Criminal Justice and Behavior

This study examined the discrimination and calibration properties of Violence Risk Appraisal Guide–Revised (VRAG-R) scores and risk bins in a sample of 124 forensic psychiatric inpatients found Not Criminally Responsible on Account of Mental Disorder (NCRMD) or Unfit to Stand Trial (UST), admitted under Saskatchewan Review Board jurisdiction during a 38-year catchment period. The VRAG-R was scored on all NCR and UST individuals from file, and recidivism data were obtained via official criminal records. The VRAG-R demonstrated strong discrimination properties for general and violent recidivism over 3-year, 5-year, and overall follow-ups. Calibration analyses revealed that VRAG-R recidivism norms tended to estimate higher rates of recidivism than actually observed. Overall, the results supported the use of the VRAG-R for psychological risk assessments with a population of persons found NCRMD; however, it should be a multi-measure process that involves other empirically validated tools.

“Culture” is frequently invoked as an explanatory device in criminology and criminal justice. Research examining the “culture” of women’s prisons emphasizes the salience of trust relationships for understanding social order. However, this work primarily documents the importance of trust, with less attention to understanding the meanings incarcerated women attribute to trust relationships. This manuscript presents two studies examining the cultural domain of trust in a women’s prison. Study 1 uses qualitative inquiry (n = 29) to identify key themes regarding the meaning of the domain. Building from these findings, Study 2 (n = 198) develops quantitative measures to examine a cultural model of trust. Results for Study 2 reveal two cultural models of trust (i.e., a multicentric cultural domain) and highlight how knowledge of the cultural model correlates with beliefs relevant to the setting (i.e., cultural consonance). Implications for the study of culture in criminology and criminal justice are discussed.

Legitimacy plays a crucial role in fostering order in prisons. When carceral staff are perceived as just, residents are more likely to follow institutional rules. Achieving procedural legitimacy is complicated by systemic barriers, including the use of collective punishment. Collective punishment is the sanctioning of a group because of the actions of one individual. Collective punishment can compromise rehabilitation and diminish procedural fairness. This study explores perceptions of collective punishment by analyzing data from interviews with residents and staff across eight prisons in four states. Findings reveal that residents and staff recognize collective punishment as pervasive. Residents report strain and injustice, whereas staff express concerns about its unintended consequences. The findings suggest that when punishment is indiscriminate, it undermines authority. By situating these findings within broader discussions on procedural legitimacy across hierarchical institutions, this research highlights the need for policies that prioritize fairness and targeted disciplinary measures over collective punishment.

Drawing on importation and deprivation perspectives and integrating developmental/life-course criminology, the current study examines predictors of change in major and minor misconduct incidences, over a 16-year period, among a sample of 1,125 adults in custody serving long-term sentences. Findings from mixed-effects regression models revealed that factors of the prison environment such as custody level, visitation, facility transfers, and program participation directly shape the behavior of those incarcerated. Most notably, findings suggest that factors that explain differences in misconduct among those incarcerated may not necessarily explain individual changes in misconduct. Results highlight the important need for research that focuses on the experiences of individuals with long-term sentences, and the value of integrating a life-course perspective to inform policy that extends beyond static risk assessments to understand the influence of correctional factors that may promote behavior change.

Correctional officers (COs) in Canada experience a high prevalence of mental disorders, suicidal behaviors, and trauma exposure. However, recruits entering the Correctional Service of Canada tend to show lower prevalence than the general population, likely influenced by mandatory pre-employment mental health screening. We report self-report survey data from 792 CO recruits between 2018 and 2024, assessing mental health, suicidal behaviors, and trauma exposure before training. Recruits appeared generally mentally healthy: 7.2% screened positive for any disorder (1.6% posttraumatic stress disorder, 1.6% major depressive disorder, 1.8% GAD), and suicidal behaviors were rare (1.0% ideation, 0.2% attempts). Although most recruits reported multiple potentially traumatic events, specific high-impact trauma types, rather than cumulative trauma, were more strongly associated with positive screens. Recruits from certain occupational backgrounds showed elevated risk. Findings suggest robust baseline mental health despite trauma exposure and highlight the need for longitudinal research to understand how trauma type and preservice experiences shape mental health over time.

The purpose of this study was to understand the availability and use of telemental health with justice-involved adults under community supervision with substance use behaviors. Semistructured interviews were administered to 16 community corrections employees from rural facilities in a southern state on their knowledge and experience with telemental health. Thematic analysis using MAXQDA was applied. Five primary themes were found: (a) barriers to accessing face-to-face services, (b) barriers to accessing telemental health services, (c) barriers to accessing services exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic, (d) benefits of telemental health services, and (e) suggestions to improve mental health services. Findings revealed limited awareness of available services among staff, challenges to accessing services including lack of transportation or insurance, exacerbation of challenges due to the pandemic, and suggestions for increased training and funding for telemental health services.

This study examines the role country-of-origin plays in immigration sentencing, with a particular focus on early disposition departures, sentence discount, and sentence length. Using data from the 2020 to 2021 Monitoring of Federal Criminal Sentences, we examine how a variety of case-level variables, including region-of-origin, affect immigration sentencing outcomes. We found that persons from Latin American and Caribbean countries were less likely to receive those departures, but we did not find differences by region-of-origin for sentence discount. While region-of-origin may affect the departure decision, the magnitude of discounts that come from these departures appears to be more influenced by legally-relevant variables.

Prior research highlights the importance of developmental domains—community, family, school, peer, and individual—in shaping youth problem behaviors such as delinquency, drug use, and violence. However, few instruments measuring risk and protective factors have been psychometrically evaluated in developing countries, particularly in Central America. This study examines the psychometric properties of the Instrumento de Medicion de Comportamientos (IMC), a prevention-oriented survey assessing risk and protective factors, using a sample of Honduran youth. We evaluated the IMC’s internal consistency, construct validity, concurrent validity, and measurement invariance. Findings indicate the IMC demonstrates acceptable reliability and validity in measuring key risk and protective constructs in Honduras. These findings support the IMC as a tool for identifying at-risk youth, informing prevention and early intervention efforts, and extending the psychometric evaluation of youth risk and protective factor instruments to Latin America, highlighting the importance of locally developed instruments for evidence-based crime prevention and youth violence interventions.