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This article considers the role of criminal justice in maintaining state authority and social cohesion during a period of crisis. It presents a case study of the Parlement of Paris during the French Wars of Religion (1562–98), particularly in the final phase of the conflict known as the troubles of the League (1584–98). The article analyses a major body of new evidence in sample periods of appeals to the Parlement that contain a total of 2,500 appellants who brought their cases to Paris from across the court's jurisdiction. This evidence demonstrates that, despite the crisis of the civil wars, the magistrates of the Parlement ensured that some provision for criminal justice remained in place. In this light, we might reassess the resilience of criminal justice under the Old Regime and judge it not only by the ideal of absolute monarchy that its advocates misleadingly proclaimed, but rather within the limited resources and systemic constraints that existed at the time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the impacts of stigma on the lives of pregnant and parenting women with substance use disorder (SUD) and justice involvement. We also uncover how some women were able to cope with adversity and take steps to develop resilience. To guide our research, we combined Bos and colleagues’ stigma theory with Windle’s concept of resilience. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 pregnant or parenting women in Western New York to uncover the contextual factors influencing care, resources, and social support. Our findings suggest that the presence of stigma hinders pregnant and parenting women’s access to resources, care, and treatments while reinforcing marginalization, isolation, and continued substance use. Despite these challenges, some participants found ways to navigate and mitigate stigma while promoting resilience. Protective factors and strategies included: maintaining a positive motherhood identity, leveraging social support often outside the nuclear family, and having access to supportive, compassionate justice system resources. Understanding the strategies women with SUD use to overcome adversity can inform approaches that judges, case workers, and health care providers can use to engage and support women in recovery and reduce their experience of stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is overrepresented in prison populations globally. Although pharmacological treatment has generally been demonstrated to be an effective tool for managing ADHD symptoms in the general population, it remains controversial in the prison context. This is primarily due to concerns about the diversion and abuse of medication. To evaluate the impact of pharmacological ADHD treatment for adults who are or have been in prison, a narrative literature review was completed and seven international studies were identified. Further research into the use of stimulant medication in prisons, particularly within the Australian context, is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological innovations including artificial intelligence (AI) and cognate systems with accessible user interfaces are informing policing decision-making around the world. The systems form part of the 'smart justice' technologies increasingly replacing analogue modes of law enforcement such as paper-based information analysis. This article maps the evolution of technological innovations in policing over the past 25 years, that is, since the 1990s. The article situates its analysis within relevant socio-political contexts and discusses key prospects, impacts, and challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why you should read this article: • To refresh your knowledge of the principles of forensic risk assessment • To recognise the benefits of, and the different evidence-based approaches to, forensic risk assessment • To increase your understanding of risk formulation and the development of a tailored risk management plan. While forensic healthcare is a highly specialised area of clinical practice, many learning disability nurses will, over the course of their careers, be required to provide care to people who have had contact with the criminal justice system. Robust risk assessment and risk management systems are central to ensuring the well-being and safety of people with learning disabilities who have forensic needs. Although the core assessment skills required to undertake forensic risk assessments are embedded in nurses’ skill set, learning disability nurses need to develop their knowledge and understanding of how to apply these skills in forensic practice. This article explores the principles of forensic risk assessments and the elements of the forensic risk assessment process as a foundation to risk formulation. The author uses a fictitious case study to illustrate forensic risk assessment, risk formulation and the development of a tailored risk management plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using an intersectional lens, we investigate how an offender's race and gender influence perceptions of and reactions to displays of remorse in jurors' decision-making processes. Drawing on an experiment of a mock criminal trial (N = 1,155), we find that despite perceiving remorse equally across Black and White women and men, respondents rewarded all but Black men for displaying remorse, assigning significantly lighter sentences to remorseful offenders than their nonremorseful White and woman counterparts. Our results illustrate how emotions are used to reinforce existing racial hierarchies and that remorse is a gendered and racialized emotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the relationship between intellectual disabilities and violent victimization, its reporting, and perceived priority in victim needs in criminal proceedings using data from a survey conducted among Czech organizations working with disabled people. The main aim is to find out whether there are differences between the organizations based on the type of disabilities they focus on. Pearson's chi-squared, Fisher's exact test and z-test were applied to determine the statistical differences. The results reveal that the organizations mainly focusing on people with intellectual disabilities reported more experiences with violent victimization, less experiences with reporting the most recent incident of disablist hate crime to police and emphasized more often the need for accompaniment and support during the filing of a crime report and taking other steps in criminal proceedings. The findings imply the need for more research and better targeted assistance for people with intellectual disabilities. Points of interest: This study adds to the still-limited knowledge on violent victimization and its reporting in people with intellectual disabilities, focusing on the under-explored context of East-Central