Journal of Experimental Criminology最新文献

Objectives

This study tests deterrence theory and procedural justice theory in prisons. Severe sanctions in prisons may deter detainees from misconduct. Recent research suggests that this deterrent effect may only occur if individuals are treated procedurally just by prison staff.

Methods

Using an experimental vignette scenario design (N = 313 detainees and ex-detainees) we manipulated sanction severity and procedural justice across conditions testing the main and interaction effects of sanction severity and procedural justice on misconduct intentions (outcome measure 1) and compliance intentions (outcome measure 2). Also, we tested potential mediation pathways from sanction severity on these outcomes and the role of procedural justice therein.

Results

Individuals reported lower intentions to comply in the severe as opposed to the mild sanction condition (η2 = .03). There was no significant main effect of procedural justice on misconduct and compliance intentions. The effect of sanction severity did not depend on procedural justice. Additionally, the effect of sanction severity on misconduct and compliance intentions was mediated by the moral devaluation of authorities.

Conclusion

The present findings underscore the potential disadvantages of severely sanctioning in prison settings. Severe sanctions may backfire and decrease compliance intentions with institutional rules and staff.

Objectives

This study examines the impact of recreational marijuana legalization on Black-White disparities in overall prison incarceration and drug-related prison incarceration in Colorado (CO) and Washington State (WA).

Methods

We employ a quasi-experimental research design via a matching approach using the synthetic control method (SCM) as well as the difference-in-differences (DiD) method, using data from the National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s state population estimates from 2006 to 2018.

Results

Our findings suggest that recreational marijuana legalization in these two legalized states is not associated with sizable and significant decreases in Black-White disparities in overall prison incarceration rates or drug-related prison incarceration rates over the post-legalization period, relative to the nonlegalized states.

Conclusions

Recreational marijuana in CO and WA has had a limited impact on lessening racial inequality in imprisonment.

Objectives

Bars, pubs, and clubs are hotspots for alcohol-related aggression. Consequently, admittance decisions made by security personnel have important implications for the safety inside these venues. However, the cues used by security personnel to determine the potential for intoxicated violence and inform admittance decisions vary substantially.

Methods

Here, we manipulate theoretically and practically relevant cues to determine the effects of their utilization on perceptions of violence and admittance decisions. Participants viewed images of real inmates convicted of violent or non-violent crimes, accompanied by cues derived from interviews with security staff.

Results

We found that body tenseness, drug and alcohol intoxication, searching behavior, avoidant behavior, and neck and face tattoos were positively associated with a greater perceived likelihood of violence. Admittance decisions mirrored these findings. Students and security personnel differed in their utilization of some of the cues.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, the current research was the first to take a quantitative approach to understanding the cues that security personnel and young adults might use to identify potentially violent patrons. These finding may help inform training for security personnel.

Objectives

The objective of this study is to estimate the price of retribution.

Methods

Based on administrative data on all sentences in the Netherlands in 2012 and recidivism from 2012 to 2018, we first investigate whether community service orders are more effective in reducing recidivism than short-term imprisonment using an instrumental variable approach. Next, we compute the cost savings that could be obtained by replacing short-term prison sanctions with equivalent community service orders.

Results

We find that short-term prison sanctions lead to an increase in recidivism and an increase in the costs of sanctioning. We find that Dutch society pays about 400 million euros per year for retribution. This is about 21,000 euros per sanctioned offense per year and about 45 euros per taxpayer per year in the Netherlands. This is most likely a lower bound.

Conclusions

Our study reveals the willingness to pay for retribution as implied by judicial choices.

Objectives

To determine whether segregation (restrictive housing/RH) for first-time prison rule violators in Ohio shapes his/her odds of violations thereafter in a manner consistent with specific deterrence or criminogenic effects.

Methods

Four types of propensity score analyses were conducted to assess placement in and length of RH for 14,880 rule violators: Matching without replacement, matching with replacement, propensity score stratification, and inverse probability of treatment weighting. Group differences were also compared using Abadie-Imbens robust standard errors.

Results

Findings were robust across methods. RH placement corresponded with significantly but modestly lower odds of any misconduct within 12 months after release from RH, but effects on more serious offenses (particularly violence) were weak. Longer RH terms corresponded with modestly higher odds of any misconduct.

Conclusions

Lower odds of misconduct post-RH is consistent with specific deterrence, but the higher odds associated with longer RH terms is consistent with a criminogenic effect.

Objectives

We test the impact of de-escalation training on the behavior of officers in the Tempe (AZ) Police Department.

Methods

The training was delivered via a squad-based randomized controlled trial. We examine administrative use of force data and body-worn camera footage for all use of force encounters six months pre- and post-training. Outcomes include prevalence and force types used, encounter duration, and citizen and officer injuries.

Outcomes

Use of force declined for Treatment and Control squads, likely because of the global pandemic. Trained officers decreased use of certain force types likely to produce injury. Trained officers spent significantly more time on scene, and they were 58% less likely to injure community members. These changes occurred with no increased risk of officer injury.

Conclusions

The differences in key outcomes are consistent with a positive training effect. Factors that may explain the results include the curriculum development process, focus on officer safety/wellness, officer receptivity, and use of refresher trainings.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to test the impact of a procedural justice letter intervention that was delivered with traffic infringement notices on subsequent speeding offences.

Method

This study used the Queensland Speeding Engagement Trial (QSET) to experimentally test the impact of using the principles of procedural justice within a police issued letter, on individuals detected speeding by cameras. Participants in the control condition (n = 7946) received a speeding infringement notice as per normal while those in the experimental condition (n = 8209) received the procedurally just letter in addition to the speeding infringement notice. Administrative data for the 12 months following the intervention was used to identify if participants engaged in subsequent speeding and other traffic offending behaviours.

Results

The results indicated that the intervention reduced subsequent speeding offences for drivers 25 years and older in the experimental condition when compared with the control condition. No differences were found for other types of traffic offences.

Conclusions

Thus, this study demonstrates that the effects of procedural justice (a) can be achieved through purposeful written communication and (b) reduce subsequent offending behaviour.

Objectives

We study the effects of quantity thresholds (such as drug amount) used to divide offenses into subsections on sentencing decisions by professional sentencers

Methods

In a vignette experiment, 200 Czech prosecutors recommended a length of prison sentence in drug possession and theft cases

Results

We provide experimental evidence that quantity thresholds increase the recommended average prison sentence by 10 to 55%. We develop a conceptual framework that decomposes the effect of quantity thresholds into two opposing effects: the severity and the reference effects. We provide suggestive evidence for the existence of severity and reference effects. Using new parametric measures of ordinal (in)justice, we further quantify the effect of thresholds on the probability of an ordinally just sentence for a given level of tolerance.

Conclusions

Quantity thresholds, designed to limit sentencing disparities, introduce a different source of disparity which might substantially limit the net benefits of such provisions

Preregistration

AEARCTR-0006023