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Making sense of senseless murders: The who, what, when, and where? Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2021-04-16 Kylie S. Reale, Eric Beauregard, Julien Chopin, Nathan Wells
The phenomenon of “senseless” or “motiveless” homicide refers to homicides that lack an objective external motivation. Despite the unique challenges these homicides pose to police, few empirical studies have been conducted on the topic and existing studies are limited to clinical studies using small samples. To overcome existing empirical shortcomings, the current study used a sample of 319 homicide
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How good are inpatients at feigning Miranda abilities?: An investigation of the Miranda Quiz, Inventory of Legal Knowledge, and Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2021-04-14 Richard Rogers, Tanveer K. Otal, Sarah F. Velsor, Minqi Pan
The current study represents the first investigation into feigned Miranda abilities using an inpatient population. We investigated the use of a very generic measure (i.e., the Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology, or SIMS) as well as two specialized forensic feigning measures: the Miranda Quiz (MQ) and Inventory of Legal Knowledge (ILK). With a quasi‐random assignment, 82 acute inpatients
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Wanting sex and willing to kill: Examining demographic and cognitive characteristics of violent “involuntary celibates” Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2021-04-13 D J Williams, Michael Arntfield, Kaleigh Schaal, Jolene Vincent
Over the past several years, an online community of self‐described “incels,” referring to involuntary celibates, has emerged and gained increased public attention. Central to the guiding incel ideology and master narrative are violent misogynistic beliefs and an attitude of entitlement, based on male gender and social positioning, with respect to obtaining desired and often illusory sexual experiences
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Homicide and the Internet Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2021-04-07 Patricia R. Recupero
The Internet and social media have grown increasingly relevant in homicide cases in recent years. Although several recent studies have analyzed the relationship between homicide and the Internet, there is a dearth of rigorous scientific research on the subject to date. Although a statistically rare event, Internet‐related homicide may be increasing, and forensic mental health professionals may experience
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Victim selection patterns of community‐residing child molesters identified by a nationwide youth‐serving organization Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2021-03-30 Janet I. Warren, James Reed
The current study examines data extracted from revocation files of a national youth‐serving organization (YSO) involving 7819 revoked individuals and 12,254 alleged child victims to better understand victim selection patterns of community‐residing child molesters. These data demonstrate consistent patterns of victim selection based upon the age, gender, and YSO affiliation of each victim. We created
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A heuristic study of the similarities and differences in offender characteristics across potential and successful serial sexual homicide offenders Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2021-03-24 Enzo Yaksic, Marissa Harrison, Daniel Konikoff, Robyn Mooney, Clare Allely, Raneesha De Silva, Brenna Matykiewicz, Melissa Inglis, Stephen J. Giannangelo, Steven Daniels, Christine M. Sarteschi
This heuristic study examined potential serial sexual homicide offenders (SSHOs), an unacknowledged offender group comprised of aspiring and probable SSHOs, and compared them with successful SSHOs. Data were collected on six aspiring SSHOs who each failed a single homicide attempt, 16 probable SSHOs who committed 17 homicides in separate events, and 13 successful SSHOs who killed 90 victims in separate
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Feasibility and acceptability of a brief suicide intervention for youth involved with the family court Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2021-02-10 Kathleen Kemp, Casey A. Pederson, Margaret Webb, Shannon Williamson, A. Rani Elwy, Anthony Spirito
As efforts to develop models for suicide prevention and intervention in the juvenile justice (JJ) system continue to grow, research to understand the feasibility and acceptability of implementing these models is critical. Examining organizational readiness for implementation, ensuring leadership and staff buy‐in for delivering the intervention, and planning for sustainability of staff participation
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Holistic representation in juvenile defense: An evaluation of a multidisciplinary children's defense team Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2021-02-06 Stephen Phillippi, Casey L. Thomas, Yilin Yoshida, Hasheemah Afaneh
This study describes the results of an evaluation of a holistic defense model for juvenile clients. Longitudinal, retrospective analysis of de‐identified data from clients (N = 308) measured individual variable outcomes, relationships, and project performance. Bivariate and multivariate analyses examined the strength of association and interrelationships among client and defense team variables. Findings
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Jail‐based competency treatment comes of age: Multi‐site outcomes and challenges to the implementation of an evidence‐based forensic continuum Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2021-02-12 Jerry L. Jennings, Kevin Rice, Christopher Baglio
The jail‐based competency treatment (JBCT) model has become an established forensic practice across the country. From the perspective of implementation science and the three core elements of the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Service (PARiHS) framework, the JBCT model is a remarkable example of how context (an unrelenting and overwhelmingly strong demand for forensic beds) has
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Issue Information Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2021-03-05
No abstract is available for this article.
