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Symbolic Politics, Criminal Justice Policy, and Third Political Party Platforms

Marion, N. E., Oliver, W. M. — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:33:55 PST

The theory of symbolic politics, which posits that political acts are viewed as symbols conveying a political meaning that are an end unto themselves, is used to examine the elements of criminal justice policy in third political party platforms. It is hypothesized that third political parties use their political platforms to make symbolic, rather than substantive, statements. Data were collected from a variety of sources presenting third party platforms to assess the political language used from 1872 to 2004. A content analysis of these platforms offers some support for the use of symbolic language by third political parties.

A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing or a Wolf in Sheep's Clothing? Ohio Sex Offender Registration and the Role of Science

Gentry Sperber, K., Lowenkamp, C. T., Carter, D. E., Allman, R. — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:02:06 PST

Many sex offender registration and notification procedures use an assignment process that places offenders into a lower, middle, or upper tier. This implies that the offenders on the lowest tier pose less risk than those on the highest tier; yet empirical testing of this assumption is lacking. As a first step to determining whether this approach correctly identifies the dangerousness of sex offenders, this study seeks to determine whether there is a statistically significant relationship between a sex offender’s probability of reoffending and his registration and notification assignment in an Ohio sample of male sex offenders. Chi-square results showed no significant relationship between a sex offender’s probability of reoffending and his registration and notification assignment. Regression results demonstrated only two variables to be predictive of registration assignment—prior sex offenses and current first degree felony offense— while other variables shown to be correlated to sex offending were not predictive of registration assignment.

Repeat Victimization: A Study of Auto Theft in Atlantic City Using the WALLS Variables to Measure Environmental Indicators

Levy, M. P., Tartaro, C. — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:02:06 PST

The study of the repeat victimization phenomenon is at the forefront of research in environmental criminology and situational crime prevention (SCP). This study utilizes a unique approach in that it compares data collected at two points in time as well as locations that experienced only one auto theft to those that experienced more than one. Five variables were measured at both points in time using the Watchers, Activity Nodes, Location, Lighting and Security indices (WALLS). Independent samples ttests were conducted for the WALLS variables while comparing data from 2004-2005 to 2006-2007. Findings indicate stability in the Watchers, Activity Nodes, and Lighting indices but statistically significant differences in the Watchers (day traffic variable) and Location and Security indices. The "Location" variable continues to be a significant predictor of repeat auto theft victimization. This suggests a need to closely examine the parking structures and street layout to determine how they can be altered to design out crime.

An Examination of Situational Crime Prevention Strategies Across Convenience Stores and Fast-Food Restaurants

Exum, M. L., Kuhns, J. B., Koch, B., Johnson, C. — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:02:05 PST

Although the efficacy of situational crime prevention (SCP) strategies on convenience store safety has received considerable attention, the security of fast-food restaurants has been virtually ignored. This study was based on a population of convenience stores (n = 295) and fast-food restaurants (n = 321) in Charlotte, North Carolina. The study examined whether the crime control strategies commonly recommended to the convenience store industry were effective at reducing robbery in the fast-food industry. Relatedly, the study examined whether target-hardening strategies have similar effects on robbery prevalence rates across the two types of businesses. In general, the article found that many target-hardening strategies derived from the literature failed to impact robbery rates for either type of establishment. For those factors that did emerge as statistically significant predictors of robbery, the preventative effects generally appeared in one type of establishment or the other, but not in both. These findings suggest that effective SCP strategies are truly situation specific and not "one size fits all."

Ideology and Party Responsibility Within the Law and Justice Policy Domain

Bridgmon, S. L., Bridgmon, P. B. — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:18:01 PDT

This study examined both Democratic and Republican state and national party platforms in the law and justice policy domain. By using content analysis to establish the ideological position of state and national parties, this article seeks to determine predictors of party preferences and party unity in this critical area of public policy. Results indicate that national party committees tend to take moderate positions on law and justice policy issues, whereas their state counterparts tend to be more conservative and liberal within Republican and Democratic committees, respectively. This article also found variation within predictors of party unity.

