{"title":"The Effectiveness of Field Contacts in Community Supervision: A Multi-site, Multi-year Evaluation Using Matched Samples","authors":"W. Campbell, S. Jalbert, Holly Swan","doi":"10.1080/24751979.2023.2170263","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24751979.2023.2170263","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Field contacts are a core practice within probation and parole. While criminological theory suggests field contacts may reduce recidivism, there is very little empirical evidence of this impact, and the costs of field contacts to officers and agencies are high. To date, only two studies have investigated the relationship between field contacts and recidivism, and both studies rely on a single site and regression modelling to address issues of endogeneity. The goal of the current study is to improve the strength of evidence of the effectiveness of field contacts in reducing recidivism through a multi-site study that addresses previously unaddressed methodological issues. This study employs coarsened exact matching, numerous variations in model specification, and alterations of sample specification to address issues of endogeneity. When accounting for other differences between supervisees who receive field contacts and those who do not, the use of field contacts is accompanied by reductions in recidivism. These findings provide vital information for understanding what works within community supervision. This study was limited to examining the use of one or more field contacts; future research should explore the impact of varying dosage as well as other forms of contact.","PeriodicalId":41318,"journal":{"name":"Justice Evaluation Journal","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2023-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76384198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nicole Frisch-Scott, Anat Kimchi, Kristopher B. Bucklen
{"title":"Evaluating the (F)utility of Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Laws in Pennsylvania","authors":"Nicole Frisch-Scott, Anat Kimchi, Kristopher B. Bucklen","doi":"10.1080/24751979.2023.2170264","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24751979.2023.2170264","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In the current criminal justice policy sphere mandatory minimum sentencing serves two important purposes 1) they are used as a punitive response to immediate crime concerns and 2) their removal is viewed as a tool to conserve resources, decarcerate, and promote fairness in sentencing. Though much research explores how the passage of these laws relates to crime, the literature has not focused on the public safety implications of removing mandatory minimum sentences. Using a comparative interrupted time-series approach, the present work investigates whether a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision that invalidated several mandatory minimum sentencing provisions impacted the state’s crime rate. We find little to no evidence of a discrete shift in overall or type-disaggregated crime rates, or changes in the slope of any crime trend when the state reduced their use of mandatory minimums. These findings tentatively suggest that many mandatory minimums can be repealed without risking public safety.","PeriodicalId":41318,"journal":{"name":"Justice Evaluation Journal","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2023-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79704307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Examining Ignition-Interlock Post-Arrest Treatments","authors":"V. Terranova, M. Stafford","doi":"10.1080/24751979.2022.2147447","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24751979.2022.2147447","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The objective is to examine the effectiveness of the ignition-interlock device on DWI recidivism using a variety of counterfactual specifications. Matched samples are constructed that represent different counterfactual comparisons, and logistic regression is used to estimate the odds of DWI recidivism. A sample of four groups of DWI offenders who were all sentenced to probation was used. These groups include those that received no post-arrest ignition-interlock treatment (n = 2,810), pre-probation treatment only (n = 156), probation treatment only (n = 643), or combined pre-probation and probation treatment (n = 187) matched on the likelihood of receiving a certain treatment. Results indicate a lower odds of DWI recidivism for those who used the interlock device compared to those who did not use the device at all. When comparing treatment to an alternative treatment imposed, there is largely no meaningful difference in the odds of DWI recidivism. The estimated treatment effects indicate the device reduces DWI recidivism while installed but not after removal. Administering the treatment compared to not at all plays a meaningful role in reducing the odds of DWI recidivism, but the timing of that treatment exposure may not.","PeriodicalId":41318,"journal":{"name":"Justice Evaluation Journal","volume":"105 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73086443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessing the Impact and Outcomes of the National Jail Leadership Command Academy on Its Graduates and Their Agencies","authors":"Matthew A. Bills, Erin A. Orrick","doi":"10.1080/24751979.2022.2144414","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24751979.2022.2144414","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Jails play a vital role in the criminal legal system, with millions of Americans processed through them annually. Jails face numerous exigent challenges and need leaders capable of addressing day-to-day operations and emergent situations. Despite this necessity, jails struggle to identify, fund, and