Sexually violent predators and civil commitment: is selection evidence based?

Sexual offenses represent an alarming proportion of crimes committed yearly. To address these concerns, several states, including South Carolina (SC), have enacted laws requiring sexually violent predators (SVPs) to be civilly committed to treatment. To date, no published study has examined sexual offenders recommended for treatment in SC. This study used a specially designed statewide database (SC-SVP research database) to determine which offender and offense characteristics were associated with increased likelihood of being recommended for civil commitment. Factors correlated with being more likely to be recommended included: being of a younger age at time of evaluation, prior sex convictions, having related and unrelated victims, a higher number of victims, frequent substance use, and a history of suicide attempts. Prior sex convictions, having both related and non-related victims, and a higher total number of victims align with characteristics associated with sexual recidivism. Frequent substance abuse and a history of suicide attempts do not mirror previous findings regarding sexual recidivism. These findings present new information regarding the civil commitment process of offenders being committed to the SC-SVP treatment program, characterize types of offenders committed to SC-SVP treatment program, and provide a foundation for using a computerized database in conducting sex offender research.     

Mental Capacity Act,Anorexia Nervosa and the Choice Between Life‐Prolonging Treatment and Palliative Care: A NHS Foundation Trust v Ms X

The Court of Protection decided in A NHS Foundation Trust v Ms X that an anorexia nervosa patient lacked the capacity to refuse treatment for her eating disorder, but that it was not in her best‐interests to be subject to force‐feeding to prolong her life. The Court, vindicating previous judgments in similar cases, considered that the eating disorder rendered the patient incapable of deciding on nutrition and, therefore, that she lacked the capacity to refuse treatment for anorexia nervosa. This paper questions the narrow way in which the patient's decision was characterised by the Court in this and previous cases, which led to an application of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 that is incompatible with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities because, based on a diagnosis only, anorexia nervosa patients were denied the right to decide where the balance lies between quality and duration of their own lives.     

Differences in Handwritings of Schizophrenia Patients and Examination of the Change after Treatment

The aim of this study was to analyze the differences between the handwritings of schizophrenia patients and healthy subjects in addition to the changes that occurred in schizophrenia patients' handwriting in response to the treatment. The test subjects were 29 schizophrenia patients and 29 healthy individuals with the same age, gender, and dominant hand. The changes in the handwritings were examined according to 14 different parameters. On the day of admittance, the percentage of extra letters was 16.7%, and after 7–10 days of hospitalization, it rose to 33.3%. The percentage of skipped words decreased from 29.2% to 16.7% after 7–10 days of hospitalization, and to 10% after 3 weeks. The letters written by schizophrenia patients are significantly larger in height and width compared to the control group. The schizophrenia patients showed a higher incidence of crossed-out letters, adding extra words, missing punctuation as well as missing words.     

ESTIMATING INTERVENTION EFFECTS IN VARYING RISK SETTINGS: DO POLICE RAIDS REDUCE ILLEGAL DRUG DEALING AT NUISANCE BARS?*

This paper investigates the effectiveness of police raids in reducing drug dealing in and around nuisance bars. We examine effects of both dosage (number of raids) and duration (months) of the intervention, as well as the conditioning effects of land use and population characteristics in shaping the underlying risk levels of drug dealing in the target and surrounding areas. Results indicate that the police intervention suppresses levels of drug dealing during periods of active enforcement, but the effects largely disappear when the intervention is withdrawn. Also, the effects of the intervention are mediated by risk characteristics in target and surrounding areas. Target areas characterized by higher levels of risk are more resistant to intervention effects than those with lower levels of risk. Risk factors in nearby areas are also significant. Bars with high levels of risk arising from land uses in surrounding areas are easier to treat, while bars with high levels of population‐based risk in surrounding areas are harder to treat.     

不同时程吗啡依赖大鼠依赖相关脑区光镜和电镜观察

目的探讨吗啡依赖中枢神经系统毒理病理不同时程的变化。方法背部皮下递增注射吗啡建立吗啡依赖大鼠模型,光镜和透射电镜下观察不同时程大鼠吗啡依赖相关脑区,即蓝斑核、中脑导水管周围灰质、黑质、豆状核、杏仁核、海马的病理组织学变化,并对突触进行计数,比较与空白对照组的差异。结果吗啡依赖大鼠6个依赖相关脑区均出现神经细胞固缩或肿胀,神经纤维肿胀,线粒体肿胀、畸形,内质网扩张,多聚核糖体解聚,突触数量增多;胶质细胞、脑膜下淋巴细胞增多,随依赖时间的延长而更加显著,并可见胶质结节形成。吗啡依赖8周组、4周组, 大鼠突触数量较空白对照组增多,其差异具有非常显著性意义(P<0．01);吗啡依赖8周组大鼠突触数量的增多,与吗啡依赖1周组、2周组大鼠比较,其差异具有非常显著性意义(P<0．01)。结论吗啡依赖大鼠依赖相关脑区神经细胞呈缺血缺氧性及退行性改变,突触数量增多,并随吗啡依赖时限的延长而明显。     

建立农村大病统筹医疗保险模式的可行性分析

我国农村的大部分地区经济发展水平较低,农民对医疗保险的缴费能力较低,且难以负担高昂的住院费用。实行大病统筹医疗保险模式,比较适合目前农村的经济发展现状。     

关于促进私营企业发展的若干法律建议

私营企业为社会主义初级阶段的经济发展作出了巨大贡献.由于历史原因形成的对所有制划分思路,限制了法律对私营经济的保障和促进作用.为了保护、扶持、引导私营企业的发展,还极需健全、完善、调整私营企业法律规范,确认私营经济的法律地位和平等发展权力,为私营经济发展提供更广阔的空间.     

贩毒案件的侦查程序和方法

毒品犯罪案件是一类特殊的刑事案件。其中贩毒案件也应当依照刑事案件的办理程序,依法采取规定的强制措施进行侦破,但具体操作中也有其特殊性。