Showing papers by "Francis T. Cullen published in 2007"

The Effectiveness of Correctional Rehabilitation: A Review of Systematic Reviews

Abstract: The effects of correctional interventions on recidivism have important public safety implications when offenders are released from probation or prison. Hundreds of studies have been conducted on those effects, some investigating punitive approaches and some investigating rehabilitation treatments. Systematic reviews (meta-analyses) of those studies, while varying greatly in coverage and technique, display remarkable consistency in their overall findings. Supervision and sanctions, at best, show modest mean reductions in recidivism and, in some instances, have the opposite effect and increase reoffense rates. The mean recidivism effects found in studies of rehabilitation treatment, by comparison, are consistently positive and relatively large. There is, however, considerable variability in those effects associated with the type of treatment, how well it is implemented, and the nature of the offenders to whom it is applied. The specific sources of that variability have not been well explored, but some princ...

Gender differences in the predictors of juvenile delinquency: assessing the generality-specificity debate

Abstract: At the heart of the gender-specificity debate is the argument that gender-neutral theories cannot adequately explain female delinquency. Instead, it has been asserted that theories should incorpora...

The Racial Divide in Support for the Death Penalty: Does White Racism Matter?

Abstract: Using data from the 2000 National Election Study, this research investigates the sources of the racial divide in support for capital punishment with a specific focus on white racism. After delineating a measure of white racism, we explore whether it can account for why a majority of African Americans oppose the death penalty while most whites support it. The results indicate that one-third of the racial divide in support for the death penalty can be attributed to the influence of our measure of white racism. The analyses also revealed that when other factors are controlled, support for capital punishment among nonracist whites is similar to that of African Americans. We examine the implications of these findings for using public opinion to justify the death penalty.

Reassessing the Racial Divide in Support for Capital Punishment The Continuing Significance of Race

Abstract: This project investigates the racial divide in support for capital punishment. The authors examine whether race has a direct effect on support for capital punishment and test whether the influence of race varies across class, being a native southerner, confidence in government officials, political orientation, and religious affiliation. Using data drawn from the General Social Survey, they find a substantial racial divide, with African Americans much less likely to support the death penalty. Furthermore, the analysis revealed little support for the “spurious/social convergence” hypothesis; shared factors that might be expected to bring African Americans and Whites together—class, confidence in government, conservative politics, regional location, and religious fundamentalism—either did not narrow African American-White punishment attitudes or, at best, had only modest effects. The Results suggest that the racial divide in support for capital punishment is likely to remain a point of symbolic contention in...

"A Liberal Is Someone Who Has Not Been Mugged": Criminal Victimization and Political Beliefs

Abstract: An often‐repeated claim by conservative commentators attributes continuing liberal beliefs to the fact that progressives “have not been mugged.” This claim thus portrays leftist views on public policy, including crime, as utopian, if not disingenuous—as held by people who have not had to face harsh realities. Using national‐level data from the General Social Survey that span two decades, we test this “mugging thesis.” Controlling for an array of predictors of public opinion, we find no discernible relationship between being a crime victim and having a conservative worldview, support for conservative social policies, or punitiveness toward crime as measured by support for the death penalty and for harsher courts. These results question the validity of the “mugging thesis” and, more generally, of attempts to use slogans to undermine progressive political agendas.

Public Support for Early Intervention: Is Child Saving a “Habit of the Heart”?

Abstract: Despite portrayals of Americans as exceptionally punitive and as favoring “get tough” solutions to offending, a wealth of survey research shows that the public also supports a social welfare, rehabilitative approach to crime control. Opinion polls reveal that citizens are particularly supportive of efforts to intervene with at-risk children and youths—so much so that belief in child saving can be considered an American “habit of the heart.” It is clear that public opinion is not a barrier to early intervention programs. In fact, such public support, combined with increasing evidence of the behavioral and cost effectiveness of treatment programs, might soon coalesce to create a “tipping point” in which early intervention becomes a viable policy agenda on the national level.

