Perceptions of procedural justice and police legitimacy: A life history perspective

<p>Prior research on attitudes towards the police has largely focused on the relationship between demographic factors and perceptions of the police. These studies have produced inconclusive results, and there is no general consensus why and how demographic factors account for individual differences in attitudes towards the police. Life history theory, a “middle-level” evolutionary theory, is one that has largely been neglected in mainstream criminology, but has been used in the current research to explain individual differences in attitudes towards the police. Two studies, both using an online survey, were conducted to explore the extent to which life history strategy explained individual attitudes towards procedural justice, police legitimacy and police socialization after controlling for demographic factors, previous police interaction and prior arrest. Study one, a university sample of 305 participants and study two, a general population sample of 75 Wellington residents both found support for the application of life history theory being used to explain individual differences in attitudes towards the police. Overall, the current research showed that those with a slower life history strategy were more likely hold more positive perceptions of police legitimacy, procedural justice and police socialization regardless of demographic factors, previous police interaction, and prior arrest.</p>

Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotic Use in Patients with Schizophrenia and Criminal Justice System Encounters

Background: Nonadherence to medication is prevalent in persons diagnosed with schizophrenia, thus increasing the likelihood of relapse, poor health outcomes, hospitalization, high treatment costs, and high rates of both violent and non-violent offenses. Objective: To assess the association between long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic use and criminal justice system encounters in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Methods: This retrospective follow-up study was conducted among patients aged ≥18 years treated for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder at a community mental health center in Akron, Ohio, between January 1, 2010, and June 15, 2016. The incidence of criminal justice system encounters at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years pre- versus post-LAI antipsychotic initiation was assessed. A subanalysis was conducted for individuals with a history of prior arrest. Results: Overall, the risk ratio (RR) of having an encounter with the criminal justice system was significantly lower for patients treated with LAI antipsychotics 1 year after initiation of treatment compared with a similar time period prior to initiation (RR [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 0.74 [0.59–0.93]; P<0.01) and 2 years (0.74 [0.62–0.88]; P<0.0001). Statistically significant reductions in criminal justice system encounters after treatment than before treatment were observed in the once-monthly paliperidone palmitate (PP1M) cohort. The incidence of arrests was lower in the 6-month (27 vs 85 arrests), 1-year (46 vs 132 arrests) and 2-year (88 vs 196 arrests) periods post-index LAI medication than in the corresponding periods pre-index LAI medication among individuals with a history of prior arrest. Conclusions: Patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who were initiated on a LAI antipsychotic medication, specifically PP1M, were less likely to have an encounter with the criminal justice system compared with a similar time period before the initiation of LAI treatment.

Assessing the Interactions between Strengths and Risk Factors of Recidivism through the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY)

Instruments that assess recidivism risk in young people are used widely in the sphere of juvenile justice worldwide. Traditionally, research has focused on the study of risk factors presented by young offenders, and how these relate to criminal recidivism. In present-day research, protective factors have also come into their own, having proven to encourage non-recidivism in young offenders. This paper presents a study carried out with 594 young offenders. The instrument used for assessing risk of recidivism in young offenders was the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY). In the results found here, one can observe how the young offenders who did not reoffend presented a greater level of protective factors than the repeating offenders. The youths with a prior arrest record scored higher in the risk domains than the reoffenders without a prior arrest record. The case of young repeat offenders who already had an arrest record represents a high-risk profile, or a profile of a criminal career. Crimes committed by young people can be isolated incidents in their life. In most youths, criminal behavior does not persist beyond legal age. Protective factors prove to be important in juvenile justice when planning an individualized intervention for the young offender.

Offending Histories and Typologies of Suspected Sexual Offenders Identified Via Untested Sexual Assault Kits

In this study, we present findings that detail the criminal offending histories and typologies of suspected sexual offenders identified from an initiative to follow up on the testing of thousands of previously untested sexual assault kits (SAKs). This study advances our understanding of sexual offenders by incorporating data from criminal justice system records (“detected” criminal offending) with data from newly tested SAKs that were not previously adjudicated (“undetected” sexual offending). Our findings demonstrate that these offenders have extensive criminal histories, very frequently continued to offend after the SAK-associated sexual assault, and, more often than not, have criminal histories that do not include a prior arrest(s) for rape. A latent class analysis identified three classes of offenders based on their offending history, “High-Volume Generalists,” “Low-Volume Offenders,” and “Sexual Specialists.” Most were generalists, with a large proportion committing lots of serious crimes.

