Showing papers in "International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology in 2015"
TL;DR: A meta-analytic review of the violent recidivism literature focuses on the role of several demographic risk factors, showing that age, sex, and race (Whites) were significantly related to violentRecidivism.
Abstract: Recidivism of released prisoners, especially violent recidivism, is an important policy issue. Equally important is an understanding of how demographic risk factors may act as moderators of recidivism. Knowledge of such relationships is important in developing a deeper theoretical understanding of the risk of recidivism as well as identifying points of intervention that may need to be re-oriented to reduce recidivism. The present study conducts a meta-analytic review of the violent recidivism literature focusing on the role of several demographic risk factors. Findings show that age, sex, and race (Whites) were significantly related to violent recidivism. Implications and directions for future research are identified.
88 citations
TL;DR: Multilevel analyses showed that prisoners perceived their treatment in prison as more procedurally just in units where there are more female officers, where officers held more positive attitudes toward rehabilitation, and where there is a higher officer-to-inmate ratio.
Abstract: A humane and fair treatment of prisoners is of intrinsic value in itself, and is generally acclaimed to reduce prisoners' psychological distress and misconduct in prison, and their criminal behavior after release from prison. To create a more just prison climate, scholars have emphasized the importance of correctional staff. However, there is a lack of empirical research on the relationship between correctional officers' characteristics and prisoners' perceptions of a just treatment in prison. Our study fills this gap in knowledge. Data were used from (a) the Prison Project, a large-scale study in which prisoners held in all Dutch remand centers were surveyed (n = 1,610) and (b) the Dutch Correctional Staff Survey 2011 (n = 690). Multilevel analyses showed that prisoners perceived their treatment in prison as more procedurally just in units where there are more female officers, where officers held more positive attitudes toward rehabilitation, and where there is a higher officer-to-inmate ratio.
56 citations
TL;DR: Results of growth-mixture modeling indicated that 89.5% of the sample exhibited stable group differences in self-control, which provides support for the stability thesis in the new version of self- control theory.
Abstract: In 2004, Hirschi redefined self-control by using the framework of his social control theory while retaining assumptions of his original self-control theory. A few studies have provided supportive evidence for the relationship between the newly defined self-control and deviant behavior, whereas no study has tested stability hypothesis by using this new self-control. This is the first study that examines whether the stability hypothesis is still valid in the revised self-control theory. A recent longitudinal national sample of South Korean youths has been used for this purpose. Correlation analysis revealed moderate relationships among self-control measures for 5 years. Self-control differences across genders and across offenders/nonoffenders were significant and consistent. Finally, the results of growth-mixture modeling indicated that 89.5% of the sample exhibited stable group differences in self-control. These findings provide support for the stability thesis in the new version of self-control theory. The implications of these findings are discussed.
48 citations
TL;DR: The life-history narratives of 25 successful ex-offenders professing Christianity as the source of their desistance suggest there are diverse phenomenologies of desistance and that by more narrowly tailoring research to explore subjectivities in the desistance process, important discrepancies in perceptions of agency and structure are revealed.
Abstract: This article examines the life-history narratives of 25 successful ex-offenders professing Christianity as the source of their desistance. Unstructured in-depth life-history interviews from adult male desisters affirm use of a "feared self" and "cognitive shifts" regarding perceptions of illegal behavior. "Condemnation scripts" and "redemption narratives," however, differ radically from those uncovered in previous research. Stories of behavior change and identity transformation achieved through private religious practice and energetic church membership dominate the narratives. Findings suggest there are diverse phenomenologies of desistance and that by more narrowly tailoring research to explore subjectivities in the desistance process, important discrepancies in perceptions of agency and structure are revealed. Three prominent desistance paradigms--Making Good, Cognitive Transformation, and Identity Theory--are used to examine the narratives.
47 citations
TL;DR: It is confirmed that first-time sexual offenders are significantly less likely to sexually reoffend than those with previous sexual convictions and challenged the traditional assumption of a clear linear function between age and recidivism.