Europe. People with intellectual disabilities are at risk of becoming victims of violence and facing barriers in the criminal justice system. Organizations working with people with intellectual disabilities reported more experiences with violence and disablist hate crime than other organizations. Employees of organizations working with people with intellectual disabilities encountered more violence against themselves or their colleagues because of their activities on behalf of disabled people. Organizations that mainly target people with intellectual disabilities reported lower rates of reporting of the most recent incident of disablist hate crime. Organizations that mainly target people with intellectual disabilities saw as more pressing the need to accompany and support people with disabilities in criminal proceedings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human trafficking poses a global humanitarian and public health concern, particularly affecting women and migrants in many countries. This article assessed existing policies and laws addressing human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of women in the Caribbean nations of the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago. It identified the legislative frameworks and procedures for anti‐trafficking efforts in the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago through a comprehensive review of academic literature and policy documents. The analysis focused on evaluating the successes and challenges in implementing these policies. Findings revealed that while both countries had established anti‐trafficking laws, several structural, economic, social, and political barriers prevented effective interventions catering to the needs of vulnerable populations. Based on the analysis, recommendations were made to mitigate country and regional human trafficking, with a focus on the protection of women. Key recommendations include enhancing economic opportunities, strengthening social protections, and improving the criminal justice system's capacity to combat trafficking. A reduction in trafficking and sexual exploitation in the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago requires comprehensive policy implementation strategies aimed at protecting and supporting at‐risk native and migrant populations, providing sound economic opportunities and social protection, and strengthening effective legal responses to combat trafficking. Key points: Strategically planned and regionally specific policy is necessary to mitigate the human trafficking crisis in the Caribbean.The capacity of criminal justice systems and victim care services must be expanded to reduce the adverse health and social effects associated with trafficking.Inequities in policies and procedures regarding migrant populations, gender equality, and trafficking exacerbate the vulnerability of women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intellectual functioning impacts defendants' competence to stand trial, though research on this population remains limited. This study replicated and advanced prior work, focusing on defendants' demographic, clinical, cognitive, and criminal justice variables and their association with length of hospitalization and restoration determinations. Participants were 74 male and female criminal defendants in a midwestern state who were adjudicated incompetent to stand trial, had a diagnosis related to intellectual deficits, and completed competency restoration. Most defendants (83.7%) were restored to competency. Demographic factors were unrelated to restoration outcomes; violence of alleged offense predicted shorter hospitalization. Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve analyses determined an IQ score cut-off of 63.5 for which participants were of greater likelihood to be determined restored, providing guidance on the likelihood of restoration for defendants with intellectual disability related diagnoses. Specifically, this score can be used with clinical data to inform competency determinations for defendants with cognitive deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The higher rate of mental illness, including severe psychotic disorders, among people in prisons compared to the general community is well-established. However, there have been no reviews or attempts to pool data on the reported prevalence of mental illness across prisons in Australia and New Zealand. Methods: A systematic search of electronic databases from 1966 to the end of 2020 was conducted to identify studies reporting rates of 'any' mental illness, and separately rates of psychotic illness, among adult men and women in Australian and New Zealand prisons. A meta-analysis was performed according to PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO ID: CRD42021241946), with separate analyses conducted for lifetime and current prevalence rates. Results: Seventeen studies, with a total of 10,209 people in prison, met inclusion criteria. The pooled lifetime prevalence of 'any' mental illness was 69.0% (95% confidence interval = [0.56, 0.79]), and the pooled lifetime prevalence for psychosis was 9.1% (95% confidence interval = [0.07, 0.12]). Meanwhile, the pooled prevalence for 'any' current mental illness was 54.0% (95% confidence interval = [0.39, 0.68]) and for any current psychosis was 6.4% (95% confidence interval = [0.04, 0.10]). There was substantial heterogeneity between studies, with evidence that lifetime rates of psychosis have increased over time, with true prevalence estimates in 95% of all comparable populations falling between 2.7% and 26.4%. Conclusion: The prevalence of mental illness, including severe psychotic illness, is high in Australian and New Zealand prisons. Furthermore, there is evidence that the prevalence of psychosis may be increasing over time, indicating more effort is needed to ensure diversion of people with mental illness away from the criminal justice system and into healthcare pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: In March 2020, British Columbia introduced the Risk Mitigation Guidance (RMG) to enable the prescription of pharmaceutical substitutes for the unregulated drug market to decrease overdose deaths and COVID-19 infections. This study presents health planners' perspectives on the RMG adoption within a medicalized system of care. Methods: We conducted interviews with 28 health planners to obtain their views on implementation. We undertook a thematic analysis, drawing on the theory of medicalization to analyze and interpret findings. Findings: We identified four themes regarding the implementation of the RMG within a medical model: (1) The medical model as expeditious and pragmatic; (2) Increasing medicalization of safer supply in response to prescriber tensions and distress; (3) Intersecting harms to people who use drugs; (4) Recommendations for additional safer supply models, decriminalization