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The behavioural and cognitive difficulties of some adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may increase their risk of contact with the criminal justice system (CJS) as a potential suspect. There has been limited investigation of ASD and offending and available evidence is mixed. A retrospective review was completed of medical records of 1570 adults (17–75 years old) who were referred for an ASD assessment over a 17-year period (April 2003 to February 2020). Of the adults diagnosed with ASD, 23% had previous contact with the CJS. Being male or diagnosed with co-occurring attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or psychotic disorder were risk factors for CJS contact. However, the rates of contact with the CJS or for specific offences in the ASD group were never higher than adults referred to our service but not diagnosed with ASD. We did not include a general population comparison group, therefore cannot say how rates of CJS contact in ASD compare with the general population. Further health services research for adults with ASD is warranted, as modifying the treatable risk factors (i.e. ADHD) could reduce contact with the CJS. In addition, joint working between CJS and mental health services could reduce the risk of adults with ASD having CJS contact. There has been growing interest in offending and contact with the criminal justice system (CJS) by people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it is not clear whether people with ASD offend more than those without ASD. Studies have started to look at whether there are particular offences people with ASD are more likely to commit and whether there are any factors that can affect whether someone comes into contact with the CJS as a potential suspect. This study looked at the patients who attended an ASD diagnostic service over a 17-year period to see the rate of contact with the CJS of those who were diagnosed with ASD and whether there were any particular factors that might increase the risk of CJS contact. Nearly a quarter of the ASD group had some contact with the CJS as a potential suspect. Factors that seemed to increase whether someone with ASD was more likely to have contact with the CJS were being male, being diagnosed with ADHD, and being diagnosed with psychosis. This study is one of the largest studies to investigate the rate of CJS contact as a potential suspect in a sample of adults with ASD in an attempt to give a clearer picture of what might influence someone with ASD to engage in offending behaviour in order to try to see what mental health services can offer to reduce the likelihood of someone with ASD coming into contact with the CJS, for example, treatment for another condition or support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offending behaviour peaks during adolescence and most lifetime mental ill-health has its onset before 18 years of age. An overlap in offending behaviour and mental ill-health is also associated with an increased risk of crime victimisation. Best-practice approaches to intervene early with these cohorts are unclear. This study aimed to identify evidence for the acceptability and effectiveness of programs that divert young people from an early encounter with police to community-based psychosocial or mental health support. A Participant-Concept-Context model was used to determine literature search terms. A search of databases for peer-reviewed articles (n = 3998) and an Internet search for grey literature documents (n = 505) was conducted. Nine eligible articles and five documents were included in the review. Analysis of two models found improvements in daily functioning, emotion regulation and reduced self-harm potential. The importance of collaborative relationships between the police, service providers and other stakeholders for effective program delivery was regularly reported. There is emerging evidence of the acceptability and effectiveness of existing diversion or early intervention programs, but limited evidence for victim support services. More research is needed to understand young people's preferences for pathway models and how crime victimisation support can be incorporated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic mental health care primarily focuses on aspects of safety. Treatment is involuntary, and personal rights are highly restricted. Both direct and indirect coercion and significant power imbalances can impede not only the psychological state of inpatients but also their treatment motivation and the therapeutic process in general. However, successful treatment is essential to enable patients to regain their freedom. Therefore, the question arises whether and how health professionals, without disregarding the potential risks, can enable forensic psychiatric patients to experience meaningfulness and self-efficacy in their lives. In offender rehabilitation, the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model and Good Lives Model (GLM) are widely established theories. The RNR model focuses not only on the risk of recidivism but also on those needs of a person that provoke or prevent criminal behavior and the individual's ability to respond to various kinds of interventions. In contrast, the GLM aims to reduce the risk of re-offending by enabling an individual to live a "good life," i.e., a meaningful and fulfilling life. Originally developed in correctional services, i.e., for offenders without severe mental disorders, both the RNR model and the GLM have also been tested in forensic psychiatric treatment contexts. The Recovery Model is based on the concept of personal recovery in mental health care and is understood as the development of a sense of purpose and mastery in one's own life during the process of coping with the sequelae of a mental disorder. It is a central element of rehabilitation in general, but is also being increasingly applied in forensic psychiatric treatment settings. This review aims to compare the central concepts of the three models, in particular regarding personal development, and the current evidence for their efficacy in mentally disordered offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Five-Level Risk and Needs system has been proposed as a common language