Abstract: The present study examines recidivism rates in sexual offenders using officially registered reconvictions in a representative data set of N = 1,115 male sexual offenders from Austria. In general, results indicate that most sexual offenders do not reoffend sexually after release from prison. More detailed, within the first 5 years after release, the sexual recidivism rate was 6% for the total sample, 4% for the rapist subgroup, and 8% for the child molester subgroup. The findings confirmed previous studies about sex offender recidivism which have shown that first-time sexual offenders are significantly less likely to sexually reoffend than those with previous sexual convictions. With regard to the relationship between age and sexual recidivism, the results challenged the traditional assumption of a clear linear function between age and recidivism. Taken together, compared with previous studies, the recidivism rates found in the present investigation are substantially lower than previous research has indicated.
41 citations
TL;DR: The only onset offense type that was significantly associated with all criminal career outcomes was juvenile drug use, and additional research on the offense type of delinquent onset is needed to understand launching points of serious antisocial careers.
Abstract: Although substance abuse often accompanies delinquency and other forms of antisocial behavior, there is less scholarly agreement about the timing of substance use vis-a-vis an individual's antisocial trajectory. Similarly, although there is extraordinary evidence that onset is inversely related to the severity of the criminal career, there is surprisingly little research on the offense type of onset or the type of antisocial behavior that was displayed when an individual initiated his or her offending career. Drawing on data from a sample of serious adult criminal offenders (N = 500), the current study examined 12 forms of juvenile delinquency (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, auto theft, arson, weapons, sexual offense, drug sales, and drug use) in addition to age at arrest onset, age, sex, race to explore their association with chronicity (total arrests), extreme chronicity (1 SD above the mean which was equivalent to 90 career arrests), and lambda (offending per year). The only onset offense type that was significantly associated with all criminal career outcomes was juvenile drug use. Additional research on the offense type of delinquent onset is needed to understand launching points of serious antisocial careers.
40 citations
TL;DR: Results suggested that anger management skills improved for all participants and suggested that music therapy might accelerate the process of behavioral changes.
Abstract: The effect of music therapy on anger management and coping skills is an innovative subject in the field of forensic psychiatry. This study explores the following research question: Can music therapy treatment contribute to positive changes in coping skills, anger management, and dysfunctional behavior of forensic psychiatric patients? To investigate this question, first a literature review is offered on music therapy and anger management in forensic psychiatry. Then, an explorative study is presented. In the study, a pre- and post-test design was used with a random assignment of patients to either treatment or control condition. Fourteen participants' complete datasets were collected. All participants received "treatment as usual." Nine of the participants received a standardized, music therapy anger management program; the five controls received, unplanned, an aggression management program. Results suggested that anger management skills improved for all participants. The improvement of positive coping skills and diminishing of avoidance as a coping skill were measured to show greater changes in music therapy participants. When controlling for the exact number of treatment hours, the outcomes suggested that music therapy might accelerate the process of behavioral changes.
39 citations
TL;DR: The study reveals that OMIOs had more positive and less negative experiences in prison settings when compared with other institutional care settings, and independent living, unsurprisingly, is favored the most.
Abstract: The life of older mentally ill offenders (OMIOs) is often characterized by successive periods of detention in correctional facilities, admissions to psychiatric services, and unsuccessful attempts to live independently Through in-depth interviews, eight personal stories from OMIOs under supervision of the commission of social defence in Ghent (Belgium) were analyzed in the phenomenological research tradition The results of the study reveal that OMIOs had more positive and less negative experiences in prison settings when compared with other institutional care settings Independent living, unsurprisingly, is favored the most This may be due to the fact that the latter option fosters personal competence, feelings of being useful, personal choices, and contact with the "outside" world Even in later lifetime, a combined approach of risk assessment with improvement of well-being remains valuable to stimulate offender rehabilitation Therefore, more research into concepts that could be used to support OMIOs needs further consideration
38 citations
TL;DR: Results showed that not only individual but also social factors would be crucial in predicting recidivism, and factors that emerged as the most discriminative were education/employment, leisure/recreation, and personality.
