WSU Criminal Justice Library and Research News

Crime in the United States, 2005

2006-09-19T10:14:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation has published "Crime in the United States, 2005", the annual statistical compendium of crime statistics. (via ResourceShelf).

The Social Process of Reentry for Female Ex-Offenders

2006-09-18T15:20:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

People, Places, and Things: The Social Process of Reentry for Female Ex-Offenders (PDF; 3.13 MB)
Source: National Institute of Justice
“This study examined the social lives of female ex-offenders to determine the features of their relationships after their release from prison.”

Office of Justice Programs Resource Guide

2006-09-18T15:19:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

Office of Justice Programs Resource Guide: Fiscal 2006 Edition (PDF; 511 KB)
Source: National Institute of Justice
“After outlining the mission and organization of the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), this report describes OJP’s funding opportunities, training, technical assistance, and other resources for fiscal 2006.”

Burglary at Single-Family House Construction Sites

2006-09-17T18:00:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

Burglary at Single-Family House Construction Sites (PDF; 702 KB)

Source: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (USDoJ)

“…describes the problem and reviews the factors that increase the risks
of burglary at single-family house construction sites. It then
identifies a series of questions that may assist in the analysis of the
problem and reviews responses based on evaluative research and police
practice.”

Witness Intimidation

2006-09-17T17:57:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

Witness Intimidation (PDF; 997 KB)

Source: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (USDoJ)

“…describes the problem of witness intimidation, reviews the factors
that increase its risks, identifies questions that can help analyze
local witness intimidation problems, and reviews responses to the
problem as identified through research and police practice.”

European Sourcebook of Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics - 2006

2006-09-15T16:14:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

European Sourcebook of Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics - 2006
Source: WODC (Dutch abbreviation for Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek- en Documentatiecentrum)

“This third edition is a partial update of the second edition (2003) and covers the years 2000-2003. The European Sourcebook is divided into five chapters: Police data, Prosecution statistics, Conviction statistics and Correctional statistics.” Download sections as PDFs.

Florida Death Penalty Assessment Report

2006-09-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

Florida Death Penalty Assessment Report

Source: American Bar Association

From press release:
“The Florida team unanimously agreed that the state fails to comply or
is only in partial compliance with many of the protocols developed by
the ABA to assess death penalty systems. It specifically identified 11
problem areas in the state system, including: the high number of
death-row exonerations (22 since 1973), the failure to ensure that
lawyers assigned to represent capital defendants during the
post-conviction process are qualified and adequately compensated, the
continued existence of racial and charging disparities in capital
sentencing, the fact that unanimity is not required in jury sentencing
decisions, the failure to give sufficient weight to the mitigating
effects of serious mental disability, and the level of secrecy
surrounding the clemency process.”

Note: “Florida is the fourth state assessed under the
ABA project. Assessments in Georgia, Alabama and Arizona also are
complete and are accessible on the ABA’s Web site. Other assessments
are being conducted in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and
Virginia.”

Criminal Victimization, 2005

2006-09-11T14:20:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

Criminal Victimization, 2005

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics (USDoJ)

“Presents estimates of national levels and rates of personal and
property victimization for the year 2005. Rates and levels are provided
for personal and property victimization by victim characteristics, type
of crime, victim-offender relationship, use of weapons, and reporting
to police. Annual average victimization rates for 2004-05 are compared
with those of the previous two years, 2002-03. A section is devoted to
trends in victimization from 1993 to 2005. Estimates are from data
collected using the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), an
ongoing survey of households that interviews about 134,000 persons in
77,200 households twice annually. Violent crimes included in the report
are rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault
(from the NCVS), and homicide (from the FBI’s UCR program). Property
crimes examined are burglary, motor vehicle theft, and property theft.”
Full report available in PDF or txt.

Terrorism Knowlege Base Adds New Features Including Visualization Tool

2006-09-07T12:44:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf:

From the announcement.

The TKB team is proud to announce the release of the Europe Media Monitor (EMM) on TKB. EMM is a new feature which significantly upgrades TKB’s ability to provide relevant and important terrorism news in real-time.

The EMM News Explorer provides breaking news coupled with sophisticated tools for analysis, and visual mapping features that give TKB users the ability to go beyond the headlines.

EMM news modules have been placed on group, leader and country profiles, offering targeted terrorism news in a matter of seconds.

