Types Of Offenders Research Articles

Pain in Prison: A Risk Factor Analysis of 57 Prisoners' Deaths by Suicide in Illinois, United States.

United States prisons have elevated rates of suicide deaths compared to the general population. Thus, this manuscript aims to identify suicide risk factors, using data collected in Illinois (IL) state prisons between 2013-2021. First, we present comprehensive demographic, psychological, and prison-related descriptive statistics regarding 57 suicide decedents. Next, we compared this subset to IL state population-level prison reports to identify suicide-specific risk factors. Suicide decedents were predominately male, White, serving their first sentence, had a psychiatric diagnosis, and had no work assignment. Lethal attempts frequently occurred during evening off-hours, on Wednesdays, and were preceded by "mental health decompensation" and significant life transitions. Suicide-specific risk factors included identifying as White or Asian, having an offense type of habitual criminal or sex offender, being divorced, and not having children. We close with readily implementable suggestions to reduce suicides in prisons such as increasing off-hours and shift change staffing and social support interventions.

Mobilizing extremism: an examination of the travel patterns of right-wing extremists in the United States

ABSTRACT Extensive criminological research has documented a ‘distance-decay’ effect in criminal activity, with offenders less likely to commit crimes farther from their residences. While recent studies have identified similar patterns in ideologically motivated violence, variation in the travel behaviors of extremists remains underexplored. Using data on right-wing extremists who carried out a violent plot, between 2000 and 2020, alongside information on Capitol insurrectionist arrestees – and drawing on routine activity and rational-choice theories of offender decision-making – this study extends this literature along three dimensions: type, time, and ties. First, we distinguish between different types of offenders, showing that while both violent extremists and insurrectionists exhibit distance-decays, the latter tend to travel farther and exhibit a more irregular decay. Secondly, we identify a meaningful temporal shift in the right-wing extremist landscape, with offenders increasingly traveling longer distances to execute their plots. Finally, we highlight the role of social ties in shaping travel behaviors, where individuals affiliated with extremist groups tend to travel longer distances. These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the spatial behavior of right-wing extremists, the factors influencing their mobility, and the evolving nature of right-wing extremism in the United States.

“You walk on glass if you are in that space”: Risks and harms of corruption in wildlife justice pathways in Uganda

Wildlife crime drives existential harms including biodiversity loss and climate change, disproportionately affecting the Global South. Criminal justice approaches dominate the public response, yet scant evidence exists on how corruption, an economic crime, undermines deterrence and exacerbates inequalities. This primary research study utilises a qualitative approach to examine the risks and harms of corruption within wildlife enforcement and justice in Uganda. Using a red-green criminological perspective and drawing upon semi-structured interviews with experts and practitioners from government and civil society, this paper identifies corruption risks in wildlife criminal justice and explores their related harms and consequences. The study finds wildlife enforcement in Uganda suffers from institutional corruption, including perverse incentives which distort targeting and resource prioritisation, leading to discrimination against low-level offenders. Furthermore, differential access to individualist corruption opportunities along the justice pathway enables wealthy or well-connected suspects to avoid sanctions, resulting in sentencing inequities. Despite resulting in differential outcomes for affluent and subsistence offenders, the study concludes that corruption in wildlife justice neutralises deterrence for both offender types. By creating impunity for elites, organised crime actors are attracted to the trade. Moreover, by amplifying sentencing inequalities, subsistence offenders are further impoverished, increasing re-offending. Corruption in wildlife justice thus drives significant long-term environmental, socioeconomic, and political harms, and erodes the rule of law.

The Varieties of Money Laundering and the Determinants of Offender Choices

Two images dominate discussion of money laundering. Investigative journalists and politicians stress the variety and sophistication of methods that have been used to launder money of corrupt officials and white collar offenders. The research literature, largely dependent on criminal cases, emphasizes how unsophisticated and routine are the laundering methods used by drug dealers and other illegal market participants. The discrepancy may reflect the incapacity of police to detect sophisticated money laundering but it may also represent the reality; different groups of offenders choose different methods. This paper presents a theoretical framework to explain how offenders choose to launder their criminal earnings. Specifically it asks: what determines the sophistication of the method chosen? Among the variables that we suggest influence the choice are: (a) the type of predicate crime and of crime proceeds, (b) the type of offender (age, education, social status), (c) his/her motivations, (d) the AML environment and the level of AML controls. The paper provides arguments from criminological and economic theory for how these variables might play a role. Without claiming that individual cases can test the theory, we offer some case narratives to suggest the plausibility of the factors that we propose.

