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Background: Firearm violence is a major cause of death and injury in the United States. Tracking the movement of firearms from legal purchase to use in crimes can help inform prevention of firearm injuries and deaths. The last state-wide studies analyzing crime gun recoveries used data from over 20 years ago; thus, an update is needed. Methods: We used data for 5,247,348 handgun and 2,868,713 long gun transactions and law enforcement recoveries from California crime gun recovery (2010–2021) and California's Dealer Records of Sales records. Covariates included characteristics of dealership sales, firearms and their transactions, and purchaser's demographic characteristics, purchasing history, criminal history (from firearm purchaser criminal history records), and neighborhood socioeconomic status. Analyses for handguns and long guns was conducted separately. In multivariable analysis, we included correlates into a Cox proportional hazard model accounting for left truncation and clustering between the same firearm, purchaser, dealerships, and geographic location. Covariates that remained significant (P < 0.05) were retained. For handguns, we evaluated associations of violent and weapons crimes separately. In supplementary analyses, we examined interactions by purchasers' race and ethnicity. Results: In total, 38,441 handguns (0.80%) and 6,806 long guns (0.24%) were recovered in crimes. A firearm dealer's sales volume, percent of transactions that were denials, pawns, pawn redemptions, and firearms that became crime guns were each positively associated with firearm recovery in crime. Handguns that were inexpensive, larger caliber, and that had been reported lost or stolen were positively associated with recovery in crimes. Purchaser characteristics associated with crime gun recovery included: being younger, female, Black, Hispanic, Native American or Pacific Islander, or other race/ethnicity (vs white), having previous arrests, living in close proximity to the firearm dealership, and living in a more socially vulnerable census tract. Associations with race and ethnicity were modified by previous infraction-only arrests. Conclusions: This study confirms that many previously studied correlates of firearm recovery are still relevant today. We were able to expand on previous research by examining novel associations including purchasers' criminal history and previous firearm transaction history. These results provide evidence that can be used to disrupt firearm use in crimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When youth commit serious violent or sexual offenses, this often generates a call for more severe punishments and longer detention sentences. An important question is whether (long) detention sentences are effective in decreasing recidivism among serious young offenders. To estimate recidivism rates in serious young offenders and elucidate the link between sentencing (in terms of custodial vs. non-custodial and length of imprisonment) and recidivism, three multilevel meta-analyses were conducted. With a systematic literature search, 27 studies and four datasets were traced, involving N = 2,308 participants, yielding 90 effect sizes for overall recidivism, 24 for specifically violent recidivism, and 23 for the association between length of imprisonment and recidivism. The average weighted overall recidivism rate was 44.47% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 37.59–51.46%) over an average period of 8.68 years. The rate of violent recidivism was estimated at 30.49% (95% CI: 20.92–40.52%), over an average period of 11.45 years. Recidivism rates were higher when recidivism was defined as an arrest for any new offense rather than for a specific offense and in studies conducted in the United States versus European studies. Violent recidivism rates were higher in studies with longer follow-up periods. Based on the limited available studies, no difference in recidivism rates following custodial and non-custodial sentences were found, nor an association between length of imprisonment and recidivism. To increase rehabilitation chances for youth offenders, further research is warranted to better understand the impact of sentencing and to ascertain what is needed to make custodial and non-custodial sentences more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forgiveness can de‐escalate conflicts and transform resentment into constructive responses. Although we have learned much about interpersonal and intergroup forgiveness in the last two decades (Fehr et al., 2010; Noor, 2016; Van Tongeren et al., 2014), we still know little about the dynamics underpinning individuals' forgiveness of organisational transgressions. We report two studies that investigated the importance of perceived transgression types (lack of integrity vs. lack of competence vs. control) in determining forgiveness towards transgressing organisations. In both studies, organisations were less forgivable when their transgressions were attributed to the lack of integrity (vs. competence or control condition). Forgiveness mediated the negative impact of transgression on punitiveness, highlighting the buffering role of forgiveness in the aftermath of organisational failings. Our findings generalised across both public and private organisations, different designs and cultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The #MeToo movement has provoked a worldwide discussion about sexual violence. Some critics of the movement argue that it violates the presumption of innocence. In the current study, we