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Shifting probation culture and advancing juvenile probation reform through a community‐based, participatory action research‐informed training Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2021-02-08 Leah Brogan, Jeanne McPhee, Elizabeth Gale‐Bentz, Brittany Rudd, Naomi Goldstein
Many jurisdictions are currently transforming their juvenile probation systems to reflect research‐informed, developmentally based case management approaches. Training, developed through a community‐based, participatory action research (CBPAR) framework and guided by a community–academic partnership, may promote probation staff's readiness for such change. This paper examined whether such training
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Risk–need–responsivity and its application in behavioral health settings: A feasibility study of a treatment planning support tool Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2021-02-10 Debra A. Pinals, Ayorkor Gaba, Paige M. Shaffer, Michael A. Andre, David A. Smelson
The risk–need–responsivity (RNR) model suggests several key practices for justice‐involved populations under correctional supervision. Behavioral health treatment planning aligned with RNR principles for offender populations with co‐occurring mental health and substance use disorders (CODs) could be one method for integrating RNR into clinical care. To explore a unique approach to working with behavioral
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Risk–need–responsivity: Evaluating need‐to‐service matching with reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2021-02-03 Dara C. Drawbridge, Debbie Truong, Ngoc T. Nguyen, Vincent L. Lorenti, Gina M. Vincent
With a sample of 125 adults under community supervision (71.20% male, 76.00% White, mean age = 33.17 years), this study evaluated need‐to‐service matching using an evaluation framework from implementation science. Need‐to‐service matching is a case management strategy intended to align service referrals in case plans with justice‐involved persons' criminogenic needs. The results indicated that need‐to‐service
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Taking “the boss” into the real world: Field interrater reliability of the Short‐Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability: Adolescent Version Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2021-02-10 Tamara L. F. De Beuf, Corine de Ruiter, John F. Edens, Vivienne de Vogel
There is emerging evidence that the performance of risk assessment instruments is weaker when used for clinical decision‐making than for research purposes. For instance, research has found lower agreement between evaluators when the risk assessments are conducted during routine practice. We examined the field interrater reliability of the Short‐Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability: Adolescent Version
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Revenge filicide: An international perspective through 62 cases Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2021-02-21 Wade C. Myers, Erica Lee, Rose Montplaisir, Emily Lazarou, Mark Safarik, Heng Choon (Oliver) Chan, Eric Beauregard
Filicide is the purposeful killing of one or more children by a parent, step‐parent, or other parental figure. Revenge filicide is a poorly understood, rare form of filicide in which a parent murders their child to cause emotional harm to the child's other parent. This descriptive study presents an international case series consisting of 62 revenge filicide cases from nine countries. Perpetrators were
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Linguistically complex recognition prompts in pre‐recorded cross‐examinations Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2021-02-08 Laura M. Stevens, Hayden M. Henderson, Michael E. Lamb
This study examined the effects of pre‐trial preparation and pre‐recorded cross‐examinations on the linguistic complexity of recognition prompts (i.e., option‐posing or suggestive questions) used when questioning child victims in English criminal courts. The study also compared the linguistic complexity of recognition prompts that did and did not contain suggestive content. Analyses compared 43 cases
