Productivity ratings of graduate programs in criminal justice based on publication in ten critical journals

This article examines scholarly productivity among faculty members of graduate programs in criminal justice. Studies of scholarly productivity in other disciplines have frequently appeared in the literature. Cartter's early work on “prestige levels” was cited as being the forerunner in this respect. The authors obtained rankings of the “ten most critical” journals from graduate criminal justice program directors. After the list of journals was compiled, these journals were searched for the most recent five-year period. Articles published by full-time faculty members at fifty-two institutions were included in the study. In addition to total productivity, data on productivity adjusted for faculty size was also presented. Problems and controversy associated with this type of work are cited by the authors.     

An evaluation of the effectiveness of substance abuse programming for female offenders

Although a recent meta-analysis reported that substance abuse treatment was associated with moderate reductions in recidivism for female offenders, very few of the tests of treatment (k = 4) focused on adults. The purpose of this study was to contribute to this relatively sparse area of scientific inquiry by exploring the effectiveness of substance abuse programming in reducing recidivism for a sample of 98 federally sentenced female offenders in Canada. Results revealed a significant reduction in general recidivism for treated substance abusers. Moreover, the data indicated that violent reoffending was also reduced for the treated group, although the difference did not reach statistical significance.     

Predicting symmetry in female/male crime rates

This paper examines changes in female criminality. Data were obtained from 1943 through 1998 on six index crimes: murder, robbery, assault, burglary, auto theft, and larceny. Rape and arson are not included because rape is almost exclusively a male crime, while statistics for arson have not been consistent for the period studied. A review of the literature on female crime is presented. Percentage differences between males and females were obtained for specific crimes for each year. A regression line was computed for this difference by year. Each line is characterized by R², as a measure of confidence in future predictions and “b” levels to determine slope, and the expected year in which male and female crime will achieve equality if current trends continue. The authors also suggest using the year generated as an index on which to compare growth or decline of female crime.     

The Sociologist as Story Teller: The Broken Foster Care System Used as Mitigation at Criminal Trial

This paper describes the role a sociologist in a capital murder case involving a defendant who was in foster care and adoption for most of his youth. The author of this paper worked as a sociologist/ mitigation expert in this case. The circumstances of his tragic life leading up to and in the foster care system is presented as mitigation. A literature review on the issues surrounding foster care, presented here, was developed and given to all experts and attorneys working on this case. These issues were to be presented whenever appropriate in their testimony or questioning, during both the guilt and penalty phase. The jury found him guilty of two counts of first degree murder; but voted for life during the sentencing phase. The utility of sociology in criminal cases in general is discussed.     

Emotion,Authority, and Death: (Raced) Negotiations in Mock Capital Jury Deliberations

This article explores the role of emotion in the capital penalty‐phase jury deliberations process. It is based on the qualitative analysis of data from ninety video‐recorded four to seven person simulated jury deliberations that examined the influence of race on death sentencing outcomes. The analysis explores when and how emotions are expressed, integrated into the jury's sentencing process, and deployed in penalty‐phase decision making. The findings offer critical new insights into the role that emotion plays in influencing these legal judgments by revealing how jurors strategically and explicitly employ emotion in the course of deliberation, both to support their own positions and neutralize or rebut the opposing positions of others. The findings also shed light on the various ways that white male capital jurors utilize a panoply of powerful emotion‐based tactics to sway others to their position in a manner that often contributes to racially biased outcomes.     

Fibre mapping--a case study.

Fibre mapping, more commonly known as one-to-one taping, was developed in Germany approximately twenty years ago. The technique facilitates the distribution of fibres on a surface to be recorded. The impact of this technique on the investigation of serious crime has been reported in the European Fibre Group on several occasions. This paper represents a case study of the application of the technique. It is believed to be the first time that this technique has been successfully applied in the United Kingdom.     

Categorical Municipal Expenditures with a Focus on the Flypaper Effect

Using data for Wisconsin cities and villages the effects of grants in aid from state government on 10 categories of municipal expenditures are examined. We build on the traditional grants in aid public finance literature by looking for evidence of the flypaper effect. By focusing on the Wisconsin state shared revenues program, a pure grant of considerable size for many Wisconsin municipalities, we offer a clean test of the flypaper effect. We find a positive flypaper effect on 8 of the 10 categorical expenditures. We also find the impact of unconditional grants on categorical expenditures is stronger on nonessential “luxury” goods (e.g., parks and recreation, culture, and educational services) than on essential “normal” municipal goods (e.g., police and fire protection).