Does vegetation matter for the criminal behavior among people with serious mental illness?

This study attempts to examine the effect of vegetation on arrests of offenders with and without serious mental illness (SMI). Data from the MacArthur mental health court study were analyzed. Objective arrest data were obtained 12–18 months pre‐ and post‐court involvement between 2005 and 2007. Vegetation data were captured by the normalized difference vegetation index, which can be regarded as a general measure of “vegetation” and linked with GeoID, obtained from the American Community Survey. We analyzed data of sociodemographic factors (e.g., age, gender), crime‐related factors (e.g., age of first arrest), and vegetation in related to the crime on 652 offenders with mental illness. Multilevel negative binomial regression revealed no significant effect of vegetation on arrests among offenders without SMI; however, for those with SMI, a significant variation in vegetation on arrests was found among all study models. Our findings suggest that vegetation is significantly associated with arrests, with a positive effect on reducing the recidivism only among offenders with SMI. Given that practice and policy almost exclusively focus on individual factors of crimes, it is important to have more considerations about how neighborhood factors affect criminal behavior, depending on SMI in order to have more comprehensive methods of crime prevention.     

‘I make use of my precious experience,and help others. It's a kind of blessing.’ Does public sharing of past experiences help in the rehabilitation of former offenders or drug abusers?

The Community Education Service (CES) of The Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention (SRACP) has pioneered the adoption of life education in crime prevention education in Hong Kong since 1977. Under this programme, former offenders and drug abusers are recruited to share their experiences with community audiences. Through such sharing, it is hoped that the former offenders and drug abusers will gain a deeper insight into the consequences of committing crime or abusing drugs, have the courage to admit their failings and find the way to lead a more fulfilling and law-abiding life.

In the past, different organizations have employed former offenders and drug abusers in educational programmes, particularly in relation to the prevention of juvenile delinquency. A number of studies demonstrate the educational effectiveness of sharing past deviant behaviours with audiences. Moreover, the mission of SRACP is to help the reintegration into society of former offenders and drug abusers. Consequently, employing former offenders and drug abusers to share their experiences serves another important function; to facilitate the transformation of their past histories into valuable assets and help with their own rehabilitation during the process of serving others, as suggested by ‘helper therapy’ and ‘professional ex-s’ (Brown 1991). A successful rehabilitation means success in reducing recidivism.

This paper examines whether sharing one's real-life experiences with others can influence the rehabilitation process, and provides recommendations for improving service delivery to benefit both audience and the speakers themselves. Fifteen individuals who were formerly either offenders or drug abusers, aged between 18 and 45 years, and who had led a ‘clean’ life for the previous six months, took part in in-depth interviews in order to investigate their perceptions of the function of real-life experience sharing in their own rehabilitation. Concepts of labelling theory (Becker 1963) and self-fulfilling prophecy (Wilkins 1976) provided the framework for these interviews.

The study concludes that respondents are normally able to help themselves to resist crime and drugs, given that the internal and external factors affecting sharing are well addressed. The results identify practical implications and directions for future involvement of former offenders and drug abusers in community-based crime prevention education programmes.     

Willingness to Pay for Rehabilitation Versus Punishment to Reduce Adult and Juvenile Crime

Punitive penal policies are often justified on the assumption that members of the public demand punitive responses to crime. The current study employed a contingent valuation survey design to assess the extent to which this is true in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The survey investigated public willingness to pursue crime control policies that rehabilitate offenders versus those that punish. Using a quota‐based telephone survey, 1885 taxpaying residents in the state of New South Wales, Australia, were asked how much additional tax they would be willing to pay to produce a 10 per cent reduction in serious crime. A 2times2 randomised factorial design was employed, with one factor being the means offered to reduce crime (rehabilitation versus imprisonment) and the other factor being the population under study (adults versus juveniles). There were no significant differences in willingness to pay for crime reduction across any of the four resulting groups. The findings suggest that the NSW public are equally disposed to reducing crime by rehabilitating offenders as they are to imprisoning them for longer. There would therefore seem every reason to pursue rehabilitation with greater vigour, especially in light of the relative cost‐effectiveness of rehabilitation programs over incarceration.     