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The lethality of non‐familial child abductions: Characteristics and outcomes of 565 incidents involving youth under the age of 18 years Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-12-10 Janet I. Warren, James Reed, April Celeste R. Leviton, Sara Byrd Millspaugh, Park Dietz, Anita A. Grabowska, Adrienne N. Isom, Joy Lynn E. Shelton, Kristen Lybert
Offender motivation for child abduction determines both the nature and final outcome of the abduction. Research has identified victim characteristics, offender characteristics, and sexual motivations as factors influencing child abduction and child abduction homicide. We examine 565 child abductions identified through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to determine the characteristics of victim
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Cognitive‐affective drivers of fixation in threat assessment Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-10-19 J. Reid Meloy, Tahir Rahman
Pathological fixation – preoccupation with a person or a cause that is accompanied by deterioration in social and occupational functioning – has been found to precede most cases of targeted violence. It is clinically observed and theorized to have three different cognitive‐affective drivers: delusion, obsession, or extreme overvalued belief. Each driver is explained, and case examples are provided
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Issue Information Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-12-14
No abstract is available for this article.
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Illuminating the dark figure of sexual recidivism Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-11-24 Brian R. Abbott
Detected or reported (“observed”) rates of sexual reoffending have long been recognized as underestimating the occurrence of actual sexual recidivism. Past attempts to bridge the gap between the two rates have been unsuccessful. Scurich and John try to reverse this course by presenting a simulation model to estimate the predicted actual sexual recidivism rates among individuals convicted of sexual
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The dark figure of sexual offending: A replication and extension Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-11-17 Alan J. Drury, Michael J. Elbert, Matt DeLisi
Studies of the dark figure of sexual offending using federal correctional clients reported significant evidence of previously unknown or hidden sexual violence, often among clients with no official criminal history. Unfortunately, research has produced variable estimates of how large the dark figure is. The current study sought to replicate recent studies of federal sexual offenders about the dark
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Denial and minimization among sex offenders Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-11-24 Park Dietz
A review of empirical studies of offenders—particularly sex offenders, and more particularly those who offend against children—demonstrates that denial of offenses and minimization of offending behavior are quite common at every stage of the criminal justice process. This is true during police interviews, during pretrial and presentencing mental health evaluations, among incarcerated offenders, among
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Why do child sexual abuse victims not tell anyone about their abuse? An exploration of factors that prevent and promote disclosure Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-11-29 Georgia M. Winters, Niki Colombino, Sarah Schaaf, Anniken L. W. Laake, Elizabeth L. Jeglic, Cynthia Calkins
Disclosure rates of child sexual abuse (CSA) to both social supports and law enforcement are concerningly low, although more research is needed to understand factors that impact disclosure. Thus, the present study examined rates of informal (i.e., to a social support) and formal (i.e., to law enforcement) disclosure of CSA, as well as victims' self‐reported experiences with telling others about their
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Detecting children's true and false denials of wrongdoing: Effects of question type and base rate knowledge Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-11-25 Kirsten Domagalski, Jennifer Gongola, Thomas D. Lyon, Steven E. Clark, Jodi A. Quas
One common and unfortunately overlooked obstacle to the detection of sexual abuse is non‐disclosure by children. Non‐disclosure in forensic interviews may be expressed via concealment in response to recall questions or via active denials in response to recognition (e.g., yes/no) questions. In two studies, we evaluated whether adults' ability to discern true and false denials of wrongdoing by children
