Does GPS supervision of intimate partner violence defendants reduce pretrial misconduct? Evidence from a quasi-experimental study

Objectives

This research examines the effect global positioning system (GPS) technology supervision has on pretrial misconduct for defendants facing intimate partner violence charges.

Methods

Drawing on data from one pretrial services division, a retrospective quasi-experimental design was constructed to examine failure to appear to court, failure to appear to meetings with pretrial services, and rearrest outcomes between defendants ordered to pretrial GPS supervision and a comparison group of defendants ordered to pretrial supervision without the use of monitoring technology. Cox regression models were used to assess differences between quasi-experimental conditions. To enhance internal validity and mitigate model dependence, we utilized and compared results across four counterfactual comparison groups (propensity score matching, Mahalanobis distance matching, inverse probability of treatment weighting, and marginal mean weighting through stratification).

Results

Pretrial GPS supervision was no more or less effective than traditional, non-technology based pretrial supervision in reducing the risk of failure to appear to court or the risk of rearrest. GPS supervision did reduce the risk of failing to appear to meetings with pretrial services staff.

Conclusions

The results suggest that GPS supervision may hold untapped case management benefits for pretrial probation officers, a pragmatic focus that may be overshadowed by efforts to mitigate the risk of pretrial misconduct. Further, the results contribute to ongoing discussions on bail reform, pretrial practice, and the movement to reduce local jail populations. Although the cost savings are not entirely clear, relatively higher risk defendants can be managed in the community and produce outcomes that are comparable to other defendants. The results also call into question the ability of matching procedures to construct appropriate counterfactuals in an era where risk assessment informs criminal justice decision-making. Weighting techniques outperformed matching strategies.

     

EU FTA negotiations with India, ASEAN and Korea: the question of fair labour standards

The EU sets considerable store by the need for its Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) now under negotiation with Asian countries to contain a sustainable development chapter with clear references to respect for the core ILO labour standards. While they reject the sanctions-based approach demanded by the European trade unions, they accept that some real enforcement mechanisms will be needed. Among Asian countries, Korea is most likely to accept some form of a social clause, while India and certainly some ASEAN countries strongly oppose it. This article explores the prospects for mutual agreement on this thorny issue at the bilateral level which, to date, has failed at the multilateral level.

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Vital animal predation of the genital region caused by a mongrel dog

A 79-year-old man, who was in a helpless situation due to cardiac decompensation, suffered dog bite injuries on the left thigh and in the genital region while still alive. Two extensive soft-tissue defects with contused and bruised wound edges were surrounded by multiple slit-like skin lesions. The outer genitals were almost completely missing. Because of surgical emergency treatment, molecular biological investigations were no longer possible. Therefore, the cause of the bite injuries had to be determined solely on the basis of the documented morphology of the wounds.     

Education and Career Satisfaction: Examining the Specifics of the Relationship Among Criminal Justice Graduates

Several studies have considered the source of job satisfaction across different types of criminal justice professionals. This article identifies factors related to job satisfaction among graduates from a criminal justice program. The authors use a sample of 236 criminal justice graduates to explore the role of education in reports of career satisfaction. Findings indicate that graduates who felt they received adequate training in the social sciences were more likely to report satisfaction with their careers. Perceptions of preparation for careers/graduate study also were related to job satisfaction. Perceptions of course availability and independent studies/research opportunities also played a role. Implications are provided.     

Results of four inter-laboratory comparisons provided by the Forensic Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (FIRMS) network

Between 2004 and 2008 the Forensic Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (FIRMS) network organised four Inter-Laboratory Camparison excercises with the aim of harmonising and validating isotopic measurements to be used for forensic applications.The samples distributed comprised materials of potential forensic interest such as packaging and pharmaceuticals to be analysed for δ²H, δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O composition. As many as 30 international laboratories participated in these comparisons. Results have shown overall improvements for both within- and inter-laboratory reproducibility with respect to δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N measurements.Only a small number of laboratories returned results for δ²H and δ¹⁸O analysis and these results highlighted a need for improvement in the reproducibility of these measurements and a need to address the exchange of hydrogen between samples and ambient moisture. Results also highlighted the importance of sample preparation procedures and the need to standardise both these procedures and calibration against Standard Reference Materials. Future Inter-Laboratory Comparison exercises will assess the suitability of laboratories to submit data to national and international databases similar to those currently operated for fingerprints, DNA etc.     

Preliminary trials of low volume AmpFlSTR Profiler Plus amplification using AmpliGrid (AG480F) slides

Low volume PCR using the AmpliGrid (480F) slide system can potentially enhance the generation of more complete profiles from trace samples, in addition to providing a more cost-effective alternative for typing standard samples. Based on our preliminary results, implementation will require a reasonable investment in optimisation and validation for the intended purpose.     

Tracing the Rise of Evidence-Based Juvenile Justice in Florida

The movement toward evidence-based practice in juvenile justice has encouraged a research-informed approach that prioritizes the principles of effective intervention. And yet the shifts in this direction have been uneven across different states. This pattern underscores the value of state-level case studies for understanding the pace and nature of juvenile justice reform in recent decades. The authors provide such a study for the state of Florida. They begin in 1994 with the creation of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. The authors describe the unique history in these early years and identify the political and cultural factors that variously encouraged and constrained evidence-based reform. They then describe the resulting system that pervades today. The authors emphasize four key elements that define the current operation of Florida juvenile justice. They conclude by situating Florida’s shifts within the broader dialogue on evidence-based practice in U.S. juvenile justice.     

Public Action for Public Science: Re-imagining the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

ABSTRACT

In Iowa, the heart of the United States Corn Belt, a small, publicly funded research center has championed alternative agricultural practices and fostered the creation of a sustainable agricultural community over the past 30 years, but its future is now uncertain due to funding cuts and increased corporatization of the university. We share our engagement in a grassroots campaign to restore and, ultimately, to re-imagine the future for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture as an act of ecofeminist praxis. This process documents the beginnings of a transformative moment. We find opportunities to begin a new dialogue about the place of a sustainable agricultural center, the role of science created by and for the public, and a new relationality among scientists, farmers, animals, and the Earth.     

Voting for peace,mobilizing for war: post-conflict voter turnout and civil war recurrence

In democratic elections around the world, high levels of voter turnout are frequently praised as a sign of democratic legitimacy and consolidation. However, while popular participation should be lauded in many circumstances, under certain conditions it can also have nefarious side effects. In post-conflict countries, high levels of voter turnout may make it easier for militants to return to arms because everyday people are invested in the political process and the electoral outcome. Through the use of survival modelling, this study finds that voter turnout is positively correlated with civil war recidivism in post-conflict first elections. Even when elections are not particularly contentious or when structural factors (such as level of development) are auspicious, voter turnout continues to have a positive and statistically significant relationship with recidivism.