Prisons or Problem-Solving: Does the Public Support Specialty Courts?

ABSTRACT

Recently, “problem-solving” courts have been developed as an alternative to imprisonment. They are often called “specialty” courts because they process and divert into treatment programs offenders who are seen as different from the general criminal population, such as those with mental health or drug problems, those who are homeless or veterans, and those who engage in domestic violence. Based on a 2017 national survey of 1,000 respondents, the current study examines overall public support for rehabilitation as a goal of corrections and then focuses specifically on support for different types of specialty courts. The analysis reveals that the American public endorses not only the rehabilitative ideal but also the use of problem-solving courts. Further, with only minimal variation, strong support for these courts appears to exist regardless of political orientation and sociodemographic characteristics.     

美国动产担保交易法与我国动产担保物权立法

美国动产担保交易法引领着动产担保立法的世界潮流,其中所蕴含的概念和方法已被越来越多的国家作为动产担保法制改革的基础.我国物权立法中如何对待美国动产担保交易法的立法经验是我们目前应予面对的一大难点.文章从美国动产担保交易法的制度特色着眼,参照他国的继受经验,提出了我国动产担保物权立法的应有态度.     

Acute myoglobinuria as a fatal complication of heroin addiction

A fatal case of myoglobinuria complicating heroin addiction is described. Clinically the patient had no overt symptoms of rhabdomyolysis. Pathologists should be alerted to this rare complication in heroin addicts who die of no apparent cause. The antimyoglobin immunoperoxidase technique is useful in confirming the diagnosis.     

Roentgen imaging of stab wounds in parenchymatous organs

Stab wounds were made in parenchymatous organs (e.g. liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs) using a variety of instruments. The shape of the resulting canal was investigated by X-ray analysis after introduction of an X-ray contrast medium. The best contrast was obtained using a contrast medium containing barium. The shape of the canal gave a direct representation of the outline of the instrument used. The width of the canal was however, always several millimeters smaller than the corresponding blade of the instrument. The position of the blade back in single-edged blades could be demonstrated with stronger contrast.     

The individuality of fibres used to provide forensic evidence--not all blue polyesters are the same.

Fibres used in forensic casework suffer from a disadvantage common to other forms of trace evidence--it is not possible to state with absolute certainty that they originate from a specific source. Target fibre studies, population studies and research on 'blocks of colour' have effectively demonstrated the polymorphism of textile fibres (particularly man-made ones) and have shown that when a fibre is believed to have a specific putative source, the chance that it has originated from a different source purely by coincidence is extremely remote. A study by Houck MM (Houck MM, Inter-comparison of unrelated fibre evidence. Forensic Science International 2003; 135: 146-149) has shown that no coincidental matching fibres were recovered from items of clothing examined in 20 unrelated crimes. The study involved over two million comparisons. This work goes a step further, and using the example of blue polyester fibres shows that even within a very narrow segment of the whole general fibre population, many examples of a specific colour/type of man-made fibre taken from random sources can be compared and the chance of any two being the same is very low. These studies should help to show the specificity and value of transferred fibres in providing forensic evidence.     

侵犯著作权罪认定若干问题研究

2007年3月17日至18日,由深圳市人民政府、最高人民检察院检察理论研究所、深圳市人民检察院主办的"知识产权与网络刑事法律保护研讨会"在深圳召开,来自刑事法学界、知识产权法学界、司法实务界及企业的二百余人与会。研讨会就知识产权犯罪的立法完善、司法认定、网络犯罪的管辖、虚拟财产的性质等目前学界和实务界普遍关注的问题展开了热烈的讨论。本刊从这次会议中选择了五篇文章和发言,以飨读者。     

法治政府及模型演进

依法治国 ,是我们建设社会主义法治国家的政治方略。要建设法治国家 ,首先就要致力于构建法治政府 ,这既是法治国家的实现手段 ,又是法治国家的重要组成部分。本文从历史的角度回顾了法治政府的相关形态 ,指出了我国进行法治政府建设应该适用的模型     

RACIAL–ETHNIC INTOLERANCE AND SUPPORT FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: A CROSS-NATIONAL COMPARISON*

This article tests cross-nationally the minority group threat thesis that public sentiments toward repressive crime-control policies reflect conflicted racial and ethnic relations. Using multiple data sets representing France, Belgium, the Netherlands, East and West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Denmark, Great Britain, Greece, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Austria, Canada, Ireland, and Portugal, we examine whether racial and ethnic intolerance—animus, resentments, or negative sentiments toward minorities—predicts greater support for the death penalty. Our results reveal that the respondents were significantly more likely to express support for capital punishment if they were racially or ethnically intolerant while controlling for other covariates of public opinion. These findings indicate that the link between support for capital punishment and racial and ethnic animus may occur universally in countries with conflicted racial and ethnic relations.