Users can also employ EMM’s visual mapping tools to explore relationships between leaders to elucidate how terrorist networks operate in our ever-shrinking world.

Example: al-Qaeda
Note the new news and visualization tools located on the right side of the page. Powered by the EMM News Explorer (a site that looks like it’s worth a closer look).

What is the European News Explorer?

Europe Media Monitor (EMM) reads and analyses around 40.000 new news items per day. One of the results of this analysis is the clusters of the main stories in several languages. The selection and placement of stories are determined automatically by a computer program. This site is a joint project of DG-JRC and DG-COMM.

See Also: TKB Analytical Tools

Source: MIPT

Criminal Terrorism Enforcement in the United States

2006-09-07T12:41:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf:

Just Released, Criminal Terrorism Enforcement in the United States During the Five Years Since the 9/11/01 Attacks

A comprehensive and sometimes surprising portrait of the handling of criminal cases in the United States against individuals identified as international terrorists during the five years after 9/11/01 has emerged from an analysis of hundreds of thousands Justice Department records by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC).

TRAC, a data research organization connected to Syracuse University, has been studying a wide range of federal agencies and programs for more than 15 years.

Includes charts, tables, and district by performance and activity.

Source: Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) / Syracuse University

Proximal Psychiatric Risk Factors for Suicidality in Youth

2006-09-07T12:39:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

Proximal Psychiatric Risk Factors for Suicidality in Youth
Source: Archives of General Psychiatry
“Several conclusions can be drawn regarding short-term risks for suicidality in children and adolescents through 16 years of age. Depression is a major proximal risk factor, especially in association with anxiety (specifically GAD) or disruptive disorders (primarily ODD). Anxiety or SUD alone do not increase risk. Subthreshold (disruptive) disorder is as potent a risk factor as many diagnosable psychiatric disorders. Severity of symptom-related impairment will help identify which youth with psychiatric disorders are most at risk. Youth living in poverty defined by federal guidelines for families are also at increased risk, irrespective of psychiatric profile or severity of psychopathology.”

Federal Criminal Justice Trends, 2003

2006-09-07T12:31:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

Federal Criminal Justice Trends, 2003
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics (USDoJ)
“Presents data on Federal criminal justice trends from 1994-2003. This report summarizes the activities of agencies at each stage of the Federal criminal case process. It includes 10-year trend statistics on the number arrested (with detail on drug offenses); number and disposition of suspects investigated by U.S. attorneys; number of persons detained prior to trial; number of defendants in cases filed, convicted, and sentenced; and number of offenders under Federal correctional supervision (incarceration, supervised release, probation, and parole).” Download in PDF (6 MB) or ASCII (34 KB). Spreadsheets also available.

National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)

2006-09-06T16:55:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS): Operations 2005 (PDF; )
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (USDoJ)
From press release: “The FBI today released its annual report on the performance of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) which is designed to screen prospective firearms transferees for criminal record history information. NICS was implemented by the FBI in 1998 as mandated by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. NICS is maintained and operated out of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division in Clarksburg, WV. In 2005, NICS produced many achievements in furtherance of its mission by identifying, developing, and implementing system improvements to enhance its overall effectiveness. The FBI is committed to providing timely and accurate determination of firearms and explosives eligibility for prospective transferees.”

World Female Imprisonment List

2006-09-06T16:50:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

World Female Imprisonment List (PDF; 162 KB)
Source: International Centre for Prison Studies, King’s College London
“The World Female Imprisonment List shows the number of women and girls held in penal institutions, as pre-trial detainees (remand prisoners) or having been convicted and sentenced, in 187 prison systems in independent countries and dependent territories. It also shows the percentage of women and girls within each national prison population. The information is the latest available at the end of April 2006.”

Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations

2006-09-06T16:42:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations - A Research-Based Guide
Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse
“This guide is intended to describe the treatment principles and research findings that are of particular relevance to the criminal justice community and to treatment professionals working with drug abusing offenders. The guide is divided into three main sections: (1) the first distills research findings on the addicted offender into 13 essential principles; (2) the second contains a series of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about drug abuse treatment for those involved with the criminal justice system; and (3) the third is a resource section that provides Web sites for additional information.”

