Criminal Justice Policy Review

Publisher:: Sage Publications, Inc.
Publication date:: 2021-09-06

ISBN:: 0887-4034

Issue Number

No. 36-1-2, March 2025

Latest documents

Factors Associated With Legal Decisions of Nonfatal Strangulation Cases With Forensic Evidence
This study examines the influence of offender, victim, and case characteristics along with available forensic evidence on legal outcomes of nonfatal strangulation (NFS) cases. Research points to the importance of NFS forensic evidence collection to corroborate the attack during legal proceedings. However, little is known regarding the factors associated with legal decisions for NFS cases with forensic evidence. Law enforcement reports, forensic medical examinations, and legal outcomes for 63 NFS cases in Florida were analyzed. Findings have implications for the criminal justice system, as forensic medical exams can be used to collect valuable evidence to support prosecution outcomes.
Research Note: The Association of Procedural and Distributive Justice With Emotional Exhaustion Burnout Among Prison Officers in Nigeria
Prison officers have a demanding job and are at risk of burnout. The literature indicates that workplace variables are related to burnout, but there are gaps in the literature that need to be addressed, including the need for additional research on the association of organizational justice with officer burnout. Organizational justice theory holds that employees expect to be treated fairly by their organizations and that psychological strain occurs if they are not, and this strain increases the chances of job burnout. The current study examined how distributive and procedural justice views, which are dimensions of organizational justice, were related to the emotional exhaustion burnout of Nigerian prison officers. Data were collected from 120 officers stationed at medium-security prison in southeast Nigeria. Both procedural justice and distributive justice were significantly associated with lower emotional exhaustion burnout. The current findings support the postulation that workplace fairness is associated with lower levels of job burnout.
How Effective Are the Post-9/11 U.S. Counterterrorism Policies Within and Outside the United States?
This study examined the effectiveness of post-9/11 U.S. counterterrorism policies in preventing terror attacks and reducing casualties against American targets within and outside the United States. Monthly data on terrorism incidents from July 1981 through December 2020 were obtained from the Global Terrorism Database (N = 462). The results of monthly interrupted time-series analyses showed that within the United States, after the 9/11 attacks, the number of attacks, the number of successful attacks, and the successful attack rate statistically significantly decreased in the first month following 9/11; then, no significant increase was observed in the trend of those outcomes. Outside the United States, after the 9/11 attacks, the trend of the number of successful attacks, the number of victims, the number of nonfatal victims, and the victim rate statistically significantly decreased. The results suggest that post-9/11 U.S. counterterrorism policies are effective both domestically and internationally. These findings and their policy implications are discussed.
The Impact of Department of Justice Reform Agreements on Arrest Rates and Racial Disparity Within Arrests
Section 14141 of the Violent Crime Control Act of 1994 gave the Department of Justice (DOJ) the authority to investigate institutional misconduct and compel reform within local police agencies. The focus of DOJ reform efforts is often directed at disrupting patterns of discriminatory policing practices within targeted police departments. DOJ-led investigations have found that many police departments identified for federal oversight have historically engaged in discriminatory and bias-based enforcement strategies. These strategies frequently result in a disproportionate volume of stops, searches, and arrests of minority populations. The racial disparity found in these enforcement strategies often deteriorates the trust and legitimacy of police officers. This article provides an evaluation of the impact of DOJ intervention on arrest rates and patterns of racial disparity in arrests within large city police departments. The analysis uses arrest data compiled from the Uniform Crime Reports to compare arrest patterns across major city police agencies that participated and did not participate in DOJ reform agreements focused on discriminatory enforcement between 1995 and 2018. This article approaches this evaluation through a heterogeneous difference-in-difference analysis that uses both attributable risk and relative risk measurements to compare the racial disparity within arrest trends during and after DOJ reform intervention.
Correctional Transgender Policy in Canada’s Federal Prison System
Since December 2017, Canada’s federal correctional system provides prisoners the opportunity to be assigned to living units according to their self-identified gender. Still organized around sex, conceptually and spatially, prison policies and procedures surrounding transgender prisoners require navigation to adhere to the rights of all prisoners. Based on interviews conducted between October 2019 and October 2021 with 74 correctional officers (COs) from the Canadian federal prison system, we discuss how correctional officers view and operationalize Canada’s transgender policy to understand its unintended consequences for both prisoners and prison staff. Unintended consequences revolve around the potential risk for prisoner victimization, prisoner pregnancy, lack of adequate housing, strip search complications, officers’ fear of being labeled transphobic, and uncertainty and discretion; all having effects on staff wellness. The policy, although well-intended, may potentially compromise prisoner safety, making correctional work even more stressful.