investigated the determinants of the perception of the presumption of innocence in the context of media depictions of violence. We took into account previous studies that suggest that people view more favorably defendants in rape trials than they do men accused of other crimes and that people view more favorably defendants with a high socioeconomic status than they do those with a low socioeconomic status. The current study investigated whether the perception of the presumption of innocence is related to the type of crime (sexual vs. nonsexual assault) or to the socioeconomic status of the defendant (a famous writer vs. a maintenance worker). We conducted a vignette-based study with a sample of Polish people (N = 158). The type of crime did not influence the perception of the presumption of innocence; however, women who participated in the study endorsed the presumption of innocence to a greater extent when the defendant had a high socioeconomic status. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relevance of this study is justified by the need to carry out a comparative legal study of the norms that ensure the protection of the interests of justice in the Republic of Azerbaijan and Ukraine in the field of implementation of judicial prescriptions as an important stage of the justice process as a whole. The purpose of this study was to implement a general description of criminal offences that encroach on the procedure for the execution of court decisions, according to the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Ukraine, as well as characteristics of those features that allow distinguishing the corresponding encroachments from other offences against justice and combining them into one category. This study employed a set of scientific methods: terminological, system-structural, formal logical, comparative legal. Based on the results of this study, it was established that the formalization of criminal offences, which encroach on the implementation of the principle of inevitability of legal responsibility, and the criminal law enforcement of court decisions in the Republic of Azerbaijan and Ukraine is an ongoing process. The conclusion was substantiated that the criminalization of a fairly wide scope of socially dangerous acts of this category implemented in the current criminal legislation of each of the States is conditioned upon the social need to ensure human rights and public interests in the field of implementing the tasks of justice. The provisions formulated in this paper will contribute to the search for more effective means of criminal law in the law-making and law enforcement of both the Republic of Azerbaijan and Ukraine

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The article deals with the problem of introducing a criminal offense into national legislation. The authors analyzes the category of „misdemeanor" in criminal and administrative liability. Adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to EU legislation, Ukraine's aspiration to become a democratic state governed by the rule of law requires particular adjustments in the legal system and, accordingly, administrative and criminal law as its constituent. It is of fundamental importance to implement reforming of administrative and criminal legislation on the basis of principles of the Constitution of Ukraine with a comprehensive approach to reforming other areas of legislation (for instance, civil, labour, financial, etc.). It is necessary to forecast dynamics of administrative and criminal law development, interconnected with the gradual changes in the advancement of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Building upon an existing methodology and conceptual framework for estimating the association between the use of substances and crime, we calculated attributable fractions that estimate the proportion of crimes explained by alcohol and six other categories of psychoactive substances. Design Cross‐sectional surveys. Setting: Canadian federal correctional institutions. Participants: Canadian men (n = 27 803) and women (n = 1335) offenders who began serving a custodial sentence in a Canadian federal correctional institution between 2006 and 2016. Measurements Offenders completed the computerized assessment of substance abuse, a self‐report tool designed to assess (1) whether the offence for which they were convicted would have occurred had they not been intoxicated from alcohol or another substance, (2) whether they committed the offence to support their alcohol or other substance use and (3) whether they were dependent on alcohol (alcohol dependence scale) or another substance (drug abuse screening test). Offences were grouped into four mutually exclusive categories: violent crimes, non‐violent crimes, impaired driving and substance‐defined crimes. This study focused on violent and non‐violent crime categories. Substances assessed were: alcohol, cannabis, opioids, other central nervous system (CNS) depressants, cocaine, other CNS stimulants and other substances. Findings According to offender self‐report, 42% of all violent and non‐violent crime would probably not have occurred if the perpetrator had not been under the influence of, or seeking, alcohol or other substances. Between 2006 and 2016, 20% of violent crimes and 7% of non‐violent crimes in Canada were considered attributable to alcohol. In contrast, all other psychoactive substance categories combined were associated with 26% of all violent crime and 25% of non‐violent crime during the same time‐frame. Conclusions: Attributable fraction analyses show that more than 42% of Canadian crime resulting in a custodial sentence between 2006 and 2016 would probably not have occurred if the perpetrator had not been under the influence of or seeking alcohol or other drugs. Attributable fractions for alcohol and substance‐related crime are a potentially useful resource for estimating the impact of alcohol and other substances on crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mate crime is a specific subset of hate crime in which the perpetrator is known to the victim. The aim of the current study was to examine perceptions of friendship and the concept of mate crime in autistic adults. Five adults were interviewed about their experiences of social interactions, friendships and mate crime. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis revealed three superordinate themes: (1). Perceptions and 'learning the formula' (2). Socialising... 'It's more complicated than that', and (3). 'Taking Advantage of You'. Themes highlight the importance of further research into positive and negative aspects of social relationships in autistic adults, and the need to challenge attitudes around disability and provide support to those who may be socially vulnerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Juveniles of today will become the adults of tomorrow, the face of the world. Hence, it is of utmost importance to make sure that the youth of nation are given a wholesome protected environment to thrive and grow in. Aim of the Study: Our study was focused on retrospectively studying the type of offence committed by the juveniles in the reformatory schools. Material & Method Both male and female inmates of the reformatory schools were studied for the unlawful acts which landed them into the Reformatory schools. Observation & Results: The percentage of boys and girls involved in non-heinous and other offences was 36.5% and 33.3% respectively; but this association of type of offence with gender was found to be statistically non-significant (p>0.05). There were 103 cases of sexual offences, maximum Cases were of POCSO. Conclusion: Comprehensive violence prevention plans in all spheres of life, i.e. homes, schools, communities to reduce and prevent juvenile delinquency. Special programmes should be designed to prevent sexual reoffending among these juveniles. Development of facilities for counselling and psychological and psychiatric treatment as well as introduction of Juvenile mentoring programs is highly recommended in reformatory schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Moral disengagement is linked with various aggressive and anti-social behavior. • Personal and societal factors can influence enlistment of moral disengagement. • Interventions to reduce moral disengagement should target psychosocial factors. Moral disengagement enables individuals to enact behavior contrary to their moral standards without remorse. Although associations between moral disengagement and transgressions are widely studied, the process occurs in the context of personal and environmental factors that may increase or suppress its enlistment. Understanding potential moderators provide insight into how moral disengagement enables transgressions, and offers possible areas of intervention to decrease its enlistment. This review integrates research examining moral disengagement within a social cognitive theory framework from which it is part. Within the 157 eligible studies (N = 118,501) investigating moral disengagement and a related construct, 35 distinct correlates of moral disengagement were identified. Random-effects meta -analyses identified significant associations between moral disengagement and transgressive behavior, and additionally identified personal (e.g., self-efficacy; empathy) and environmental factors (e.g., parental monitoring; peer rejection) that may moderate its enlistment. Findings highlight the importance of considering intrapsychic and societal influences associated with moral disengagement when enacting transgressions. Theoretical considerations and suggestions for future research are also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has been marked as a source country from which large volumes of precursor chemicals are shipped to foreign drug markets for synthetic drug production. However, the basic patterns of illicit distribution remain unclear. Data from closed criminal cases were extracted from legal files to develop an objective understanding of illicit distribution patterns in China. The sample consisted of 534 illicit supply cases involving 1481 individuals, three groups of precursor chemicals and 102 chemical manufacturing companies. The offenders could be categorised as lower-class offenders, occupational offenders and corporate offenders based on their profiles and criminal behaviours. Significant differences between the three groups of offenders and their specific patterns of chemical supply suggest a diverse, dynamic and complex nationwide supply network. To better understand this phenomenon in China's rapidly transitioning society, we provide a description of cultural, legal and political backgrounds, which may provide some explanations at the macro level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts case United States v. Michael L. Babich et al. which deals with criminal charges involving the U.S. Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) of 1970 and corruption and fraud in the pharmaceutical (Big Pharma) industry. Bribes/kickbacks to compensate medical practitioners who write prescriptions for drug company Insys Therapeutics Inc.'s Subsys fentanyl spray are assessed.