No More "Cell" Phones

2006-09-06T16:36:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

No More “Cell” Phones
Source: National Institute of Justice (USDoJ)
” Cell phones are not permitted in prisons yet their ever-shrinking size means many of them are smuggled into prisons and used by inmates for illicit purposes. Four main approaches have been identified to deal with the cell phone problem: (1) locate and confiscate cell phones through the use of detection technology; (2) overpower the cell phone signal with a stronger signal, commonly referred to as “jamming;” (3) trick the cell phone into reacting as if there is no service; and (4) intercept the signal, which requires a judge’s order. The simplest option is signal detection which carries no regulatory or legal restrictions. Since all cell phones use radio frequency (RF) antenna power, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Dahlgren are launching a multi-year project to develop technology to detect RF and to evaluate and test existing technologies. The resulting information will ultimately be included in a report that recommends the next technology development steps for the NIJ. Contact information is presented to learn more about the BOP’s research into cell phone use by inmates and NIJ’s involvement.”
Full Document (PDF; 42 KB)

Longitudinal Research in Criminology and the Health Sciences

2006-09-06T16:26:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

Learning From Longitudinal Research in Criminology and the Health Sciences
Source: Reading Research Quarterly
“This article reviews longitudinal research within criminology and the health sciences on the relationship between reading and criminal, delinquent, or antisocial behavior. Longitudinal research in criminology, medicine, and psychology examines the role of reading within a broad set of interactive processes, connecting literacy to public health via its association with child and adolescent behavior, family dynamics, and sociocognitive phenomena such as school-bonding and academic frustration. The article provides a select review of longitudinal research in three areas of concentration: preschool; reading achievement; and antisocial, delinquent, or criminal behavior. Following this review, the article compares longitudinal research in criminology and the health sciences with ethnographic and social practice research within literacy studies. The article discusses the viability of literacy practices and educational resilience as theoretical frames that may help scholars integrate reading research across disciplines. The article closes with recommendations for expanding the breadth of topics engaged within reading research and for further research on high-stakes testing, resilience, and the relation of literacy to behavior and the bonds and attachments children form with their parents, teachers, and schools.”

Crime Analysis Unit Developer Kit

2006-09-06T16:22:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

Crime Analysis Unit Developer Kit
Source: Crime Mapping & Analysis Program (CMAP)
“This collection of documents, publications, examples, and tools has been researched, collected, and made publicly available by the Crime Mapping & Analysis Program (CMAP) with the professional crime and intelligence analyst in mind. These products have been selected to meet the needs of crime analysts at every level of sophistication and at every point in their analytical unit development, from planning a unit from scratch to increasing your analytical firepower, through expanding the profession with internships.” Download with software (370 MB) or without software (25 MB). U.S. public safety personnel may request a free CD.

Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons

2006-09-06T16:18:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

Confronting Confinement: A Report of the Commission on Safety and Abuse in American’s Prisons
Source: Commission on Safety and Abuse in America’s Prisons
“The Commission’s findings show that violence remains a serious problem in America’s prisons and jails and that there is sufficient information on what is causing this violence so that prevention efforts can be tailored to the causes. Still, more reliable measures of violence in prisons and jails are needed. In addition to violence, high rates of inmate illness, coupled with inadequate funding for correctional health care, are endangering inmates, staff, and the public. The findings also show that the increased use of high-security segregation is counterproductive, often causing violence among inmates and between inmates and staff, as well as contributing to reoffending after release. In the areas of labor and leadership, the Commission concluded that better safety inside prisons and jails depends on changing the institutional culture, which requires improving the education, training, and recruitment at all levels of the corrections profession. The Commission’s finding regarding oversight and accountability is that most correctional facilities are not subject to external monitoring and public scrutiny. Also, internal oversight and accountability need improving. In the area of knowledge and data, uniform nationwide reporting on safety and abuse in correctional facilities is incomplete and unreliable, which impedes correctional leaders, legislators, and the public in making sound decisions regarding prisons and jails. Recommendations are offered for addressing the safety and abuse issues identified. The Commission’s report is based on consultation with experts, correctional personnel, inmates and former inmates, and site visits.”
Full Report (PDF; 7.87 MB)