Implementing the Adam Walsh Act's Sex Offender Registration and Notification Provisions: A Survey of the States

Harris, A. J., Lobanov-Rostovsky, C. — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:04:49 PDT

With the 2006 passage of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act (AWA), the United States Congress established a range of requirements for sex offender registration and notification (R&N) systems operated by states, tribal jurisdictions, and U.S. territories. In the years since the law’s passage, these congressional mandates have generated concern within some covered jurisdictions and among national organizations over matters such as the perceived undermining of jurisdictional autonomy, the variance between the law and emerging "best practices," and perceived threats to the viability of state-based sex offender management efforts. To examine these concerns, a national survey was conducted in the fall of 2008 to evaluate the consistency between AWA requirements and existing state policies and practices, and to assess state-based barriers to AWA implementation. The survey results identified several areas of inconsistency between AWA mandates and state practices, particularly those relating to inclusion of juveniles, classification methods, and retroactive application of R&N requirements. The study revealed the barriers to AWA implementation within many states to be multifaceted and complex, suggesting the potential need for a recalibration of federal policy governing registration and notification. Implications for the respective roles of federal and state governments in the shaping of sex offender policy are discussed.

The Impact of Traffic Stops on Calling the Police for Help

Gibson, C. L., Walker, S., Jennings, W. G., Miller, J. M. — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:04:49 PDT

Using data from the Police–Public Contact Survey (PPCS), the current study examined how experiencing traffic stops affect the likelihood that Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics will contact the police for services. First, experiencing one or more traffic stops in the past year significantly decreased the likelihood of contacting the police for assistance and to report a neighborhood problem, net of other demographic characteristics. Second, traffic stop experiences had similar effects on Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics, each group less likely to have contacted the police for assistance and to report neighborhood problems if they had experienced one or more traffic stops in the past year. This study also discusses the reasons why experiencing traffic stops are related to contacting the police for help and provides some implications for police–community relationships.

Attorney Perspectives and Decisions on the Presentence Investigation Report: A Research Note

Alarid, L. F., Montemayor, C. D. — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:40:45 PDT

Presentence investigation reports (PSIRs) are still used as an important component in some sentencing recommendations. Perspectives on the utility of the PSIR have typically focused on probation officers and less so on attorneys who use the document in plea negotiations and in sentencing recommendations. This study examines the importance of the PSIR for 57 prosecutors and 16 defense attorneys. Findings indicate that adult record, history of probation/parole, victim-impact statements, official version of offense, gang affiliation, and pending cases were viewed as important for prosecutors than for defense attorneys when preparing sentencing recommendations using the PSIR. Implications of these findings will be discussed.

Accomplishing the Difficult but Not Impossible: Collecting Self-Report Data on Inmate-on-Inmate Sexual Assault in Prison

Jenness, V., Maxson, C. L., Sumner, J. M., Matsuda, K. N. — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:02:52 PDT

The Prison Rape elimination act (PRea) increases opportunities for scholars to conduct research in carceral settings to determine the prevalence and contours of sexual assault. However, researchers face many challenges, including working cooperatively with state agencies while maintaining independence; gaining access to prisons and prisoners; securing necessary institutional approvals; and collecting generalizable data on a highly sensitive topic, sexual assault in prisons. This article reports our responses to these challenges in a study of inmate-on-inmate sexual assault in California. We describe our research procedures and provide an assessment of interviewer effects and threats to the generalizability of our sample. Our experience should be instructive to other researchers undertaking similar efforts at a moment in time in which others have rightfully decried the decline of in-prison research.

