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Research suggests that sexual offending is one of the more common forms of offending behaviour committed by autistic individuals. Despite this, very little research has investigated approaches to rehabilitation for autistic individuals who have sexually offended. The small body of literature that does exist suggests that interventions to address sexual offending may not be sufficiently adapted for this group. In this paper we present an exploratory qualitative study that (i) explores how prison-based interventions to address sexual offending are experienced by autistic individuals with sexual offense convictions and the staff who work with them, and (ii) identifies and explores the features of prison-based sexual offending interventions that may be challenging or beneficial for autistic individuals, from the perspective of those involved in treatment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 autistic men serving prison sentences for sexual convictions, and 13 members of prison staff. A multi-perspective phenomenologically-informed thematic (MPT) analysis identified three themes of 'Feeling overwhelmed', 'Out of the comfort zone', and '(Dis)connected to others'. These themes highlight some of the key issues relating to the format and delivery of interventions, as well as the impact of the broader prison context on rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nPLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARIESCorruption is a severe threat to society and the nation’s future. Consequently, in Indonesia, various regulations have been formulated and implemented as part of the anti-corruption legal framework. However, recent years have shown a weakening in anti-corruption efforts marked by the revision and non-enactment of several key regulations. The weakening trend is due to changes in the legal and political landscape surrounding corruption eradication. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze and understand the disruptions in the Indonesian anti-corruption legal framework. A legal analysis method was used which included examining existing laws, proposed legislative changes, and the impacts on anti-corruption efforts in Indonesia. The findings showed that the Indonesian anti-corruption legal system experienced significant disruptions, leading to diminished efforts in countering corruption. These disruptions originated from the accumulation of several revised regulations including the Corruption Eradication Commission Law, leniency towards corrupt offenders, minimal prison sentences, reduced fines, and delays in enacting asset forfeiture law. To address these challenges, policymakers are motivated to strengthen the substance of anti-corruption laws to enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement and promote stronger corruption eradication efforts.The problem of corruption in Indonesia represents a significant concern that has garnered considerable attention. Many studies have demonstrated the prevalence and gravity of corruption in Indonesia, with estimates indicating that it is a significant contributor to the country’s economic losses and a major drain on state resources. Nevertheless, this is not the primary objective of the present study. This study project is focused on examining several regulations related to the crime of corruption. The objective of this examination is to ascertain whether the pertinent regulations offer sufficient strength to facilitate the eradication of corruption, or whether the regulations are inadequate in this regard. The findings indicate that the regulations about the eradication of corruption in Indonesia are not becoming more powerful, but rather, are becoming weakened. This is a consequence of the accumulation of changes to existing regulations, and the absence of regulations that could play a pivotal role in preventing and eradicating corruption in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The aging process of the incarcerated population is a growing concern, yet there are few data on older adults in this demographic group. Hence, this study sought to examine the health status of older adults who are incarcerated in Mexican prisons and its association with the duration of their imprisonment. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the 2021 Mexico National Prisons Survey. We analyzed 50-year-old and older prisoners and performed a descriptive analysis of the sample's age, sex, sociodemographic variables, and chronic conditions. Multivariate analysis stratified by age was performed to assess the effect of the time spent in prison on older prisoners' health. Results: The mean age was 56.95 (±6.4 SD), and the mean duration of imprisonment was 8.93 years (±6.94 SD). Regarding health conditions, 17.80% had diabetes, 29.62% had hypertension, 10.33% had suicidal ideation, and 40.87% were visually impaired, 17.01% had hearing impairment, and 17.64% had mobility impairment. Multivariate analysis revealed that among categories of imprisonment duration, longer time imprisoned was associated with an increased risk of diabetes and hypertension for all groups but was not associated with mobility impairment or suicidal ideation except in the younger group. Conclusion: Longer periods of incarceration appear to be associated with a greater occurrence of diabetes and hypertension in older prisoners. Sensory impairments and suicidal ideation are mainly identified in younger prisoners, while mobility impairments do not appear to be influenced by the time spent in prison. Further research needs to be done in prisons, where the addition of physical performance tests and cognitive tests could help further study geriatric conditions in older prisoners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic mental health reports (FMHRs) can be informative regarding criminal responsibility, risk assessment, and treatment options, but are formally irrelevant for decisions about guilt (in terms of actus reus). In the Netherlands, a criminal trial is not bifurcated into a guilt and sentencing phase. Consequently, the court has the FMHR in the case file before the trial starts. Important gaps remain in our understanding of the judicial decision-making process in cases with FMHRs. In five focus groups, 17 judges were interviewed about how expert information in FMHRs plays a role in their decision-making about guilt and sentencing. Using thematic analysis, results showed that evaluation of recidivism risk is influential in decisions about treatment. Conclusions about criminal responsibility inform decisions about the prison sentence length. Although not used deliberately, judges could not rule out that an FMHR contributes to their conviction of guilt. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although sentencing is often described as a human process, the subjective experiences of those subject to sentencing are seldom discussed or highlighted as an important source of guidance for how sentencing might be made more fair, consistent, or proportionate. Tyler's work on the links between experiences of procedural justice and perceptions of legitimacy in the criminal justice system show that how people are treated during sentencing and/or when serving their sentence matters in that it impacts their long-term compliance with the law. However, we suggest here that it may not only be long-term compliance that is impacted; subjective experiences of imprisonment, in terms of the pains of imprisonment, may also be exacerbated for those whose experiences of the sentencing process are predominantly negative. This article draws on 37 in-depth interviews with Irish prisoners that explored their subjective experiences of their own sentencing in court and how this related to their subjective experiences of their prison sentences. Those who felt they had received unreasonably harsh or unfair sentences, or who felt they were effectively excluded from the sentencing process, were more likely to experience specific pains and increased salience of punishment. The article concludes by arguing that these findings have a role to play in educating sentencers about how their treatment of convicted persons during sentencing can have meaningful, long-term consequences on the subjective experiences of those serving prison sentences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, the American criminal legal system has failed to curtail illicit drug use and overdose deaths through punitive and selective enforcement. The federal government has prosecuted people and succeeded in securing many long prison sentences based on drug crimes. In the past two years, two amendments by the United States Sentencing Commission offered a measured reprieve through sentence reductions. Amendment 821 offered the possibility for sentence reductions based on recalculating the guidelines associated with certain prior offenses. Amendment 814 updated policy statements for assessing "extraordinary and compelling reasons" for a sentence reduction. These changes are not revolutionary; however, the amendments are offering thousands of people the opportunity to return to their families sooner. This Article provides a brief history of American drug criminalization and details statistics on federal drug offenses and sentences in 2023-2024. Then, the Article examines Amendment 821, with a focus on "boat cases," where individuals are receiving sentence reductions based on their lack of prior criminal record. Next, this Article examines reductions to unusually long drug sentences through 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c). The Article concludes by contextualizing these amendments, which are a significant remedy for thousands of people and their families yet fall short of the change required to address our system's addiction to punishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study is to examine how, and when, criminal history conditions the effect of defendant sex on incarceration and prison sentence length decisions in Minnesota state courts. Results suggest that sex differences in sentencing are largely concentrated amongst those who have extensive criminal histories, bypassing those who have little or no criminal history. Moreover, criminal history's aggravating contextual effect on sex often depends on the dependent variable examined and type of offense committed. Study results shed light on the situations where extralegal disparities are "hidden" in the nuances of case characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The well-being of older adults is influenced by their physical and mental health, their opportunities to complete activities of daily living effectively and autonomously, as well as their social connectedness, meaningfulness and positive outlook to the future. Older adults with a prison sentence face numerous challenges that affect their well-being and influence their opportunities to age well. This paper aims to synthesize and analyse factors that determine what opportunities older adults have during and after their prison sentences in Germany. Data from several studies by the authors are used to identify factors affecting ageing processes. Older adults with a prison sentence are a heterogeneous population in Germany where health conditions, social relations and impairments vary on entry in the prison system. Regional differences in sentencing as well as support structures within the prison system further affect older adults' health and opportunities to lead self-determined lives after their release. While factors influencing older adults with a prison sentence and their ageing are identified, more research is needed to evaluate the impact of each of them to assess older adults' well-being after their release from prison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1952, while working on my Ph.D. at the University of Michigan, two men from the Department of State came to our apartment and picked up my passport and that of my husband, Chandler Davis. In 1962, Chandler was finally allowed to immigrate to Canada with his family and take up a professorship at the University of Toronto. The ten years in between were packed with politics: Chandler's refusal to answer questions before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC); his firing from the University of Michigan; his court case challenging HUAC; his six months' prison term for contempt of Congress; and throughout, his inability to get a tenure-track appointment at any American university. I myself was not called to confess my political views or memberships but investigations against Chandler were based on the publication of Operation mind – a pamphlet which I had co-authored together with Elizabeth Douvan and which is presented here. I was without a passport and not part of a university community for years. This article reflects on the impact of this experience of persecution on my work as a historian, and the relationship between politics, activism, and what Marc Bloch and Lucien Febvre called 'the historian's craft' and 'consciousness'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