Abstract: Although a large body of research has studied the factors associated to general recidivism, predictive validity of these factors has received less attention. Andrews and Bonta's General Personality and Social-Psychological Model attempts to provide an in-depth explanation of risk and protective factors in relation to youth recidivism. The Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory was administered to 210 adolescents aged between 14 and 18 with a criminal record to analyse risk and protective factors in relation to youth recidivism. Their possible differential contribution over a 2-year follow-up period was also examined. Risk factors showed good levels of recidivism prediction. The factors that emerged as the most discriminative were education/employment, leisure/recreation, and personality. Protective factors differentiated between recidivists and non-recidivists in all factors. Hence, results showed that not only individual but also social factors would be crucial in predicting recidivism.
34 citations
TL;DR: It is argued that positioning prison theatre within the discipline of positive criminology, specifically contemporary theories of desistance from crime, provides a theoretical framework for understanding the contribution that prison theatre might be making in the correctional setting.
Abstract: Despite the ubiquity of theatre projects in prisons there has been little (published) discussion of the application of theatre to the theories of criminology or rehabilitation of offenders, and scant examination of the potential for criminological theories to inform theatre practice in criminal justice settings. This article seeks to address this deficit and argues that positioning prison theatre within the discipline of positive criminology, specifically contemporary theories of desistance from crime, provides a theoretical framework for understanding the contribution that prison theatre might be making in the correctional setting. Through a review of related literature, the article explores how prison theatre may be motivating offenders toward the construction of a more adaptive narrative identity and toward the acquisition of capabilities that might usefully assist them in the process of desisting from crime.
33 citations
TL;DR: The findings indicate that treatment for some adolescents should be mainly focused on their individual needs, while other adolescents need intensive, multimodal treatment focusing on both risks in the individual, family, and peer domains.
Abstract: Although it is known that adolescents in secure residential care often show multiple behavior problems, it is largely unknown which dynamic risk factors are associated with their problems. The aim of the present study is to examine dynamic risk factors for 164 Dutch adolescents in secure residential care. Results show that a majority reports multiple risk factors in both an individual and contextual domain but that about a fifth shows relatively few risk factors. Substance abuse and delinquent friends were among the five most prevalent risk factors and predicted the seriousness of the adolescents’ delinquent behavior prior to admission. The four groups that were found by cluster analysis could be distinguished by problem type and seriousness. The findings indicate that treatment for some adolescents should be mainly focused on their individual needs, while other adolescents need intensive, multimodal treatment focusing on both risks in the individual, family, and peer domains.
TL;DR: Several core concepts of Archer’s morphogenic approach are introduced to study how people desist from crime by presenting empirical evidence drawn from semistructured interviews collected with 29 men who desisted from crime in an eastern province of Canada.
Abstract: The process underlying desistance is still a strong subject of debate. This article seeks to introduce several core concepts of Archer’s morphogenic approach to study how people desist from crime. At first, it discusses the primary existing theories of desistance. Then, this article demonstrates the usefulness of this approach by presenting empirical evidence drawn from semistructured interviews collected with 29 men who desisted from crime in an eastern province of Canada. The study demonstrates how this alternative approach allows for the consolidation of existing knowledge on desistance. Then implication of these findings for both theory and practice are discussed.
TL;DR: The aim is to clarify the boundaries between a healthy and pathological way of dealing with revenge to improve diagnostics, with regard to both theory and clinical practice.
Abstract: An overview of the literature and theories concerning revenge is presented in this study. The aim is to clarify the boundaries between a healthy and pathological way of dealing with revenge to improve diagnostics, with regard to both theory and clinical practice. Revenge is an intrapersonal phenomenon and the extent to which people need revenge has a certain degree of stability. A healthy way of dealing with revenge may restore the psychological balance that has previously been disturbed. However, the desire for revenge can be long-lasting and dysfunctional due to, among other things, early problems in development and specific personality traits. Consequently, a pathological way of dealing with revenge can be part of a disorder and can lead to destructive acts such as homicide and even mass murder. Some clinical examples are presented and points of attention regarding diagnostics and treatment are discussed.
TL;DR: Cognitive behavioural therapy interventions for the reduction of depression and anxiety in adult offenders appear effective in the short term, though a large-scale trial of sufficient duration is needed to confirm this finding.