Identifying Imprisonment Patterns and Their Relation to Crime Among New York Counties 1990-2000: An Exploratory Application of Trajectory Modeling

Schupp, P., Rivera, C. — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:13:21 PDT

The current study is an exploratory application of a technique for modeling developmental trajectories as an illustration of how researchers might use trajectory analysis and county-level data to analyze the effects of imprisonment patterns on crime. Using data from 61 New York counties, the authors model the patterns of imprisonment, defined as the percentage of felons sentenced to state prison in a given year, displayed by the counties from 1990 to 1999, and then demonstrate how knowledge of these patterns can be used to estimate the relationship between imprisonment patterns during the 1990s and crime in 2000. Six distinct patterns of imprisonment are identified, and bivariate and multivariate analyses reveal that high or consistently increasing levels of imprisonment were not associated with lower property or violent crime rates in 2000. even after controlling for crime in the 1990s and other relevant factors, counties with high or consistently increasing imprisonment had significantly higher violent crime in 2000. Implications for future research are discussed.

The Adam Walsh Act: A False Sense of Security or an Effective Public Policy Initiative?

Freeman, N. J., Sandler, J. C. — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:13:21 PDT

With the enactment of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act (AWA), states are required to standardize their registration and community notification practices by categorizing sex offenders into three-tier levels in the interest of increasing public safety. No empirical research, however, has investigated whether implementation of the AWA is likely to increase public safety. Using a sample of registered sex offenders in New York State, the current study examined the effectiveness of the Adam Walsh-tier system to classify offenders by likelihood of recidivism. Results indicated that the AWA falls short of increasing public safety. In fact, registered sex offenders classified by AWA as Tier 1 (lowest risk) were rearrested for both nonsexual and sexual offenses more than sex offenders in Tier 2 (moderate risk) or Tier 3 (highest risk).

A New Era of Policing? An Examination of Texas Police Chiefs' Perceptions of Homeland Security

Stewart, D. M., Morris, R. G. — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:47:51 PDT

Many claims have been made about how the events of September 11 have thrust American policing into a new era, one wherein homeland security is the dominant strategy. To examine the validity of such claims, a sample of 208 Texas police chiefs is surveyed concerning their perceptions of homeland security as a strategy for local law enforcement. Factors that influence those perceptions are also examined. The findings reveal that, whereas the majority of chiefs felt that homeland security had become the dominant strategy of the police institution, few believed that homeland security had become the overriding strategy of their respective departments. Furthermore, regression analyses suggest that federal collaboration, preparedness, and threat perceptions were predictive of homeland security perceptions. Regarding department size, chiefs of very small departments are more likely to report homeland security as their dominant strategy in relation to chiefs of larger departments. Policy implications are discussed.

Taxation with Representation? Examining Public Fiscal Support for Diverse Correctional Policies

Mancini, C., Barrick, K., DiPonio, J., Gertz, M. — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:56:09 PDT

Few criminological studies have investigated what factors influence the public’s fiscal support for correctional policies. This study addresses this gap by exploring public support for increasing taxes to fund five diverse correctional measures–inmate education, drug treatment for inmates, psychiatric care for mentally ill prisoners, child counseling for inmates’ children, and the building of new prisons. Findings suggest that citizen dissatisfaction and criminal justice system employment are significant predictors of decreased support for taxes that would fund correctional policies. Experience with the criminal justice system is a significant predictor of increased support for correctional programming. Social and demographic variables are also predictors of fiscal support. Because large segments of the public support taxes for correctional measures, policymakers should consider such views when adopting or modifying correctional policies. Additionally, correctional systems should consider tracking public support on an annual basis to establish and monitor levels of support for criminal justice policies.

Twenty Years of Mandatory Arrest: Police Decision Making in the Face of Legal Requirements

Phillips, S. W., Sobol, J. J. — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:52:40 PDT

More than 20 years ago, state legislation began moving toward a mandatory arrest approach for police officers who handle domestic violence. It is expected that officers have shifted from an "underenforcement" orientation toward proenforcement. To examine this hypothesis, this study integrated elements of New York State domestic violence legislation into vignettes. Officers from one large department in New York State completed surveys with multiple vignettes. More than 80% of the officers were likely or very likely to arrest in all vignettes. Arrest was more likely when there was a visible injury, when there was an order of protection, and when the suspect was disrespectful. The victim’s preference for no arrest is not significant in officers’ decision making. Policy implications and directions for additional research are discussed.