offer leadership development opportunities for their staff. The National Jail Leadership Command Academy (NJLCA), a program designed to prepare emerging leaders for a successful transition into senior leadership positions, was evaluated to assess how the NJLCA impacts its graduates and their agencies. The current study is the first empirical evaluation of a jail leadership development program, using the Kirkpatrick evaluation typology. Structured interviews with 49 jail leaders from 41 agencies across the U.S. produced rich qualitative data for content analysis using the Kirkpatrick evaluation model. Respondents identified numerous examples of how their agencies’ NJLCA graduates apply what they learned at the NJLCA to improve their job performance and achieve organizational goals, revealing a positive, multidimensional impact of the NJLCA.","PeriodicalId":41318,"journal":{"name":"Justice Evaluation Journal","volume":"4 1","pages":"129 - 148"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79376414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Cardwell, Lorraine Mazerolle, Kelsy Luengen, Sarah Bennett
{"title":"The Effects of a Truancy Reduction Program on Antisocial Behavior: Age, Race, and Sex Differences","authors":"S. Cardwell, Lorraine Mazerolle, Kelsy Luengen, Sarah Bennett","doi":"10.1080/24751979.2022.2135453","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24751979.2022.2135453","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Past research from the Ability School Engagement Program (ASEP), a third-party policing intervention designed to increase school attendance, finds the program is able to reduce self-reported antisocial behavior up to two years following program participation. This research further explores the generalizability of these effects and assesses whether the effects of ASEP on self-reported antisocial behavior varied by different age, race, and sex characteristics of young people in the study at one- and two-years post randomization. Data for this study come from 102 young people who participated in the ASEP, which was designed to increase school attendance and reduce antisocial behavior through a conference with police, schools, young people, and their parents in Brisbane, Australia. There were no statistically significant interactions between the condition and predictors on self-reported antisocial behavior at the one-year mark. However, young people in the experimental group who were in secondary school during the intervention had significantly lower odds of self-reported antisocial behavior relative to secondary students in the control group at two years post-randomization. Results suggest that ASEP may be more effective at reducing self-reported antisocial behavior among adolescents in secondary school.","PeriodicalId":41318,"journal":{"name":"Justice Evaluation Journal","volume":"42 1","pages":"108 - 128"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-10-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74146618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Cost of Recidivism: A Dynamic Systems Model to Evaluate the Benefits of a Restorative Reentry Program","authors":"James Richardson, Lorenn Walker","doi":"10.1080/24751979.2022.2123746","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24751979.2022.2123746","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Hawai‘i Friends of Restorative Justice has developed and implemented a reentry planning process to support incarcerated individuals as they prepare to reenter society. With 16 years of successful practice, research has shown that the program has many benefits, including reducing recidivism by 26 percent among recipients. In this paper, we use systems analysis to explore the long-term effects of a reduction in recidivism on the prison population and evaluate the economic and social benefits of such a program. The paper describes a simulation modeling method that quantifies the predicted effect of recidivism on the prison population, shows the net benefit of the reentry program, and demonstrates the usefulness of modern simulation tools in policy analysis of the criminal justice system. We calibrate the model with data on Hawai‘i state prisons. The model indicates that a 26 percent reduction in recidivism leads to a 17 percent reduction in the prison population over 15 years by reducing the number of recidivists in prison by 40 percent. Considering the marginal and average cost of imprisonment, the estimated benefits substantially outweigh the cost of the program with even the most conservative accounting of marginal costs.","PeriodicalId":41318,"journal":{"name":"Justice Evaluation Journal","volume":"13 1","pages":"81 - 107"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91147581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Impact of Technological Support on Citizen Searches for Missing Persons","authors":"Jerôme Lam, N. Kop, Celest Houtman","doi":"10.1080/24751979.2022.2109502","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24751979.2022.2109502","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This study explored the effects of technological support on citizen searches during missing persons cases. A qualitative experimental design was used to investigate the effects of the prototype of an app, Sarea, developed by the Dutch police to help citizens initiate and coordinate a search. Two conditions were used: intervention groups, who were given phones with the app installed, and control groups without this support. A total of seven searches were conducted—four intervention groups and three control groups with group sizes between three and five people (N = 33). Data were collected through the System Usability Scale and one-to-one observation of individual searchers. The results showed that technology provides valuable support to citizens in coordinating and visualizing a citizen search. However, divided attention due to increased cognitive load during the search, and the unwarranted legitimization of human choices by a technological interface, can make collaboration between humans and technology problematic.","PeriodicalId":41318,"journal":{"name":"Justice Evaluation Journal","volume":"2013 1","pages":"62 - 80"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86315815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Davis Shelfer, Christi L. Gullion, Chris Guerra, Yan Zhang, J. Ingram