The recidivism of homicide offenders in Western Australia

Popular perceptions about the recidivism of homicide offenders are contradictory, varying from one extreme – that such offenders rarely commit further violent offences – to the opposite, where it is thought that they remain at a high risk of serious reoffending. The present study draws on the records of 1088 persons arrested in Western Australia over the period 1984–2005 for domestic murders and other types of homicides (robbery and sexual murder), including attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, manslaughter (unintentional homicide) and driving causing death. Our database provides up to 22 years follow-up time (for those arrested in 1984) and accounts critically for the first and any subsequent arrests, if they occur. Of the 1088 persons, only 3 were subsequently arrested and charged with a homicide offence event in the follow-up period. Among those arrested for a murder and subsequently released, we estimate a probability of 0.66 (accounting for censoring) of being rearrested for another offence of any type. The corresponding probabilities for those originally arrested for manslaughter or for driving causing death were equal, at 0.43. A dynamic analysis of the longitudinal data by survival analysis techniques is used to reliably estimate these probabilities. Having a prior record increased the risk of re-arrest; for example male non-Aboriginals arrested for murder with at least one prior arrest have an estimated probability of 0.72 of being rearrested for another offence of any type. Their estimated probability of being rearrested for another serious offence was 0.33. These findings should be of interest to courts and correctional agencies in assessing risk at various stages of the administration of criminal justice.

Reshaping the Study of Recidivism: Exploring Variations in the Timing of Recidivism Following Release From Prison

While hazard analyses allow researchers to identify distributional changes over time, this powerful benefit is often underutilized. This article incorporates the shape parameter—in addition to level—into lognormal hazard models to examine recidivism patterns for individuals returning home from prison. Using a sample of adults released in 1994 from 15 state prison facilities, the results indicate that factors influencing the shape are both individual-level (race, age, prior arrest history) and jurisdiction-driven (prison admission type and state). While targeting the highest “risk” individuals is a well-established best practice, the present study suggests that reentry planners may benefit from focusing on groups undergoing change in the postrelease period in addition to those experiencing the highest hazard levels on average. Future research would benefit from incorporating the shape parameter into recidivism studies and including additional factors in shape analyses, such as social indicators, to further contextualize the reentry–recidivism relationship.

An Epidemiological Study of Burglary Offenders: Trends and Predictors of Self-Reported Arrests for Burglary in the United States, 2002-2013

Burglary is serious property crime with a relatively high incidence and has been shown to be variously associated with other forms of criminal behavior. Unfortunately, an epidemiological understanding of burglary and its correlates is largely missing from the literature. Using public-use data collected between 2002 and 2013 as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the current study compared those who self-reported burglary arrest in the prior 12 months with and without criminal history. The unadjusted prevalence estimates of self-reported burglary arrest were statistically different for those with a prior arrest history (4.7%) compared with those without an arrest history (0.02%) which is a 235-fold difference. Those with an arrest history were more likely to report lower educational attainment, to have lower income, to have moved more than 3 times in the past 5 years, and to use alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and engage in binge drinking. Moreover, those with prior arrest histories were younger and more likely to be male. There is considerable heterogeneity among burglars with criminal history indicating substantially greater behavioral risk.

Immunity from Jurisdiction

This chapter examines Article 31.1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations which deals with a diplomatic agent’s immunity from criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State. In addition, the agent shall enjoy immunity from its civil and administrative jurisdiction, except in the case of (a) a real action relating to private immovable property; (b) an action relating to succession in which the diplomatic agent is involved as executor, administrator, heir or legatee as a private person and not on behalf of the sending State; and (c) an action relating to any professional or commercial activity outside his official functions. As inviolability was becoming recognised, it would have been unusual for criminal proceedings to take place without prior arrest and detention of the accused. Immunity from civil and administrative jurisdiction, which is less obviously coercive in character, was the next to become established of the basic rules of diplomatic law.

Risk Factors in Arrest of Rural and Urban Female Victims of Intimate Partner Violence

This study used a sample of women who obtained protective orders (N = 709) from urban and rural communities and identified risk factors in arrest for victims of intimate partner violence 12 months after the protective order was obtained. Lower social support, higher loneliness, living in a rural community, substance abuse/dependency, a history of prior arrest, engaging in illegal behavior, and younger age were all identified as significant predictors of arrest at follow-up. The findings highlight the need for support and resources in vulnerable populations to reduce the risk of offending and recidivism. Implications for reentry programs and services for victimized women at risk are discussed.