Abstract: There is a high prevalence of anxiety and depression in offender populations but with no recent systematic review of interventions to identify what is effective. This systematic review was undertaken to identify randomised controlled trials of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in adult offenders in prison or community settings. A search of five databases identified 14 studies meeting inclusion criteria, which considered the impact of psychological interventions, pharmacological agents, or exercise on levels of depression and anxiety. A narrative synthesis was undertaken and Hedges g effect sizes calculated to allow comparison between studies. Effect sizes for depression interventions ranged from 0.17 to 1.41, for anxiety 0.61 to 0.71 and for posttraumatic stress disorder 0 to 1.41. Cognitive behavioural therapy interventions for the reduction of depression and anxiety in adult offenders appear effective in the short term, though a large-scale trial of sufficient duration is needed to confirm this finding.
TL;DR: An initial evaluation of an RNR-focused second-responder program for men accused of assaulting their intimate partners and who were judged as being at moderate to high risk for re-offending shows significant, substantial, and lasting differences across groups in all outcome domains.
Abstract: Clear directions about best strategies to reduce recidivism among domestic violence offenders have remained elusive. The current study offers an initial evaluation of an RNR (Risk, Needs, and Responsivity)-focused second-responder program for men accused of assaulting their intimate partners and who were judged as being at moderate to high risk for re-offending. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare police outcomes for 40 men attending a second-responder intervention program to 40 men with equivalent levels of risk for re-offense who did not attend intervention (comparison group). Results showed that there were significant, substantial, and lasting differences across groups in all outcome domains. In terms of recidivism, rates of subsequent domestic-violence-related changes were more than double for men in the comparison group as compared with the intervention group in both 1-year (65.9% vs. 29.3%) and 2-year (41.5% vs. 12.2%) follow-up. Changes in the rates of arrest were consistent with reductions in men's general involvement with police, with men in the intervention group receiving fewer charges for violent offenses, administrative offenses, and property offenses over the 2 years following intervention than men in the comparison group. Not surprisingly, these differences result in a much lower estimated amount of police time with intervention men than for comparison men. Results are discussed with reference to the possible impact of sharing information with men about their assessed risk for re-offending within a therapeutic justice context.
TL;DR: A step-by-step account of the involvement of young people in this illegal/immoral activity from a crime script perspective is provided and suggestions for formulating stage-specific measures for situational crime prevention are provided.
Abstract: Although numerous studies have examined the prevalence, contributing factors, and consequences of compensated dating (CD) among young people, few empirical studies have investigated the process of engaging in CD. This article intends to fill this research gap through semi-structured interviews with 30 young people who have experience in CD in Hong Kong. The current study provides a step-by-step account of the involvement of young people in this illegal/immoral activity from a crime script perspective. Twelve decision-making points in four crime commission stages are identified in this study. The findings of the study will not only advance conceptual understanding of the choice, script, and dynamics of young people's path to CD but also provide suggestions for formulating stage-specific measures for situational crime prevention. This empirical study is the first to investigate the process of this specific emerging offense in the Chinese community.
TL;DR: Overall, this study found agreement in the pains of long-term imprisonment, regardless of the exact length or type of sentence.
Abstract: Previous research has found commonality in the pains of imprisonment reported by English and American long-term inmates. Using a triangulated research methodology, this study examined the hardships associated with permanent incarceration as reported by 18 older male inmates serving a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Strong agreement existed between the present sample and previous samples as to the most and least difficult aspects of imprisonment. Consistent with the previous studies, outside problems were perceived as being more severe than inside problems. Overall, this study found agreement in the pains of long-term imprisonment, regardless of the exact length or type of sentence.
TL;DR: A five-factor solution fitted the data best and showed large overlap with previous research done in both in- and outpatient populations with schizophrenia and mixed diagnoses and the BPRS-E is a suitable instrument for forensic use.
