Recidivism and Psychiatric Symptom Outcomes in a Juvenile Mental Health Court

Few researchers have examined outcomes in Juvenile Mental Health Courts. Recidivism rates were assessed among 108 predominantly African American (95.3%) youth. Ages ranged from 12 to 18 (M = 15.85, SD = 1.45). Substantially fewer re‐convictions, along with re‐arrests, were exhibited among the treatment group (n = 54) compared to the control group (n = 54) after one year of participation or probation supervision. Psychiatric symptomatology among 21 youth was assessed pre‐ and post‐ intervention using the Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scales‐Self Report. Cohen's d effect sizes indicated substantial reductions in mental health symptoms (.33 ≥ d ≤ .88). Results are consistent with the previous studies of problem‐solving court efficacy.     

Implementing Presidential Policy Agendas Administratively: A View from the Inside

Drawing on his experience in a variety of positions over 40 years, the author details a wide range of variables that are involved in implementing presidential policy, including (1) the nature, origin, and validity of the presidential policy agendas and how they are communicated; (2) the background, experience, and relationships of the appointee; (3) the internal agency context; and (4) the larger political and social context. The author concludes that the large number of variables makes it very difficult—if not impossible—to produce a coherent, useful set of guidelines for appointees that will have utility across the board. Rather, implementation often requires individually nuanced responses. At the same time, the author concludes that the documented experiences of appointees in similar circumstances can serve as useful reference points for the future.     

Juvenile Drug Court Program Admission,Demeanor and Cherry-Picking: A Research Note

The influence of demeanor in criminal justice research has predominantly centered on arrest and sanctioning outcomes. This study examines demeanor at the juncture of juvenile drug court admission by attributing behavior perceived to be favorable or unfavorable to program compliance and success to either juveniles or their parents/guardians. Analysis of 76 juvenile drug court case files enabled examination of how parent and child demeanor impacts specialty court admission. Findings suggest that program admittance (i.e., system leniency through diversion) is largely a function of projected attitude and behavior during screening interviews, but selection decisions are made irrespective of demeanor source. Implications of the findings for drug court processes and continued system involvement are discussed.     

In Defense of Asbestos Tort Litigation: Rethinking Legal Process Analysis in a World of Uncertainty, Second Bests, and Shared Policy-Making Responsibility

A central question in American policy making is when should courts address complex policy issues, as opposed to defer to other forums? Legal process analysis offers a standard answer. It holds that judges should act when adjudication offers advantages over other modes of social ordering such as contracts, legislation, or agency rule making. From this vantage, the decision to use common law adjudication to address a sprawling public health crisis was a terrible mistake, as asbestos litigation has come to represent the very worst of mass tort litigation. This article questions this view, arguing that legal process analysis distorts the institutional choices underlying the American policy‐making process. Indeed, once one considers informational and political constraints, as well as how the branches of government can fruitfully share policy‐making functions, the asbestos litigation seems a reasonable and, in some ways, exemplary, use of judicial power.     

Forensic Assessment of Adults Reporting Childhood Sexualized Assault: Risk,Resilience, and Impacts

Though childhood sexualized assault (CSA) increases risk for varied psychological difficulties, no single condition, syndrome, or set of difficulties is reliably associated with such experiences. CSA likely disrupts or impairs normal development in complex ways that depend on the risk and resilience factors present before, during, and after CSA. CSA characteristics that increase risk for later difficulties include young age, trauma inflicted by another person, number of occurrences, violence or intrusiveness, betrayal of trust, adverse peri-traumatic reactions, negative reactions from others following disclosure, and a context of previous sexualized assault or maltreatment. Resilience increases with positive self-esteem, better intellectual functioning, good self-control, positive social support, and early therapeutic intervention. CSA is associated with impaired psychological development, mental health disorders, behavioural and relationship difficulties, physical health problems, reduced intellectual function, lower educational achievement, lower occupational attainment, and reduced lifetime income. Any particular difficulty may be problematic in its own right and may also contribute to other difficulties in the interlocking domains of individual abilities and attributes, relationships, and significant life activities. In individual forensic assessment cases, general evidence on CSA risk/resilience and impacts can be used in combination with the lifespan developmental analysis (Barnes & Josefowitz, Psychological Injury and Law, 2014), to determine whether and how CSA contributed to psychological injuries.     