for standardizing the meaning of risk levels across risk/need tools used in corrections. Study 1 examined whether the Five-Levels could be applied to BARR-2002R (N = 2,390), an actuarial tool for general recidivism. Study 2 examined the construct validity of BARR-2002R risk levels in two samples of individuals with a history of sexual offending (N = 1,081). Study 1 found reasonable correspondence between BARR-2002R scores and four of the five standardized risk levels (no Level V). Study 2 found that the profiles of individuals in Levels II, III, and IV were mostly consistent with expectations; however, individuals in the lowest risk level (Level I) had more criminogenic needs than expected based on the original descriptions of the Five-Levels. The Five-Level system was mostly successful when applied to BARR-2002R. Revisions to this system, or the inclusion of putatively dynamic risk factors and protective factors, may be required to improve alignment with the information provided by certain risk tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited research which has examined the developmental nature of friendships and their relevance for offending. This study examined heterogeneity in the development of justice system-involved friendship proportionality and its relevance for predicting offending continuity in emerging adulthood. Having a greater proportion of such peers within a friendship collective as individuals exit adolescence may lead to continued risk of offending in adulthood. The Pathways to Desistance data were used in analyses. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify developmental patterns of justice system-involved friendship proportionality during adolescence and emerging adulthood. Logistic regression was used to assess the relevance of trajectory group assignment for predicting offending risk in emerging adulthood. Findings indicated that a six-group trajectory model best fit the data. All other trajectory groups in the model indicated a lower risk of offending in emerging adulthood than the High Chronic justice system-involved friendship proportionality group. Sensitivity analyses indicated that separation from criminal peers following adolescence may be a more conservative predictor of offending risk in emerging adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is some information on the provision of healthcare services in probation in the UK, there is little information or investigation into how community-based offenders interact with health services. Our main argument is that physical health services for community offenders are inadequate in the UK, and that both the physical health and service use of community offenders is under-researched. Due to the number of people who move through secure facilities each year globally, the health of offenders in the community is important to population health and in reducing health inequalities (Aldridge et al., 2018; Kinner & Young, 2018; Public Health England, 2020). In the absence of extensive evidence and in light of the broad similarities and, indeed, overlap between community offenders and those incarcerated, it would not be unreasonable to draw insights from the more studied prison populations - inferring that community offenders are at least as likely to be distinguished by extremely poor health profiles (Fazel & Baillargeon, 2011). [Extracted from the article]

This qualitative research explored how distance relates to young people's experiences of being looked after away from home. It sought views of young people living in residential care in Scotland using semi-structured interviews. Thematic Analysis was used to elicit key themes. A global theme of 'Connections' was identified. Feelings of distance were related to how connected or disconnected young people felt towards relationships and places. These 'Connections' were supported through Contact and Familiarity. Themes of feeling disconnected from home, and subsequently feeling further away from home related to a perceived sense of control and constraint from being in care. Shame, guilt and anxiety contributed to feeling disconnected. Feelings of connectedness and/or disconnectedness to home influenced young people’s views of their own risk-taking behaviour. This research highlights the relevance of other factors, not just proximity when considering placing young people in care away from home.

Forensic mental health care primarily focuses on aspects of safety. Treatment is involuntary, and personal rights are highly restricted. Both direct and indirect coercion and significant power imbalances can impede not only the psychological state of inpatients but also their treatment motivation and the therapeutic process in general. However, successful treatment is essential to enable patients to regain their freedom. Therefore, the question arises whether and how health professionals, without disregarding the potential risks, can enable forensic psychiatric patients to experience meaningfulness and self-efficacy in their lives. In offender rehabilitation, the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model and Good Lives Model (GLM) are widely established theories. The RNR model focuses not only on the risk of recidivism but also on those needs of a person that provoke or prevent criminal behavior and the individual’s ability to respond to various kinds of interventions. In contrast, the GLM aims to reduce the risk of re-offending by enabling an individual to live a “good life,” i.e., a meaningful and fulfilling life. Originally developed in correctional services, i.e., for offenders without severe mental disorders, both the RNR model and the GLM have also been tested in forensic psychiatric treatment contexts. The Recovery Model is based on the concept of personal recovery in mental health care and is understood as the development of a sense of purpose and mastery in one’s own life during the process of coping with the sequelae of a mental disorder. It is a central element of rehabilitation in general, but is also being increasingly applied in forensic psychiatric treatment settings. This review aims to compare the central concepts of the three models, in particular regarding personal development, and the current evidence for their efficacy in mentally disordered offenders.