and regulation. Conclusions: Health planners recognized and often problematized the over-medicalized nature of current safer supply models. Challenges with medicalization include privileging dominant ideologies (e.g. biomedicine), exerting social control, and perpetuating inequities. Greater attention to the relationships between harm reduction, medical, and criminal justice models in drug policy is needed to avoid compromises of medicalization within criminalization. Grassroots harm reduction may be critical in advancing safer supply beyond medical models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study analyzes the factors associated with the faculty influence. We explore Google Scholar citation counts of 226 faculty at the top 20 doctoral programs in criminology and criminal justice. Our multivariate models show that some of the publication-related factors matter; the number of journal articles, proportion of articles published in prestigious journals, and proportion of books published with prestigious publishers are all positively related to citation counts, while the proportion of solo-authored articles and the number of textbooks published are both negatively related to the citation counts. Among demographic factors, faculty rank, length of years since the Ph.D., and race are related to citation counts, while gender is not. Finally, institutional prestige is positively related to citation counts, while the field of specialization is not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the world in ways never imagined. Post-secondary education was no exception. When post-secondary educational institutions switched to online teaching almost overnight, experiential learning programs scrambled to adjust. Research conducted during the pandemic reports on the importance of contingency plans for crises, flexibility, and creativity to ensure students completed their experiential learning terms. Drawing on interviews with 9 students, reflective journals from 20 students, and online surveys completed by 13 community partners, this study explores the impact of the pandemic on field placements that are part of an undergraduate Criminology program at a Canadian university. Findings indicate that the pandemic presented unique challenges to students working in criminal justice system and related agencies and that communication, ongoing support, and flexibility helped mitigate some of the stress these students experienced. Unexpected benefits are also discussed. We offer recommendations for experiential learning in Criminology programs based on these experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bridge of Hope Innocence Initiative (BOHII) at RMIT is an innocence project that has, since its inception in 2014, delivered an innovative and applied work-integrated learning (WIL) experience to students while raising public consciousness about errors in the criminal justice system. WIL internships are assumed to provide students with skills, competencies, and insights relevant to professional practice. This paper highlights the experiences and reflections of students who completed an internship within BOHII as either a core 50-day or elective 20-day WIL subject in their Criminology and Justice degree at RMIT University. The presentation of student reflections serves a dual purpose of demonstrating the need for more research into the pedagogical value of innocence projects and WIL in criminological and criminal justice settings in preparing students for the workplace. We outline the various contributions the BOHII placement has made to the students from their perspective, including the development of work-ready skills, self-efficacy and career path decision-making, with a particular focus on students who indicate policing as a preferred career path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substance use is a persistent concern for adolescents in many countries due to the significant negative impact on mental, physical and social outcomes. US research indicates that while 4.1% of 12–17‐year‐olds require treatment, <10% of those who require it access it. This paper summarises the literature available on the barriers and enablers to those under 18s attending substance use treatment to inform policy and practice. Using a systematic approach, we searched six databases for studies which reported barriers and enablers to those aged 18 and under accessing substance use treatment. Thirty‐two papers met the inclusion criteria and we present the findings using a narrative synthesis. Only one paper identified explored this topic in Europe. Barriers and enablers are presented across four themes: (1) individual factors, (2) societal factors, (3) Gateway Providers and (4) treatment service factors. Mental health nurses, especially those working with young people, should be aware that adolescents are unlikely to perceive their substance use as problematic and rely on adults to access treatment. Access appears more difficult for females and socially marginalised youth. Various professionals direct young people towards treatment, but clear protocols are needed to encourage them to intervene, which could be an opportunity for nurses to be innovative and lead in this area. Services perceived as adolescent‐specific, youth‐friendly and flexible encourage attendance while the cost of treatment, including time off work and transport, function as barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is currently insufficient understanding of the health and behavior of children whose parents engage in criminal behavior. We examined associations between parental criminal convictions and wide range of offspring health, behavioral, and social outcomes by age 18 in a large, national sample, aiming to get a comprehensive picture of the risks among children of offending parents. Methods: We studied 1,013,385 individuals born in Sweden between 1987 and 1995, and their parents. Using data from several longitudinal nationwide registers, we investigated parental convictions and 85 offspring outcomes until the end of 2013, grouped into birth‐related conditions, psychiatric and somatic disorders, accidents and injuries, mortality, school achievement, violent victimization, and criminality. Cox proportional hazards regression and logistic regression models were used to examine the associations. The role of genetic factors in intergenerational associations was studied in children‐of‐siblings analyses. We also examined the co‐occurrence of multiple outcomes using Poisson regression. Results: A total of 223,319 (22.0%) individuals had one parent convicted and 31,241 (3.1%) had both parents convicted during the first 18 years of their life. The strongest associations were found between parental convictions and offspring behavioral problems, substance use disorders, poor school achievement, violent victimization, and criminality, with an approximately 2 