Contempt is a crime that can be traced back to twelfth century England. It was an offense of disobedience that caused the obstruction of justice, and the punishment of such crimes was deeply important to the English justice system. Subsequent to the American Revolution, early American courts retained the use of contempt. Today, in the United States, criminal contempt is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 401. Despite the federal code, actions that exemplify contempt are not specifically defined by statute. Judges are granted broad discretion in determining which actions are contemptuous and which are not. Moreover, federal criminal contempt lacks an offense classification and a statutory maximum. Judges are granted wide latitude in penalizing contemnors. In response to the lack of direction by statute, federal circuits have formulated approaches to classify and punish contemnors; however, the circuits are split as to the proper method of doing so. This split represents a threat to equality, as equal crimes should be treated equally. The First and Seventh Circuits classify criminal contempt as a Class A felony, for which a plain reading of 18 U.S.C. § 401 creates no statutory maximum, and thus a literal reading would allow for life imprisonment. The Ninth Circuit analogizes the underlying action for the criminal contempt charge to its most similar offense and sentences accordingly. Finally, the Eleventh Circuit deems criminal contempt an offense sui generis, of its own kind. These approaches are vastly different and can result in sweeping variations in sentences. Such sweeping differences in criminal sentencing runs contrary to the paramount concern of uniform punishment. To uniformly punish contemnors, the circuits must identify and punish contempt in a consistent manner. Congress should adopt a statutory maximum for criminal contempt to ensure fundamental fairness and uniformity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the criminal law norms related to the crime provided for by Article 135 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The authors estimate judicial practice and outline disputable issues of correlation of the given norms and offer the criteria to distinguish lewd and lascivious acts from related crimes.

The article deals with the criminal law norms related to the crime provided for by Article 135 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The authors estimate judicial practice and outline disputable issues of correlation of the given norms and offer the criteria to distinguish lewd and lascivious acts from related crimes

Bastard. Idiot. Imbecile. Pauper. Felon. These terms, medieval in origin, have served as formal legal designations and also the brands of substantial social stigma. As legal designations, the terms marked persons for different sorts of membership in a political community. The rights and privileges of these persons could be restricted or denied altogether. Today, most of these terms have been abandoned as labels for official classifications. But the terms felon and felony remain central to American criminal law, even after other developed democracies have formally abolished the felon/felony category. "Felony" has connotations of extreme wickedness and an especially severe crime, but the official legal meaning of felony is a pure legal construct: any crime punishable by more than a year in prison. So many and such disparate crimes are now felonies that there is no unifying principle to justify the classification. And yet, the designation of a crime as a felony, or of a person as a felon, still carries great significance. Even beyond the well-documented "collateral" consequences of a felony conviction, the classification of persons as felons is central to the mechanics of mass incarceration and to inequality both in and out of the criminal justice system. American law provides the .felonry-the group of persons convicted of felonies- a form of subordinate political membership that contrasts with the rights and privileges of the full-fledged citizenry. The felon should go the way of the bastard, into the dustbins of legal history. If that outcome seems unlikely, it is worth asking why a category long known to be incoherent should be so difficult to remove from the law. This Article examines felony in order to scrutinize more broadly the conceptual structure of criminal law. Criminal laws, and even their most common critiques and arguments for reform, often appeal to the same naturalistic understanding of crime and punishment that gives felon its social meaning. When we imagine crime as a natural, pre-legal wrong and the criminal as intrinsically deserving of suffering, we displace responsibility for the law's burdens from the community that enacts the law and the officials that enforce it. To bid farewell to the felonry could be a first step toward reclaiming responsibility for our criminal law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UN by means of the international documents obliges the national legislator to pay to questions of jurisdiction special attention. The specified duties are concretized in paragraph 1 of article 14 of the Covenant on Civil and Political rights and in paragraph 1 of article 6 of the Convention on protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Providing guarantees of the rights for fair public consideration of the case by competent court without tightening is imputed an obligation of the states. Questions of jurisdiction, i.e. competence, courts on criminal cases in the territory of the Russian Federation are regulated by article 31 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation. Rules of this article have the big importance. The close attention is given to questions of competence of the courts of the first instance also by the legislator of the Azerbaijan Republic. The legal system of this country enters into the Romano-German legal family, but with distinctive features. In