Carrying the misery to adulthood: the impact of childhood sexual abuse on adulthood impulse control through depression and suicidal thoughts

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has been linked to a wide range of negative outcomes, including the development of low impulse control in adulthood. Because previous studies have identified impulsivity as a robust predictor of antisocial and criminal behaviors, CSA may be an important early-in-life risk factor to consider. But the pathway between CSA and impulsivity is not well understood. Research suggests CSA is an important predictor of various forms of psychopathology, such as depression and suicidal thoughts. Pulling this all together, we investigated the possibility that CSA impacts depression and suicidal thoughts and that those experiences go on to affect the development and manifestation of impulse control in adulthood. We drew on a nationally representative sample of adolescents and adults (Add Health) to test the pathways by which CSA might affect impulse control. We found that CSA negatively influences impulse control, and that depression and suicidal thoughts may mediate this relationship. Our findings highlight the importance of trauma-oriented interventions for survivors of CSA – on top of their other benefits, such interventions may have an influence on the development of impulse control later in life.     

Exploring the Social and Individual Differences Among Victims,Offenders, Victim-Offenders,and Total Abstainers

An emerging line of research has begun to reveal that victims of crime share many characteristics with offenders, leading to the conclusion that the victim-offender overlap is quite substantial. Though research suggests victims and offenders are both likely to display signs of low self-control and to share certain lifestyle factors, few studies have sought to systematically analyze the various factors that converge (or diverge) across different groups: victims, offenders, victim-offenders, and total abstainers. Using data obtained from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), we examined the risk factors associated with being classified into each of the four groups. Results revealed that victim-offenders—compared to others—tended to have the highest scores on risk factors for victimization and offending. Conversely, total abstainers tended to score the lowest on measures considered risk factors. Respondents classified as victim only and those classified as offender only were positioned somewhere between victim-offenders and total abstainers in terms of their level of exposure to risk factors. These findings may indicate that victim-offenders are a statistical group in need of greater attention, especially given the benefits that could extend to the broader population if successful outcomes through intervention were realized.     

Imaging electrostatic fingerprints with implications for a forensic timeline

The electrical charge deposited by contact electrification due to a finger touching a thin insulating surface is imaged using an electric field microscopy system. It is based on an ultrahigh impedance electric potential sensor used as a non-contact raster scanning probe to measure surface charge density with a spatial resolution of up to 5 μm. Preliminary results are presented which yield two principle findings. First, they indicate that the spatial resolution of the fingerprint image is sufficient for identification purposes. Secondly, that the decay of the surface charge may be considered as a candidate method for the dating or sequencing of these electrical charge fingerprints. The decay of surface charge with time is well defined, largely material dependent, and may take many days. This intrinsic decay rate for the material may be quantified using the charge imaging system described in this paper and a known test charge. The measurement technique described is non-destructive, may be repeated without degradation of the sample, and does not preclude the subsequent use of other techniques such as DNA analysis or conventional latent fingerprint development.     

Differentiating fragmented human and nonhuman long bone using osteon circularity

Distinguishing between human and nonhuman bone is important in forensic anthropology and archeology when remains are fragmentary and DNA cannot be obtained. Histological examination of bone is affordable and practical in such situations. This study suggests using osteon circularity to distinguish human bone fragments and hypothesizes that osteons will more closely resemble a perfect circle in nonhumans than in humans. Standard histological methods were used, and circularity was determined using an image analysis program, where circularity was controlled for by Haversian canal measurements. Homogeneity was first tested for multiple variables within human and nonhuman samples. No significant differences were found between human sexes (p = 0.657) or among nonhuman species (p = 0.553). Significant differences were found among intraskeletal elements of both humans (p = 0.016) and nonhumans (p = 0.013) and between pooled samples of humans and nonhumans (p < 0.001). Results of this study indicate that osteon circularity can be used to distinguish between fragmented human and nonhuman long bone.