to 2.5‐fold increased risk in children with one convicted parent and 3‐ to 4‐fold increased risk in children with two convicted parents. The risks were particularly elevated among children of incarcerated parents with a history of violent convictions. The associations appeared to be at least partly explained by genetic influences. Parental convictions were also associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing multiple outcomes. Conclusions: Our findings help to calibrate the risks of a wide range of adverse outcomes associated with parental convictions and may be used to guide prevention efforts and identify key areas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past three decades many former Soviet states introduced reforms to the penal systems they inherited from socialist regimes. In most countries of the post-Soviet space, these reforms have been depicted by policy-makers as projects of 'Europeanization'. This article investigates the discursive construction of penal reform in Georgia and Estonia after these countries gained independence. We examine images and practices of punishment and answer two questions: how are post-Soviet penal reforms framed by policy-makers and experienced by prisoners? How is Europeanization of punishment understood in the post-Soviet space? We conduct an analysis of policy discourse and of narratives of people who witnessed these changes while serving prison sentences. We treat images of 'Europe' as a discursively produced ideational structure, and analyze how different understandings of punishment are linked to, or pitted against, ideas of Europeanness. We locate our study within the framework of critical approaches to European integration, and introduce the study of punishment to these debates. We show that punishment is not simply another case study of the relations between a European 'centre' and its 'peripheries', but argue rather that images and practices of 'European punishment' create new social hierarchies and fractures in post-Soviet societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic review of research exploring the impact of providing rape myth countering information to mock-jurors was conducted. The primary aim of the review was to inform the development of an educational intervention for jurors to reduce potential bias in their decision-making based on belief in prevalent rape myths. In total, the following 12 databases were searched: British Education Index, CINAHL, Child Development and Adolescent Studies, Criminal Justice Abstracts, Educational Administration Abstracts, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycArticles, PsycInfo, PubMed, Scopus, and Social Care Online. The databases were filtered to return peer-reviewed publications, written in English, and published between 1980 and 2023. The search returned 6,119 potential articles. After duplicates were removed, the 3,202 remaining publications were screened. Only studies that presented rape myth countering information to participants within a mock-juror paradigm were included. Studies that did not compare an information condition to a no-information control condition were excluded, as were those which concerned male rape myths, given the focus on female rape myth beliefs in this review. Eight studies were reviewed and were critically appraised according to validity criteria utilized by Dinos et al. Some evidence emerged to suggest that the provision of judicial directions, expert witness testimony, and complainant statements regarding rape myths can impact upon jury decision-making although the findings were mixed overall. Study limitations regarding internal and external validity were frequently present. Recommendations regarding future research questions and methods are advanced, including those that can inform the development of an effective intervention for jurors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although 9 million older adults are estimated to be victims of sexual violence and abuse (SVA) globally each year, this population is largely overlooked in criminological research. Given the known impacts of SVA, particularly for older victims, enhanced understanding of incident characteristics, and how these events unfold, is crucial to improving prevention and response. Guided by environmental criminology perspectives, a scoping review was conducted to assess the extent to which SVA events against older people have been empirically examined to gain an understanding of the immediate circumstances in which incidents occur and how this can inform early intervention and prevention. Eight databases were searched, with records included if they reported characteristics of SVA events occurring in older adulthood, were original, peer-reviewed, empirical research, and published in English. After screening 1,278 records, 33 studies were included for review. Findings demonstrate that considerable attention has been given to understanding who is involved in SVA events and what typically occurs, however, there is a dearth of information regarding when and how these crimes are perpetrated, and the situational factors influencing offending. Resultingly, prevention recommendations largely focus on actors (e.g., victims, perpetrators, witnesses), rather than the environment in which abuse occurs, emphasizing significant gaps in understanding and response to this growing issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual victimization of adult women remains an underreported crime. This systematic review identified and synthesized the barriers to reporting, investigating, prosecuting, and sentencing cases of sexual assault and rape against adult women in Western countries. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted on August 3, 2023, across databases including PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, ProQuest Central, Web of Science, MedNar, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria provided relevant information on the decision not to formally disclose, investigate, prosecute, or convict incidents of sexual assault and rape of adult women. We included 28 studies and identified 70 barriers in total. Identified barriers were most prevalent to reporting, followed by investigating, prosecuting, and, lastly, sentencing. Key themes in the barriers included lack of trust in the criminal justice system, internal reactions, rape myths and societal norms, and perpetrator characteristics. The identified barriers emphasize an urgent need for reform of the criminal justice system's response to sexual assault and rape. Prioritizing victim-survivors' needs, enhancing transparency of the criminal justice system, and addressing attrition rates are crucial. Future studies need to engage with diverse population to address all victim-survivors' needs and provide further insights into the challenges across all stages of the criminal justice system to enhance the outcome