Analysis of the Flow of Offenders to the Metropolitan Region of Chile

This study, based on data from 2015 to 2019 on the movement of offenders to the Metropolitan Region of Chile, uses Poisson and Negative Binomial models to analyze the flow of offenders from other Chilean regions. It confirms that factors such as gender, educational level, location of crime, and type of crime significantly motivate displacement. The profile of the typical offender is an educated man who commits crimes against property on public roads, coming mainly from neighboring and populated regions. These findings have implications for crime prevention, suggesting that strategies to prevent crime should take this into account. Future research at the commune level is proposed for a more detailed understanding of offender displacement patterns and to inform local crime-prevention strategies.

Demographic, forensic and service involvement characteristics related to adults referred to a community-based learning disability forensic team pre- and post-COVID-19

Purpose To ensure health, social and criminal justice services are suited to the complex and dynamic needs of people with learning/intellectual disabilities (LD) at risk of offending, it is important to systematically analyse the needs and characteristics of this population. This study aimed to analyse the patterns of referrals to a single community forensic LD service before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach A structured audit was conducted on all referrals to the service (n = 37) across a three-year period (May 2019 – end of July 2022). Findings The majority of the overall sample were male (36, 97%) and Caucasian (24, 65%) with a mean age of 32.9 years and mild LD. The most prevalent current offending type was sexual offending (17, 44%), whereas the most prevalent historical offending type was violence (17, 35%). The most common service/function offered by the service was advice and consultation to other professionals and agencies (10, 19%). The service user and forensic/legal characteristics measured did not differ significantly before and during COVID-19. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the project is the first to systematically analyse and compare community forensic LD service referral patterns before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also provides an example of how a structured audit tool can be used to benefit individual services and the wider literature on assessing the needs and characteristics of adults with LD who live in the community and are at risk of [re]offending.

Урахування загальних засад призначення покарання у разі його призначення за вчинення кримінального право-порушення, передбаченого ст. 270 КК України

The article emphasizes the importance of strict adherence to the general sentencing principles for adequately implementing the principle of legality in criminal law. The author emphasizes that, unfortunately, the practice of sentencing for a criminal offense under Article 270, “Violation of fire or industrial safety requirements established by law” of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (hereinafter – the CC of Ukraine) is almost unexplored. The analysis of the practice of sentencing for committing an act under Art. 270 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine is based on the study of more than 50 verdicts publicly available in the Unified Register of Court Decisions. The author notes that there are no cases when a court exceeded the sanction when imposing a sentence for an act under Art. 270 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine indicates that the sanction for this offense formalized by the legislator is appropriate. The author notes the almost complete absence of cases of imposing punishment for an act under Part 1 of Article 270 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which indicates the absolute non-prevalence of this unlawful act in Ukraine. The author determines the list of provisions of the General Part of the Criminal Code of Ukraine which should be considered when sentencing. The author notes the problematic nature of direct consideration of the degree of gravity of the offense committed when imposing punishment, especially in the context of such consideration under Article 12 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The author determines that the analysis of the perpetrator’s personality as an element of the sentencing principle can form an idea of the portrait of a typical offender who commits a particular offense, which may further improve the activities aimed at its prevention. The article analyzes the main characteristics of persons brought to criminal liability for committing an act under Article 270 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The author determines that there is no significant diversity in the mitigating and aggravating circumstances that are considered by the court when imposing a sentence for an act under Article 270 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Keywords: criminal liability, sentencing, general principles, personality of the perpetrator, violation of fire or industrial safety requirements established by law, fire safety, industrial safety, differentiation of criminal liability, individualisation of punishment.