{"title":"A Systematic Review of Project Safe Neighborhoods Effects","authors":"Davis Shelfer, Christi L. Gullion, Chris Guerra, Yan Zhang, J. Ingram","doi":"10.1080/24751979.2022.2109190","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24751979.2022.2109190","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is an ongoing national program, implemented by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, to address gun and gang violence in local jurisdictions within all 94 federal districts in the United States. While dozens of studies have evaluated the local effects of PSN programs, a comprehensive review of PSN literature is missing; this article addresses that gap. The current study conducts a systematic review of empirical studies of PSN programs from 2001 to 2021 across nine major academic databases and five websites. Twenty-one evaluations were retained for a detailed review and categorized based on Maryland Scientific Methods Scale values. PSN initiatives produce overall favorable results in reducing violence in the short-term, though long-term impacts are rarely explored. PSN had an indicated positive effect on 91.9% of the examined outcomes, 54.5% of which attained statistical significance. Task force members state that likelihood of PSN success improves when working groups remain consistent in personnel, communicate regularly, and achieve buy-in from all involved parties. Future research should report effect sizes when appropriate, evaluate PSN programs absent in other high-populated areas, and employ more rigorous experimental and quasi-experimental designs so a meta-analysis can be conducted.","PeriodicalId":41318,"journal":{"name":"Justice Evaluation Journal","volume":"29 1","pages":"32 - 61"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85631537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Effects of Saturation Enforcement on Speed(ing) Along a Highway Corridor: Results from a Police-Directed Field Study","authors":"Rylan Simpson, Quentin Frewing, J. Bayer","doi":"10.1080/24751979.2022.2106882","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24751979.2022.2106882","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Speed is a well-documented predictor of traffic collisions. The present research evaluates the effects of saturation enforcement by police on speed(ing) along a highway corridor in Western Canada. As part of the field study, six radar-recording devices were installed at three different locations along the intervention site (i.e., before, at, and after enforcement). During the pre-test period, vehicle speeds were passively recorded without any saturation enforcement. During the enforcement period, uniformed police officers in marked police vehicles conducted saturation enforcement at the enforcement site while vehicle speeds continued to be recorded. The analyses revealed that the average speed of vehicles was lower during the enforcement period than the pre-test period as well as lower at the enforcement site than before or after such site. The analyses also revealed a similar pattern in findings when the proportion of speeding vehicles was used as the dependent variable. Saturation enforcement by police can thus exhibit at least some effect on speed(ing) along a highway corridor. Given contemporary policing’s emphasis on road safety, this research contributes to both scholarly and practical discussions regarding police and their effectiveness.","PeriodicalId":41318,"journal":{"name":"Justice Evaluation Journal","volume":"32 1","pages":"20 - 31"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76504011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bridging the Research-Policy Divide to Advance Science and Policy: The 2022 Bruce Smith, Sr. Award Address to the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences","authors":"D. Mears","doi":"10.1080/24751979.2022.2062255","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24751979.2022.2062255","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract A longstanding divide between research and policy presents continuing problems for efforts to advance science and to improve public safety. The situation leads to poorly designed and implemented policies, little accountability, and limited effectiveness and cost-efficiency. Ripple effects of the divide include policies that proceed from ideology and guesswork, inadequate infrastructure for creating relevant and accessible data, and research that fails to systematically illuminate criminal justice operations or expand the boundaries of science. The solution? Put research at center stage in criminal justice policy. To do so will require overcoming a lack of awareness among policymakers and administrators about what research is, what it can be, and what is required to generate credible research-based evidence. It also will require integrating researchers into policy development, implementation, and evaluation. Bridging this divide will be essential for scientific progress and advancing policy.","PeriodicalId":41318,"journal":{"name":"Justice Evaluation Journal","volume":"183 1","pages":"163 - 185"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86977796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}