Abstract: Severe behavioral problems, aggression, unlawful behavior, and uncooperativeness make the forensic psychiatric population both hard to treat and study To fine-tune treatment and evaluate results, valid measurement is vital The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale-Extended (BPRS-E) is a widely used scale for assessing psychiatric symptoms, with a stable factor structure over various patient groups For the first time, its usefulness for forensic psychiatric patients was studied by means of an exploratory factor analysis on 302 patients in a penitentiary psychiatric center A five-factor solution fitted the data best and showed large overlap with previous research done in both in- and outpatient populations with schizophrenia and mixed diagnoses Around 45% of the patients did not fully comply Items relying most on self-report caused the most non-adherence, possibly because of difficulty with verbalizing distress These items loaded on the factors psychosis and affect The BPRS-E is a suitable instrument for forensic use Future research and clinical practice should focus on alignment with forensic patients to improve measurement, understanding, and eventually therapeutic interventions
TL;DR: Analysis of results from a Dutch prisoner survey shows that cell sharing is associated with lower perceived prison quality, which is partially mediated by reduced quality of staff–prisoner relationships.
Abstract: Prisons worldwide operate under crowded conditions, in which prisoners are forced to share a cell. Few studies have looked at the relationship between cell sharing and the quality of prison life in Europe. This study aims to fill this gap with a multilevel analysis on the link between cell sharing and quality of prison life, using results from a Dutch prisoner survey. Findings show that cell sharing is associated with lower perceived prison quality, which is partially mediated by reduced quality of staff-prisoner relationships. Cell sharing thus undermines the Dutch penological philosophy, which considers staff-prisoner relationships to be at the heart of prisoner treatment and rehabilitation. It is recommended that prisoners are held in single rather than double cells.
TL;DR: Greater efforts must be made to bridge the gap between correctional and mental health care systems to ensure inmates in correctional facilities can access and receive appropriate mental health health care services.
Abstract: This study measured the prevalence of current, severe symptoms of a mental health problem in an adult population of inmates in Ontario, Canada. The Resident Assessment Instrument-Mental Health was used to measure the prevalence of symptoms among a sample of 522 inmates. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for nonrandom selection into the sample. Prevalence estimates were derived for the total inmate population, remand and sentenced, males and females, and Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal inmates. It is estimated that 41.1% of Ontario inmates will have at least one current, severe symptom of a mental health problem; of this group, 13.0%, will evidence two or more symptoms. The number of symptoms is strongly associated with presence of a psychiatric diagnosis and level of mental health care needs. Female (35.1%) and Aboriginal (18.7%) inmates are more likely to demonstrate two or more current, severe symptoms. Greater efforts must be made to bridge the gap between correctional and mental health care systems to ensure inmates in correctional facilities can access and receive appropriate mental health care services.
TL;DR: The findings denote that offending history, psychological attributes, interpersonal relationships, and environmental influences are significant reoffending risk factors and highlight the need to seriously assess the effectiveness of intervention strategies used by the Hong Kong correctional system in preventing future offending.
Abstract: Criminal recidivism of the incarcerated population in Hong Kong has rarely been studied. The purpose of this study is to explore the recidivism rates and to identify significant predictors of reoffending among incarcerated male offenders convicted of a nonviolent offense in Hong Kong. Using a self-reported methodological design, 278 offenders were sampled. These offenders' immediate past incarceration is used as the benchmark for this recidivism study. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year recidivism rates are 21%, 68%, and 87%, respectively. The findings denote that offending history, psychological attributes, interpersonal relationships, and environmental influences are significant reoffending risk factors. These findings, especially the alarming failure rates, highlight the need to seriously assess the effectiveness of intervention strategies used by the Hong Kong correctional system in preventing future offending. Implications for intervention strategies with emphasis on the risk factors for recidivism are discussed.
TL;DR: Evidence of prisoners’ campaign for respect and impression management that could be used by prison administrators to help create initiatives and a prison environment that might result in less violence is uncovered.
