...Criminology & Criminal Justice © 2006 SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks & New Delhi) and the British Society of Criminology. www.sagepublications.com ISSN 1748–8958; Vol: 6(1): 39–62 DOI: 10.1177/1748895806060666 A desistance paradigm for offender management FERGUS McNEILL Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde, UK Abstract In an influential article published in the British Journal of Social Work in 1979, Anthony Bottoms and Bill McWilliams proposed the adoption of a ‘non-treatment paradigm’ for probation practice. Their argument rested on a careful and considered analysis not only of empirical evidence about the ineffectiveness of rehabilitative treatment but also of theoretical, moral and philosophical questions about such interventions. By 1994, emerging evidence about the potential effectiveness of some intervention programmes was sufficient to lead Peter Raynor and Maurice Vanstone to suggest significant revisions to the ‘non-treatment paradigm’. In this article, it is argued that a different but equally relevant form of empirical evidence—that derived from desistance studies—suggests a need to re-evaluate these earlier paradigms for probation practice. This reevaluation is also required by the way that such studies enable us to understand and theorize both desistance itself and the role that penal professionals might play in supporting it. Ultimately, these empirical and theoretical insights drive us back to the complex interfaces between technical and moral...
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...of desistance and evaluate the extent to which current probation practices support desistance. | | | | | | Desistance has many definitions according to numerous theorists. Some definitions are vague. For example, Laub and Sampson explained how Neal Shover (1996) defines desistance as “voluntary termination of serious criminal participation”. Some other definitions are more arbitrary. For instance, Professor Laub and Professor Sampson came across other definitions, such as Farrington and Hawkins (1991) and how they define desistance as having no conviction between the age 21 and 32, following a conviction before 21. Another study they found was that of Weitekamp and Kerner (1994), and this explained how together they have both tried to unravel various workings in the area of desistance. They have defined the desistance as the period of time when the criminal or delinquent actions ends permanently. Comparing this notion, they define suspension as an interruption in offending activities. Laub and Sampson also showed how Maruna (2001), points out that the fore mentioned researchers, in addition to their definitions, view desistance as a developmental progression, and not as a happening; which means the rate of offending recurring decelerates and also becomes far less appealing. In a documentary by Allen Weaver, on desistance, he spoke about Laub and Sampson’s study, about a research that was conducted in the 1940’s as part of a Harvard University study on...
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...A Serial Killer’s Life Course Serial killing is at least as old as humanity itself. The study of serial killing, however, has only been around for the last few decades. As such, there has not been much investigation into the sociological or criminological precursors to serial killing. Because of this, I was interested to attempt to apply theory from the Developmental Life Course Perspective to the lives of serial murderers. Through the implementation of case studies, a pattern did, in fact, emerge that appeared to conform to the Perspective’s theory regarding entrance into, engagement in, and desistance from crime. BACKGROUND AND HISTORY A person with Antisocial Personality Disorder, also called APD, is popularly known as a psychopath...
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...VISITATION ON INMATE MISCONDUCT The Effects of Jail Visitation on Inmate Misconduct Liuhong Yang Case Western Reserve University The Effects of Jail Visitation on Inmate Misconduct The emergence of mass incarceration has led many scholars to devote considerable attention to inmates’ experiences and behaviors during incarceration. In general, the goals of correctional facilities are to operate in systematic and structured ways that can assure and promote “internal safety and order” (Siennick, Mears, & Bales, 2013, p. 418; Bottoms, 1999) and to increase positive reentry outcomes for released inmates (Cullen & Jonson, 2012). Therefore, promoting compliance with correctional rules and ultimately desistance...
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...The Criminal Justice System: Offenders, Crimes, and Correction/Detention Cost Nateshia R. Bush Dr. Mary Parker Independent Study April 16, 2013 Introduction The criminal justice system today in America has many different sides, which come together to keep the overall peace of society. The criminal justice system deals with the different offenders, classifications for crime, and types of punishment for such crimes. The system is responsible for maintaining the constitutional rights and overall freedom of citizens, which some take for granted daily. It is a fact that crime exist for different purposes; however, it is more important to know laws are required to make certain societies function in a peaceful manner. When criminals break the law, other individuals are paid to make sure justice is served within the community. Paying these public servants comes at a cost to the community through tax dollars. Police officers, Judges, Lawyers, Court Clerks, Bailiffs, Correctional officers, Wardens, and more have jobs due to the existence of crime and these people work together to provide safety within our communities as well as retribution and treatment for different offenders and their individual needs. Crimes exist on a regular basis within our communities, which employs significant cost on the general public to cover the cost of maintaining inmates in correctional and local detention facilities. Crime has a broad range in occurrence, which ranges from simple traffic...
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...A Justice Policy Institute Report By Barry Holman and Jason Ziedenberg The Impact of Incarcerating Youth in Detention and Other Secure Facilities The Dangers of Detention: The Impact of Incarcerating Youth in Detention and Other Secure Facilities The Dangers of Detention: A Justice Policy Institute Report by Barry Holman and Jason Ziedenberg 1 The Dangers of Detention1 Introduction: The Growing Impact of Youth Detention Despite the lowest youth crime rates in 20 years, hundreds of thousands of young people are locked away every year in the nation’s 591 secure detention centers. Detention centers are intended to temporarily house youth who pose a high risk of re-offending before their trial, or who are deemed likely to not appear for their trial. But the nation’s use of detention is steadily rising, and facilities are packed with young people who do not meet those high-risk criteria—about 70 percent are detained for nonviolent offenses.2 “[F]airly viewed, pretrial detention of a juvenile gives rise to injuries comparable to those associated with the imprisonment of an adult. ” –Justice Marshall for the minority in Schall v. Martin, 1984. “Detention: A form of locked custody of youth pre-trial who are arrested— juvenile detention centers are the juvenile justice system’s version of “jail, in which most young people are being held before the court has ” judged them delinquent. Some youth in detention are there because they fail the conditions of their...