our opinion, for simplification of office loading of courts of the first instance it is necessary to enter offenses into article 15 of the Criminal code of RA as an independent type of punishment. Besides, with the same purpose it is necessary to provide the simplified (total) procedure which is not, unfortunately, in the present legislation in the Code of Criminal Procedure of RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is currently recognized as a critical public health concern and a human rights issue. Not surprisingly, Muslims - a religiously and socio-culturally diverse faith-based populace - are not an exception. To address this complex area of criminal justice and social policy, some scholars advocate implementing restorative justice (RJ) approaches. While RJ approaches have been traditionally used in Islamic cultures for conflict resolutions, to date, few studies have investigated how RJ operates in dealing with IPV in Muslim countries and communities. This article explores how RJ approaches towards IPV operate in some Muslim countries/communities, and offers insights into developing culturally and religiously appropriate ways of implementing RJ in IPV situations among Muslims. Given the prevalence of IPV among Muslims, the question is particularly important and timely. Taking exclusively limited examples of RJ approaches that have been used to mediate IPV cases in Muslim countries and communities, this paper found one significant challenge in the RJ approaches among Muslims: community acceptance of IPV. To reduce IPV in Muslim society, it is necessary to develop treatment models and techniques that meet cultural and religious needs. This paper found that since RJ is not alien to Islamic teachings, RJ approaches can be implemented effectively in dealing with IPV among Muslims by ensuring justice and equity of the abused woman. The findings of this paper will assist policymakers, practitioners, and service providers in providing religiously and culturally appropriate care when addressing IPV issues among Muslims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The doctrine of criminal law of Ukraine has always paid much attention to researching the crimes against justice. At the same time, criminal law is subject to regular updates in respect of establishing the liability for crimes against justice, and this sets the task of outlining the system of a respective group of encroachments taking into account all of the realities of modern legislation. Furthermore, for us the outlined system of crimes against justice would be only the first step in elucidating such an issue as the scene of crimes encroaching on the procedural rights and interests of the suspect and the accused in the relevant system. The purpose of the article is to outline the system of crimes against justice. For this purpose, the following questions are raised: a) has the group of the crimes provided for by Articles 371-375 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (hereinafter - the CC of Ukraine) been marked out from among other encroachments on justice?; b) if "Yes" - on what basis (the specifics of the object of crime, the victim, the subject etc.), and what was the name of such a group?; c) if the above-mentioned encroachments have not been considered as a separate group, which groups were the crimes provided for by Articles 371-375 of the CC of Ukraine (or those which corresponded to the ones mentioned in the Criminal Code of Ukraine of 1960) referred to? Therefore, the issue of classification of crimes against justice is still topical. In the Criminal Code of Ukraine, liability for crimes against justice is regulated by Section XVIII of the Special Part containing 33 articles which have common (general) features as well as differences. This is explained, in particular, by the fact that different social values are taken under protection by this Section. There are different classifications of crimes against justice. The article supports the approach according to which the classification is made based on the object of crime. An analysis of scientific literature suggests that the crimes provided for by Articles 371-375 of the CC of Ukraine in the system of crimes against justice were singled out at the doctrinal level only when crimes against justice were classified on the basis of the subject of crime. At the same time, the procedural rights of the suspect or the accused should be considered in criminal law as a comprehensive and meaningfully integrated object protected under criminal law which is encroached upon by the crimes provided for by Articles 371-375 of the CC of Ukraine. Therefore, in the author's opinion, when classifying the crimes against justice based on the object of crime, it would be expedient to single out the group of encroachments provided for by Articles 371-375 of the CC of Ukraine; the name of this group could be "the crimes encroaching on the procedural rights and interests of the suspect, the accused". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Summary This article summarizes the recommendations of the National Academies' Committee on National Statistics' Panel on Modernizing the Nation's Crime Statistics first report- Modernizing Crime Statistics, Report 1: Defining and Classifying Crime (Lauritsen and Cork, 2016)-and discusses some of its implications for criminologists and practitioners. Policy Implications The crime classification offered in the National Academies' report recommends the adoption and development of a more expanded system of crime statistics so that the nation has reliable and comparative data on crime beyond what is currently available. Many basic facts about the levels and changes in crime are not known or well understood, posing significant problems for crime policy development and evaluation, particularly in the areas of crimes by and against businesses, organizations, and governments and crimes against the environment. We discuss the new crime