Scrutinizing RICO

Past studies on the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (criminal RICO) are merged with research on organized crime and recently collected information on the presence of informants in appellate cases. After identifying problems associated with the statute since its enactment in 1970, attention is directed toward the place of informants within court proceedings applying criminal RICO. The central finding points to a relatively high presence of informants in such cases. The explanation that follows accounts for the prevalence of informants in RICO cases by combining: (1) the statutes liberal construction, (2) an increasing acceptance amongst government and law-enforcement officials that the use of informants is essential to the fight against the apparent organized crime threat, and (3) the rationalization that extends from the prosecutorial success that has been documented within the United States and in other countries that have adopted similar forms of legislation.We would like to thank Pierre Tremblay and Marie-Andrée Bertrand for their comments and suggestions on past versions of this paper. We also show our gratitude to Gerard Lynch for his help during early phases of this research.     

Validation of a large Italian Database of 15 STR loci

Results from a collaborative exercise with proficiency testing conducted by 20 Italian laboratories on the 15 loci included in the Identifiler kit were analyzed by allele sharing methods and by standard population genetics tests. The validated database, including about 1500 subjects, was merged with that of a previous exercise conducted on nine loci, and the resulting allele frequencies, subdivided by Italian region, were published on-line.     

Brake linings: a source of non-GSR particles containing lead,barium, and antimony

The observation of environmental particles similar in composition to gunshot residue (GSR) are not new to forensic experts and have been described in the scientific literature. In order to better define the origin of these particles, brake linings and their wear products were examined by SEM-EDX. The results obtained demonstrate that some types of brake linings contain lead, barium, and antimony and that they can represent a source of particles showing GSR-like elemental profiles. Most of these particles can be easily discriminated from primer discharge residue because of the high levels of iron or the presence of "prohibited" elements in the spectrum. However, particles with iron at minor or trace levels and lacking "prohibited" elements were also found. It is thus advisable to use caution when describing the composition of similar particles as "unique" to primer discharge residue. The strict application of a rigorous morphological criterion is also recommended.     

The Contribution of Organized Youth Sport to Antisocial and Prosocial Behavior in Adolescent Athletes

In this study, we investigated the contribution of organized youth sport to antisocial and prosocial behavior in adolescent athletes. The sample consisted of N=260 male and female soccer players and competitive swimmers, 12 to 18 years of age. Multilevel regression analysis revealed that 8% of the variance in antisocial behavior and 7% of the variance in prosocial behavior could be attributed to characteristics of the sporting environment. Results suggested that coaches who maintain good relationships with their athletes reduce antisocial behavior, and that exposure to relatively high levels of sociomoral reasoning within the immediate context of sporting activities promotes prosocial behavior. These results point to specific aspects of adolescents’ participation in sport that can be used to realize the educational potential of organized youth sport. She is currently writing her Ph.D. thesis on sports and education. Interests include moral development, behavioral adaptation, and delinquency. Associate Professor of Special Education at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. His research interests include socio-emotional development and moral education. Professor of Educational Theory in the School of Education and life long learning, University of Exeter, UK. His research focuses on the role of communication in education. Professor of Special Education at the Free University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. His research interests concern socio-emotional development and developmental psychopathology, especially within the framework of attachment theory. She is working on a Ph.D. thesis on dyslexia. Her interests include socio-emotional development and learning problems. Free University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Assistant Professor at the Department of Developmental Psychology of Free University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Interests include methods of developmental research and multilevel modeling. University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Education     

How Much Is Really Known About the Meaning of the Term “Conflict of Interest”?

Often codes of ethics require dealing with conflict of interest (CoI) without defining the boundaries of the phenomenon. In this case, CoI recognition is left to the discretion of the individual. The aim of this work is to answer to the following research questions: How much is really known about the meaning of the term CoI? Do individuals share the same CoI definition? In order to address these questions, we use the results of a questionnaire administered to 86 Italian public sector employees during some training courses on conflict of interest and corruption. The choice of this sample is particularly significant in that the Italian regulation provides for all public employees a code of conduct that requests avoiding, or at least disclosing, the CoI without prior definition of the meaning of the term. The results of our analysis show that public employees are uncertain about or come to different considerations of what CoI is and is not; consequently they deal with it in different ways. Thus, codes of conduct and ethics trainers should direct more attention on CoI definition, providing examples to facilitate its identification and resolution.     

The Voters' Curses: Why We Need Goldilocks Voters

Scholars have long deplored voters' lack of interest in politics and argued in favor of greater political engagement. We present a formal theory of elections where successful communication of campaign messages requires both effort by candidates and attention from voters. Voters' interest in politics affects their attention and impacts the effectiveness of the electoral process as a screening and disciplining device. In line with existing theories, there exists a curse of the uninterested voter: When voters have little interest in politics, the electoral process performs poorly, and voters' attention to politics is low. Surprisingly, we uncover a curse of the interested voter, by which the same happens when voters have a strong interest in politics. Our results highlight the importance of distinguishing between voters' interest and attention, two notions often conflated in empirical studies. Moreover, policy interventions aimed at subsidizing the cost of acquiring political information can have unintended consequences.     

Offending Frequency and Responses to Illegal Monetary Incentives

Journal of Quantitative Criminology - We examine how responsive offenders are to illegal monetary incentives. We draw from rational choice theory, prospect theory, and models of labor supply to...