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Understanding expert testimony on child sexual abuse denial after New Jersey v. J.L.G.: Ground truth, disclosure suspicion bias, and disclosure substantiation bias Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-11-19 Thomas D. Lyon, Shanna Williams, Stacia N. Stolzenberg
The New Jersey Supreme Court held in New Jersey v. J.L.G. (2018) that experts can no longer explain to juries why sexually abused children might deny abuse. The court was influenced by expert testimony that “methodologically superior” studies find lower rates of denial. Examining the studies in detail, we argue that the expert testimony was flawed due to three problems with using child disclosure studies
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Analyzing the scientific foundation of Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome: A reply to Lyon et al. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-11-17 Kamala London, Maggie Bruck, Quincy C. Miller, Stephen J. Ceci
The issue before the New Jersey Supreme Court in the Frye hearing New Jersey v. J.L.G. (2018) was whether the scientific community agreed that Summit's (1983) Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome rested on a firm scientific foundation. Lyon et al. (this issue) critique our approach to describing child sexual abuse disclosure, which involved extrapolating rates from children who came to the attention
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Introduction to this Special Issue: International perspectives on hospital care of mentally disordered offenders. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-09-24 Annette Opitz-Welke,Alan R Felthous
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Short-term clinical risk assessment and management: Comparing the Brockville Risk Checklist and Hamilton Anatomy of Risk Management. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-09-14 Lindsay V Healey,Katelyn Mullally,Mini Mamak,Gary A Chaimowitz,Adekunle G Ahmed,Michael C Seto
The current article aims to examine the performance of two brief, dynamic risk measures – the Brockville Risk Checklist (BRC4) and one of two versions of the Hamilton Anatomy of Risk Management [HARM‐FV and electronic HARM‐FV (eHARM‐FV)] – scored at regular clinical case conferences for forensic psychiatric patients in two different settings. The eHARM represents a first‐in‐class dynamic risk assessment
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The question of sanity restoration in jail. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-09-10 Alan R Felthous
Severe mental illness, especially psychotic disorders that are worsening, acute or complicated, normally require intensive psychiatric care and treatment that is most appropriately provided in a mental hospital. For criminal defendants, transfer to a forensic security hospital has traditionally been the means of achieving hospital care for mentally disordered defendants who have been found incompetent
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Hospital treatment of persons found not guilty by reason of insanity. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-09-08 Reena Kapoor,Tobias D Wasser,Melissa C Funaro,Michael A Norko
After being found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI), individuals are typically admitted to a secure forensic hospital for evaluation and treatment. This patient population can pose a challenge to clinicians in the hospital setting due to significant violence risk, complex psychiatric presentations, and scrutiny from oversight boards and the public. This article reviews the scientific literature
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Comparison of outcome in men and women after treatment in psychiatric security hospitals in Germany. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-08-25 Irina Franke,Philipp Rothe,Manuela Dudeck,Adelheid Bezzel,Verena Klein,Norbert Ormanns,Judith Streb
Previous research has shown that forensic psychiatric treatment reduces reoffending, rehospitalization and premature mortality. Treatment outcome varies with diagnosis, but little is known about the influence of sex, psychosocial adjustment and aftercare.
