Religious apostasy and political radicalism

The affirmation of radical left political ideology was examined among a total of 159 religious apostates and 272 religious believers who were undergraduates at five Chicago area colleges (study I) and seven western North Carolina colleges (study II). Contrary to current assumptions, apostates were not converts to radical ideology in any significant proportion, although they were clearly more disenchanted with their society and more sharply critical of its basic institutions. Apostates seem to take an ideological stance of critical disengagement rather than substitute conversion. Implications are discussed in the context of Erikson's theory interrelating ideological commitment and identity formation in youth.Study I was part of a doctoral dissertation by the first author at The University of Chicago.Received his B.A. from Stanford University, M.A. from Brandeis University, and Ph.D. from the Committee on Human Development, University of Chicago (1971). Main research interest is in the developmental psychology of religious faith and doubt.Received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Chicago and his Ph.D. from the Committee on Human Development, University of Chicago. Main research interest is in the psychology of professions.     

Parole decision-making: A salient factor score

Although considerable effort during the past thirty years has been devoted to the attempted construction of actuarial aids for parole selection, such devices have not generally been adopted by paroling agencies for operational use. One recent exception is the United States Board of Parole which has commenced usage of an actuarial device, termed a “salient factor score,” as a risk assessment aid in conjunction with explicit parole decision-making guidelines. This paper describes the construction, validation, and operational usage of this device.     

Deconstructing jurisprudence: An experiential feminist critique

Feminist legal scholars continue to raise questions concerning the nature of jurisprudence in its treatment of women. Central to this debate are issues of knowledge, truth, and power founded on the patriarchal code of justice. This article argues that the essentialism of the masculine system alone is entirely inadequate in speaking for the voice of women and/or for the feminine in consciousness. By disrupting Freudian and Lacanian constructions of female sexuality through a psycho-linguistic analysis, these insights are then applied to the works of both Carol Gilligan and Catharine MacKinnon. In doing so, it is discovered that an uncultivated feminine discourse is grounded in experience, gatherings, consciousness-raising, and interpersonal truth. Constituting an unadulterated code of feminine justice requires a return to imaginative discourse; a process whereby metaphors, symbols, and myths for and about women are re-constituted and freed from misogynous language and culture.     

An argument for self-imposed explicit judicial sentencing standards

Despite considerable attention, unwarranted disparity in sentencing remains a major and pervasive criminal justice problem. In this paper the argument is made that the most appropriate remedy lies not in an attempt to eliminate judicial sentencing discretion, but rather through the development and articulation of explicit sentencing standards or guidelines. Building upon the experience gained in a recent study with the United States Board of Parole, a model is put forth for the development and articulation of sentencing policy on a district or circuit basis that could be applied to structure and control discretion without removing individual case consideration.     

The will to win: Determinants of public support for the drug war in Belize

The premise of this paper is that the drug war cannot be won without the public's full commitment. Based on a random sample of households (n=532) in Belize City, public attitudes are analyzed to assess the degree of support for drug enforcement. The findings show strong support for drug education as well as for increasing criminal sanctions and the size of the police force. Support fades, however, as drug enforcement is militarized. The significant determinants of public support are education, gender, attitudes toward the police, fear of property crime, and neighborhood crime prevalence. The paper closes by offering two concrete ways to build public support for drug enforcement.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, March 1991.     

Rural Community Responses to a National Mandate: An Assessment of Floodplain Land-Use Management

Rural governments face a difficult task in complying with theNational Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which requires detailedplanning, land use ordinances, and effective enforcement provisionsto reduce flood losses. This study analyzes responses from anational sample of officials in 852 nonmetropolitan NFIP communitiesand flood management officials in all fifty state governments.Rural officials perceive their overall floodplain managementprograms to be relatively effective in protecting future developmentbut less effective in protecting existing structures. Whileflood hazard mitigation is not a high priority in rural government,the national program appears to have spurred local activity.State assistance in developing local regulations and providinginformation is correlated with rural officials' perceptionsof meeting NFIP goals. Programs rated most effective are incommunities with local regulations in force, although technicalproblems and local political opposition are widely acknowledgedas obstacles to the development of land use measures.