Young people who are care experienced are overrepresented in the criminal justice system and in general have worse outcomes in education than their non-looked after peers (DfE & Hinds, 2019; Prison Reform Trust, 2017). Recent evidence has reported that children who have a social worker (classified as child in need or those with a child protection plan), but who do not enter the care system, can have worse outcomes in education than those children who are looked after (DfE, 2019b). There remains little research evidence about the extent to which children with a social worker become involved with criminal justice services or how the age, duration and nature of formal social care service involvement may impact on education and offending outcomes. Researchers have been challenged by the lack of a sufficiently sized quantitative data, that crossed social care, education and offending domains. In work funded by ADR-UK, the present research project uses the newly linked DfE-MoJ administrative dataset to explore how different forms of formal social care services involvement impacts on education and criminal justice outcomes. Multi-level models will explore the role of formal child social care services amongst other multi-systemic risk and protective factors for education and offending. The presentation of his work will include preliminary statistics and insights into the challenges and potential further use of the linked dataset for researchers.

Abstract Objectives Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often co-occurs with antisocial behaviour. Several studies have shown high rates of ADHD among prisoners. However, the prevalence of crime among individuals with ADHD is less known. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of lifetime criminal conviction (CC) in a clinical sample of adults with ADHD, and the associations with the severity of ADHD and emotional dysregulation (ED). Methods Patients were admitted to a private psychiatric outpatient clinic in Oslo between 2014 and 2018. Of the 656 patients diagnosed with ADHD, 629 (95.9%) agreed to participate in the study. CC was determined based on self-reporting of the lifetime history of criminal behaviour. ADHD was diagnosed according to the DSM-5 criteria, and ADHD severity was measured using the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS). ED was assessed by the eight-item version of Barkley’s Current Behaviour Scale - Self-Report (CBS-SR). Results The prevalence of self-reported CC in this clinical sample was 11.7% among women and 24.5% among men. CC was associated with hyperactive-impulsive severity (p

Childhood Maltreatment (CM) is linked to adverse outcomes, including Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and increased propensity for offending behaviors. However, research on the specific role that BPD plays between the two is limited and highly relevant given the high prevalence of CM in Australia. The present study aimed to investigate (1) the relationship between CM and subsequent offending behaviors, (2) whether BPD mediates the relation between CM and offending behaviors, and (3) which type of CM (physical, sexual, emotional abuse, neglect, exposure to domestic violence, multitype maltreatment) predicts BPD. The sample comprised 106 self-identified Australian female survivors of interpersonal violent crimes. Participants completed an online survey consisting of the Adverse Childhood Events Questionnaire, the McLean Screening Instrument for BPD, and a self-created questionnaire to measure offending behaviors. Regression, mediation analysis, and logistic regression were conducted. CM significantly predicted offending behaviors (path c, B = 1.39, p <. 001) with BPD partially mediating the relationship (path c', B = 1.04, 95 % CI [0.31, 1.77], p =.006; path a, B = 0.47, 95 % CI [0.12, 0.83], p =.009, path b, B = 0.34, 95 % CI [0.07, 0.61], p =.014). Emotional abuse and multitype exposure were identified as predictors of BPD symptom development (OR = 9.42, 95 % CI OR [2.58, 34.40]; OR = 3.81, 95 % CI OR [1.41; 10.28], respectively). These findings indicate the necessity of early interventions addressing CM, with a particular focus on emotional abuse and exposure to more than one type of maltreatment, to reduce the risk of developing BPD symptomatology and mitigate future offending behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incarceration is linked to mental illness (MI), but limited evidence exists on the impact of the timing, duration, and frequency of incarceration on the mental health of males and females. Data were drawn from a cohort of 83,049 people registered as born in Queensland in 1983/84 and followed to age 29–31 years. Cox regression analyses were conducted to predict the risk of MI diagnosis post-incarceration (youth detention or adult prison). There were 2010 individuals with a record of imprisonment/detention, of which 46.4% also had MI. Incarcerated males had a longer median time to first MI diagnosis post-custody than incarcerated females (4.6 vs 3.0 years). Incarcerated males who were Indigenous, first offended at an early age, were incarcerated more than once, and had a history of violent offences had an increased likelihood of first MI diagnosis post-custody. However, for females, incarceration-related variables were not predictive of first MI diagnosis post-custody. This might be due to the small number of incarcerated females, with a high proportion of them receiving MI diagnoses prior to prison/detention (65.3%). This study expands existing evidence by providing comprehensive and detailed insight into the association between incarceration and MI for males and females. • Incarceration (prison/detention) increases a risk of mental illness (MI) diagnosis. • Females have earlier, higher onset of MI diagnosis post-incarceration than males. • Multiple custodial admission is associated with MI post-incarceration among males. • Offending-related variables are associated with MI post-incarceration among males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violent crime may impact the perpetrator in many ways, such as experiencing the negative emotions of shame and/or guilt. These emotions may subsequently play a role in adjusting to life after the crime has taken place, which is an area that has been relatively under-researched. The review aimed to identify