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Psychosis in German prisoners: Comparison of the clinical appearance of psychotic disorder of an imprisoned population with a not detained community group. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-08-24 Philipp Meinert,Joachim Behr,Ulrich Gauger,Julia Krebs,Norbert Konrad,Annette Opitz-Welke
Surveys confirm risk factors for the incarceration of patients with psychosis including homelessness and comorbidity. There is also agreement that severe psychosis can lead to violence. Data describing prisoners with psychosis in Germany are scarce. We aimed to compare patients with psychosis in a prison hospital and patients with psychosis in a community hospital. Demographic data were collected,
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Rising inpatient numbers in forensic security hospitals of German federal state of Baden-Württemberg: Background and explanatory approaches. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-08-22 Thomas Ross,María Isabel Fontao,Jan Bulla
In this article, we describe critical epidemiological trends in forensic psychiatric care in the German federal state of Baden‐Württemberg. For some years, there has been a marked increase in the number of patients with psychoses and with a migration background in the high‐security hospitals of Baden‐Württemberg. We present a number of studies exploring hypotheses as to why this is the case. Taking
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Advances in juvenile adjudicative competence: A 10-year update. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-08-12 Kathryn A Cunningham
This article provides a comprehensive review of juvenile adjudicative competence (AC) literature published between 2010 and 2019. Publications included in this article are peer‐reviewed and disseminate original research or provide new commentary on forensic evaluation, policy, or theory. The review is organized in the following sequence: (i) factors associated with juvenile AC, (ii) evaluating juvenile
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The effects of essentialist thinking toward biosocial risk factors for criminality and types of offending on lay punishment support. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-08-04 Colleen M Berryessa
This research uses experimental methods to gauge how different facets of essentialist thinking toward (1) types of offending and (2) biosocial risk factors for criminality predict lay punishment support. A randomized between‐subjects experiment using contrastive vignettes was conducted with members of the general public (N = 897). Overall, as hypothesized, aspects of essentialist thinking, particularly
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An examination of the effects of mental disorders as mitigating factors on capital sentencing outcomes. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-08-01 Lauren N Miley,Ellie Heiss-Moses,John K Cochran,Kathleen M Heide,Sondra J Fogel,M Dwayne Smith,Beth J Bejerregaard
Mentally ill and emotionally disturbed offenders comprise a significant component of those whose criminal conduct has swept them into the criminal justice system, including a subset who are tried and convicted of capital murder. The present study employs the population of capital cases advanced to penalty phase in the state of North Carolina (1990–2009) to examine whether presentation to the jury of
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Alibi believability: Corroborative evidence and contextual factors. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-07-08 Meredith Allison,Sandy Jung,Amanda C Benjamin
A disbelief in alibis is one contributor to wrongful convictions. One reason that triers‐of‐fact may disbelieve alibis is that they lack evidence to corroborate the whereabouts of the suspect at the time of the crime. Contextual factors, such as when the alibi was disclosed and what was the nature of the crime, can also affect alibi believability. This paper outlines two studies where mock jurors evaluated
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Applicability of two violence risk assessment tools in a psychiatric prison hospital population. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-07-07 Julia Krebs,Vincent Negatsch,Christine Berg,Annette Aigner,Annette Opitz-Welke,Peter Seidel,Norbert Konrad,Alexander Voulgaris
The risk of violent behavior is known to be higher for patients who suffer from a severe mental disorder. However, specific prediction tools for clinical work in prison psychiatry are lacking. In this single‐center study, two violence risk assessment tools (Forensic Psychiatry and Violence Tool, “FoVOx,” and Mental Illness and Violence Tool, “OxMIV”) were applied to a prison hospital population with
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Using algorithms to address trade-offs inherent in predicting recidivism. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-05-05 Jennifer Skeem,Christopher Lowenkamp
Although risk assessment has increasingly been used as a tool to help reform the criminal justice system, some stakeholders are adamantly opposed to using algorithms. The principal concern is that any benefits achieved by safely reducing rates of incarceration will be offset by costs to racial justice claimed to be inherent in the algorithms themselves. But fairness trade‐offs are inherent to the task
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Introduction to the Special Issue on implementing Post-Conviction Risk Assessment. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-04-29 Christopher Slobogin
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Judicial gatekeeping on scientific validity with risk assessment tools. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-04-20 Melissa Hamilton
