Criminal Justice Policy Review current issue

Does an Offender's Age Have an Effect on Sentence Length?: A Meta-Analytic Review

Wu, J., Spohn, C. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:17:10 PST

Research exploring the effects of an offender’s age on unwarranted sentencing disparity has produced conflicting and inconclusive results. Some studies concluded that age was inversely correlated with sentencing severity, whereas others found a positive association. Still others found no significant impact of age on sentencing differentials or that age had a curvilinear effect. Given these inconsistencies, the present research uses meta-analytic methodology to assess empirical findings from a body of sentencing studies. In particular, this research focuses on the imposition of sentence length. Findings from this meta-analysis reveal that the age of the offender has no effect on the length of the prison term and that the strength of the association between the two variables is extremely weak. The homogeneity analysis indicates that variability in effect sizes across contrasts is not due simply to sampling error. A number of moderators related to sample and analytic characteristics account for the differences in effect sizes.

Using Electronic Monitoring to Supervise Sex Offenders: Legislative Patterns and Implications for Community Corrections Officers

Button, D. M., DeMichele, M., Payne, B. K. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:17:10 PST

The contemporary crime control policy arena is one in which many states and the federal government are passing increasingly punitive legislation authorizing, and often, requiring electronic monitoring of sex offenders. This article reviews exploratory legal data on relevant state codes of all 50 states in the United States. The authors review state statutes regulating the electronic monitoring of sex offenders to identify the characteristics of the legislation, the necessity of (and budgetary support for) the laws, and the implications for probation and parole agencies and officers. Eight patterns are identified through the content analysis of recent legislation regarding electronic monitoring of sex offenders. Policy implications are identified.

Truancy Intervention Programs: Challenges and Innovations to Implementation

Dembo, R., Gulledge, L. M. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:17:10 PST

School truancy, particularly in primary and secondary schools, represents a serious issue deserving attention in communities across the nation. Most often treated as a management and disciplinary problem, serious attention to the underlying causes of truancy is usually given after the youths’ absence from school becomes frequent or chronic. Truant youth are at considerable risk of continuing their troubled behavior in school, experiencing psychosocial difficulties, and entering the juvenile justice system. Unfortunately, with few exceptions, truancy has not received significant attention by criminologists. This article addresses three questions: (a) What kinds of truancy programs exist in the United States? (b) What evidence do we have regarding their effectiveness? (c) What system and programmatic issues present obstacles to implementing successful truancy programs and need to be considered in establishing effective programs? Finally, we discuss efforts that are underway in Hillsborough County, Florida, in implementing an effective continuum of service for truant youth and their families.

Gubernatorial Crime Control Rhetoric: A Study in Symbolic Politics

Marion, N. E., Smith, C. M., Oliver, W. M. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:17:10 PST

Past research on presidential rhetoric about crime shows that presidents use crime rhetoric in a specific manner. When talking about crime, they are most likely to use symbolic statements that are designed to make people feel satisfied about government action. To date, no research has analyzed how governors employ political language related to crime. The current study draws on hypotheses derived from research related to the federal executive and applies them to the 50 state executives. A content analysis of 7 years (2002-2008) of governors’ State of the State speeches was conducted to assess how governors employ the issue of crime in their political communication. Overall, the results show that governors rarely follow the same patterns as presidents when speaking to their constituents about crime.

Honor Killings and the Quest for Justice in Black and Minority Ethnic Communities in the United Kingdom

Gill, A. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:17:10 PST

Crimes of honor are characterized by violence against women (VAW) and are consequently not gender neutral. This article not only examines the relationship between gender and violence in communities where honor crimes are committed, focusing on the status of women in South Asian communities, but also considers other contexts in which these crimes are practiced. Criminal justice responses to the issue over the last 10 years are then examined, leading to an analysis of a round-table discussion intended to consider approaches to the issue. The viability of criminalization is called into question because the official response to these crimes is often insensitive to women’s cultural circumstances. Recommendations are made to help reduce the numbers of these crimes.

Using a Vignette Research Design to Examine Traffic Stop Decision Making of Police Officers: A Research Note

Phillips, S. W. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:17:10 PST

A variety of data collection methods have been used to examine an officer’s decision to stop a vehicle. Most research examines poststop behavior, and no single method has been able to obtain all the relevant independent variables for a comprehensive examination of this behavior. This study uses vignettes describing a traffic stop incident. Driver characteristics, vehicle characteristics, and traffic violations are included as independent variables. Officers from three law enforcement agencies are provided two traffic stop vignettes. Officers indicate their likelihood of stopping a vehicle based on vignette information. Vehicle characteristics and traffic violations influence the likelihood of stopping a vehicle. Officers in smaller police agencies are significantly more likely to stop a vehicle than are Sheriff’s deputies.

Book Review: Baumgartner, F. R., De Boef, S. L., & Boydstun, A. E. (2008). The Decline of the Death Penalty and the Discovery of Innocence. New York: Cambridge University Press

Bergin, T. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:17:10 PST