Exploring Cybercrime Capabilities: Variations Among Cybercrime Investigative Units
The current analysis utilizes semi-structured qualitative interviews with sworn cybercrime detectives, civilian digital forensics analysts, and unit administrators to consider variations between cybercrime units which bear significant implications for cybercrime investigative policy and practice. The first variation observed in this study concerns differences in the structure of digital forensics assignments. Such duties may be assigned to sworn officers, civilians, sworn officers and civilian, outsourced to other departments, or a dedicated forensic lab. Second, variations between units were noted in resource availability (tools, training, and finances). These variations among cybercrime units may have implications for personnel recruitment and retention, the sophistication of cases considered by investigators, and case success.
Validating Responsivity Assessments for Correctional Populations: Evaluating the Association With Program Participation, Dosage, and Completion
While specific responsivity factors are believed to either inhibit or facilitate successful involvement in programming, relatively little attention has been given to the validation of responsivity assessments used for correctional populations. Based on a sample of nearly 2,100 individuals confined in Minnesota prisons, this study examines the relationship between a needs and responsivity assessment system and multiple measures of program participation, dosage, and completion. The responsivity domains—childhood trauma, mental health, religiosity, motivation and learning style—were significantly associated with at least one measure of programming. All but two of the needs domains also had a significant association with programming involvement. We discuss the implications of the findings for correctional research and practice.
Exploring the Impact of Rehabilitation and Custody Orientations on Workplace Experiences of Juvenile Probation and Detention Officers
Prior research has suggested that juvenile justice staff’s support for rehabilitation is important for the success of their juvenile clients. The purpose of this article was to assess how rehabilitation and punishment orientations impacted burnout, secondary trauma, job stress, and job satisfaction among juvenile probation and detention officers. Results indicated that having more of a rehabilitation orientation did not demonstrate direct effects on the workplace outcomes included in this study. However, staff who indicated more of a punishment orientation were less likely to report emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment, as well as less job stress, but were more likely to report feelings of depersonalization.
Elements of State and Federal Prison Suicide Prevention and Response Policies
There are no mandatory national standards for custodial suicide prevention and response programs in the United States. While some professional organizations do offer accreditation, those programs are optional. Recent research on jails found that most facilities have formal suicide prevention policies, but they differ in their comprehensiveness. Little is known about the elements of state and federal prison suicide prevention policies. This study involves an analysis of state- and federal-level department of corrections suicide prevention and response policies. Elements of each jurisdiction’s policies were compared against a list of best practices, developed by professional organizations and correctional suicide scholars, for suicide prevention and response. Results revealed that, on average, department policies contain about half of the recommended elements, and that some policies, including those that could improve the culture of each institution, are not included in most departmental policy documents.
Elements of State and Federal Prison Suicide Prevention and Response Policies
There are no mandatory national standards for custodial suicide prevention and response programs in the United States. While some professional organizations do offer accreditation, those programs are optional. Recent research on jails found that most facilities have formal suicide prevention policies, but they differ in their comprehensiveness. Little is known about the elements of state and federal prison suicide prevention policies. This study involves an analysis of state- and federal-level department of corrections suicide prevention and response policies. Elements of each jurisdiction’s policies were compared against a list of best practices, developed by professional organizations and correctional suicide scholars, for suicide prevention and response. Results revealed that, on average, department policies contain about half of the recommended elements, and that some policies, including those that could improve the culture of each institution, are not included in most departmental policy documents.