Risk assessment tools driven by algorithms offer promising advantages in predicting the recidivism risk of defendants. Jurisdictions are increasingly relying upon risk tool outcomes to help judges at sentencing with their decisions on whether to incarcerate or whether to use community‐based sanctions. Yet as sentencing has significant consequences for public safety and individual rights, care must
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Examining jurors' ability to meet the constitutional requirement of narrowing in capital sentencing. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-04-14 Lisa Bell Holleran,Tyler J Vaughan
The US Supreme Court has required that death penalty schemes narrow the class of persons eligible for a death sentence. Through the selection requirement, juries must use mitigating and aggravating evidence jointly to select the offenders engaged in the worst of the worst crimes. This study utilized between‐subjects experimental design to test juror's ability to narrow directly. Utilizing the vignette
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An exploratory examination of intellectual disability and mental illness associated with alleged false confessions. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-04-12 Melanie Clark Mogavero
The National Registry of Exonerations tracks cases of individuals who have been wrongly convicted and exonerated since 1989. Their most recent report revealed that 12% of those exonerated gave false confessions. The current study used data from the National Registry of Exonerations and focused on a sample of 2,378 individuals convicted of felonies with a focus on sexual offenses, as such crimes tend
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Risk assessment savvy: The imperative of appreciating accuracy and outcome. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-03-28 Rhys Hester
This article focuses on two aspects of actuarial risk at sentencing, the accuracy of the instrument and the outcome it predicts. For theoretical reasons rooted in the cognitive decision‐making and sentencing literature, there is a danger that judges and other practitioners might come to overly rely on a “high risk” label or designation without appreciating the accuracy of the prediction or the actual
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Making sense of risk. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-03-27 Cecelia Klingele
Although actuarial risk prediction tools are widely used in the American criminal justice system, the lawyers, judges, and correctional workers who consult these products in making decisions often misunderstand fundamental aspects of how they work and what information they provide. This article suggests that the best way to ensure risk assessment tools are being used in ways that are just and equitable
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The compelling case for low-violence-risk preclusion in American prison policy. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-03-26 Kevin R Reitz
This article recommends the development of broad policies of preclusion regarding the use of incarceration for offenders who are highly unlikely to commit a violent crime in the future. The proposal builds on the new Model Penal Code: Sentencing's provision on the limited utilitarian purposes of incarceration. Such low‐violence‐risk‐preclusion strategies (LVRPs) would stand on the most powerful predictive
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Lost in translation: "Risks," "needs," and "evidence" in implementing the First Step Act. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-03-26 Jennifer Skeem,John Monahan
In this article, we focus on two highly problematic issues in the manner in which the First Step Act of 2018 is being implemented by the Bureau of Prisons: an uncritical separation of “dynamic risks” and “criminogenic needs”; and a spurious reliance on “evidence‐based” interventions to reduce recidivism risk. We argue that if the Act is to live up to its promise of being a game‐changing development
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Actuarial risk assessment at sentencing: Potential consequences for mass incarceration and legitimacy. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-03-26 Michael O'Hear
The growing utilization of actuarial risk assessment instruments (RAIs) in the American criminal justice system may potentially lead to more restrained, better‐targeted uses of incarceration. However, critics have raised a variety of concerns regarding RAIs and suggested, among other things, that their incorporation into court procedures may tend to dehumanize defendants and exacerbate, rather than
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Open risk assessment. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-03-25 Brandon L Garrett,Megan Stevenson
As criminal justice actors increasingly seek to rely on more evidence‐informed practices, including risk assessment instruments, they often lack adequate information about the evidence that informed the development of the practice or the tool. Open science practices, including making scientific research and data accessible and public, have not typically been followed in the development of tools designed
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Use of penile plethysmography in the court: A review of practices in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-03-18 Lisa Murphy, Emily Gottfried, Keana DiMario, Derek Perkins, J. Paul Fedoroff
Penile plethysmography (PPG) is an objective measure of male sexual arousal in response to the presentation of a series of erotic and neutral stimuli. This measure is now widely recognized as the most reliable means of objectively measuring male sexual arousal to specific stimuli. Many clinicians and researchers consider PPG to be a vital contribution to the assessment and treatment of adult men with
