Reputational inmate leaders: Some comparative contact patterns

A small number of studies have presented data on the sociolegal correlates of inmate leadership. These studies have based their results on traditional designs of data collection, including official records and interview questionnaires. The literature has not captured reciprocal contact patterns between inmate leaders and followers, nor has research addressed the question of how leaders differ from nonleader inmates on behavioral dynamics. This article presents the results of a videotaping procedure which captures leader contact patterns in task-related decision making. The general findings support the behavioral leadership studies performed on noninmate populations and suggest that leadership is a transcendental quality which cannot be explained by the functional model of inmate subculture.     

尼日利亚宪法述评

尼日利亚宪法和非洲大多数国家一样,发端于殖民地时期,受到原宗主国宪法模式和宪法原则的深刻影响.自1960年独立以来,尼日利亚宪法走上了一条曲折的探索道路,经历了由民选政府治理到军政府统治再到民选政府统治的转变.随着民主化浪潮在非洲各国的扩展,尼日利亚于1999年举行多党大选,并颁布了新宪法.然而,新宪法颁布后受到了国内外学术界的批评,在实施过程中也面临一定的问题.了解尼日利亚宪法曲折的发展道路及其完善的宪法制度,并深入探讨其面临的困境与发展出路,将有助于更好地认识非洲国家宪法发展的现状与发展趋势,对于我们国家的宪政建设也不无裨益.     

Age patterns of migration among Korean adults in early 20th-century Seoul

In this study, we examine age patterns of migration among adults who resided in Seoul in the early twentieth century. We use information, obtained from the Seoul household registers, on the length of time these adults lived in their current residences to estimate age-specific migration rates and construct migration life tables. Our findings point to the following: First, Seoul residents were quite mobile. On average, during the early twentieth century, Seoul residents moved approximately four times between their primary working ages of 15 and 64. Second, upper-class individuals were more mobile than lower-class individuals. While the upper-class individuals moved approximately five times between ages 15 and 65, the lower-class individuals moved less than three times. This class differential can be explained because Korean bureaucrats experienced frequent duty changes during this period. Third, household composition also affected migration rates. We compare our results with European migration studies and discuss the implications of these finding on urbanization that occurred in early twentieth century Seoul.     

Death notification

Death notification--informing the deceased's family of an unexpected death--is a singularly stressful task common to medical personnel, clergy, and police. We surveyed by questionnaire a group of 50 Los Angeles Police Department homicide detectives, 21 of whom were subsequently interviewed by telephone. The detectives stated that their initial apprehension stemmed from feeling unprepared. Identification with victims' families was common and compounded the stress. One prevalent worry concerned the possible reactions of the family upon hearing the news, especially the risk of a violent attack on the police officer. Several coping styles were recognized. Our findings suggest that the repetitive performance of this continuously stressful task may be a prominent and underappreciated contribution to occupational burnout.     

Death notification

Family notification in sudden, unexpected, and violent death is a major responsibility of law enforcement, medical examiner, and coroner offices. This report reviews and discusses the process and procedures utilized in death notification and provides suggestions to accomplish this difficult task more effectively.     

Predicting Institutional Violence among Death Row Inmates: The Utility of the Sorensen and Pilgrim Model

The (Sorensen and Pilgrim, An actuarial risk assessment of violence posed by capital murder defendants. J Crim Law Criminol 90:1251–1270, 2000) actuarial model was developed to predict institutional violence among life-sentenced murderers. However, despite its presentation at capital sentencing, the model has not been validated on death row inmates specifically. This study examined the association between Sorensen and Pilgrim model scores and five types of institutional violence (serious assaults, minor assaults, verbal assault/threats, prison order offenses, and non-violent infractions) among a sample of 155 individuals who had been incarcerated on death row in Texas. Results revealed that risk scores performed better for non-violent infractions than for serious assaults, calling into question the utility of this measure for capital sentencing evaluations.

Legislative Oversight under the Nigerian Presidential System

Oversight function is a major component of the activities of modern legislatures irrespective of the form of government in practice. This study examines the extent to which the Nigerian legislature, characterised by infrequent appearances on the political scene and operating in an environment largely dominated by the executive arm, has performed its oversight role. The study, which is basically empirical, argues that the Nigerian legislature has been incapable of effectively performing its oversight role because, in addition to constraints like executive interference, crippling internal conflict, inexperience and high rate of members turnover hampering legislative efficiency, the legislature has compromised its role. However, occasional flashes of a measure of assertiveness by the legislature suggest that with effective mitigation of its internal problems its performance will improve as legislative culture deepens.     

死因鉴定思路及死因辨析

以法医学有关死因鉴定的理论、研究成果为基础,按照世界卫生组织颁布的<国际疾病分类>(ICD)中死亡原因的定义和疾病统计采用根本死因的单一选定原则,结合典型案例探讨死因鉴定思路和死因辨析问题,以期规范死因鉴定,提高鉴定水平.     

Death as a Penalty and the Fantasy of Instant Death

In this essay I take up the question of how death can be a penalty, given that each of us will eventually die. I argue that capital punishment in the United States rests on contradictory demands for painless death delivered humanely through pharmaceuticals and yet denies the accused the possibility of natural death. The death penalty must be at once humane and punishing. Analyzing what we mean by ‘botched’ executions, along with the language of the Supreme Court in upholding lethal injection as a humane application of the death penalty, I argue that the fantasy of instant death is at the heart of the tension between death as painless and death as penalty. In the end, I turn to Derrida’s Death Penalty Seminar Volume One, particularly his discussion of Kant’s defence of the capital punishment, and the pivotal role of time in his discussion. Finally, I suggest that the fantasies of instantaneous death and our technological mastery of it result in the fantasy of the ‘good’ punishing death.     

死亡补偿费研究——尝试一种非主流观点

死亡补偿费的性质不仅关系死亡的民事救济,还涉及生命权的有无以及宪政和刑法理论对于生命的关注.现行法将死亡补偿费定性为对财产损失的赔偿,客观上把人看作获取收益的工具,有悖生命伦理.死亡补偿费应该是对生命损害的补偿,死亡赔偿项目除包括死者生前的健康和财产损失,现行法规定的其余赔偿项目都应以死亡补偿费概括.死亡补偿额以35岁为基数,赔偿可支配收入35年,每增加或者减少一岁,减少一年,最低赔偿不低于10年,对二亲等亲属的赔偿数额酌减.     

对我国死刑的思考

对我国死刑的思考应着眼于两个层次 :一、死刑是否应当废除 ?这是理性层次思考的问题 ,死刑作为一种刑罚制度具有一定的合理性 ,但其更有不合理性和局限性 ,随着社会的发展 ,死刑的合理性被其不合理性和局限性一一否定 ,死刑应当废除 ;二、死刑是否能够废除 ?这是现实层次考察的问题。我国社会存在因素和社会意识因素决定了现阶段不能废除死刑 ,而在今后多长时间内废除死刑取决于现阶段刑事立法和死刑适用状况中两个支撑点 :(一 )要解决刑事立法者和司法工作者对死刑认识方面的问题 ;(二 )要淡化广大民众崇尚重刑、迷信死刑的观念。