The dark figure of murder and unsolved homicides in the USA

PurposeThis study aims to use a novel data set of 636 murderers sentenced to death in California to investigate homicide offenses that are committed but not prosecuted or officially solved, a concept known as the dark figure of crime.Design/methodology/approachUaing appellate records from the Supreme Court of California, which contain extensive information about the offender’s background, criminal offense history and mental health diagnoses, it was revealed that one-third of the offenders in the sample have additional homicide offenses for which they likely bear responsibility, but were not prosecuted.FindingsMost of these involve one or two additional homicides, though a wide range was observed spanning 0 to 93 additional victims. Those with a dark figure of murder and unsolved homicides had substantially more prior arrests, convictions and prison incarcerations and were higher in psychopathy, sexual sadism, homicidal ideation and gang involvement than offenders without a dark figure. Psychopathy and homicidal ideation were the most robust predictors of both the presence and magnitude of a dark figure of murder and unsolved homicides, whereas sexual sadism was inconsistently associated.Originality/valueA disproportionate amount of the unsolved murders in the USA are likely perpetrated by the most pathological types of offenders, those with extensive antisocial careers and severe externalizing psychopathology.

Traditional social learning predicts cyber deviance? Exploring the offending versatility thesis in social learning theory.

Social learning theory has been widely implemented to understand cyber deviance. Nevertheless, the antecedent scholarship homogenously nested in the perspective of offending specification, leaving the offending versatility thesis unattained. The lack of such studies may undermine the capability of comprehensively understanding the social learning patterns of online offending. Using a sample of 3741 Chinese college students, this study estimated an array of binary logistic regressions to compare the effects of traditional and online social learning in four types of online offending (online sexual harassment, cyberbullying, hacking, and digital piracy). The results suggest that offending versatility and offending specification co-exist in the social learning process of cyber deviance, while offending specification explains a marginally greater variance. Besides, online learning variables act as potential mediators in the relationships between traditional learning and cyber deviance. Furthermore, traditional social learning shows greater predictive power in cyber-enabled crimes than in cyber-dependent crimes. Our study provides fresh empirical evidence for the non-exclusive association between offending versatility and offending specification in the social learning process of cyber deviance.

Patterns of air pollution enforcement in Canada: Environmental priorities versus enforcement outcomes

Ambient air pollution is one of the leading health and environmental concerns worldwide, including in Canada. To reduce air pollution impacts, governments create and enforce various laws and regulations. Few studies have examined the particulars of enforcement and fewer still in Canada. To this end, we ask: How does enforcement vary across jurisdictions, time, or other factors? What types of violations or offenders appear to be prioritized for enforcement action in Canada? We created a dataset of air pollution enforcement actions between 2000 and 2020, using data from 8 provinces and the federal government. Through this process, we identified gaps in data sharing and transparency for air-pollution-related enforcement in Canada related to ease-of-access and standardization. Based on these available data, which has acknowledged limitations, we find that regulators appear to employ a cooperative and nonresponsive approach to enforcement, as demonstrated by low fines, a lack of escalating enforcement actions for repeat offenders, frequent use of low-level penalties, and infrequent prosecutions leading to few court convictions. Environmental priorities and enforcement outcomes appear to be misaligned, with few and low penalties for large emitters and repeat offenders. We offer recommendations to better align enforcement strategies with stated environmental policy goals, including focusing enforcement on high-risk offenses, improving data sharing, and strengthening federal environmental laws and agencies.

How Do Offender Ideology and Offense Severity Impact Punitive Attitudes Toward Politically Motivated Offenders in the U.S.?

How do punitive attitudes toward politically motivated offenders in the United States vary by the offender’s ideology? To address this, we conducted a survey experiment with U.S. adults (N = 1,100) in March 2023. Participants were randomly assigned to either the January 6th or Portland 2020 condition and indicated their punitive attitudes for three politically motivated offenses. Across ideologies, punitiveness toward politically motivated offenders increased with offense severity. Although some correlates of punitiveness toward typical offenders held for politically motivated offenders, most did not. Further, relationships varied as a function of offense type and offender ideology.

Differences Between Girls and Boys in the Disclosure of Sexual Violence.