A Review of Car Crime in England and Wales

Summary With 21 per cent of offences recorded by the police in the 12months ending March 1999, and representing 1,077,700 theftsof and from vehicles, motor vehicle crime is the single mostcommon offence in England and Wales. Young males under 21 yearshave been found to be responsible for three-quarters of carthefts. Studies in the United Kingdom suggest the characteristicsof these offenders include those associated with socio-economicdeprivation and poor self-esteem; whilst for many, involvementin car crime is a means of seeking excitement. The requirement to identify the needs of car offenders, andthe establishment of intent and purpose within offending behaviourprogrammes, saw an increase in the number of probation-basedmotor projects from 1990. Access to the car, and opportunitiesto drive in controlled environments were present in some ofthe newer projects, although many had abandoned this principle.Whilst little empirical evidence exists to support their claims,a number of projects have boasted success in their efforts toreduce the risks of further car crime amongst offenders whohave completed programmes at motor projects as part of theirsentences. Eight motor projects that challenge offending behaviourare reviewed and the latest Home Office evaluation discussed.     

大陆法系共犯种类之比较

对我国及大陆法系主要国家刑法典及刑法理论中共犯的分类进行了比较。笔者认为,可以把俄罗斯刑法采用的标准与我国大陆刑法采用的标准结合起来,认定共同犯罪并对犯罪人作出罪责刑相适应的处罚。同时认为,我国大陆刑法采用的标准,虽然在实践中用起来比较容易与犯罪人的刑事责任挂起钩来,但逻辑上存在双重标准问题。此外,对间接正犯理论进行了比较,认为间接正犯实质上是单个人的犯罪,不应当在共同犯罪中讨论。     

Hate Crime Offenders: An Expanded Typology

Little research has been conducted to determine the motivations of hate crime offenders. This article builds on an earlier work of J. Levin and McDevitt (1993) in which a typology of offender motivations was first articulated. We reanalyze 169 Boston police case files that were originally studied in order to provide empirical grounding for the typology. In this updated study, characteristics of the three original motives—thrill, defensive, and mission—are examined in relation to a new category: retaliatory motivation. In addition, the article addresses the issue of levels of culpability in explaining the most appropriate sanctions for certain kinds of hate offenders.     

The Cumbrian Reparation Scheme

Correspondence to David Smith, Lecturer in Social Work, Department of Social Administration, University of Lancaster, Fylde College, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YF Summary This paper discusses an experimental ‘reparation’scheme run by the probation service in Cumbria. A general contextis provided by an analysis of some varieties of mediation andreparation, and the scheme is then placed within its local organizationalcontext, which meant that it drew its work from juvenile liaisonpanels established by the police. The paper argues that thepanels suffered from the lack of a clear commitment to diversionfrom prosecution on the part of the police, and that the reparationscheme was used as part of the probation service's effort toincrease the use of cautions. The practice of reparation andthe experiences victims and offenders had of it are then reviewed.Offenders generally viewed the scheme more positively than victims,but some victims were glad of the opportunity to be involvedin something which might be helpful to young offenders. In conclusion,it is argued that despite the contradictions which were evidentin the practice of reparation in this setting, there may stillbe scope for innovative work by social work agencies in relationto victims of crime.     

The Weak Effect of Imprisonment on Crime: 1971–1998

Objective . This article studies the impact of increasing incarceration rates on crime rates. First we seek to replicate the findings of previous studies utilizing the pooled, fixed–effects models (which are based on the assumption that the effect of imprisonment does not vary across states). Next we test the validity of this assumption. Finally, we present a new methodology to examine the imprisonment–crime relationship. Methods . Annual state–level data from 1971–1998 are used to estimate 51 state–specific regression models in which crime rates for seven major categories are functions of incarceration rates and a wide array of socioeconomic and dummy control variables. Results . Our findings are consistent with prior studies. More important, the assumptions upon which the fixed–effect models are based were found to be statistically invalid. The results of our new methodology reveal that imprisonment rates are not significantly related to crime in the majority of states for any of the seven crimes studied. Conclusions . Because the state–level lagged imprisonment coefficients varied from significant negative effects to significant positive effects (depending on the state and type of crime), we argue that it is inappropriate to speak about "the" effect of imprisonment on any particular crime or at the national level.     

Policing Victorian Public Transport: Extending the Police Domain

In Victoria, responsibility for policing the public transport system was recently transferred to the Victoria Police, the official rationale for this development relied on the notion of a crime crisis and the need for a ‘crackdown’ on transport security. However, a more convincing explanation for this transfer can be found in Transport Department mismanagement, bureaucratic bungling, and alleged criminal activities of railway investigation officers. On a broader and more disturbing level, this case is consistent with an increasing capacity of the State to extend formal control into new social sites under the guise of controlling a ‘crime crisis’.     

The Mentality of the Russian Officer : Challenges of the Twenty-First Century

The CPSU Program states that the party poses the task of assuring the uprooting of all violations of law and order, the elimination of crime, and the removal of all its causes. Socialist society is, as a matter of fact, in a position to resolve this problem. However, it cannot be resolved by legal means alone. The best laws cannot by themselves guarantee the elimination of crime. In societies based on exploitation, war has been waged against crime for centuries and millennia on the basis of legal norms by the use of punishments, and crime continues to exist.     