of rape and sexual assault cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Justice after sexual assault is often understood and enacted through the criminal legal system such that the outcomes are binary (i.e., justice is achieved or not achieved). Previous research indicates that survivors have specific wants and needs following an assault in order to experience justice, which may or may not align with current practices. We conducted a critical interpretive synthesis of 5 databases to create a sampling frame of 4,203 records; the final analysis included 81 articles, book chapters, and policy documents. Results indicate that justice is an individualized and dynamic process which may include the experience of voice, connectedness, participating in a process, accountability, and prevention. The experiences of safety and control are central to each of these domains. Survivors may seek and enact these justice domains through several avenues, including the criminal justice and legal systems, restorative justice, medical/mental health spaces, activism, art, and social media. Existing actors within currently available justice systems, including legal, medical, and mental health personnel should encourage survivors to identify and define their own experience of justice, including locating helpful behaviors rooted in safety and control, and resist a binary model of justice. Extant systems should therefore be flexible and accessible to help survivors realize their preferred modes of justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Victimization of college students is widespread, and it is not uncommon for students to disclose these experiences to faculty. Given that how faculty respond to disclosures may have implications for students' psychosocial and academic outcomes, it is key to know more about disclosures to help faculty prepare a supportive response. This study used data from an online survey of members of two U.S.-based professional scholarly associations for criminal justice and criminology (N = 637) to look at the nature of student disclosure of victimization and which faculty are more likely to receive such disclosures. Disclosure to faculty was widespread (87% of faculty had received at least one disclosure of victimization from a student), and disclosures were mostly made in person. Over half the time (52.3%), participants thought the disclosure was prompted by an incident in class or another aspect of the course, and more than a quarter of the time (28.8%), the disclosure came from a student in a course that utilized trigger warnings. A faculty member's individual identities, such as gender or race and ethnicity, did not appear to render them more or less likely to receive student disclosures. However, faculty with victimization experiences who had links to victim services organizations, who were teaching in a Sociology department, or who had been teaching longer were more likely to have received a disclosure. Graduate student instructors were less likely to have received a disclosure, even controlling for years of teaching. This suggests widespread training of college-level instructors in how to respond to a student's disclosure of victimization may be warranted, at least for faculty teaching courses focusing on criminology and criminal justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2020, the American Psychological Association undertook the task of examining the deleterious effects of systemic racism on people of color in the United States. This extensive examination led to the passing of three historic resolutions in October 2021, by the APA Council of Representatives, including the resolution, Role of Psychology, and APA in Dismantling Systemic Racism Against People of Color in the United States. In the resolution, there was a focus on education, science, healthcare, work and economic opportunities, criminal and juvenile justice, early childhood development, and government and public policy. These resolutions set a foundation for the field in moving forward. To effectively address systemic racism, there must be dedication and deliberate action to address the policies, structures, and practices that contribute to inequities. The primary focus of this paper is advocacy; specifically, political advocacy for psychologists to address these policies and structures, in achieving the goals of dismantling systemic racism and creating a more equitable society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child abuse is a major concern worldwide. While live-link interviews have been successful in legal and medical contexts, its potential for eyewitness interviews remains insufficiently studied, particularly in terms of non-verbal misinformation. This study explored tele-forensic interviewing (tele-FI), where video-conferencing software such as Zoom or Skype are used to conduct forensic interviews, as an alternative to face-to-face interviews. Focus was given to the susceptibility of eyewitness memory to the gestural misinformation effect (GME) where post-event information in the form of gesture can distort recall of a witnessed incident. Forty-seven children were recruited ranging in age from 5- to 8-years-old (M = 6 years 11 months). Comparisons were made to face-to-face conditions from prior published work by the authors (N = 63, M = 7 years 2 months) using the same methodology, video, and question sets. Results find support for the GME during tele-FI, with 1.23 misinformation details recorded on average and tele-FI showing a similar response pattern as face-to-face interviews. Accuracy was shown to be comparable in tele-FI (M = 16.21) compared to face-to-face interviews (M = 14.02), with a notable increase in the amount of relevant information provided in the tele-FI condition. Developmental age showed significant increases in the quality and quantity of data. This study provides evidence for tele-FI as a viable alternative to face-to-face interviews, and represents the first exploration of the GME in tele-FI, to the best of our knowledge. Discussion focuses on the benefits of tele-FI and the implications for police interview guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there have been policies implemented across universities that aid in providing safety and transparency to students reporting Campus Sexual Assault (CSA), the literature suggests that many campus sexual assaults are still underreported. The present content analysis aims to illuminate common themes within narratives of CSA survivors to better understand survivors' experience about the incident and will highlight thoughts and feelings on the reporting process. Results of this research inform therapeutic interventions, policy making, and the process of reporting sexual assault at universities in the United States. To develop a nuanced understanding of survivors' experiences reporting CSA, the authors analyzed 208 posts on a public