classification system in an effort to engage criminologists and practitioners in the work that is necessary to improve our responses to crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professionals, including social workers, in the child protection context are frequently required to make decisions on whether to share sensitive personal information about children, their families, and others with colleagues and across institutional and jurisdictional boundaries. Sharing information across agencies and organisations is essential to allow joined-up service provision and to effectively protect and support children and their families. A legal framework that supports this decision making is a necessary, although not sufficient, condition for effective information sharing. This article examines the complex legal framework that governs information sharing across the Australian states and territories. It identifies a number of structural and regulatory elements that unnecessarily limit information sharing or have a tendency to create a culture that is risk averse, rather than proactive, in sharing information. The article suggests structural and regulatory reforms that would improve the legal framework for sharing information, while at the same time giving due recognition to the human rights that come into tension in this policy context: the right to privacy and the rights of the child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When investigating serious violence, studies tend to look primarily at offenders and their background. This study investigates the influence of offenders’ and victims’ criminal history and immediate situational factors on the likelihood that violent events will end lethally. For this purpose, we compare lethal with non-lethal events, and combine Dutch criminal records with data from court files of those involved in lethal (i.e., homicide, n = 126) versus non-lethal events (i.e., attempted homicide, n = 141). Results reveal that both criminal history and immediate situational factors clearly matter for the outcome of violent events; however, immediate situational factors have the strongest effect on violent outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Programs that prevent crime cost money. In order to efficiently allocate these limited funds, we need to know how much people benefit from crime prevention. While there are some comprehensive estimates of the cost of (or benefits of avoiding) crime to victims and to society at large, we have very limited crime-specific information on the legal system resources that would be freed up for other purposes across states. Using a Monte Carlo simulation approach to take into account uncertainty in the data, this study finds the national average costs to taxpayers for judicial/legal services per reported crime are likely around the following (in 2010 dollars): $22,000-$44,000 (homicide), $2000-$5000 (rape and sexual assault), $600-$1300 (robbery), $800-$2100 (aggravated assault), $200-$600 (burglary), $300-$600 (larceny/theft), and $200-$400 (motor vehicle theft). At a state-level, the costs of crime are 50 % to 70 % more or less than these national averages depending on the crime type and state. These estimates can be used to understand the level of resources spent per crime and the potential legal resources freed up for a change in reported crime rates; they are not a measure of waste or efficiency, but it is hoped this study contributes to this debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Assess whether 5 a.m. bars and nightclubs in Little Rock, AR were in fact serving to attract or generate violence in and around their premises and what impacts a new ordinance, requiring increased guardianship, served its intended purpose to reduce the incidence of violence. Methods Using violent crime data from the Little Rock Police, a series of Risk Terrain Models were utilized to examine whether the influence that proximity to a risk factor (5 a.m. alcohol establishments) has on violent crime changes after the new ordinance is established. Results Support for the ordinance was found for yearlong risk assessment, in that requiring 5 am alcohol establishments in Little Rock to employ a minimum of two law enforcement officers in and around the establishment acted as effective strategies to alter the guardianship and reduced the relative risk of violent crime in close proximity to these establishments. Conclusion The establishments were serving to attract/generate violent crime in and around their vicinity; however, support was found for the effectiveness risk reduction through increasing levels of guardianship and thus, reducing relative risk for violent crime. Furthermore, depending on the temporal aggregation, results varied on the potential riskiness associated with the 5 a.m. alcohol establishments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of the Study: This study examines the effect of survey context on self-reported rates of personal fraud victimization, and explores if the effect is influenced by age and gender. Design and Methods: Participants (3,000 U.S. adults) were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 versions of a fraud victimization questionnaire: questions about fraud were identical across conditions, however, the context varies. One questionnaire asked about crime, one about consumer buying experiences, and a third focused only on fraud. Results: Participants who were asked about fraud victimization in the context of crime reported significantly less victimization (p < .05) than those in the fraud-alone condition, yet the number of reports from those asked within the context of a consumer survey did not differ from the fraud-alone condition. The effect of the crime context interacted with age (p < .05), such that there was no effect of survey context for the middle age group (35-64), and a strong effect for younger (25-34) and older (65 plus) adults. The combined effect of being female and older