and synthesise all available literature on the experience of offence-related shame and/or guilt in violent offenders, and to describe and characterise the methodological standard of research evidence whilst suggesting areas for further research. A systematic review of relevant databases was conducted using predefined search terms related to 'shame' and/or 'guilt' and 'violent offenders'. A mixed methods systematic review of sample characteristics, methodologies and measures was conducted to describe and compare findings across quantitative and qualitative studies. The review yielded nine papers. Offence-related shame and/or guilt was prevalent among violent populations. Results highlight the complexity and importance of the two emotions for offender rehabilitation. The findings support the need for further investigation to improve the methodological rigor within this area, such as the use of, and development of validated measures of offence-related shame and/or guilt to encourage a more reformed understanding of offence-related shame and/or guilt, for violent offenders. The review considers several implications for research and practice. • Shame and/or guilt are complex emotions and hold important insights into offender rehabilitation. • Approaches should focus on enhancing adaptive guilt, whilst reducing maladaptive shame. • Future research should aim to improve the methodological rigor when exploring shame and/or guilt as offence-related emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the relationship is complex, there is an association between alcohol use and offending behavior with an interplay between the amount drank, the pattern of drinking and individual and contextual factors. Alcohol brief interventions have been shown to be effective in primary healthcare, however there is currently a lack of compelling evidence in the criminal justice system. We carried out a rapid systematic review of the literature, which updated our review conducted in 2016. Following systematic searches, we included 36 papers on prevalence and 13 papers on effectiveness. Between 26 and 88%of individuals in the policy custody setting scored positive for an alcohol use disorder. In the magistrates court this was 95%; 31-86% in the probation setting and between 19 and 86%in the prison system. In relation to probable dependence, between 21 and 38% of individuals were shown to have probable alcohol dependence in the police custody suite setting; 39 per cent in the magistrate court system; 17-36%in the probation setting and between 18 and 48% in the prison system. This compares to 6% in the general population. We included 13 studies of effectiveness with differing outcome measures and outcomes. We conclude more studies are needed in the field to develop the current evidence base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not more likely to commit crimes, they are overrepresented in the criminal justice system as reported by Howlin (Autism and Asperger syndrome: Preparing for adulthood, Routledge, 2004). This may, in part, be due to unfavourable interactions with the criminal judiciary. Evidence suggests the autistic population are perceived unfavourably in adjudicative proceedings resulting in harsher penalties. The present study explores whether ASD offenders (ASD-O) receive longer sentences compared to national sentencing data. Sentencing data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) were used to compare ASD-O with similar offences. ASD-O attracted longer sentences across all offence classifications. Inferential analyses indicated sexual assault sentences were significantly higher in the ASD-O sample. No significant differences were found for murder, manslaughter, and assault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT) is offered as a potential treatment for clients with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), however, research suggests that delivering MBT can often present challenges for clinicians. Furthermore, there is agreement that working with clients with ASPD can significantly impact upon staff wellbeing. This project highlights the challenges experienced by clinicians when delivering an MBT service with adult offending males with ASPD within the community. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was conducted following semi-structured interviews with six MBT clinicians. Findings highlight how the challenges of working with clients with ASPD presented a significant threat to clinicians' professional identity. These challenges were compounded by confusion surrounding the MBT model, lack of support from multidisciplinary staff and insufficient service infrastructure. MBT clinicians' attempts to overcome these barriers led to them striving and breaching time boundaries, leaving them at risk of burnout. These findings contribute to existing literature surrounding clients with ASPD and provide new insight into implementation barriers when delivering a community based MBT service with this client group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some criminologists have focused on understanding the role of childhood experiences on an individual's likelihood of offending during adulthood. Although research has consistently linked these two phenomena, little is known about the extent to which childhood victimization influences later criminal behavior. The current study analyzed self-reported data to examine the abused–abuser relationship in the context of intimate relationships. Specifically, the study examined the direct effects of victimization across three types of offending, and whether or not individual characteristics in such a relationship were significant mediators. Using a multivariate OLS regression, a significant relationship was observed between childhood victimization and adulthood offending. Likewise, results revealed that individual characteristics significantly mediated this relationship. Policy implications of these observations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) are the “gold standard” for measuring the effectiveness of an intervention. However, they have their limitations and are especially complex in prison settings. Several systematic reviews have highlighted some of the issues, including, institutional constraints e.g., “lock-downs,” follow-ups, contamination of allocation conditions and a