Abstract: Prison violence generates serious problems in prisons across the United States. This study examined whether prisoners' ways of coping affected their involvement in violence. The study also examined traditional personal predictors of violence. The research used a mixed methods approach and included self-report surveys administered to a stratified random sample of 312 prisoners in medium and maximum security facilities, data from the prison system's database, and in-depth interviews conducted with 51 staff members and prisoners. In the full model with the control variables, three of the eight ways of coping studied were directly related to violence. Prisoners who elicited both emotional and instrumental support from loved ones, fellow prisoners, and staff were less likely to be violent. Those who coped through joking and bravado, and who took direct action in response to stressors were more likely to be involved in violence. The qualitative data uncovered evidence of prisoners' campaign for respect and impression management that could be used by prison administrators to help create initiatives and a prison environment that might result in less violence.
TL;DR: The current study examines the impact of relaxing music on levels of state anxiety and state anger among a random sample of 48 criminal prisoners and provides practical recommendations for prison administrators regarding implementation of programs of Relaxing music in various prison facilities.
Abstract: Listening to relaxing music was found to reduce state anxiety and state anger among various populations. Nonetheless, the impact of relaxing music in prisons has not yet been studied. The current study examines the impact of relaxing music on levels of state anxiety and state anger among a random sample of 48 criminal prisoners. Main findings are as follows: (a) level of state anxiety decreased among the treatment group compared with the comparison group and (b) level of state anger decreased among the treatment group compared with the comparison group. Findings are discussed in light of other studies that have shown positive effects of exposure to relaxing music on levels of anxiety and anger among other populations. The final part of the study provides practical recommendations for prison administrators regarding implementation of programs of relaxing music in various prison facilities.
TL;DR: It is suggested that narrative identities are adapted and reconstructed as they are taken outside of the therapeutic community into a less supportive social environment, and may struggle to reconcile the redemptive identities nurtured in therapy with condemnatory ones that have echoes of a criminal past.
Abstract: This article reports on qualitative research with Alan, a former resident of the therapeutic communities at Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Grendon, England, exploring narrative identity beyond therapy. The study emphasises the complexity inherent in the five identities on which Alan draws—the Achiever, the Liminal Man, the Lucky Man, the Puppet, and the Wise Man. We suggest that narrative identities are adapted and reconstructed as they are taken outside of the therapeutic community into a less supportive social environment. This process continues to present challenges for the ex-resident, who may struggle to reconcile the redemptive identities nurtured in therapy with condemnatory ones that have echoes of a criminal past, which may be reignited by personal and social circumstances.
TL;DR: Results show a general trend indicating the long-term effectiveness of the program as graduates had a lower incidence of petitions at follow-up compared with dropouts and fewer petitions compared with the other two groups.
Abstract: The present study evaluated the long-term effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral group therapy program titled Community Opportunity Growth. This study monitored juvenile delinquents’ recidivism across a 7-year time period, with the average length to follow-up being 39 months. It was hypothesized that program graduates (N = 178) would have a significantly lower recidivism rate than a control group (program nonstarters; N = 66) and program dropouts (whose predisposing factors may have influenced their program participation; N = 150). Analyses controlled for sex, ethnicity, age, prior petitions, highest class of prior petition, and months to follow-up. Results show a general trend indicating the long-term effectiveness of the program as graduates had a lower incidence of petitions at follow-up compared with dropouts and fewer petitions compared with the other two groups.
TL;DR: This research supports the use of positive psychology in prison interventions by demonstrating no additive benefits from the inclusion of four additional sessions, thus saving time and money for correctional programming and funding.
Abstract: Two groups of male inmates (n = 31, n = 31) participated in the Positive Re-Entry in Corrections Program (PRCP). This positive psychology intervention focused on teaching offenders skills that facilitate re-entry into the community. Offenders participated in weekly lectures, discussions, and homework assignments focused on positive psychology principles. The two groups differed in duration of treatment (8 weeks and 12 weeks). Participants completed pre- and post-intervention measures of gratitude, hope, and life satisfaction. Using a 2 × 2 mixed design ANOVA, we hypothesized that the intervention (with two between-subjects levels of 8 and 12 weeks) and duration (with two repeated measures levels of pre and post) of treatment would moderate pre- to post-intervention change. Results indicated significant differences on pre- and post-intervention scores for both groups of offenders on all measures. The analysis did not yield statistically significant differences between groups, demonstrating no additive benefits from the inclusion of four additional sessions, thus saving time and money for correctional programming and funding. This research supports the use of positive psychology in prison interventions.