This article addresses the differences between girls and boys in the disclosure of sexual violence. The dataset combines data from the Finnish Child Victim Survey (FCVS) of 2008 (N = 13,459) and 2013 (N = 11,364), focusing on victims of sexual violence, ages 11 to 17 years, from the perspectives of disclosure and gender. Frequency and percentage analysis, cross tabulation, and a Chi-square test were used in the analysis. In the FCVS for both years, around 85% of the victims were girls. In almost two-thirds of the cases, the offender was a relative, friend, or some other known person, while in more than one-third of the cases, the offender was unknown to the victim. The second most common case was that the victim knew the offender, who was not, however, a friend. Sexual violence was found to be, in many ways, gendered. Most of the victims were girls, and most of the offenders were men. There was also a gender difference in the disclosure of experiences. Twenty-one percent of the girls and 45% of the boys reported that they had not told anyone about their experiences. Irrespective of the type of offender, the victims most often (63%) told a peer about their experiences, while 23% told parents, and only 10% told authorities. Moreover, victims reported shame and fear, distrust toward adults, and disbelief that disclosure would be helpful as reasons for not disclosing their experiences. To address this problem, raising awareness of the phenomenon, promoting an atmosphere that supports disclosing experiences of sexual violence, and improving readiness to address them are required.

Investigating predictors of juvenile traditional and/or cyber offense using machine learning by constructing a decision support system

The present study aims to examine whether criminogenic risk factors can be applied to explain different types of juvenile offenses involving traditional and/or cyber offenses, and explore their common and unique patterns presented among juvenile offenders. To achieve the goals, this study employs machine learning (ML) techniques to construct a decision support system that predicts different types of juvenile offenses (i.e., non-offense, hacking only, traditional offense only, and both offenses) by risk factors rooted in a variety of criminological theories. This study is based on the data from the Second International Self-Report of Delinquency Study. The results demonstrate the generalizability of mainstream criminological theories to juvenile hacking and dual offenses involving both traditional offense and hacking. ML predictive models can successfully distinguish between different types of juvenile offenders and identify the most influential risk factors (e.g., gender, digital piracy, substance use, victimization, and parental supervision). The relative importance of risk factors provides valuable information to decision-makers and stakeholders in the juvenile justice system for developing more effective risk assessments and early intervention programs targeting different types of juvenile offenders.

Femicide in Northern Ireland during the COVID‐19 lockdown: A model for differentiating male offender characteristics

AbstractFemicide, the lethal form of gender‐based violence against women, is a global health crisis that transcends class and ethnicity. To date, there is no working model for differentiating male femicide offenders within Northern Ireland (NI); therefore, the current study aimed to do this, focusing on the timeframe of the COVID‐19 lockdown in 2020. The research has drawn on newspaper articles reporting on the 11 NI femicides perpetrated over a period of 20 months. These crimes were content analysed for the presence or absence of 16 pre‐identified offender variables. The data was analysed using a multi‐dimensional scaling procedure called Smallest Space Analysis (SSA). Two distinct themes emerged: Chronic Criminal Abuser and Mentally Disturbed. The qualitative data obtained on offender characteristics aligned with the preliminary model for differentiation. Forensic implications pertinent to risk assessment and management are considered. It is argued that NI adopt an active violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy to effectively tackle the issue of Femicide. Future research may consider a retrospective study of NI Femicide offenders to firmly establish the types of offenders committing femicide for targeted resource allocation.

91 Intraindividual Variability and Executive Functioning Differences in Pedophilic and Non-Pedophilic Child Molesters and Non-Sexual Offenders