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Introduction to this Special Issue: International perspectives on criminal sex. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-03-12 J Paul Fedoroff,Alan R Felthous
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Capital juror questionnaires in death-penalty cases: A study of attitudes, denials, and deceptions. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-02-24 Richard Rogers,Allyson J Sharf,Bryan Myers,Eric Y Drogin,Margot M Williams
The Sixth Amendment right to an “impartial jury” should guarantee fundamental fairness that in capital cases may literally be a matter of life and death. For ecological validity, the current study focuses on capital jury questionnaires (CJQs) employed in actual death‐penalty cases. Study I examined 248 undergraduates and their responses to death‐penalty relevant questions. As an MTurk investigation
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Behavioral health indicators and time-to-rearrest in an adult pre-arrest diversion program. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-02-17 Albert M Kopak
Several states have recently adopted legislation in support of pre‐arrest diversion programs that give police the authority to refer adults with behavioral health needs to treatment providers instead of placing them under arrest and booking them into local jails. The Adult Civil Citation program has been operating since 2013 to divert adults accused for the first time of a misdemeanor offense to a
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Motivational pathways underlying the onset and maintenance of viewing child pornography on the Internet. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-02-13 Natasha Knack,Dave Holmes,J Paul Fedoroff
The staggering rate at which incidents of child pornography (CP) are increasing highlights the need for proactive approaches to this problem. Improving the efficacy and accessibility of interventions designed for individuals who view CP provides one means of addressing this growing concern. This article explores the self‐identified motivations underlying the onset and maintenance of viewing Internet‐based
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A qualitative study of forensic patients' perceptions of quasi-coercive offers of biological treatment. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-02-06 Natasha Knack,Jennifer A Chandler,J Paul Fedoroff
At various points in the trajectory through the criminal justice system, a person may be encouraged by the hope of legal benefit to consent to medical treatment. This benefit may consist of diversion from prosecution, a favorable sentence, or parole. This form of legal encouragement has been referred to as legal leverage, quasi‐coercive, or quasi‐compulsory treatment. In this article, we analyze interviews
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A narrative review of research on clinical responses to the problem of sexual offenses in the last decade. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-02-06 Thanh Ly,J Paul Fedoroff,Peer Briken
Research on the treatment and programs for people who have committed sexual offenses has greatly increased in the past decade. The aim of this review is to discuss research that has been published over that period (2010–2019) that is relevant for treatment providers. The articles included in this review were found through PsycINFO and PubMed (Medline) using the keywords “treatment or therapy” and “sex
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The admissibility of other specified paraphilic disorder (non-consent) in sexually violent predator proceedings. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-02-05 Brian Holoyda
Following the advent of sexually violent predator (SVP) legislation in the early 1990s, forensic evaluators began to apply diagnostic labels related to a paraphilic interest in rape as a mental condition predisposing individuals convicted of sexual offenses to recidivate. The most recent iteration of the concept, other specified paraphilic disorder (non‐consent) (OSPD (non‐consent)), is a commonly
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Sex and genes, part 2: A biopsychosocial approach to assess and treat challenging sexual behavior in persons with intellectual disabilities including fragile X syndrome and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-02-04 Nancy Miodrag,Deborah A Richards,J Paul Fedoroff,Shelley L Watson
Individuals with intellectual disabilities (IDs) – and specifically those with genetic disorders – are more prone to medical and psychological challenges that affect their sexual development, experiences, and fertility. In this review paper we first provide an overview of the biopsychosocial (BPS) model and then explain how the model can guide and improve the assessment and treatment of challenging
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Competency to stand trial evaluations: A state-wide review of court-ordered reports. Behavioral Sciences & the Law (IF 1.102) Pub Date : 2020-02-03 Daniel C Murrie,Brett O Gardner,Angela N Torres
Competence to stand trial (CST) evaluations are a critical part of certain criminal proceedings, and competence‐related evaluation and treatment are an increasing part of public mental health services. Whereas more research describes the defendants undergoing competence evaluations, less research has examined the actual reports detailing those competence evaluations. This study reviewed 3,644 court‐ordered
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