Instagram account titled, Campus Survivors where CSA survivors write about their experiences anonymously. Themes that emerged included emotional responses resulting from CSA, identifying the assault as CSA, decision to report the assault, and feelings of injustice and powerlessness. Implications for mental health clinicians and recommendations for treatment are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the influence of offender, victim, and case characteristics along with available forensic evidence on legal outcomes of nonfatal strangulation (NFS) cases. Research points to the importance of NFS forensic evidence collection to corroborate the attack during legal proceedings. However, little is known regarding the factors associated with legal decisions for NFS cases with forensic evidence. Law enforcement reports, forensic medical examinations, and legal outcomes for 63 NFS cases in Florida were analyzed. Findings have implications for the criminal justice system, as forensic medical exams can be used to collect valuable evidence to support prosecution outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilizes the risk and resilience framework to understand the risk and protective correlates of moderate to high levels of juvenile justice involvement among post-adjudicated young women (N = 365). This exploratory model-building method utilized cross-sectional administrative data collected through the Positive Achievement Change Tool. The analysis yielded the best model using five social history factors, including the age at the time of probation, involvement in structured activities, running away from home, mental health history, and antisocial attitudes and behaviors. Results revealed that those with a history of mental health problems or running away from home had higher odds of having a high level of juvenile justice involvement compared with a lower level of involvement. Moreover, younger women were more likely to have moderate or high levels of juvenile justice involvement than a low level of involvement. Interventions should focus on holistically addressing individual, family, and community factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a systematic and critical assessment of the reliability of forensic science in New Zealand. It documents the types of forensic-science being offered in criminal cases, the party presenting the evidence, the experts' affiliations, how often there are challenges to the admissibility of the expert evidence and their timing in the proceedings, how often experts rely upon the uniqueness assumption, and how often experts testify to an individualised identification or 'match' of a source of forensic evidence. It finds that several of the common forensic disciplines in the criminal justice system in New Zealand have been the subject of critique and criticism internationally, the most common source of expert evidence was presented by the prosecution and provided by institutional police laboratories, and in most cases the forensic expert testified either to the uniqueness assumption or to an individualised match determination. It concludes that the New Zealand Parliament should amend the Evidence Act 2006 to require a demonstration of foundational validity and as-applied reliability as a precondition to the admissibility of any purported scientific evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines how literature shaped popular ideas about the criminal justice system over the course of the twentieth century by considering Erle Stanley Gardner's bestselling Perry Mason series, published between 1933 and 1973. Despite their formulaic nature, the novels offer valuable insight about the inconsistencies of the courts in three distinct historical eras: public skepticism regarding the legal profession in the 1930s, the championing of the justice system as key to a democratic society in the 1940s and 50s, and the concerns over due process in the 1960s. Across these periods, Gardner's fiction advocated to a mass market readership for faith in justice, despite the series's fundamental premise that an unjust state was a constant threat to innocent civilians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People on probation face particular health inequalities and are categorised as an 'inclusion health' population group within public health policy in Wales. The health of this group is thought to be worse than the general population and a factor in whether people reoffend. This article is based on mixed-methods exploratory research which included a survey covering 34 community-based services who work with people on probation across Wales. Survey respondents indicated service availability and waiting lists, and mistrust of professionals are key barriers to accessing healthcare. The most identified health needs were mental health and substance misuse related. There is an opportunity to increase the focus on healthcare for people on probation through inclusion health approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual violence in an intimate relationship is a less studied phenomenon than other forms of intimate partner violence, despite data pointing to a high prevalence. Studies on how the cases are sentenced are scarce. Until recently, many laws did not allow marital rape to be punished as a crime of rape, and some studies showed a tendency for the courts to punish these cases less severely. The present study is based on an analysis of 964 rape cases of adult women in Spain. All the information was extracted from sentences of the Provincial Courts issued between 2015 and 2022. Results showed that significantly lower conviction rates and less severe penalties were imposed when the rape was committed by the intimate partner compared to other rape cases where the offenders were not partners (family members, acquaintances, or unknown strangers). The practical implications of these results in several areas are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) operates as a lens of analysis to show that the insanity doctrine and its dispositions discriminate against the category of people with mental disabilities to whom the defence applies. However, while identifying the discrimination perpetuated by the insanity doctrine, this article argues that the CRPD Committee has failed to uncover the ultimate source of disadvantage of which the doctrine is merely symptomatic. Instead, it is argued that the criminal justice system entrenches a notion of 'capacity-responsibility' which situates the mentally disabled defendant as the 'other'. In an attempt to challenge this embedded structural injustice, the article thus calls on the CRPD Committee for a more holistic application of the CRPD, to provide the tools to challenge that will move towards greater equality for people with mental disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To acknowledge the lived realities of women who kill