TL;DR: The study underscores the major challenge to create more opportunities to meet more opportunities for MIOs to meet their needs of self-determination in secure forensic treatment settings.
Abstract: There is an increasing interest in mentally ill offenders' (MIOs) treatment experiences in forensic settings. This study focuses on the treatment perspectives of MIOs in treatment as well as in prison settings in Flanders. Seventeen MIOs were interviewed about the treatment they received. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to derive key themes while acknowledging the individuality of the participants' experiences. Treatment perspectives of MIOs in both settings revolved around similar themes, including "good" staff and privacy. However, their views differed on two themes: MIOs in treatment settings reported on feelings of lacking control and experiencing too much pressure, whereas MIOs in prison settings reported the opposite. The positive experiences in prison settings may complicate the transition from prison to a forensic treatment setting. The study further underscores the major challenge to create more opportunities for MIOs to meet their needs of self-determination in secure forensic treatment settings.
TL;DR: Despite their shared negative valence, fear and anger appear to have dissimilar influences on cost perceptions and criminal decision making, which may lead to improved crime prevention approaches.
Abstract: Deterrence represents the central theoretical core of the American criminal justice system, yet relatively little attention has been paid to how emotions like fear and anger may relate to deterrence. Psychological research has debated whether negative emotions each have similar impacts on decision making (valence approaches) or if distinct emotions have unique impacts (appraisal tendency approaches). This study explores the direct and indirect influences of fear and anger on hypothetical drunk driving likelihood, including their impact on cost perceptions. Surveys were administered to 1,013 male and female incarcerated felony offenders in the Southwestern United States. Using a multivariate path model and controlling for a number of other individual factors, current fear related to increased cost perceptions and anger to decreased costs. Anger also maintained a direct influence on drunk driving, whereas fear did not. Despite their shared negative valence, fear and anger appear to have dissimilar influence...
TL;DR: The MEGA ♪ cross-validation established a new range of risk level, with the fourth level (very high) definitively identifying the most dangerous youth, thus empirically supporting the nomenclature of sexually violent and predatory sexually violent youth.
Abstract: Applied are empirical findings supporting the authors' previously presented nomenclature identifying two subsets of sexually abusive youth overlooked by most contemporary risk assessment tools: sexually violent and predatory sexually violent youth The cross-validation findings on an ecologically framed risk assessment tool, MEGA (♪) (Multiplex Empirically Guided Inventory of Ecological Aggregates for Assessing Sexually Abusive Children and Adolescents [Ages 19 and Under]) (N = 1,056 male and female sexually abusive youth, ages 4-19, including youth with low intellectual functioning), from the United States, Canada, England, and Scotland, were utilized Findings provided normative data, with cutoff scores according to age and gender Most contemporary risk assessment tools have three levels (low, moderate, and high), which may in fact be limited in assessing the range of risk level The MEGA (♪) cross-validation established a new range of risk level, with the fourth level (very high) definitively identifying the most dangerous youth, thus empirically supporting the nomenclature of sexually violent and predatory sexually violent youth
TL;DR: Preliminary support is provided for the feasibility and utility of delivering the Reasoning and Rehabilitation Mental Health Program to females in secure psychiatric settings.
Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the acceptability and efficacy of delivering the Reasoning and Rehabilitation Mental Health Program (R&R2MHP) to female mentally disordered offenders detained in medium and low secure hospital settings. Group treatment participants (N = 18) and control participants receiving treatment as usual (N = 20) completed self-report measures pre- and post-group. An informant measure of ward behavior was also completed by staff. Violent attitudes and locus of control were assessed at 3-month follow-up. Program completion was excellent (89%). A conservative intention-to-treat analysis found significant treatment effects post-group for positive problem-solving orientation, rational problem-solving style, and locus of control (medium-large effect), but no treatment effect for violent attitudes, anger, and ward behavior. At follow-up, a large treatment effect was found for locus of control. Ad hoc per protocol analyses found a large treatment effect for ward behavior. The findings provide p...