Correlates of Presence and Remission of Post-trauma Stress Disorder in Incarcerated Women: A Case-Control Study Design

Women in prison are vulnerable to post-trauma stress disorder (PTSD). However, little is known about the presence of PTSD in imprisoned women or of the natural course of that disorder. The purpose of this study was to assess the risk factors for PTSD in incarcerated women and document correlations of remission. We conducted a retrospective case-control study in the Female Prison of Hunan Province, China. Participants were screened for PTSD and depression using the Chinese version of the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) 5.0. Of the 2,322 women screened, 220 met the criterion for PTSD on admission. Remission (N = 142) and non-remission PTSD (N = 78) were then separated depending on current PTSD status. History of drug use (OR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.28–0.66, p < 0.001) and violent offense (OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.17–2.09, p < 0.001) were associated with the presence of PTSD. Positive associations with remission were found for longer length of sentence (61–120 vs. 13–60 months) (OR = 4.20, 95% CI: 1.50–11.75, p = 0.006), violent offense (OR = 2.50, 95% CI: 1.12–5.60, p = 0.03), and comorbid depression (OR = 29.69, 95% CI: 3.50–251.78, p = 0.002); while a negative correlate was identified for past depression (OR = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.11–0.53, p < 0.001). Although some incarcerated women with PTSD can spontaneously remit, this study suggested certain criminological and clinical risk factors are associated with the presence of PTSD and others with remission over time. Timely screening and effective intervention should be tailored for individuals with PTSD in prisons.

The Rorschach and Violent Crime

Over the years, a significant number of Rorschach studies have been conducted with forensic adult and adolescent samples, partly motivated by the use of the test in forensic psychological evaluations. Could the Rorschach, as a performance-based personality assessment tool, provide unique information that is not as vulnerable to distortion on the part of the examinee as self-report measures are? This article provides a review of Rorschach studies on relevant Rorschach variables, including those with different forensic samples. Empirical findings are mixed; there is not a one-on-one relationship between certain Rorschach variables and forensically relevant traits, such as psychopathy or hostility. This does not mean the Rorschach cannot provide useful information in answering psychological questions before the court. A case illustration of a male college student, who committed a (first) violent offense, illustrates the unique contribution of the Rorschach for understanding the psychological dynamics behind a violent act that was seemingly out of character.

The Effectiveness of a Coordinated Response Toward Nonfatal Strangulation in Facilitating Evidence-Based Prosecution

Many states’ laws now classify nonfatal strangulation as part of domestic violence as a felony offense, but prosecution of offenders remains challenging due to the nature of this type of violent offense. This study evaluates a coordinated effort designed to improve one county’s response to nonfatal strangulation. The impact of law enforcement training and specialized forensic medical examinations on facilitating evidence-based prosecution of nonfatal strangulation offenders is examined. Preliminary support is found for the effectiveness of the coordinated effort, highlighting the importance of comprehensive law enforcement training and detailed medical evidence in facilitating evidence-based prosecution.

Young People With Borderline Personality Disorder Have an Increased Lifetime Risk of Being the Victim of Interpersonal Violence

This study aimed to examine the lifetime risk of being the victim of criminal or violent offenses among young people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) features (1-9 DSM-IV criteria). Demographic and diagnostic data from 492 outpatients who attended a specialist public mental health service for 15- to 25-year-olds between January 1998 and March 2008 were linked with offending data from a state-wide police database, collected between March 1993 and June 2017, in order to establish victimization history. This included information on criminal offenses perpetrated against these young people and intervention orders implemented to protect them from being victimized by another person’s violent behavior. Logistic regression analyses, adjusted for sex and co-occurring mental state disorders, were conducted on n = 378 who had complete data (76.5% females). As hypothesized, BPD diagnosis and number of BPD criteria were both significantly associated with an increased risk of being the victim of a violent offense and the complainant of a family violence intervention order. Anger and impulsivity independently predicted a higher risk of being the victim of a violent offense, while unstable relationships, impulsivity, and affective instability independently predicted a higher risk of being the complainant of a family violence intervention order. No significant association was found between BPD and the risk of being the victim of a nonviolent offense. These findings indicate that young people with any BPD features (even below the DSM diagnostic threshold) are at increased risk for victimization by interpersonal violence. Moreover, this risk increases according to the number of BPD criteria. This issue needs to be addressed by prevention and early intervention programs (e.g., by working on self-assertion and interpersonal skills, taking into account the possible influence of previous traumatizing relationship experiences).