reliance on self-report measures. In this article, we reflect on our experiences and will describe two RCTs. People in prison are a significantly disadvantaged and vulnerable group, ensuring equitable and effective interventions is key to reducing inequality and promoting positive outcomes. We ask are RCTs of complex interventions in prisons a sisyphean task? We certainly don’t think so, but we propose that current accepted practice and research designs may be limiting our understanding and ability to test complex interventions in the real-world context of prisons. RCTs will always have their place, but designs need to be flexible and adaptive, with the development of other rigorous methods for evaluating impact of interventions e.g., nonrandomized studies, including pre-post implementation studies. With robust research we can deliver quality evidence-based healthcare in prisons – after all the degree of civilization in a society is revealed by entering its prisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate whether autistic people's vulnerability is taken into account at each stage of the criminal justice system (CJS). Defense lawyers from 12 nations were included in the study although the sample was predominantly from the UK. Lawyers completed an online survey regarding one case in which they had defended an autistic client between January 2015 and January 2020; and on one case in which they had defended a nonautistic client charged with a similar offense, to provide a comparison group. Ninety‐three lawyers (85% in the UK) reported on one autistic case, and 53 also reported on one nonautistic case. 75% of autistic clients were not given reasonable adjustments during the process. Only 43% were offered an appropriate adult during police investigations, even though they had an existing diagnosis of autism. 59% of prosecution barristers and 46% of judges said or did something during the trial that made the lawyers concerned that they did not have an adequate understanding of autism. Lawyers were 7.58 times more likely to be concerned about their autistic client's effective participation in court and were 3.83 times more likely to be concerned that their autistic clients would engage in self‐harm, compared with their nonautistic clients. There is a failure to identify and address autistic peoples' disability within the CJS. There is a need for mandatory autism training for police officers and the judiciary, with a focus on identifying autism and understanding the needs of autistic people so that reasonable adjustments are offered in all cases. Lay Summary: This study sought to investigate if the needs of autistic people are being overlooked by the police and other professionals within the CJS. Results show that autistic people are not always given the support they need during police questioning or in court. The experience of being involved with the police may also have a more negative impact on autistic peoples' mental health than that of nonautistic people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Escape and absconding, especially in forensic settings, can have serious consequences for patients, staff and institutions. Several characteristics of affected patients could be identified so far, albeit based on heterogeneous patient populations, a limited number of possible factors and basal statistical analyses. The aim of this study was to determine the most important characteristics among a large number of possible variables and to describe the best statistical model using machine learning in a homogeneous group of offender patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Methods A database of 370 offender patients suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorder and 507 possible predictor variables was explored by machine learning. To counteract overfitting, the database was divided into training and validation set and a nested validation procedure was used on the training set. The best model was tested on the validation set and the most important variables were extracted. Results The final model resulted in a balanced accuracy of 71.1% (95% CI = [58.5, 83.1]) and an AUC of 0.75 (95% CI = [0.63, 0.87]). The variables identified as relevant and related to absconding/ escape listed from most important to least important were: more frequent forbidden intake of drugs during current hospitalization, more index offences, higher neuroleptic medication, more frequent rule breaking behavior during current hospitalization, higher PANSS Score at discharge, lower age at admission, more frequent dissocial behavior during current hospitalization, shorter time spent in current hospitalization and higher PANSS Score at admission. Conclusions For the first time a detailed statistical model could be built for this topic. The results indicate the presence of a particularly problematic subgroup within the group of offenders with schizophrenic spectrum disorder who also tend to escape or abscond. Early identification and tailored treatment of these patients could be of clinical benefit.

Although the relationship is complex, there is an association between alcohol use and offending behavior with an interplay between the amount drank, the pattern of drinking and individual and contextual factors. Alcohol brief interventions have been shown to be effective in primary healthcare, however there is currently a lack of compelling evidence in the criminal justice system. We carried out a rapid systematic review of the literature, which updated our review conducted in 2016. Following systematic searches, we included 36 papers on prevalence and 13 papers on effectiveness. Between 26 and 88% of individuals in the policy custody setting scored positive for an alcohol use disorder. In the magistrates court this was 95%; 31–86% in the probation setting and between 19 and 86% in the prison system. In relation to probable dependence, between 21 and 38% of individuals were shown to have probable alcohol dependence in the police custody suite setting; 39 per cent in the magistrate court system; 17–36% in the probation setting and between 18 and 48% in the prison system. This compares to 6% in the general population. We included 13 studies of effectiveness with differing outcome measures and outcomes. We conclude more studies are needed in the field to develop the current evidence base.

Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) are the “gold standard” for measuring the effectiveness of an intervention. However, they have their limitations and are especially complex in prison settings. Several systematic reviews have highlighted some of the issues, including, institutional constraints e.g., “lock-downs,” follow-ups, contamination of allocation conditions and a reliance on self-report measures. In this article, we reflect on our experiences and will describe two RCTs. People in prison are a significantly disadvantaged and vulnerable group, ensuring equitable and effective interventions is key to reducing inequality and promoting positive outcomes. We ask are RCTs of complex interventions in prisons a sisyphean task? We certainly don't think so, but we propose that current accepted practice and research designs may be limiting our understanding and ability to test complex interventions in the real-world context of prisons. RCTs will always have their place, but designs need to be flexible and adaptive, with the development of other rigorous methods for evaluating impact of interventions e.g., non-randomized studies, including pre-post implementation studies. With robust research we can deliver quality evidence-based healthcare in prisons – after all the degree of civilization in a society is revealed by entering its prisons.

Therapy alliance has been studied largely in voluntary psychotherapy but less is known about its predictive factors for positive alliance and treatment outcome in forensic populations. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between offenders' emotional states and therapy alliance. Moreover, we were interested in the predictive impact of emotional states early in treatment on alliance at 18 months into treatment. Self-ratings of emotional states and alliance by 103 male offenders, and therapist-ratings for therapy alliance were examined using hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Participants were primarily convicted for violent of sexual offenses, and were diagnosed with antisocial, borderline or narcissistic personality disorders. Healthy emotional states were predictive of mid-treatment agreement on therapy goals and therapist ratings on tasks within the therapy. Unhealthy emotional states were predictive of patient-rated agreement on tasks. Emotional states were not predictive for the reported therapist/patient bond or global alliance ratings. This study emphasizes the importance of healthy emotional states in treatment of offenders with personality disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research has sought to distinguish key interacting factors affecting children as they develop which influence later outcomes. Some factors, notably adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), pose serious risks for later health or mental health problems for the children or predispose them for involvement in offending behaviours. However, other experiences, alongside ACEs, also pose risks and yet others offer protection. A matrix showing interacting influences from the mother's pregnancy onwards was published earlier; a revised matrix has been developed, showing a fresh picture of cumulative risk and protective factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2016, there were approximately 45,000 juveniles in placement in the United States. Most youth indicate that they plan to live with a family member upon release. Yet, many boys report housing needs before, during or after their time in placement which may be related to family experiences with child maltreatment, substance abuse and criminal justice contact. Using the young males' data from the Serious and Violent Offenders Re-entry Initiative (SVORI), we investigate the influence of boys' housing needs prior to their release on their continued housing needs and offending in the first-year post-release. We found that needing a place to live prior to release significantly increased boys' violent offending at nine-months post-release and we also find that boys who did not live with a parent prior to placement reported more crime at nine-months post-release. We also found that boys' baseline housing needs and prior physical abuse significantly predicted boys' reports that they needed help finding a place to live at nine-months and that baseline housing needs significantly predicted housing needs at fifteen months post-release. We contextualize our findings given the adverse family environments boys often face post-release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A consolidated list of offender motivations for criminal offending was created to determine the relevance of individual motivations for youth and adult crimes, and across a range of offending categories. Adult male inmates (N= 136) rated the relevance of each of 17 motivations to official conviction records and other clinical-risk measures. Results showed that most inmates committed crimes to experience pleasure, sensation seeking, or to escape reality. Adult sex offenders identified sexual motives, whereas non-sex offenders endorsed substance use, social influence, and utilitarian motives. Findings are discussed with respect to evidence-based correctional research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study assessed whether cannabis use, other types of substance use, and drug‐related offending changed among 1216 justice‐system‐involved youth after recreational cannabis legalization. Using generalized estimating equation population‐averaged models, we compared youth in California, where recreational cannabis is legalized, and Pennsylvania, where recreational use is still prohibited. Results indicated that cannabis use, cannabis selling, and driving under the influences (DUIs) increased more among Pennsylvanian than Californian youth. We found no changes in alcohol or noncannabis drug use after legalization. Cigarette use did not change significantly among Pennsylvanian youth, but Californian youth exhibited decreased cigarette use after legalization. Although not directly tested in the present analysis, it is possible that changes in state‐level recreational cannabis policies throughout the U.S. may contribute to more permissive attitudes toward cannabis, which leads to higher use and use‐related outcomes. Future research should continue to consider the potential impacts of legalization on other types of risky and illegal behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high prevalence of head injury (HI) in prisoners and its association with offending indicates a need for interventions. However, there is little evidence and none for the effectiveness of psychoeducation