their abusive partners when they are sleeping or inattentive, several jurisdictions have reformed or reinterpreted their criminal laws. Some have introduced specific domestic violence defences while others construe existing defences more broadly in recognition of the circumstances under which abused women kill. Germany, however, has not adopted these approaches. Through analysis of the 2003 'family tyrant' judgment by the Bundesgerichtshof (the highest court of ordinary jurisdiction in Germany), this article examines the German criminal justice system's treatment of women who kill their abusers. The article concludes that law reform is necessary to better acknowledge the situation of female victims who kill their abusive intimate partners in non-confrontational circumstances in response to long-term domestic violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Scotland as a case study, this paper identifies key areas in which there could be potential reform for women who kill their abusive partners. The study focuses on two particular areas: the use of specialised courts and the use of expert evidence on coercive control. The paper concludes that there exist multiple avenues of reform with the potential to improve women's experiences of the criminal justice system. However, for these to be utilised, there must be clear recognition that cases of this type are domestic abuse cases. As such, they should be considered firmly within current national domestic abuse policy rather than continuing to sit outside existing frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the collaborative process involved in campaigning for and representing women appealing murder convictions, highlighting the power of positive collaboration between lawyers, campaigners, frontline experts and the women themselves. Pragna Patel and Harriet Wistrich, who first met while protesting in the early 1990s outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, have been pivotal figures in this movement. Patel has dedicated four decades to Southall Black Sisters, an organisation advocating for black and minority women. Wistrich cofounded Justice for Women and later specialised in representing women victim-survivors of male violence, challenging discrimination in the criminal justice system. Their collaboration has led to significant precedent-setting murder appeals and reforms in domestic homicide law. This article reflects on their enduring involvement spanning three decades, detailing their efforts in individual cases and legislative reforms. Their approach focuses on obtaining detailed personal accounts from women and building legal strategies around them, aiming to challenge convictions through a feminist lens. Recently, their collaborative efforts prompted the United Kingdom government to commission the Law Commission to review defences in cases of homicide. This underscores their enduring impact in fighting for justice for women who kill their abusive partners and effecting legal change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The criminal justice system (CJS), comprising police, prosecutors, and courts, is pivotal in preventing intimate partner violence (IPV). However, challenges persist in effectively protecting victims, with high post-reporting recidivism rates. This systematic review aims to identify CJS interventions targeting IPV recurrence and to assess their effectiveness. Eleven articles meeting inclusion criteria were categorized into three themes: police (five articles), prosecutor (zero articles), and court (six articles). While overall findings lack conclusive evidence on intervention effectiveness, they suggest potential in reducing IPV recidivism among specific perpetrator sub-groups. The review underscores the need to consider contextual factors when evaluating interventions like arrest for IPV prevention. Challenges in identifying evidence-based practices within the CJS persist, necessitating ongoing evaluation research and investment in evidence-based strategies to inform policy and practice effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite growing interest in public confidence in criminal justice, robust confidence measures have not yet been established. Two studies were conducted to develop multidimensional measures of public confidence in criminal justice. Study 1 involved two-phased construction of scales in which a preliminary inventory was generated and then finalized after psychometric evaluations. Six multidimensional scales (62 items) were constructed for measuring efficiency-, finality-, fairness-, lawfulness-, accuracy-, and transparency-oriented confidence. Study 2 tested the predictive ability of the scale scores for cooperation with criminal justice institutions. Results highlight that higher confidence in authorities' accurate fact-finding and fair treatment predicted greater willingness to assist institutions. Higher confidence in authorities' lawfulness predicted greater compliance with the law. The six scales developed are a reliable and valid tool for measuring confidence in criminal justice and predicting cooperation with criminal institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Justice-involved veterans (JIVs) are a high-priority subgroup within the U.S. judicial system. In recent years, empirical research into the characteristics, needs, and outcomes of this veteran subgroup has developed rapidly. To allow research to better inform efforts to support JIVs, a systematic review was completed to organize existing literature on criminogenic risk within this population through the lens of the Risk-Need-Responsivity Model. Of the eight risk factors theorized by the Risk-Need-Responsivity Model, history of antisocial behavior and substance use had the most robust evidence as criminogenic risk factors for veteran justice involvement. Modest evidence was identified for antisocial personality, educational and occupational difficulties, and disruptions to family and marital relationships as risk factors. However, only limited evidence was identified for antisocial thinking, affiliation with antisocial peers, and lack of prosocial activities as risk factors due to these factors being relatively underassessed in research. Such patterns provide insight into potential interventions and supports for JIVs while also highlighting areas for continued research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses Professor Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith's book "Challenged Sovereignty: The Impact of Drugs, Crime, Terrorism, and Cyber Threats in the Caribbean," which delves into the interconnected issues affecting the region. Griffith's work explores the challenges to security and sovereignty posed by drugs, crime, terrorism, and cyber threats in the Caribbean. The book is divided into four parts, covering topics such as the impact of drugs, crime, and terrorism on the region, as well as the need for collective action to address these issues. The author of the review praises Griffith's scholarship for shedding light on important social challenges in the Caribbean and emphasizes the significance of Caribbean-oriented scholars in academia. [Extracted from the article]