The Constitutionality of §89a IIa of the German Criminal Code and the Concept of a Serious Violent Offense Endangering the State: The German Federal Court of Justice Decision of April 6, 2017—3 StR 326/16

This Article discusses the constitutionality of the recently implemented § 89a IIa of the German Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch—StGB) on the basis of the case 3 StR 326/16 decided by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) on April 6, 2017. First, this Article introduces § 89a IIa of the StGB with a short summary of the events leading to the present anti-terrorist legislation in Germany and the development of the legislation over the past few decades. Second, the facts of the BGH’s case will be outlined, and an overview of the systematic structure of § 89a I, II No. 1, IIa StGB will be provided. Within this framework, the constitutionality of § 89a IIa StGB will be discussed, focusing on the prerequisite of appropriateness, with special attention paid to the requirement of reasonability and the prerequisite of legal certainty pursuant to Article 103(II) Basic Law (Grundgesetz—GG). Finally, § 89a I, II No. 1, IIa StGB will be applied to the BGH’s case after discussing the contentious legal issues regarding these doctrines. This Article concludes by discussing the BGH’s decision, which deems § 89a IIa StGB to be constitutional.

Support for Balanced Justice and Rehabilitation for Justice-Involved Veterans

Justice-involved veterans face increased behavioral health (e.g., mental health and substance abuse) issues and are more likely to be incarcerated for a violent offense compared to nonveterans. Despite the large number of veterans involved in the justice system, there is a paucity of research examining public opinion of sanctioning approaches for justice-involved veterans. The current study seeks to fill this gap by sampling 575 undergraduate students at a large university in the south to examine support for sanctioning approaches for nonviolent and violent justice–involved veterans. Multinomial logistic regression was conducted to examine whether beliefs regarding the treatment of justice-involved veterans (e.g., whether veterans deserve access to rehabilitation programs, the ability of veterans to be rehabilitated, whether veterans are willing to work toward rehabilitation, and the effectiveness of treatment programs for veterans) relate to support for balanced justice. Findings suggest support for a balanced justice approach to sanctioning violent justice–involved veterans, while support for a rehabilitation-oriented approach to sanctioning nonviolent justice–involved veterans. Policy implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Does Violence in Adolescence Differentially Predict Offending Patterns in Early Adulthood?

Previous research is mixed on whether the commission of a violent offense in adolescence is predictive of criminal career characteristics. In the current study, we addressed the following: (a) What factors predict the commission of serious violence in mid-adolescence? and (b) Does involvement in serious violence in mid-adolescence lead to more chronic and/or more heterogeneous patterns of offending in early adulthood? Data were obtained from the Pathways to Desistance Study, a longitudinal study of serious adolescent offenders in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Phoenix, Arizona. Prior arrests, violence exposure, and gang involvement distinguished adolescents who engaged in violence at baseline. A violent offense at baseline was not predictive of a higher frequency of rearrests but was associated with membership in the low offending trajectory. In conclusion, violent offending in adolescence might be a poor predictor of chronic and heterogeneous patterns of offending throughout the life course.

Is Burglary a Violent Crime? An Empirical Investigation of the Armed Career Criminal Act’s Classification of Burglary as a Violent Felony

Traditionally considered a non-violent property offense, burglary is nonetheless classified as a violent crime under the federal Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA). The ACCA, a three-strikes law that provides a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, is triggered when an offender, who has been previously convicted for a crime classified under the ACCA as either a “violent felony” or “serious drug offense,” is convicted at the federal level for any felony committed while in possession of a firearm. The present study investigated the ACCA’s classification of burglary as violent through analysis of National Crime Victimization Survey data for the period of 2009 to 2014. Results showed that burglary is overwhelmingly a non-violent offense. The national incidence of actual violence or threats of violence during a burglary was 7.9%. At most, 2.7% of burglaries involved actual acts of violence. Legislative reform of the ACCA classification to match the empirical description of burglary is discussed.