in improving prisoner knowledge about HI and its effects. Small groups of males in two Scottish prisons underwent a 1 hour psychoeducation session delivered by PowerPoint and combined with question and answer, video clips and a booklet about HI. A pre-post intervention design was used to assess knowledge about HI from vignettes. Participants indicated effects of HI using unprompted free recall and then with a questionnaire (the Symptom Checklist; SCL), pre-education (n = 34), post-education (n = 19) and at 4-week follow-up (n = 11). Free recall was scored using symptom lists from national guidelines (FR-SIGN) or the SCL (FR-SCL). Within-subject comparisons were made between pre-intervention, post-intervention and follow-up scores. Knowledge about HI significantly increased pre- to post-education for FR-SIGN (d = 0.91; 95% CI 0.62, 2.53) and FR-SCL (d = 0.99; 95% CI 0.95, 4.00) without decrement at follow-up (FR-SIGN d = 1.27; 95% CI 0.53, 2.56; FR-SCL r = 0.60). Scores on the SCL did not change over time (p >.05). Prisoner knowledge about HI was improved by brief psychoeducation suitable for delivery in prisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that job stability and job quality are vital in enhancing the crime suppression effects of employment. Unfortunately, with the erosion of the manufacturing economy and the increase in the service-dominated economy, offenders who are typically on the margins of society, are pushed towards the informal economy now more than before. The current study attends to the relationship between informal work and crime by analyzing data from the Pathways to Desistance study. Results from fixed effects linear probability models show that informal work is associated with a higher probability of engaging in expressive crimes, but not instrumental crimes. Neither informal nor formal work arrangements seem to work as crime suppressants, but informal arrangements appear more criminogenic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, populations of Color are overrepresented across virtually all arenas of the criminal justice system. These realities have led scholars to bring race and ethnicity to the forefront of our examinations of crime and justice. Understanding how culturally specific factors distinctly impact a group is imperative when it comes to understanding why some engage in offending while others do not. Analyzing the pathways specified by the theory of African American Offending (TAAO) among a Latinx population can help shed light on whether this theory may be broadly applicable to populations of Color. This insight can aid in the development of culturally appropriate interventions and policies to combat the institutional racism that increases marginalized populations' likelihood of contact with the criminal justice system. Thus, we explore how well TAAO pathways apply to a Latinx sample of youth. Findings lend support for culturally distinct examinations. Implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although studies point to a relationship between debt and crime, there is a limited understanding of their reciprocal relationship and possible mediating risk factors. Moreover, knowledge about the prevalence and scope of debt among offenders is lacking. Therefore, the present study analyzed 250 client files including risk assessment data from the Dutch probation service on the prevalence of debt and possibly related risk factors. The results show that debt is highly prevalent and complex, which underlines the importance of acquiring more knowledge about debt as a potential risk factor for relapse during supervision. It was found that problems with regard to childhood and living situation, education and work/daytime activities, and mental and physical health may be possible underlying risk factors in the relationship between debt and crime. These insights can help professionals adequately support clients with regard to debt in order to prevent recidivism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is an increasingly important issue in the New Zealand (NZ) Criminal Justice System (CJS). FASD may impact an offender's ability to participate meaningfully in the trial process, giving rise to the issue of unfitness to stand trial. Capacity to apprehend, comprehend, participate in, make decisions about and communicate within legal process intersect with the complexity and severity of charges. Courts are required to make a nuanced analysis of multiple and complex factors, merging medical and legal expertise into decisions made. We explore the nature of FASD and its implications for criminal justice in NZ. The legal and clinical issues in relation to fitness and FASD will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Most people are generally honest, but around 5% of individuals are prolific liars, some of whom lie for fun or no reason. However, developmental research on atypical lying features (e.g., motives, attitudes, inclinations for dishonesty) and the associated traits and negative outcomes is lacking. We examined how psychopathic traits are related to the development of lying trajectories and whether exhibiting atypical lying features during a developmental period when lies tend to decrease in frequency (i.e., adolescence to adulthood) increases the risk for adulthood antisocial behaviors., Methods: Data come from the multisite Pathways to Desistance project, a longitudinal study of serious juvenile offenders in the United States who were interviewed across 11 time points over 7 years from 2000 to 2010. Age-based trajectory analyses modeled self-reported atypical lying features from ages 14 to 26 for male participants (N = 1170; 42.1% Black, 34.0% Hispanic, 19.2% White, 4.6% Other), and examined how subscales from the Youth Psychopathy Inventory predicted lying trajectory classes and whether those classes differed in adulthood offending and substance use., Results: Around 5% of the sample maintained elevated atypical lying features in adolescence and into adulthood. These individuals were more manipulative, remorseless, impulsive, and irresponsible in adolescence, and were more likely to offend and use substances in adulthood., Conclusions: Findings highlight how atypical lying features during the normative developmental desistance period of lying may be elevated for prolific liars and how traits can be used to identify at-risk individuals. This information will help to inform intervention and prevention programs targeting externalizing behaviors., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Adolescence published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation for Professionals in Services to Adolescents.)

