Stereotypes influence beliefs about transfer and sentencing of juvenile offenders

Despite sharp drops in juvenile crime since the mid-1980s, punitive policies regarding juveniles who commit serious offenses still exist. We assessed beliefs about two such practices: transferring offenders from the juvenile justice to the criminal justice system, and subjecting them to sentences of life without parole (LWOP). We examined whether stereotypes about juvenile offenders – the extent to which people believe they are dispositionally violent superpredators versus economically and socially impoverished wayward youth – influence support for these policies. We measured 321 participants’ beliefs about the causes of juvenile crime and juveniles’ potential for recidivism and rehabilitation. Using vignette methodology and actual case facts, we described a 13-, 17-, or 21-year-old offender who murdered a stranger or abusive parent, and asked whether he should be transferred to criminal court and sentenced to LWOP. As endorsement of the superpredator stereotype increased, so did support for these practices. Offenders who murdered an abusive parent were shown more leniency. Older offenders were generally treated harsher, except by people with strong superpredator stereotypes who, on the issue of LWOP appropriateness, did not distinguish among juveniles of different ages. Findings suggest that stereotypes can influence judgments in cases involving juveniles and indirectly affect policy-making about juvenile offending.     

Modified Shotguns in Turkey from 2006 to 2008

Abstract:  This study investigates the legal status of modified shotguns in Turkey by examining the cases submitted to the Aydın Regional Criminal Laboratory between January 2006 and August 2008. A total of 351 shotguns used in crimes were examined. These guns were evaluated in respect of their type, size, caliber, fitness for use, and legal classification. Eleven percent of these shotguns had been modified and it was found that 55% of the modified shotguns were classified according to law 6136 and qualified as a pistol and 45% were classified according to law 2521 and qualified as nonstandard shotguns. Within the Turkish criminal justice system, a nonstandard shotgun attracts a less stringent sentence than a pistol. It would therefore appear that this sentencing structure is considered when modifying shotguns in Turkey. This is clearly a loop-hole in the legislation that could perhaps be investigated and closed.     

Beyond the dichotomy: Incarceration dosage and mental health*

The findings from a growing body of research reveal that incarceration is detrimental for both physical and mental health. Incarceration, however, is typically conceptualized and operationalized as a dichotomy; individuals either have, or have not, been incarcerated. Considering that incarceration can range from one day to several years, a dichotomous measure may be overlooking important variations across lengths of exposure. In addition, most inmates are incarcerated more than once. In this study, we help to fill this gap by examining the relationship between incarceration dosage, measured as time served and number of spells, and mental health among a sample of young adults from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1997. By using fixed‐effects modeling, we find that the number of spells and the months incarcerated are positively related to mental health symptoms and the likelihood of depression. The association, however, is contingent on whether a respondent is currently or formerly incarcerated. Among current inmates, more time served is expected to improve mental health and the number of spells is unrelated to either outcome.     

White‐tailed Deer as a Taphonomic Agent: Photographic Evidence of White‐tailed Deer Gnawing on Human Bone

Ungulate gnawing on bone has been reported in the taphonomic and zooarchaeological literature, but there are no known reports of ungulates altering human remains. Herein, we report on the first known photographic evidence of deer gnawing human remains. As described in nonhuman scavenging literature, forking of the bone characterizes the taphonomic effect of deer gnawing in this case, which is distinct from the effect caused by other scavengers. This type of osteophagia during the winter season is consistent with previously documented behavior of deer gnawing on nonhuman bone, possibly to obtain minerals absent in their diet. In this study, we briefly discuss the distinguishing features of ungulate gnawing, the reasons for this behavior, and possible confusion with other common types of scavenging and modification. This report contributes to taphonomic literature covering the range of animal interactions with human skeletal remains.     

Depressive Symptomatology and Program Efficacy: Examining a Program to Improve Communication in Community Families

Destructive conflict is linked with adjustment problems over time, putting families at risk even when conflict behaviors have not reached levels of clinical concern. The Family Communication Project (FCP) is a psychoeducational program designed to improve communication in families with adolescent children. The present study examines the role of depression in program efficacy over time. Data were collected across four time points, assessing aspects of marital and family conflict, adolescent emotional security, and depressive symptoms in mothers, fathers, and adolescents. Results indicated improvements in conflict strategies for families who received the psychoeducational program (relative to controls), and point to a role of depressive symptomatology in adolescents in relation to treatment outcomes.     

An Analysis of Forensically Important Insects Associated with Human Remains in Indiana,U.S.A.*

Research documenting insect colonization of human remains is limited in North America, and currently nonexistent for the American Midwest. Such research is essential for forensic entomologists to identify species of research interest in a region. In this study, we collected insects from human remains in 24 cases across Indiana from June 2016 through September 2018. We analyzed species composition across scene type and season. Eight species of blow flies were collected as larvae from human remains, with Phormia regina and Lucilia sericata as the two predominant colonizers. Phormia regina was the most numerous species collected from outdoor scenes (73.6% of total collections) while L. sericata was the most numerous from the indoor scenes (60.4% of total collections). With scene types pooled, Calliphora vicina and Cochliomya macellaria were the predominant species in the fall (55.6% and 42.2%, respectively); P. regina was the dominant colonizer in the spring (68.6%); and P. regina and L. sericata were the predominant colonizers (46.5% and 44.4%, respectively) in the summer. In addition to these findings, we confirmed the first record of Lucilia cuprina colonizing human remains in Indiana having collected this species from three cases. A single adult Chrysomya megacephala was collected from an indoor scene in southern Indiana, which represents its second collection in the state. Beetles belonging to the families Staphylinidae, Silphidae, Histeridae, Cleridae, Trogidae, Dermestdae, and Nitidulidae were also collected from two outdoor scenes. This study provides important baseline data for forensic entomologists in Indiana, as well as surrounding states with similar environments.     

The Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act of 2002: the rise of the voluntary incentive structure and congressional refusal to require pediatric testing

On January 4, 2002, President Bush signed into law the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act, which is the government's most comprehensive legislation regarding pediatric research to date. The Act offers pharmaceutical companies a six-month exclusivity term in return for their agreement to conduct pediatric tests on drugs. It also provides public funding and organizes private funding to help conduct pediatric research on those drugs that pharmaceutical companies opt not to test in children. This Note reviews the history of pediatric research and traces the development of the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act's unique incentive and public funding structure. The Note contends that, while the Act is comprehensive and promotes important pediatric studies, its incentive structure forces consumers and taxpayers to bear the costs of testing pharmaceuticals in children instead of the manufacturers who research, develop, and market those drugs. Congress should consider mandating pediatric studies in any future enactment of the legislation.