Objective:Research has found that child molesters (both pedophilic and non-pedophilic) tend to have poorer executive functioning (EF), particularly inhibition, as compared to other types of criminal offenders (Eastvold, Suchy, Strassberg, & 2011; Suchy, Whittaker, Strassberg, & Eastvold, 2009). Poorer performance on measures of inhibition may have different mechanisms for pedophilic child molesters (PCM; i.e., those offenders who are sexually attracted only to children) than non-pedophilic child molesters (N-PCM; i.e., those offenders whose sexual attraction is not limited to children). Specifically, poor inhibition in PCM may be explained by slower processing speed (Suchy, et al., 2009; Suchy, Eastvold, Strassberg, & Franchow, 2014), whereas it may be explained by impulsive errors in N-PCM (Eastvold, Suchy, & Strassberg, 2011). Intraindividual variability (IIV) refers to transient, short-term fluctuations in performance (Nesselroade, 1991). IIV is sometimes interpreted as a measure of cognitive control, an aspect of EF that could impact performance speed and accuracy due to poorer focus.Greater IIV also appreas to be associated with greater vulnerability to EF depletion after behavioral inhibition (DesRuisseaux, Suchy, & Franchow, 2021), which could represent a mechanism whereby vulnerability to EF depletion could be a precursor of offense. However, given that poor performance on measures of inhibition seem to have different underlying mechanisms for PCM and N-PCM, it is unclear whether both groups would exhibit greater IIV compared to non-sexual offenders.Participants and Methods:Participants were PCM (n = 76, M age = 33.61(7.74), Range = 1947; 92.1% White, 2.6% Hispanic/Latino, 2.6% Native American, 1.3% Black, 1.3% Other), N-PCM (n = 52, M age = 30-88(6.37), Range = 2045; 73.1% White, 13.5% Hispanic/Latino, 7.7% Other, 3.8% Native American, 1.9% Black), and non-sexual offenders (n = 25, M age = 29.96(8.16), Range = 22-45; 80% White, 8% Hispanic/Latino, 8% Other, 8% Asian) recruited as part of two larger studies examining cognition in sex offenders. IIV was assessed using the Push-Turn-Tap-Tap (PTT) task, an experimental computerized measure of EF from which IIV can be calculated (DesRuisseaux et al., 2021).Results:Independent samples t-tests found that both PCM and N-PCM had greater IIV than nonsexual offenders (t(99) = 2.13, p = .04; t(75) = 2.23, p = .03, respectively). Even on their fastest responses, PCM had greater time elapsed between correct sequences (i.e., slower response style; t(126) = 2.23, p = .03) than N-PCM. There were no significant differences in error rates between any groups (p > .05).Conclusions:These results suggest that IIV varies between sexual and non-sexual offenders but does not vary between PCM and N-PCM. This is consistent with prior research suggesting that both PCM and N-PCM have poorer EF than non-sexual offenders. Additionally, consistent with prior research, PCM had a slower response style than N-PCM and non-sexual offenders. Unlike prior research that has found significant differences in accuracy rates between PCM and N-PCM, the present results did not find a significant difference. Since IIV has been associated with increased likelihood of EF depletion (likely increasing risk of lapses), future research could examine whether CM with greater IIV have an increased likelihood of reoffending.

An alternative intervention for juvenile hackers? A qualitative evaluation of the Hack_Right intervention

ABSTRACT While traditional crime rates are decreasing, cybercrime is on the rise. As a result, the criminal justice system is increasingly dealing with criminals committing cyber-dependent crimes. However, to date there are no effective interventions to prevent recidivism in this type of offenders. Dutch authorities have developed an intervention program, called Hack_Right. Hack_Right is an alternative criminal justice program for young first-offenders of cyber-dependent crimes. In order to prevent recidivism, this program places participants in organizations where they are taught about ethical hacking, complete (technical) assignments and reflect on their offense. In this study, we have evaluated the Hack_Right program and the pilot interventions carried out thus far. By examining the program theory (program evaluation) and implementation of the intervention (process evaluation), the study adds to the scarce literature about cybercrime interventions. During the study, two qualitative research methods have been applied: 1) document analysis and 2) interviews with intervention developers, imposers, implementers and participants. In addition to the observation that the scientific basis for linking specific criminogenic factors to cybercriminals is still fragile, the article concludes that the theoretical base and program integrity of Hack_Right need to be further developed in order to adhere to principles of effective interventions.

Differentiating Between Sexual Offending and Violent Non-sexual Offending in Men With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Using Machine Learning.

