Self-reports of Police Speeding Stops by Race: Results from the North Carolina Reverse Record Check Survey

Survey reports of police stops and driving behavior are a potential methodology for examining the magnitude and prevalence of the “Driving While Black” phenomena. However, estimates of the magnitude or correlates of racial disparity in police stops from self-reported survey data are potentially compromised if the accuracy of self-reports of police stops and driving behavior differ by race. We report on the results of a reverse record check survey in which we directly assess the degree and consequences of differences by race in self-reports of police stops. In our sample of drivers who had been cited for speeding in the preceding year, we found that 77% of the White respondents and 71% of the African American respondents admitted to being stopped. While both groups underreport stops, African Americans do so at a higher rate. This finding is consistent with many past studies which report stronger social desirability effects on survey responses among African Americans. Thus, survey data will tend to underestimate the magnitude of the “Driving While Black” phenomena.

Solving certain dental records problems with technology--the Canadian solution in the Thailand tsunami response

Each natural or man-made disaster presents a different set of circumstances and, as a consequence, each event results in new challenges for response teams. The very large number of deceased victims in recent tragic events is certainly one of the enormous challenges that can tax many different resources for identification specialists. But there are other significant challenges. And during the response, some of these seem insurmountable. They can be solved if we embrace technologies outside the customary disciplines. The Canadian identification effort following the December 2004 tsunami involved responders from several disciplines. Each discipline faced challenges in many different and special areas that were difficult and in some cases previously unseen. This paper presents examples of the ways the Canadian identification team used Internet technology to solve problems that were encountered when it became necessary to duplicate victims' dental, medical and personal records, and transport these records halfway around the world. Digital images of the records were saved at high resolution in multi-page PDF files. These images were made available to on-site personnel using an encrypted, password-secured website.     

Methamphetamine use, self-reported violent crime, and recidivism among offenders in California who abuse substances

This study uses data from 641 state prison parolees in California to examine the associations between methamphetamine use and three measures of criminal behavior: (a) self-reported violent criminal behavior, (b) return to prison for a violent offense, and (c) return to prison for any reason during the first 12 months of parole. Methamphetamine use was significantly predictive of self-reported violent criminal behavior and general recidivism (i.e., a return to custody for any reason). However, methamphetamine use was not significantly predictive of being returned to custody for a violent offense. These trends remained even after controlling for involvement in the drug trade (i.e., sales, distribution, or manufacturing).     

Ethical, professional and legal regulation of medical practice

Moral or ethical codes of practice represent one of the oldest forms of medical regulation. Legislation such as the Medical Practice Act 1992 (NSW) enables regulatory bodies to create codes of practice for medical practitioners. Such codes can become an important aspect of disciplinary proceedings by providing the yardstick against which practitioners' conduct is evaluated. An important aspect of the New South Wales Board's Code of Professional Conduct 2005 is the obligation for doctors to report adverse events which reflect on the performance or conduct of colleagues. This is part of an increasing impetus to report adverse events in the interest of public safety. In the long- term this is a constructive development as it is likely to lead to improvements in identification of risks and hazards and thereby to result in better service provision and community health.