Gun violence significantly threatens tens of thousands of people annually in the United States. This paper proposes a multidisciplinary approach to address this issue. Specifically, we bridge the gap between criminology and computer vision by exploring the applicability of firearm object detection algorithms to the criminal justice system. By situating firearm object detection algorithms in situational crime prevention, we outline how they could enhance the current use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems to mitigate gun violence. We elucidate our approach to training a firearm object detection algorithm and describe why its results are meaningful to scholars beyond the realm of computer vision. Lastly, we discuss limitations associated with object detection algorithms and why they are valuable to criminal justice practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: There is little scholarship about what affects calls for service, even as they originate the vast majority of police interventions in the USA. We test how racial perceptions, ambiguous situational contexts, and participant demographics affect desire to call the police. Methods: We conduct a nationwide survey experiment with 2,038 participants, varying vignette racial composition (subjects described as black or white) and seriousness of event (less serious, more ambiguous or more serious, less ambiguous) to test two outcomes: 1) desire to call the police and 2) perceived threat. Results: Perceived race does not directly affect mean desire to call the police or perceived threat. However, political views moderate the effects of race: compared to politically moderate participants, very liberal participants express less desire to call the police while very conservative participants express more desire to call the police in a vignette featuring young Black men. Conclusions: The political polarization of desire to call the police raises questions about racially differentiated risk of more serious criminal justice system events, including arrest and incarceration, for racial and ethnic minorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early termination was introduced in criminal procedural reforms in Latin America and other regions to speed up times, decongest courts, and improve efficiency. It emerged from Anglo-Saxon plea bargaining, which had pragmatically proven its usefulness. A systematic review of 20 articles was applied between 2013-2023 on the effectiveness of early termination in improving the efficiency of criminal proceedings in Europe, America, and Australia. It was found that there is no clarity on whether early termination fulfills the purpose of making criminal justice systems more efficient. Some studies see positive aspects such as reduced deadlines in simple cases and more agile processes in specific stages. Others are skeptical about persistent problems in complex cases, negative side effects on rights, and doubts about the quality and fairness of agreements. Controversies were seen between positions for and against regarding this procedural tool's potential benefits and limitations. Consequently, it is concluded that there is not enough evidence to validate that early termination efficiently meets the expectations that motivated its adoption. It is necessary to rigorously recapitulate its real scope before expanding these procedural modalities whose effectiveness is not empirically proven in most criminal justice systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to analyze the implementation of diversion and restorative justice in the Juvenile Criminal Justice System (SPPA) in Jayapura City. This research uses a sociological juridical approach with qualitative research methods. Data was collected through literature study and field research, including interviews with law enforcement officials and the community. The research results show that the public's understanding of diversion and restorative justice still needs to improve, while law enforcement officials' understanding is quite good. However, community satisfaction with implementing diversion and restorative justice is still low due to several factors, such as a lack of attention to victims, judge decisions that are considered unfair, and criminal sanctions that are considered too light. Apart from that, there are several obstacles in implementing diversion and restorative justice, such as difficulty presenting child witnesses, complicated statements from perpetrators, and limited space for child detention. This research concludes that implementing diversion and restorative justice in Jayapura City is yet to be optimal and needs to be improved through more intensive outreach, increasing the capacity of law enforcement officers, and improving supporting facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like many other jurisdictions, the Danish criminal justice system has used pre-sentence reports for almost a century to be able to impose individualised sanctions. During this period, suspended sentences and a range of alternative sanctions have been developed, and the number of pre-sentence reports issued has increased dramatically accordingly. These changes are often explained in terms of shifting ideologies about the relation between crime, person and society during the 20th century. However, this article argues that the larger, paradigmatic changes within penal decision-making may be articulated quite differently in everyday institutional practices. Both current and former perceptions of 'the criminal' thus appear as hybrid forms in judges', probation officers' and other professionals' contemporary practices feeding into sentencing. The penal history of pre-sentence reports as phenomenon thus enables us to raise awareness about contemporary, heterogeneous and anachronistic constructions of the defendant that influence their punishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the literature on mothers of victims and mothers of offenders through a feminist criminological lens. Results of our analysis of 52 articles from a twenty-year period indicated that, though situated on opposite sides of the criminal justice system, aspects of the experiences of mothers of victims and offenders were similar. Specifically, the mothers shared perceived accountability for their offspring's involvement in crime, the burden of care for their offspring, and the negotiation strategies they employed. Our analysis makes visible these mothers as a unique sub-category in the study of crime and proposes a matricentric feminist criminology model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]