Individuals who have experienced child protection system involvement are over-represented in criminal justice systems. This group faces greater risks of serious offending and justice system entrenchment relative to their peers without child protection system contact. Understanding the pathways from child protection to adult criminal justice system contact is critical for informing crime prevention policy and practice, yet most research on the maltreatment-offending relationship solely focuses on children's pathways from child protection to youth justice systems. This scoping review identified and synthesized evidence from studies examining adult justice system contact among individuals who have experienced child protection system involvement (including placement in out-of-home care [OOHC]). A search of six databases identified 7,599 publications, of which 37 met the inclusion criteria. These primary studies included adult participants with a history of child protection system involvement and adult criminal justice system contact (defined by administrative records or self-reported arrest, conviction, or incarceration). The review identified that many factors associated with increased likelihood of adult criminal justice system contact reflect those identified for youth justice involvement (e.g., male gender, racial minority or Indigenous status, a history of substantiated maltreatment, particularly physical abuse, placement in OOHC, particularly placement in residential care, placement for reasons of problem behavior, initial placement in early adolescence, and placement instability). While youth justice system contact is associated with increased risk, engagement in education or employment (for males), and becoming a parent appear to be associated with decreased risk of criminal justice system contact among adults previously involved in child protection systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Despite growing interest in strength-based rehabilitation frameworks, relevant internal/external resources that are likely to facilitate the rehabilitation of detained female adolescents (DFA) have been understudied. This study aims to fill this gap by studying the role of young women's personal resilience and interpersonal support in building fulfilling and prosocial lives 4 years after youth detention, thereby examining the strength-based good lives model (GLM). Forty-nine former DFA (Mage = 20.75) completed questionnaires about resilience, support, Quality of Life (QoL), and offending. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that young women with more resilience displayed higher QoL and less offending, while more support was associated with higher QoL only. The relationship between resilience and QoL/offending did not depend upon the level of support. Overall, our results support the applicability of the GLM to former DFA, showing evidence for the importance of both internal and external resources in building fulfilling and prosocial lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia young people who are at risk of offending have attracted much media and policy attention. In recent times, policy reform has seen increased funding for social services delivery to support young people at risk of entering, or are currently in, the juvenile justice system. However, there is limited literature that explores how young people experience services delivered to them. This article reports on a systematic literature review exploring the voices of children and youth on social service delivery for young people who have offended or are at risk of offending. The review aimed to identify English language publications in the fifteen-year period from 2004 to 2018, critique their methodological quality, and analyse and describe the findings of identified studies. Through a search of electronic social sciences databases twelve (n = 12) eligible publications were identified, including six qualitative studies, one quantitative study and five reports. The review highlighted a scarcity of research on this topic but provided evidence about how young people who are at risk of offending experienced social services, and their recommendations for effective service delivery. IMPLICATIONS Practitioners need to create supportive, caring, and respectful environments that facilitate young people's agency and self-determination. Young people need information and clarification but may not always ask for it. Experiences of racism need to be acknowledged and racist attitudes actively addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a comparative review of the application of four contextualist therapies in the treatment of antisocial behavior and offending. The therapies reviewed are functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and mode deactivation therapy (MDT). A descriptive and comparative review was conducted through a search carried out in both general and specific databases related to each therapy. We included a total of 44 studies treating any type of antisocial behavior or offending. Results show that these interventions have been used to treat challenging behavioral patterns, inmates' institutional behaviors, exhibitionism, at-risk adolescents' aggressive conducts, and offending behaviors performed by juveniles who committed robbery and/or serious sexual offenses. The main conclusions are that the four therapies show very positive outcomes: Although FAP and ACT have been used more sparsely, DBT and MDT have been employed in a larger number of interventions and using more controlled comparative designs. The therapeutic components that seem to be relevant to understanding in a transversal way how changes in behavior are achieved are acceptance/validation of clients' histories of neglect and abuse and clients' commitment to behaving toward their valued directions in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]