experiences of treatment facilitators regarding the effectiveness of treatment they delivered for high-risk offenders with complex needs. Within this study, the term complex needs refers to an individual who is managing several issues, such as physical illness, mental health issues and addiction disorders.Design/methodology/approachThere was a total of 18 semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with treatment facilitators from Australia and the UK. This study presents two key themes that emerged from the thematic analysis: “the importance of responsivity and active/creative activities in practice” and “the practitioner’s core concerns: issues with high-risk offenders treatment accessibility”.FindingsThe findings revealed that treatment facilitators considered treatment responsivity as core to treatment for high-risk offenders with complex needs and that active/creative activities were beneficial in achieving this. Additionally, treatment facilitators expressed concerns around the inaccessibility of treatment, including the barriers of talk therapy and the inability for offenders to receive the level of support necessary. Considering these findings, this study offers a discussion on the potential value of music therapy as a component of treatment for such offending populations.Social implicationsThe empirical data yielded from the interviewed treatment facilitators highlight that music therapy can play a role in supporting the beneficial components of treatment programs. Further implications centre on addressing the limitations of treatment that were identified through the interviews.Originality/valueThis study focusses on exploring the role of music therapy with high-risk offenders and who have complex needs when engaging in treatment programs. This paper recognises that the application and use of music therapy with this cohort has been neglected in the academic literature and research until recently.

Evaluation of the Predictive Validity of a Risk-Need-Responsivity Assessment Tool (RNR-A) in the Swedish Prison and Probation Service

To appraise the “real-world” implementation of the risk principle, this study examined the predictive validity of a Risk-Need-Responsivity assessment in the Swedish Prison and Probation Service. Reconviction rates at 24 months follow-up in a cohort of 2,442 offenders were used to assess calibration and discrimination indices. Results indicated acceptable predictive accuracy (AUC = .68–.74), with scope for improvement among young adult offenders. The tool's utility was supported foremost by its ability to screen out low-risk offenders, while over-prediction of recidivism among medium- and high-risk offenders calls for more comprehensive assessment to inform the effective planning of rehabilitative service intensity.