An experimental evaluation of a nationally recognized employment-focused offender reentry program

Objectives

The need for re-entry assistance is widely acknowledged, but specifics about what services actually lead to reduced recidivism are hard to find—at least among rigorous studies. This is a critical issue: at a time when there appears to be unprecedented support for expanding rehabilitative programs for offenders, there is a dearth of rigorously vetted program options from which to choose.

Methods

Collaborating with a nationally known employment-focused reentry program in Southern California, the authors compared employment, housing, and recidivism outcomes of reentering offenders (n?=?217) who were either randomized into the program or simply provided with a list of community resources. This approach was possible because the number of applicants at the time exceeded program capacity. Outcomes were based on self-report interviews conducted 1-year post-randomization and arrest records reflecting a 2-year follow-up period. The follow-up rate for interviews was 87 %.

Results

No significant differences were found for any of the between-group comparisons on any of the major intervention outcomes.

Conclusions

Findings from the study suggest a greater need to apply randomized designs to more carefully evaluate current reentry efforts. Methodological challenges of field experiments are also discussed.     

Alcohol and Domestic Violence: A Cross-Over Study in Residences of Individuals in Brazil

The objective of this study was to investigate psychological or physical violence associated with the use of alcohol, in residences of individuals in Brazil and, also describe the social characteristics of aggressors and victims. Therefore, this study expects to contribute to studies in Brazil that seek to clarify the relations between alcohol and violence in residences. A total of 454 respondents, 12–65 years old, were assessed, they were sorted by the Kish method, and the residences randomly. The SAMHSA questionnaire was utilized after translated and adapted to Brazilian conditions. 26% of the individuals reported psychological violence, and 16% reported physical violence. The study’s main results set the differences in the reports for physical violence (OR 7, 95% CI: 4–13) and psychological violence (OR 5, 95% CI: 3–8) in residences where someone arrived or became intoxicated with alcohol (P < 0.05). 50% of the aggressors were under the effects of alcohol, and 77% of the victims were relatives of their aggressors. Acts of violence are not necessarily associated with alcohol consumption. Men and women reported acts of domestic violence; psychological violence was the most prevalent form. Men are currently the primary aggressors, while women are primarily the victims     

跨国追逃中遣返法律困境及其应对措施研究

外逃人员潜逃国外时往往也会违反目的地国的移民法或者因为在我国的犯罪行为而不符合入境条件面临被遣返的问题。非法移民遣返作为一种引渡替代措施在跨国追逃中发挥着重要作用,但其遣返措施也面临着一些困难,如外逃人员可能会利用难民申请、遣返前风险评估等行政或司法救济手段逃避遣返。此外,遣返中我国还面临中外法律制度的差异导致的证据效力不足、量刑承诺的法律依据不足、遣返目的地不确定等问题。对此,我们应该积极配合有关国家向其提供外逃人员的犯罪证据、申请国际刑警组织发布红色通报、宣布外逃人员护照作废、综合运用跨国追逃追赃措施,以促成外逃人员依法被遣返回国。     

Woman pullers: pimping and sex trafficking in a Mexican Border City

Much has been written about sex trafficking in the past decade, although empirical studies have remained few. Even less research has been done on those who make a living by facilitating the movement of women and children in the sex industry. This paper is based on a three-year study in Tijuana, Mexico, in which 92 sex trade facilitators were interviewed. Findings suggest a far more complex social process than portrayed by the anti-trafficking literature. Men and women of diverse backgrounds developed niches in Tijuana’s sex industry, by bringing women into contact with customers. This business appeared to be dominated by Mexican entrepreneurs, with no evidence of any systematic collaborations with either local criminal organizations or foreign traffickers. There appeared to be no shortage of women willing to work in the sex industry, suggesting limited prospect for coerced prostitution. Still, a small number of pimps reported using “persuasion” to recruit women of particular types from interior Mexico. Commissions or referral fees were the most common form of income received by pimps for their services, and the rules on how money was to be made and split between sex workers and venue owners appeared well established. While a few respondents could sustain a livelihood through pimping, the majority held other jobs.     

论生态文明视野下环境利益的法律保障

在生态文明社会背景下,环境利益亟待纳入法律保障范围,以确保人类社会的可持续发展。而若想实现对环境利益的全面保障,有赖于整个法律体系即宪法、环境法以及其他传统部门法的有效的分工、配合,其中环境法是以保障环境利益为其根本追求的独立的部门法。为法律所保障的环境利益分为强保障环境利益与弱保障环境利益,构建生态文明社会既要关注环境权利、环境权力以及相应的环境义务对强保障环境利益的保障,也要关注对弱保障环境利益保障机制的研究。