Forensic psychiatric populations commonly contain a subset of persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) who have committed sex offenses. A comprehensive delineation of the features that distinguish persons with SSD who have committed sex offenses from persons with SSD who have committed violent non-sex offenses could be relevant to the development of differentiated risk assessment, risk management and treatment approaches. This analysis included the patient records of 296 men with SSD convicted of at least one sex and/or violent offense who were admitted to the Centre for Inpatient Forensic Therapy at the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich between 1982 and 2016. Using supervised machine learning, data on 461 variables retrospectively collected from the records were compared with respect to their relative importance in differentiating between men who had committed sex offenses and men who had committed violent non-sex offenses. The final machine learning model was able to differentiate between the two types of offenders with a balanced accuracy of 71.5% (95% CI = [60.7, 82.1]) and an AUC of .80 (95% CI = [.67, .93]). The main distinguishing features included sexual behaviours and interests, psychopathological symptoms and characteristics of the index offense. Results suggest that when assessing and treating persons with SSD who have committed sex offenses, it appears to be relevant to not only address the core symptoms of the disorder, but to also take into account general risk factors for sexual recidivism, such as atypical sexual interests and sexual preoccupation.

Countering Terror: Terrorism Laws, Domestic Violence & the Australian Context

Domestic violence is an insidious choice to use fear, force, control, or coercion. It suppresses the capacity and capabilities of its survivors and 2in violent murder and painful death. Yet despite an emerging discourse that describes domestic violence as a form of “domestic”, “intimate” or “everyday” terrorism, there is a distinct lack of scholarly research on the intersection of laws that apply to both types of offending. Further, there is a lack of understanding about the fundamental typologies of counterterror regulation which could be applied to domestically violent offending. This paper seeks to tackle this gap and provoke discussion in the literature by taking a hypothetical approach to treat domestically violent offenders as security risks in the same way as violent extremists and those with connections to foreign terror organisations.

Gambling behavior and criminal convictions: a register-based investigation

Background Gambling severity and criminal convictions are known to be correlated, but there is a lack of understanding of the associations between the type and frequency of offending, game types, gambling motives and gambling intensity. This study aims to fill this gap by examining systematically whether conviction prevalence varies with gambling behavior. Method The study combined register-based variables on criminal convictions from the past 45 years to a gambling-related population survey (n = 3993). Descriptive data are provided on the prevalence of criminal convictions among different past-year gambling behavior subgroups. Logistic regression models were built to explore the associations between having convictions on one’s record and gambling behavior traits more in depth. Results The results of this study indicate that the prevalence of having criminal convictions not only varies among different demographic groups and well-being correlates, but also among different groups of past-year gamblers based on played game types, gambling versatility, gambling severity and gambling motives. Having a history of convictions was predicted by male gender, older age group, receiving basic social allowance, at-risk gambling and risky alcohol use. Escape as a gambling motive and playing EGMs proved to be significant predictors of having multiple criminal convictions. Conclusions Gamblers differ in conviction prevalence as a function of gambling game types, versatility and gambling motives. These findings contribute to better understanding the dialectic interplay between gambling and criminal behavior and may inform the development of targeted interventions.

The Contextual Generality of Crime: Workplace and Street Crime

Objectives: We examine whether individuals engage in crime across a variety of different settings (contextual generality). Specifically, we assess whether individuals who engage in workplace crime will engage in street crime and whether certain individuals have a greater tendency to engage in workplace crime relative to street crime. We are guided by trait-based theories, learning theories, and strain theories to guide our expectations related to the contextual generality of criminal behavior. Methods: We analyze data from the National Youth Survey and conduct multinomial logistic regressions, item response theory, and ordinary least squares regressions. We supplement this with the Youth Development Survey and the Pathways to Desistance Study. Results: There is a small overlap between workplace crime and street crime. Participation in each context is related to context-specific perceived coworker/peer disapproval and deviant workplace definitions. There is a tendency for some respondents to specialize in workplace crime relative to street crime. Conclusions: Contextual generality in criminal behavior is a fruitful avenue to study theoretical debates between theories of population heterogeneity and theories that allow for specific types of offending. More studies are needed to extend this line of inquiry.