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...police problems, their non-linear feedback systems, the diversity of responses that can be applied to problems, and the difficulty of learning from problem-solving experiences highlight the complexity of police problems. The paper closes with a list of research questions designed to improve the science and practice of problem analysis and solution. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH POLICE RESEARCH? Problem-oriented policing has become the victim of the disease it was meant to cure, the "means over ends syndrome." Symptoms of this disease include studies examining the internal workings of police organizations implementing problem-oriented policing, confusing problem-oriented policing with community policing, and generally failing to recognize that a new approach to policing requires a different approach to research. Though the number of police agencies applying problem solving has grown rapidly, particularly since 1987, Crime Prevention Studies, vol. 15 (2003), pp. 79-113. John Eck the theory and practice of problem-oriented policing has grown slowly and fitfully. In the absence of leadership and goading from full-time researchers, it is understandable that practitioners did not explore unknown territories and push the boundaries of problem solving (Eck,...
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...stable job is one thing that every person strives for. It means having something that would help sustain not only the family’s basic needs for everyday life but also to secure one’s future. Unemployment is a stressful life event that can lead to financial difficulties, depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, and increased substance use. (Wanberg 1999). It results to emotional health problems due to depression and anxiety as well as low self esteem and lose of respect from other people due to the inability to support one’s self and his family. In order to be employed, one of the most common requirements of an employer or a business establishment is that a person applying for work should be of good moral character. In most cases, a job applicant is required to secure clearances from either the National Bureau of Investigation or the Philippine National Police. The clearances serve as certificate of good moral character and behavior. The clearance reveals if a person has a clean police record or if he/she has been already convicted of a crime. The employment situations of ex-convicts are a different story because the certificate secured from the said law enforcement agency reveals that the applicant has a bad record on file. Employers tend to reject people with a criminal record for the following reasons: people with a criminal record are seen, generally, as undesirable, to show moral disapproval; concern that employers would be held responsible for recruiting a person...
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...BULLYING BOYS: AN EXAMINATION OF HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY IN THE PLAYGROUND Dr L Trickett1 ABSTRACT Violence between young men, particularly resulting from the emergence of a so called ‘gun and knife culture’, is currently subject to extensive media coverage in UK2. Alongside this there has been increased anxiety about both the scale and impact of bullying in schools (Cawson et al, 2002; Tyler, 2002). These issues form part of a more generalised concern about men and boys in Britain often referred to as a ‘crisis of masculinity’ (see Clare, 2000). This article examines findings from research with male respondents about their relationship with hegemonic masculinity (Connell, 1987, 1989, 1995, 2005) and bullying whilst at school and makes suggestions as to what can be done to tackle abusive behaviour amongst boys and young men. 1 Dr Loretta Tricket is a Senior Lecturer and researcher with the Nottingham Law School, Nottingham Trent University, UK. 2 See Lockhart, G; McClory, J and Qvortrup, M. (2007) Gun and Knife Crime in Great Britain, Policy Exchange, Research Note. Knife crime is a fact of life for teenagers (Bryony Gardon, telegraph.co.uk, 31 May 2008). 2 Introduction This article is in five parts. Part One outlines the theoretical background to the research. Part Two describes the methodology and the participants. Part Three discusses different types of bullying and the factors that were associated with them. Part Four discusses resistance...
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...Criminal Records in the Digital Age: A Review of Current Practices and Recommendations for Reform in Texas Helen Gaebler, Senior Research Attorney William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law The University of Texas School of law March 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................4 II. THE PROBLEM: CRIMINAL RECORDS AND COLLATERAL CONSEQUENCES .........................................5 Collateral Consequences Overview ......................................................................................................... 5 Who’s Affected? A Look at the Numbers in Texas .................................................................................. 8 Disproportionality and the Criminal Justice System .............................................................................. 10 Reaching Across Generations and Communities ................................................................................... 11 III. AN OUTDATED SYSTEM: OPEN ACCESS TO CRIMINAL RECORDS .................................................... 12 The Background Checking Industry........................................................................................................ 12 Common Practices and Pitfalls............................................................................................................... 13 Past Calls for Reform .....................
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...Signature________________________________ Date__________________________ TERESA KEMUNTO NYAKUNDI REG. E55/CE/14342/2009 This Research Project has been submitted for examination with our approval as University Supervisors: Signature_______________________ Date ________________________ Prof. Grace Bunyi Associate Professor Department of Educational Management, Policy and Curriculum Studies, School of Education Kenyatta University Signature_______________________ Date ________________________ Dr. Libese Senior lecturer Department of Educational Management, Policy and Curriculum Studies, School of Education Kenyatta University ii DEDICATION I dedicate this study to my family. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I acknowledge my supervisors Prof. Grace Bunyi and Dr. L.I Libese for their guidance during the writing of this project. If it were not for their guidance, this work could not have been a success. I also acknowledge teachers and principals of public secondary schools in Thika West District for giving information which was required for the study. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION………………………………………………………………… ii DEDICATION…………………………………………………………………… iii ACKWLEDGEMENT…………………………………………………………… iv TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………….. v LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………… ix LIST OF FIGURE……………………………………………………………….. x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND...
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