Prevalence of probable attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in inmates and its relationship with recidivism

The aim of the current study was to determine the prevalence of probable attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in prisoners and to assess the relationship between ADHD and recidivism. We studied 356 inmates, who were evaluated using the Wender Utah Rating Scale and Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale. Type of crime and other crime-related data were compared between inmates with and without ADHD. The group with probable ADHD had a higher average number of convictions compared to the group without ADHD. The probable ADHD group also demonstrated higher incidence of extortion crime, drug trade, disciplinary action at school, and military service than the group without ADHD. Linear regression analysis revealed that the presence of probable ADHD was effective on the number of convictions. The findings of our study support that the presence of probable ADHD carries a potential risk of being prone to certain crimes and demonstrate a correlation between the presence of probable ADHD and early involvement in crime and the number of convictions.     

关于构建监外执行罪犯防控机制的思考

对监外执行罪犯的防控是构建和谐社会的现实需要。在当前的司法实践中,罪犯监外执行工作仍然存在一些问题,为此,应当通过完善立法、规范监外罪犯交付环节、加强督察等方式构建与完善监外执行罪犯防控机制。     

Forecasting Dangerous Inmate Misconduct: An Application of Ensemble Statistical Procedures

In this paper, we attempt to forecast which prison inmates are likely to engage in very serious misconduct while incarcerated. Such misconduct would usually be a major felony if committed outside of prison: drug trafficking, assault, rape, attempted murder and other crimes. The binary response variable is problematic because it is highly unbalanced. Using data from nearly 10,000 inmates held in facilities operated by the California Department of Corrections, we show that several popular classification procedures do no better than the marginal distribution unless the data are weighted in a fashion that compensates for the lack of balance. Then, random forests performs reasonably well, and better than CART or logistic regression. Although less than 3% of the inmates studied over 24 months were reported for very serious misconduct, we are able to correctly forecast such behavior about half the time.

THE REPRODUCTIVE AND PARENTAL RIGHTS OF INCARCERATED MOTHERS

Acknowledging the explosive growth in the number of incarcerated women in the United States, this Note critically examines the current treatment of mothers and expectant mothers in the U.S. prison system. This Note highlights the severe inadequacy of current prison policies and accompanying maltreatment of incarcerated women and their children, especially with regard to the frequent separation of mothers from their children and the poor health care available to expectant mothers. The damage inflicted by current prison policies must be comprehensively redressed through the creation of prison nursery programs, halfway houses, the provision of optimal prenatal care, and the elimination of the draconian practice of shackling pregnant women. Such reforms will not only benefit incarcerated women and their children, but will also deter recidivism and promote the welfare of the community at large.     

Assertions of “Future Dangerousness” at Federal Capital Sentencing: Rates and Correlates of Subsequent Prison Misconduct and Violence

The federal prison disciplinary records of federal capital inmates (n=145) who were sentenced to life without possibility of release (LWOP) by plea bargain, pre-sentencing withdrawal of the death penalty, or jury determination were retrospectively reviewed (M=6.17 years post-admission). Disaggregated prevalence rates were inversely related to infraction severity: serious infraction =0.324, assaultive infraction =0.207, serious assault =0.09, assault with moderate injury =0.007, assault with major injuries or death =0.00. Frequency rates of misconduct were equivalent to other high-security federal inmates (n=18,561), regardless of infraction severity. Government assertions of "future dangerousness" as a nonstatutory aggravating factor were not predictive of prison misconduct. These findings inform federal capital risk assessments and have public policy implications for procedural reliability in death penalty prosecutions.     

论监狱法的修改

随着我国社会形势的发展变化 ,1994年 12月颁布实施的《监狱法》的一些规定已不适应现实社会的要求。刑事法律一体化要求各部门法应具有同等的法律地位、具有相适应的规模、内容协调一致。而现行的《监狱法》存在着权威性、规范性和操作性不强等问题。文章通过对上述问题的分析 ,探讨了修改《监狱法》的必要性。     

近十年我国社区服刑人员心理健康状况的元分析

为全面反映近十年我国社区服刑人员的心理健康水平,搜索中国学术期刊网全文数据库,根据文献的筛选和剔除标准,共选入8篇包括703名研究对象的SCL-90的研究成果,对其进行了元分析,并使用Review Manger 5.3进行数据处理。结果表明,仅有躯体化及精神病性两个因子的合并效应量(分别为0.14,p=0.005和0.12,p=0.02)与中国正常人常模相比有显著差异,但合并效应量均落在小效应范围内,且其余7个因子的合并效应量与全国常模相比均无明显差异。可见社区服刑人员并非心理健康的异常群体,他们的心理健康状况基本与常人相同。