Examining the Cumulative Effects of Protective Factors: Resiliency Among a National Sample of High-Risk Youths

Abstract: Research has consistently suggested that individuals from high-risk environments who experience multiple risk factors are most susceptible to becoming delinquent. A substantial portion of these individuals, however, are resilient to the pressures within high-risk environments and thus do not become delinquent. While past research has identified protective factors that are independently correlated with resiliency, relatively few studies have investigated the cumulative effects that protective factors possess in promoting resiliency. Using a sample of 711 individuals from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, Child-Mother data set, this study investigates the cumulative effects of protective factors in fostering resiliency. The findings suggest that the accumulation of protection is positively correlated with resiliency over and above the effects of risk. The theoretical and policy implications of these findings are discussed.

The Correctional Orientation of “Child Savers”: Support for Rehabilitation and Custody Among Juvenile Correctional Workers

Abstract: Several studies have explored levels and sources of support for rehabilitation and custody among correctional workers. However, the vast majority of this type of research has been conducted in adult facilities, and there are few existing studies that use samples of juvenile correctional workers. To help address this gap in the literature, we use a secondary dataset to examine the levels and sources of correctional orientations among a sample of juvenile correctional workers in Ohio. The results revealed that, like adult correctional workers and the general public, these juvenile correctional workers supported bothrehabilitation and custody. An examination of the possible sources of the two orientations indicated that there was a large degree of consensus regarding rehabilitation, while support for custody varied primarily by individual characteristics.

The making of criminology revisited An oral history of Merton's anomie paradigm

Abstract: We use a 1987 interview with Robert K. Merton to contribute a chapter to the evolving paradigm of ‘Social Structure and Anomie’ (SS&A). This oral history reveals how Merton's early life experiences...

Assessing the efficacy of the protective action-completion nexus for sexual victimizations

Abstract: Research has shown that protective actions are often used by rape victims, and some actions, namely, forceful physical resistance, are more effective in preventing a completed rape than other types of actions, such as nonforceful verbal resistance. The research is less clear, however, on the extent to which women who are victims of nonrape sexual victimization use protective measures and on the effectiveness of these actions. There is also uncertainty on the nature of the relationship between different types of protective actions, contextual characteristics, and the likelihood of completion of nonrape sexual victimization incidents. To investigate these issues, we used data from a national-level study of 4,446 female college students. Our results indicate that the use of protective action varied across type of sexual victimization and that the effectiveness of these actions on reducing the risk of a completed act is differentially related to type of sexual victimization. The findings suggest the need for sexual victimization prevention and education programs to include information regarding the efficacy of protective actions in both rape and nonrape incidents. Language: en

Doing God's Work behind Bars: Chaplains' Reactions to Employment in Prison.

Abstract: Although the importance of religion to the philosophy, experience, and practice of imprisonment is widely recognized, little scholarly attention has been given to prison chaplains. The current study addresses this oversight by exploring how a national sample of chaplains experiences their work. Despite persistent cultural and legal doubts about the appropriate role of religion in American prisons and shifting occupational expectations, chaplains are remarkably happy employees who appear to cope well with the demands of their work. Like other prison employees, chaplains' reactions to work were related to job characteristics, most notably role conflict and job dangerousness.

Public Support for Faith-Based Correctional Programs: Should Sacred Places Serve Civic Purposes?

Abstract: In light of President Bush's enthusiastic support and numerous initiatives, there is a growing call to fund “faith-based” social service programs, including those focused on juvenile and adult offenders. These programs are controversial because they seek to reconfigure the line separating church and state. Based on a national 2001 survey of 327 respondents, we assessed public support for this policy initiative. The major findings were: (1) the respondents were divided evenly on whether the government should fund faith-based correctional programs; (2) a clear majority opposed having a religious content to the programs; (3) most opposed discrimination on religious grounds in the hiring of program staff; (4) a clear majority favored funding all religious groups as opposed to only “Christian churches”; and (5) the respondents did not view faith-based programs as more, or less, effective than traditional correctional rehabilitation programs. The study also explored the policy implications of these fin...