was associated with the greatest effect of crime context on self-reported fraud victimization. Implications: These findings inform the production of new surveys and guide the development of effective social and health policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public health and criminology have developed largely independently of one another at the research and policy levels so that the links between crime victimization and health status are not well understood. Although it is not difficult to support the idea of crime as a threat to the health of individuals and the wider community, the difficulty lies in quantifying the impact of crime on public health, while controlling other variables, including gender and ethnicity. We report the results of a study, the goals of which were to: develop an understanding conceptually of the relationships between different types of crime (violent and non-violent) and health; explore the impact of victimization on quality of life and physical and psychological wellbeing; investigate the role of social and demographic factors in shaping any relationships. The study is based on 840 responses from a postal survey administered to 4,100 households in Sheffield, England, located primarily in deprived areas where overall crime rates were high. Non-violent crimes were more frequently reported than violent crimes and in general, inner city neighbourhoods were associated with higher violent crime rates. Out of 392 victims of crime, 27% of individuals detailed physical injuries resulting directly from a crime event and 31% had taken some medical steps to treat a crime-related injury. 86% experienced at least one psychological or behavioural change, including stress, sleeping difficulties, loss of confidence, and depression. Logistic regression models estimated victimization risk based on various social and demographic variables. Violent crimes were consistently linked with higher odds of seeking medical treatment and a higher likelihood of experiencing psychological ill health effects or behavioural changes. In comparison, victims of non-violent or property crimes were not significantly associated with mental health or behavioural/lifestyle effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The few existing studies on the association between debt problems and crime have suggested that the two are correlated, but the causal nature and direction of this association has been unclear. By using longitudinal register data ( N = 20,696) from Finland on young adults' debt default and crime, we examine the potentially reciprocal association between debt problems and crime with both cross-sectional and longitudinal models. Debt problems and crime have a strong association in the data, which persists after controlling for several measures of socioeconomic status. The longitudinal analyses using fixed-effects regression models show that levels of crime are higher during periods of debt enforcement, ruling out stable between-person heterogeneity as the sole cause. The final analysis examining the exact timing of new debt defaults and crime shows signs of a mutually reinforcing association; the rate of newly enforced debt increases in the months preceding the first crime leading to a conviction and continues to increase afterward mostly because of criminal monetary sanctions left unpaid. The conclusion of the analysis is that debt problems have a dynamic association with criminal offending. We discuss the difficult barrier that unpaid debts pose to offenders seeking to desist from criminal activity in the current Finnish context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Adolescents do not achieve recommended levels of physical activity. Crime is believed to be a barrier to physical activity among youth, but findings are inconsistent. This study compares the spatial distribution of crime incidences and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among adolescents in Massachusetts between 2011 and 2012, and examines the correlation between crime and MVPA.Methods: Eighty adolescents provided objective physical activity (accelerometer) and location (Global Positioning Systems) data. Crime report data were obtained from the city police department. Data were mapped using geographic information systems, and crime and MVPA densities were calculated using kernel density estimations. Spearman's correlation tested for associations between crime and MVPA.Results: Overall, 1694 reported crimes and 16,702min of MVPA were included in analyses. A strong positive correlation was present between crime and adolescent MVPA (ρ=0.72, p<0.0001). Crime remained positively associated with MVPA in locations falling within the lowest quartile (ρ=0.43, p<0.0001) and highest quartile (ρ=0.32, p<0.0001) of crime density.Conclusions: This study found a strong positive association between crime and adolescent MVPA, despite research suggesting the opposite relationship. This counterintuitive finding may be explained by the logic of a common destination: neighborhood spaces which are desirable destinations and promote physical activity may likewise attract crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the concept of criminal law in common law jurisdiction and distinction. The term mala prohibita/ mala in se distinction between actions that are wrong because prohibition and actions that are wrong in themselves regardless with its criminal and legal status is explained. The author also suggest the importance for distinguished between wrongs legitimate societies must criminalize and those they may but need not criminalize

The article explores the factors for classification and distinction of malum prohibitum in criminal law. It mentions that mala prohibita criminal laws refers to the characteristics of diverse theories of criminalization and punishment which provides pose unique justificatory challenges. It also cites the aspects of negative retributivism in achieving criminal punishment.

