A comparison of punishment exchange rates between offenders under supervision and their supervising officers

Previous research revealed gender and racial differences in offender preferences for prison compared to alternative sanctions, in the amount of an alternative sanction offenders would serve to avoid prison, and in the severity ranking of criminal sanctions. Nevertheless, opinions of officers who supervised those clients have all but been ignored. In this study, this literature was extended by comparing perceptions of Kentucky probation and parole officers regarding the amount of alternative sanctions that offenders would serve to avoid one year of imprisonment to perceptions of the offenders whom they supervised regarding the same topic. Based on analysis of data from an electronic survey of approximately 230 probation and parole officers and approximately 600 probationers and parolees, results suggested that there were significant differences in “exchange rates” of officers when compared to those of offenders. Justifications for these findings and their implications for correctional policy and practice are discussed.     

Race and Demographic Factors in Treatment Attendance for Domestically Abusive Men

This study examined the influence of race and other demographic characteristics on session attendance and dropout from a cognitive-behavioral treatment program for male domestic abusers (N = 101). Multiple regression analyses revealed that lower session attendance was significantly predicted by unemployed status and African American (versus Caucasian) race. Other demographic factors could not account for the race differences in session attendance. Race was the strongest predictor of dropout and session attendance in all analyses. Racial composition of treatment groups was not significantly related to number of sessions attended for Caucasian or African American clients. Although the combined (interactive) effect of race and referral source on number of sessions was not statistically significant, the pattern of means suggested that self-referred African Americans were at the greatest risk for dropout. Results suggest that race differences in dropout, and the mechanisms that account for these differences, deserve more clinical and research attention in treatment for domestic abusers.     

Batterers Stalking Patterns

This clinically based study asked 165 batterers attending a court-mandated assessment program to quantify a series of behaviors that occurred since being convicted of battering. The behaviors clustered into 2 factors: (1) an Ambivalent Contact Pattern whereby behaviors of batterers were associated with contacting their ex-partner, sending gifts and letters, and watching her without her knowing while harboring conflicting feelings of love, hate, and anger; and (2) a Predatory Contact Pattern whereby the behaviors of batterers were associated with hang up calls, entering her home without permission, threatening or physically causing harm to her while harboring a propensity for abusiveness. Clinicians should assess batterers for predatory thoughts about the estranged partner, and reason for the contact since separation. Presence of stalking behaviors and predatory fantasy is a window to determine repetitive and escalating domestic violence.     

The contextual nature of the family structure/delinquency relationship

It is well established that growing up in a nontraditional family represents a risk factor for delinquent behavior; however, the understanding of whether this effect is universal remains imperfect. The present study examined whether the link between nontraditional family structure and delinquency varies according to six distinct circumstances: gender, race, age, SES, family size, and place of residence. Regression analysis of a nationally representative sample of adolescents between the ages of twelve and seventeen (n = 3,499) suggests that gender, race, SES, and place of residence do not condition the family structure/delinquency relationship. Significant interactions, however, were discovered with respect to age and family size. Generally, living in a nontraditional family is more criminogenic for older adolescents, and for those from larger families. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Teacher Turnover in the Context of Teacher-Directed Violence: An Empowerment Lens

ABSTRACT

Teacher turnover is a significant issue in education that negatively affects students’ academic performance and instructional continuity. While multiple factors impact turnover, the effects of violence directed against teachers on turnover have rarely been explored. The current study examines the extent to which (dis)empowerment applies to teachers who experienced incidents of violence and related intentions to leave their positions. The study includes 403 teachers from a national survey examining teacher-directed violence and teachers’ most upsetting experiences with violence. Using content analysis, results indicated teachers endorsed low levels of empowerment dimensions including status, autonomy and decision-making, and impact. Further, disempowerment was associated with turnover intentions and decisions. Future directions for research, practice, and policy are considered to increase empowerment and prevent turnover following incidents of violence.     

The impact of length of domestic violence treatment on the patterns of subsequent intimate partner violence

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have been used for several decades in criminal justice research to assess the benefits of interventions. RCTs have been employed with some frequency in evaluating batterer intervention programs (BIPs); between 1990 and 2005, there were five RCTs of BIPs. While most of these studies failed to find positive findings, one conducted in Brooklyn, New York, appeared to detect a positive effect of a BIP on domestic violence re-offending. Subsequent inspection of the data, however, revealed several complicating factors that led us to reanalyze these data. Our reanalysis focused on whether the intervention temporarily suppresses abusive behavior during the time that offenders are under court control, or whether the program produces lasting changes in offender behavior. With improved data analysis techniques, additional outcome data, and several alternative analytical models, we arrive at an alternative conclusion than is reported in the original publication. While we still find evidence of a reduction in the number of new incidents across a 15-month period due to treatment assignment, we now find that the effect of attending treatment does not likely persist beyond the treatment period once the treatment measure is specified as a time-dependent parameter rather than a fixed effect. This outcome is more consistent with a suppression/supervision explanation rather than a therapeutic outcome explanation. The implications of these results are discussed.     

Crime on the High Seas: Crimes of Globalization and the Sinking of the Senegalese Ferry Le Joola

The world’s second largest maritime disaster occurred on September 26th 2002, the sinking of the Senegal’s state run ferry Le Joola, killing 1863 passengers. In the wake of the sinking, it became clear that the state of Senegal held liability for the ferry’s failure; the government readily admitted its errors and several ministers either stepped down or were removed from their positions. In many ways, this case, at least on the surface, looks like a classic example of a state crime – illegal activities carried out by the state or state agencies. However, despite unequivocal governmental responsibility, we suggest that this was not simply a case of state crime. Rather, a thorough investigation and analysis of the reasons and forces behind the Le Joola sinking suggest that international institutions, primarily the World Bank, bear culpability for the disaster due to the way in which their policies and economic development demands altered Senegal’s social, economic and political structures. In conclusion, we offer a criminological analysis of the catalysts leading to the reinstatement of the state run ferry to the coastal waters and the subsequent actions taken by the State of Senegal and of International Society.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Nashville, TN. November 17–20, 2004.