Analysis of Supreme Court Opinions Regarding the Death Penalty

2006-09-06T16:15:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

Logical and Consistent? An Analysis of Supreme Court Opinions Regarding the Death Penalty
Source: Justice Policy Journal
“Main findings revealed that justices’ opinions in four major capital punishment cases–Furman v. Georgia (1972), Woodson v. North Carolina (1976), Gregg v. Georgia (1976), and McCleskey v. Kemp (1987)–were clearly contradictory to opinions issued in earlier cases (Type I inconsistency). Moreover, some of the justices’ opinions were contradictory to statements made in written opinions in earlier cases (Type II inconsistency) and in some cases the Court ruled in ways that violated precedents or rules of law (Type III inconsistency). Seven factors are identified as the main explanations for these inconsistencies: (1) Constitutional ambiguity; (2) ideology/attitudes and political affiliation of justices; (3) approach to interpreting the Constitution; (4) strategic rationality and bargaining; (5) changing justices over time; (6) evolving human standards; and (7) public opinion and State legislative activity. The authors argue that the analysis of the four most significant Supreme Court capital punishment cases illustrates that the Supreme Court is unable to provide a clear interpretation of some sections of the Constitution and highlights the disagreement among the justices themselves. Data were drawn from the Supreme Court decisions in four major capital punishment cases. Three main types of inconsistencies in judge’s opinions were examined: (1) issuing an opinion that was contradictory to opinions issued in earlier cases; (2) issuing an opinion that appeared to be contradictory to statements made in written opinions in earlier cases; and (3) ruling in a way that appeared to violate a precedent or rule of law. The analysis also focused on factors that could explain these inconsistencies and changes in opinions across time.”
Full Paper (PDF; 257 KB)

New Issue: Journal of Economic Crime Management

2006-09-06T16:09:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

New Issue: Journal of Economic Crime Management
Source: Economic Crime Institute of Utica College
“Although this is our first issue in over a year, we are pleased to
present four articles on varied subjects: identity fraud, gender and software
piracy, illegal use of video poker machines, and self control and insurance
fraud. These four are an indication of the wide range of topics with which we
are faced as we study and work in the field of economic crime investigation and
management. We believe that a considerable amount of research is being done and
hope that we canreach out to those of you who are conducting it, so that you
will consider submitting articles for publication.” Articles in PDF.
+ TheOngoing Critical Threats Created by Identity Fraud: An Action Plan
+ GenderDifferences in Software Piracy: The Mediating Roles of Self-Control Theory and Social Learning Theory
+ The Illegal Use of Video Poker Machines by Public Bars and Private Social Clubs in
Pennsylvania: It’s a Rational Choice
+ Self-Control and Insurance Fraud

Federal Law Enforcement Officers, 2004

2006-09-06T15:59:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

Federal Law
Enforcement Officers, 2004 Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics“Reports the
results of a biennial census of Federal agencies employing personnel with arrest
and firearms authority. Using agency classifications, the report presents the
number of officers working in the areas of police response and patrol, criminal
investigation and enforcement, inspections, security and protection, court
operations, and corrections, by agency and State, as of September 2004. Data on
gender and race of officers are also included.” Full report available in PDF or
text.

Violent Felons in Large Urban Counties

2006-09-06T15:05:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

Violent Felons in Large Urban Counties
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics
“Presents data collected from a representative sample of felony cases that resulted in a felony conviction for a violent offense in 40 of the Nation’s 75 largest counties. The study tracks cases for up to 1 year from the date of filing through final disposition. Defendants convicted of murder, rape, robbery, assault or other violent felonies are described in terms of demographic characteristics (gender, race, Hispanic origin, age), prior arrests and convictions, criminal justice status at time of arrest, type of pretrial release or detention, type of adjudication, and sentence received.” Full report available in PDF or text.

Newly Released Crime and Police Statistics in the United States

2006-09-06T15:04:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

+ Violent Felons in Large Urban Counties

A majority (56%) of violent felons studied had a prior conviction record.

+ Federal Law Enforcement Officers, 2004

Federal agencies employed approximately 105,000 full-time personnel authorized to make arrests and carry firearms in the 50 States and the District of Columbia.

Source: BJS

AMBER Alert: Best Practices Guide for Public Information Officers

2006-09-06T15:01:00.000-04:00

From ResourceShelf's Docuticker:

AMBER Alert: Best Practices Guide for Public Information Officers
Source: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
“Describes the public information officer’s (PIO’s) job responsibilities and provides tips to maximize the PIO’s effectiveness before, during, and after an AMBER Alert activation. It offers recommendations for helping law enforcement agencies achieve a smooth, rapid public warning activation program. This guide underscores the value of the PIO as an integral member of the public warning network, one who will be most helpful to the AMBER Alert team when he or she has been a key member from the outset.”
Full Document (PDF; 863 KB)