The Probation Officer as Social Worker

Summary In this article the author argues for a detachment of the probationservice from the function of carrying out court orders to superviseoffenders. He suggests that changes in social work traininghave not been matched by any fundamental changes in the probationservice's relationship with the court or by any fundamentalchanges in the probation service's own organization or philosophy.The consequence is that probation officers spend a disproportionateamount of time doing tasks for which their training has notequipped them. He postulates a new relationship between theprobation service and the courts which gives the former greaterautonomy in social work decision making, and gives the lattergreater scope to administer punishments within the community.The need to move away from the utilitarian justification forwork with offenders that it reduces crime is also urged, andit is suggested that there is a need to establish, as a value,the importance of social work provisions and counselling foroffenders as a deprived group in society, irrespective of theeffect of these measures on the crime rate.     

Campus crime and concealed carry laws: Is arming students the answer?

As of 2018, ten states allowed students, faculty, and staff to carry concealed firearms on campus. Although there has been much discussion regarding campus carry laws, there has been very little empirical research conducted on the link between campus carry laws and crime on campus. The present study attempts to determine if campus carry laws are statistically related to campus level crime. Using state-level data for the period 2005–2014 and a fixed effects model, results of the present study suggest that campus carry laws have no statistically significant relationship with campus level crime. However, campuses located in states that allow unpermitted concealed carry have lower property crime rates. These results corroborate the findings of prior studies on this topic. Given these results, states should reconsider enacting campus carry laws, and colleges and universities should be given more latitude in deciding whether or not firearms are appropriate on their campuses.     

Gender Differences in Criminal Sentencing: Do Effects Vary Across Violent,Property, and Drug Offenses?*

Objective. Many studies find that females benefit from their gender in sentencing decisions. Few researchers, however, address whether the gender‐sentencing association might be stronger for some crimes, such as minor nonviolent offending, and weaker for other offenses, such as serious violent crime. Method. Using a large random sample of convicted offenders in Texas drawn from a statewide project on sentencing practices mandated by the 73rd Texas Legislature, logistic regression and OLS regression analyses of likelihood of imprisonment and prison length illustrate the importance of looking at sentencing outcomes not only in terms of gender but also in terms of crime type. Results. Specifically, we find that the effect of gender on sentencing does vary by crime type, but not in a consistent or predicted fashion. For both property and drug offending, females are less likely to be sentenced to prison and also receive shorter sentences if they are sentenced to prison. For violent offending, however, females are no less likely than males to receive prison time, but for those who do, females receive substantially shorter sentences than males. Conclusions. We conclude that such variation in the gender‐sentencing association across crime type is largely due to features of Texas' legal code that channel the level of discretion available to judges depending on crime type and whether incarceration likelihood or sentence length is examined.     

A Non-Treatment Paradigm for Probation Practice

Summary Empirical and theoretical critiques of treatment can no longerbe ignored in probation practice, but the probation service'straditional core values of respect for persons and hope forthe future can be realized in a non-treatment context. Fourtraditional aims of the probation service are identified, namely(i) the provision of appropriate help for offenders; (ii) thestatutory supervision of offenders; (iii) diverting appropriateoffenders from custodial sentences; (iv) the reduction of crime.It is argued that each of these aims remains worth pursuing,but that they need radical reconceptualization in the lightof the collapse of treatment A paradigm for practice in respectof each aim is offered for criticism and comment     

青少年犯罪的心理分析与应对

由于这部分人年龄的特殊性,因而在处理、对待上与一般成年犯罪有很大差别,我国刑法没有用“青少年”概念,与之相当的是规定了“不满14岁的未成年人”以及“已满14岁、不满18岁的人”犯罪的特殊处理。“软暴力”是在教育过程中,用讽刺性、侮辱性、指责性、蔑视性的语言对青少年进行教育,后果远远超过身体暴力的,伤害青少年自尊带来的心理伤口很长时间难以愈合。     

Research misconduct,NSF v NIH: Its nature and prevalence and the impact of their respective methods of investigation and adjudication

ABSTRACT

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have established separate administrative mechanisms for investigation and adjudication of alleged research misconduct.

This report compares research misconduct at NSF and NIH and the possible effects of their respective methods of investigation and adjudication.