Recorded crime statistics form an important component of criminal justice and social policy. Of equal importance as the number of crimes however, is measuring the seriousness of these crimes. The Irish Recorded Crime Index (IRCI) is a proposed method of measuring the level of recorded crime in Ireland, taking account of both the number of recorded crimes and the seriousness of these crimes. Using official Irish criminal justice administrative data and developed on a similar conceptual framework to Statistics Canada's Crime Severity Index (CSI), it combines both information on recorded crime (from the Garda Síochána PULSE system) and prison and courts sentencing data to produce a crime index. After investigation we have used a combination of the probability of imprisonment and the mean sentence length to derive a measure of the "seriousness" of each class of crime. The limitations of this Index as a measure of the overall 'impact' of crime on society are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined a range of demographic, clinical, and criminal history factors as they relate to the intensity of offending for up to two years postrelease.Methods: This study drew on data from 1,438 individuals released from Massachusetts state prisons between 2007 and 2009 who, while incarcerated, received treatment from the prisons' mental health services and were followed for 24 months postrelease. These data were used to explore predictive factors related to the intensity of criminal justice involvement, defined as number of arrests in the two-year follow-up period.Results: Predictors of subsequent arrests included number of previous incarcerations and black race. Protective factors included older age, supervision by parole, and a drug-related or person-related governing offense on previous arrest. Clinical symptoms were not related to incidence of postrelease arrests.Conclusions: This study identified factors related to criminal history, such as type of charge, that were associated with the intensity of subsequent criminal justice involvement. These findings have not been reported in previous studies, perhaps because intensity of offending as opposed to a different dependent variable was used to measure criminal justice involvement. Further investigation should focus on whether the type of previous offense is related to postrelease risk factors for recidivism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offenders with disabilities have a vulnerable status in prison. Due to inadequate facilities and a lack of care available to address their special needs in prison, their health may even deteriorate from imprisonment. The prisons carry out the sentences decided by the courts. It is therefore of interest to examine how the courts mete out punishment when the defendant has a disability. How are offenders with disabilities ‘seen’ and perceived by the penal law and the penal courts? Does the disability matter when the court metes out the sentence, and if so, in what way? Should disability matter as a mitigating circumstance? How should offenders with disabilities be dealt with in the criminal justice system? These questions are addressed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Multiple scientific disciplines have weighed in with different viewpoints regarding the origins of criminal behavior among human beings. What is lacking, however, is a framework capable of uniting the theoretical viewpoints into a single overarching perspective. The current article offers such a framework. Drawing on a variety of influences, we argue that many types of crime can be understood in the evolutionary context of human life history. Along these lines, we present a framework capable of explaining different patterns of criminal offending both at the individual level as well as the macro-level. Although the current article offers only a starting point, the way forward in the study of crime should involve a multi-disciplinary, multilevel explanatory framework. The evolutionary taxonomy we propose represents a step in that direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study introduces a method to assess hate crime classification error in a state Incident-Based Reporting System. The study identifies and quantifies the “statistical accuracy” of aggregate hate crime data and provides insight from frontline officers about thought processes involved with classifying bias offenses. Random samples of records from two city and two county agencies provided data for the study. A systematic review of official case narratives determined hate crime classification error using state and federal definitions. A focus group sought to inquire about officers’ handling of hate crimes. Undercounting of hate crimes in official data was evident. When error rates were extrapolated, National Incident-Based Reporting System Group A hate crimes were undercounted by 67%. Officers’ responses validated complications involved with classifying hate crimes, particularly, incidents motivated “in part” by bias. Classification errors in reporting hate crimes have an impact on the statistical accuracy of official hate crime statistics. Officers’ offense descriptions provided greater awareness to issues with accurately interpreting and classifying hate crimes. The results yield useful information for officer training, understanding the true magnitude of these crimes, and a precursor for adjusting crime statistics to better estimate the “true” number of hate crimes in the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of scientific investigation in the attribution and authentication of art and antiquities is accepted as a necessary, although hardly a sufficient, part of any rigorous assessment. While historical studies and connoisseurship provide useful investigatory frameworks for attribution, scientific methods provide means by which to interrogate the materials and techniques of the object, enabling a comprehensive collection of data about the construction and history of a work. This provides contestable and verifiable evidence of the kind required in legal cases. When the investigation includes claims of fraud then the research moves beyond scholarly investigation and into the domains of policing and the law. Research relating to cases of art fraud therefore requires evidence to be developed in ways that will support the need for the investigation to show intention and deception. It is possible to investigate the action of ‘intending to deceive’ by assessing the choice of materials and the construction of a work. While not conclusive evidence, these materials-based studies are often significant in assisting the jury to understand the process of developing and trading fake art. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article presents the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (ICCS) developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The aim of the ICCS is to provide a common ground for the production of criminal statistics around the world. The article describes the process that led to the development of the ICCS, and explains its rationale and its structure. In particular, it presents the way in which intentional homicide offences are classified, showing the potential that such classification could have for international comparisons of crime. The article describes also the results of the tests of the ICCS that were conducted in 41 countries, and briefly discusses the possibilities of implementing that classification across the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]