An overview of offender rehabilitation and crime prevention in Hong Kong

This paper provides an overview of offender rehabilitation and crime prevention in Hong Kong by examining the history and background through the course of development of The Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention, Hong Kong (SRACP), from its early establishment as a pioneering organization specialized in the aftercare service of discharged prisoners, to expanding its foothold in psychiatric service and finally extending crime prevention service to the community; with a brief account on the social and economic factors that shape the focus and development of SRACP.     

论澳门刑法中的累犯制度

澳门刑法典中的累犯制度 ,经历了“行为中心论”至“行为人中心论”的演变 ;受两大法系和东西文化交替影响以及华人居于主体的社会结构 ,导致其累犯制度的设置具有独特性 ;有关累犯人格评价因素的规定、刑罚时效完成后能否构成累犯、服刑中的犯罪人能否构成累犯以及关于累犯法域条件等立法选择 ,其合理性程度值得研究     

Young male offenders in community‐based rehabilitative programmes – self‐reported history of antisocial behaviour predicts recidivism

Ginner Hau H, Smedler A.‐C. Young male offenders in community‐based rehabilitative programmes – self‐reported history of antisocial behaviour predicts recidivism Int J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 413–420 © 2011 The Author(s), International Journal of Social Welfare © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare. Recidivism over 18 months was investigated in a representative group of young Swedish male offenders, 15–17 years old, referred to community‐based rehabilitative programmes (n= 189). Registry data on their earlier contacts with social services and previous convictions were also collected. Eighteen months after programme start, 60 per cent of the young offenders were registered as suspected of new crimes, 48 per cent were registered for crimes of violence. Previous contacts with the social services had been documented for 44 per cent, and 30 per cent were registered as previously convicted. However, the group was highly heterogeneous, and all registry data corresponded well with self‐reported history of antisocial behaviour collected at the start of the programme, which identified three subgroups (n= 60, 65 and 64, respectively) with significantly different problem profiles. Results are discussed in relation to developmental theories of antisocial development and the need to adhere to the risk principle when designing interventions for young offenders.     

No Place Like Home: A Qualitative Investigation of Social Support and Its Effects on Recidivism

This study explores the relationship between social support and recidivism. Although the support system for the ex-felon has many beneficial aspects, it can do very little to counter the institutional barriers and deficiencies that exist with the present penal system. Recommendations are offered to enhance the transition from prison to public life.     

Racial Disparities in Drug Court Graduation Rates: The Role of Recovery Support Groups and Environments

There are more than 3,000 drug courts in the United States, and research has demonstrated that, in some drug courts, African American participants are less likely to graduate than their White counterparts. Quantitative studies have documented the problem, but qualitative studies are needed to develop an in-depth understanding of this phenomenon through participants’ experiences. This qualitative study asked African American participants (n = 31) about their lived experiences in drug court to develop insight into the factors that might contribute to racial disparities in drug court outcomes. African Americans had favorable views toward both mandated and natural recovery support groups, and they felt that participating in these support groups increased their likelihood of graduating drug court. Conversely, African Americans felt that a barrier to graduating drug court was their environments, mainly risk factors posed by family, neighborhoods, and peers. Implications for drug court practice are discussed.     

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.     

我国内地与港澳台地区普通累犯制度比较研究

我国作为统一的多法域国家,港澳台地区的累犯制度和内地的普通累犯制度各有特色。这种差异不仅反映在普通累犯的立法模式上,而且在普通累犯成立条件的罪量、罪质、时间间隔、主体、跨法域犯罪、法律后果等方面也存在很大不同。我国内地刑法普通累犯制度应该定位于人身危险性的根基之上,以"行为人累犯"为中心,单位主体和过失犯罪可以有限成立普通累犯;普通累犯的处罚原则应该以人身危险性为变动曲线,有条件地适用假释。     

我国特别再犯制度及其立法完善

特别再犯是我国法定的从重处罚情节之一,体现了当代并合主义刑罚理念。正确认识特别再犯的构成条件,科学处理其与一般累犯、数罪的竞合问题,对于有效惩治和预防毒品犯罪无疑具有十分重要的意义。从刑法规范的可操作性、协调性以及刑法的基本价值取向上看,我国特别再犯制度仍存在有待完善的地方。     

Recidivism Among Child Sexual Abusers: Initial Results of a 13-Year Longitudinal Random Sample

In the initial analysis of data from a random sample of all those charged with child sexual abuse in Idaho over a 13-year period, only one predictive variable was found that related to recidivism of those convicted. Variables such as ethnicity, relationship, gender, and age differences did not show a significant or even large association with recidivism. The only variable that seemed to show both a significant and almost moderate association to recidivism was the Risk Assessment in the Sex Offender Evaluation reoffense. Comparisons were made to prior research as well as a discussion of implications of the sex offender evaluation for the legal process. Finally, a call for the continued need for further research is discussed.