The Effect of Racial Inequality on Black Male Recidivism

Macrostructural opportunity theorists posit that the unequal distribution of economic resources across racial groups promotes animosities among disadvantaged minorities, disrupts community integration, and fosters criminal activity. Guided by this framework, we hypothesize that Black ex‐prisoners who reenter communities with high levels of racial inequality are more likely to commit new crimes. Support for this argument is found for a large group of males (N = 34,868) released from state prisons to 62 counties in Florida over a 2‐year period. We also find evidence that racial inequality amplifies the adverse effects of person‐level risk factors on recidivism for Black ex‐inmates. In comparison, the effect of inequality on White male recidivism is far less meaningful. These findings underscore the need for researchers to consider social context when studying recidivism among Black males, and also support the efforts of correctional reformers who advocate for state resources to assist prisoner reentry.     

A Hero’s Welcome? Exploring the Prevalence and Problems of Military Veterans in the Arrestee Population

The potential for veterans to end up in the criminal justice system as a result of physical and psychological problems that may be combat‐related has generated much interest, illustrated most recently by the development of specialized veterans’ courts. However, little is known about how often veterans are arrested and incarcerated, the nature of their problems, or the extent to which their military service has contributed to their criminality. Using interview data from 2,102 arrestees booked in Maricopa County (AZ) during 2009, this paper examines the problems and prior experiences of arrested military veterans and compares veteran and non‐veteran arrestees along a range of measures. Results indicate that veterans comprise 6.3% of the arrestee population, and that more than 50% of veterans report suffering from at least one combat‐related problem including physical injury, post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other mental health problems, and substance abuse. Multivariate analysis indicates that veteran arrestees differ from non‐veterans on a number of key measures, most notably more frequent arrests for violent offenses and greater use of crack cocaine and opiates. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for the potential link between military service and criminality as well as for criminal justice policy and practice.     

Examining Police Effectiveness as a Precursor to Legitimacy and Cooperation with Police

Numerous studies by Tyler and colleagues, as well as other scholars, support a normative, process model to account for variation in the public’s cooperation with police in the USA and other developed nations. However, a recent study in Ghana suggests that in developing countries fraught with high levels of violent crime and corruption, cooperation may instead be accounted for by a utilitarian, rational-choice model. Our study examines whether public cooperation with police in the developing nation of Trinidad and Tobago is associated with the process model or rational-choice model. Using in-person structured interviews with residents, we examined whether victims’ decisions to report to police were related to individuals’ perceptions about police effectiveness or police legitimacy. We found support for the process model. We discuss possible explanations for the divergence with Tankebe’s research in Ghana and suggest avenues for future research.     

德日犯罪论的中国命运考量

德日犯罪论第一次进入我国的时候,由于种种原因,并未引起任何反响。再次面对德日犯罪论,刑法学界已经由赞叹走向对该理论的反思。这一反思主要从两个向度上展开：理论自身和方法论。德日犯罪论所具有的外在不稳定性,表明该理论还在发展,其内在的缺陷,显示出该理论仍需完善。而仅仅运用哲学方法对它进行研究也存在一定的问题。德日犯罪论的中国命运不容乐观。     

新生代农民工犯罪生存空间之考察——以社会不公平竞争为视角

2010年2月1日,中央一号文件首次明确提出"新生代农民工"的概念,旨在当今现实条件下努力促进新生代农民工的市民化。改革开放至今,农民工已步入第二代,即"新生代农民工",他们在促进城市经济发展过程中发挥了重要作用,但新生代农民工犯罪问题也成了社会的顽疾。本文在研究这一群体特点、犯罪情况的基础上,从社会根源、社会原因以及个人因素等方面进行综合分析,在社会不公平竞争视角下对新生代农民工犯罪生存空间进行探索,研究不公平竞争与其犯罪的关联,以期发展三元协调促进的防控理论,并寻求消除不公平竞争机制,铲除新生代农民工犯罪土壤的对策。     

环境犯罪证明方法研究

环境犯罪行为迥异于一般的犯罪行为,尤其是对于污染型环境犯罪行为,确定犯罪行为与损害结果之间的因果关系相当困难。对此,国外产生了推定因果关系存在的各种理论与学说。我国现行法律规定的犯罪证明方法在环境犯罪的认定上存在着缺陷,针对我国环境犯罪案发率高但因果关系证明难度大这一现实矛盾,有必要借鉴国外相关立法,对环境犯罪适用的因果关系确定推定方法,以彰显刑法对环境资源、人身权及财产权的保护功能,实现人类社会的可持续发展。     

论违规披露、不披露重要信息罪的可能性失灵——以收益权凭证交易为例证

信息披露制度是金融监管法律制度的核心内容,需要刑法保护。为确保刑法调整信息披露制度的有效性,"违规披露、不披露重要信息罪"在原《刑法》条文的基础上,对主体、客观行为和行为结果都进行了修订完善。新的金融产品的出现使"违规披露、不披露重要信息罪"出现了漏洞,面临可能性失灵的现实问题,收益权凭证交易这一新型合成型资产证券化产品就是例证。创新资产证券化产品,监管部门要依据其交易特征,出台相应监管规则,注重完善信息披露制度,防止"违规披露、不披露重要信息罪"的可能性失灵。     

食品安全犯罪的对象研究

《刑法》中界定食品的概念应当以《食品安全法》为法律依据,两者在范围上应当保持一致。食品添加剂从食品功能拓展的角度来看,应当属于食品原料。"食品安全"的内涵需要从"无毒无害"、"符合应当有的营养要求"以及"不造成任何形式的危害"三个方面加以认定,缺少其中任何一项的就属于"不符合食品安全标准的食品"。而"有毒有害的食品"的认定应当以"毒害性"作为具体的判断标准,对象是否属于"非食品原料"不能作为否定罪名成立的消极条件。     

弱势地位下的农民工犯罪问题探析

城市农民工是城市中的特殊群体,他们在城市发展中扮演着非常重要的角色,但由于受制度歧视,社会保障机制不完善,导致出现农民工犯罪问题。本文从构建和谐社会的角度思考农民工犯罪问题,通过对弱势群体的农民工生存状态的关注,剖析引发农民工犯罪的主要原因,从社会、政府等角度来思考预防农民工犯罪的对策,以维护社会稳定,构建社会主义和谐社会。     

《唐律疏议》有关女性犯罪规定的梳理

在古代的法典中,有许多关于女性犯罪的法律规定,从中我们可以看出古代法律的性别观念以及女性的法律地位。本文主要就《唐律疏议》中涉及女性犯罪的罪名、刑罚及优恤的制度作了梳理与介绍,以从制度角度了解唐代妇女的法律地位。