Notable and paradoxical findings were identified: NIH supported four times the number of grants as NSF, yet NSF reviewed 2.5 times the number of research misconduct reports. NSF faculty were two-times more likely to be found guilty (88%) than faculty at NIH (42%). 83.6% of NSF offenders were guilty of plagiarism, vs. 4.8% at NIH. NSF trainees made up 6% of the guilty, vs. 42% at NIH. These findings are most likely related to the nature of their respective sciences, scientists, and the nature of their publications.

Investigative policies and procedures are quite similar at these two agencies with the exception of the subpoena power available to the NSF’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) where it would be infrequently utilized in investigations of its predominant offense, plagiarism. However, it could prove useful if made available to the NIH Office of Research Integrity (ORI) for investigations of fabrication/falsification, its most common offense. Federal criteria for prosecution should be modified to increase the likelihood of prosecution of serious offenders referred by ORI.     

Different problems – same treatment. Swedish juvenile offenders in community‐based rehabilitative programmes

Ginner Hau H, Smedler A‐C. Different problems – same treatment. Swedish juvenile offenders in community‐based rehabilitative programmes Int J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 87–96 © 2009 The Author, Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare. Young delinquents may be regarded as children in need of rehabilitation or as offenders deserving of consequences proportional to the committed crime. The focus has increasingly been on the latter, while research shows that individual risk assessment is essential for effective rehabilitation. This study explored self‐reported history of antisocial behaviour among Swedish male offenders 15–17 years of age (n= 189) who were sentenced to participate in rehabilitative programmes conducted by local social services. Antisocial behaviour was extensive and, according to a principal component analysis, consisted of three dimensions: (i) adolescent delinquency; (ii) violence and theft; (iii) drug‐related crimes. Using cluster analysis, the participants were divided into four subgroups representing different levels and characteristics of delinquency, which explained 73 per cent of the variance in antisocial behaviour. The conclusion is that assignment to rehabilitative programmes appeared unrelated to subgroups, i.e. to risk level. Organisational obstacles to an evidence‐based practice are discussed.     

‘We Don't Have to Take This’: Zero Tolerance of Violence against Health Care Workers in a Time of Insecurity

Doctors, nurses and other health care workers in the UK are said to be increasingly aware of the ‘risks of the job’ as a result of mounting verbal abuse, threats and assaults from patients and their relatives. In the late 1990s the UK government introduced a policy of ‘zero tolerance’, which it claimed was designed to minimize the risk of such violence. Current policy refers to the need to be tough on offenders and encourage a culture of respect. In this article we review this strategy and the reasons for its introduction and consider some of the potential consequences. The article starts with an account of the policy, the definition of violence that underpins it and how it has been measured, and assesses the evidence regarding prevalence. This is then interpreted in the context of wider policies of zero tolerance to crime, and debates about risk, anxiety and insecurity.     

Crime,correction, education and welfare in the U.S. – What role does the government play?

As federal, state and local governments continue to allocate a significant share of their resources to law enforcement and correctional spending, concerns have risen that spending in education and welfare is declining. With fiscal pressure in the United States mounting, it is important to determine the effectiveness of public spending in deterring crime. This paper compares the effectiveness of the impact of government spending on welfare and education with that of law enforcement and correction on crime. Using panel data from 50 U.S. states over a time period of 1994–2014, results of linear regression with panel corrected standard errors as well as GMM estimation reveals that public welfare and education spending can potentially lower violent and property crime rates but law enforcement spending can only deter property crime. However, correctional spending can exacerbate both types of crimes. There is little to no evidence of the presence of crowding out of one category of spending by another. This results in the policy implication that more resources be allocated towards welfare and education programs.     

Cyber Variants of Traditional Crimes and Criminal Law Responses

传统犯罪网络变异的原因是多方面的，直接诱因是网络空间的技术性代际差异； 传统犯罪的网络变异表现为犯罪构成要件要素的变异、社会危害性的变异和犯罪形态 的变异三个方面。扩张化的司法解释是解决这一问题的首要选择，但其局限性也是明 显的；面对网络空间中传统犯罪的变异态势，将部分预备行为提升、独立化为实行行 为，将部分共犯行为加以正犯化，将会是未来刑事立法无法回避的两个选择。

关键词: 网络犯罪?传统犯罪?社会危害性?刑事立法?变异

The reasons for cyber variants of traditional crimes are many. A direct catalyst is the generation gap caused by the transition from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0. Such variation takes the following three forms: variation in the elements constituting a crime, in the social harm done and in the form of the crime. Expansion of judicial interpretation is the primary choice for handling cybercrime. However, its limitations are also obvious. In the face of cyber variants of traditional crimes, we argue that raising the status of some acts of preparation to that of independent acts of execution and making some joint offenders into principal offenders offers two important solutions that can no longer be avoided by China's criminal law legislation.