Criminal Justice and Behavior

The role of “triggers” for violence is seldom considered when assessing risk of violence in prisoners and forensic patients. A sample of 494 cases from a two-phase study of violent prisoners in England and Wales were rated for presence of acute risk factors and “triggers” occurring before the index offense. Logistic regression was performed to test prediction of acute factors and triggers by preoffense static and stable dynamic factors. Regression models were then built to investigate associations between triggers and violent reoffending post release. Although stable dynamic risk factors were accurately predicted by static actuarial risk, neither were associated with specific violence triggers. An argument with a stranger resulting in violence was associated with future violent reoffending. Violence triggers are highly context-specific but cannot be predicted using existing risk factors. They have a complex relationship with preexisting dynamic factors resulting in future violence.

The current study aims to explore developmental pathways of substance use by gender. The influences of various predictors of gendered trajectories of substance use are also assessed. We draw on data from five waves (age 14-18 years old) of Korean Youth Panel Survey (KYPS). Semiparametric group-based models are estimated to identify heterogeneity in substance use for males and females. Multinomial logistic regression analyses are conducted to examine the association between substance use and predictors. Four alcohol use and tobacco use trajectory groups were identified for males and females. A notable difference between genders is that, unlike females, male substance use trajectories do not show a decreasing pattern. Regarding predictors of trajectory group membership, results indicate mixed findings between males and females.

This article investigates the relationship between IQ scores and criminal thinking as measured by the Criminal Sentiments Scale–Modified (CSS-M). We argue the CSS-M may not capture criminal thinking, but reflects the test-takers’ cognitive ability to interpret the test’s intentions. Based on our analysis of inmates admitted to Pennsylvania prisons in 2013, we find that highly intelligent inmates receive lower scores on the CSS-M, controlling for other measures of risk. In our analysis, the CSS-M’s ability to predict institutional misconduct is greatest for inmates whose IQ scores fall in the middle of the distribution, with a weaker relationship between CSS-M and misconduct found among low- or high-IQ inmates. We propose a need for reevaluation of actuarial assessment tools for cognitively low- or high-functioning inmates. Taking into account the social-environmental factors of the testing situation and being aware of the test-takers’ interpretative processes may be crucial for generating valid results.

Research has examined responses to substance abuse treatment among criminal justice populations primarily through client self-assessments, and comparatively fewer studies have focused on clinician ratings of client progress. Recently, Blasko and Hiller examined counselor ratings and their association with reincarceration but found no relationship between the two. The current study partially replicated their analyses and explored its own factor structure to compare the findings from a different sample using the same instrument, the Criminal Justice Counselor Rating of Client (CJ CRC). Analyses revealed that although none of the replicated counselor measures predicted reincarceration, higher levels of one measure produced from the factor analysis, Psychological Barriers to Recovery, indicated a significantly higher probability for reincarceration. In light of these conflicting findings, practical implications of this research suggested that clinical assessments of clients may be useful for criminal justice decision making.

The aim of this study was to compare antisocial and family-only intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators in terms of IPV recidivism rates, type of recidivism crime, and time to recidivism. A total sample of 628 perpetrators was categorized as antisocial (n = 327) or family-only (n = 301) based on general criminality. Results demonstrated that antisocial perpetrators recidivated to a larger extent than family-only perpetrators (27.2% vs. 12.9%). Antisocial perpetrators were more prone to recidivate in both physical and nonphysical violence. Of the perpetrators who recidivated, the majority did so within the first year after their index crime. However, antisocial perpetrators recidivated more than family-only perpetrators after the first year. Key findings consisted of the subtypes’ differing propensity to reoffend and their different critical time periods for recidivism. These findings suggest the need for different risk management strategies depending on perpetrator subtype to prevent future violence.

Substance use is a key reason for initial offending and recidivism for the over one million women on probation and parole in the United States. Social support protects against both recidivism and relapse to substance use. However, many women supervised in the community with a history of substance abuse lack social support from family and friends. Probation and parole officers (POs) may serve as sources of social support for such women. In the current study, types of supportive communication and their effects were coded from semistructured interview responses from 284 female offenders who recalled supportive messages from their POs regarding substance use avoidance. Results indicate that informational support is most likely to be provided by POs, whereas tangible and network support were reported infrequently. Most supportive communication was perceived positively. Implications of this study include identification of helpful message strategies for POs and gaps in female offenders’ social support resources.

The present study examined the role of sensation seeking (SS) in different types of delinquent behavior across sex, controlling for the Big Five personality dimensions. The sample of Croatian adolescents comprised 117 boys and 137 girls. As predicted, SS was the central explanatory variable beyond the Big Five dimensions in both the boys’ and girls’ normative antisocial behavior, minor delinquency, and overall delinquency. In only the girls, SS was also a risk factor for serious and violent delinquency along with extraversion and emotional instability. In both sexes, the explanatory power of SS decreased as the severity of the offenses increased. The results underscore the significance of SS in normative and minor types of adolescent delinquency and indicate a different etiology of normative adolescent delinquency from severe and violent delinquency. The results also suggest a different constellation of personality risk factors for boys and girls for each different type of delinquency.