David Greenberg, who passed away in July 2024, was a pioneer of radical criminology as well as polymath who excelled in several disciplines, including physics, history, and mathematical sociology. In November 2022, I spoke with David about some research I was doing into the history of prison abolitionism in the United States. David had been the author of "The Problem of Prisons," a pamphlet written in 1969 which was one of the first sustained arguments for prison abolition to have been published in the post-war United States. He also edited and was a main contributor to The Struggle For Justice, a coauthored book published in 1971 by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). This book would become a key reference in the emerging field of radical criminology and would influence early Quaker prison abolitionists like Fay Honey Knopp and Ruth Rittenhouse Morris, as well as later abolitionist groups like Critical Resistance. In his later writings, however, David was critical of prison abolitionism. 1 I was curious about how and why his views changed, so I sat down with him in a Greenwich village cafe and recorded our conversation. The following is an edited transcript of that recording. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses new requirements for the transmission of information by intelligence services for law enforcement and protection of legal interests. A crime can be considered particularly serious if it is punishable by a maximum prison sentence of over five years. The transmission of personal data to public authorities is possible under certain conditions. The decision of the Federal Constitutional Court of July 17, 2024 and the constitutional complaint against the Hessian Constitution Protection Act are mentioned. Criticism is expressed regarding the ambiguity of the legal regulations and the lack of proportionality in data transmission. It is emphasized that a revision of the laws is necessary to meet constitutional requirements. [Extracted from the article]

The dark core of personality is a recently developed construct that encompasses the malevolent, antagonistic, and aversive side of human nature. The aim of the present study is to examine the psychometric properties of the dark core of personality D measure, namely D70, and its two shorter versions, D35 and D16, in Portugal. Two samples of Portuguese participants were used in the current study (N = 570, M = 35.42 years, SD = 11.41, range = 18–69; N = 242, M = 30.19 years, SD = 12.78, range = 16–77). The one-factor models of the D70, D35, and D16 obtained adequate fits, but the bifactor and second-order models of the D70 were less than satisfactory. Internal consistency/reliability, as measured by the alpha and omega coefficients and more traditional indicators, was very good. Convergent validity, and criterion-related validity (with trouble with the law, arrested by police, sentenced to prison, and alcohol/drug abuse variables) were demonstrated. Cross-gender and cross-age measurement invariance was established, with males and younger participants scoring significantly higher. The findings provide some support for the use of the D as a valid and reliable measure of the dark core of the personality construct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An overall analysis of the Calvinist victims of the reprisals following the 1848/49 revolution has not yet been made. Our study describes the investigations conducted against Calvinist pastors at the Imperial Court Martial in Pest. At the military court martial in Pest, where serious political cases were referred, a number of Calvinist pastors were also prosecuted. The date of sentencing was important, as initially death sentences were carried out as a deterrent, while later they were reduced to long prison sentences. András Kantsúr, a Calvinist pastor from Szokolya, was executed on 27 August 1849. The charges often included insulting the ruler, supporting the popular uprising, and scrupulously carrying out decrees from the Hungarian authorities. An aggravating circumstance was to have committed reprehensible acts after the dethronement. However, a careless utterance during a sermon was enough to open an investigation against the person concerned. The cases of Calvinist pastors who were prosecuted as a result of the 1848/49 War of Independence are also an indication of the important role they played therein and in the life of their local congregations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We study the effects of quantity thresholds (such as drug amount) used to divide offenses into subsections on sentencing decisions by professional sentencers Methods: In a vignette experiment, 200 Czech prosecutors recommended a length of prison sentence in drug possession and theft cases Results: We provide experimental evidence that quantity thresholds increase the recommended average prison sentence by 10 to 55%. We develop a conceptual framework that decomposes the effect of quantity thresholds into two opposing effects: the severity and the reference effects. We provide suggestive evidence for the existence of severity and reference effects. Using new parametric measures of ordinal (in)justice, we further quantify the effect of thresholds on the probability of an ordinally just sentence for a given level of tolerance. Conclusions: Quantity thresholds, designed to limit sentencing disparities, introduce a different source of disparity which might substantially limit the net benefits of such provisions Preregistration: AEARCTR-0006023 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world of people imprisoned in penitentiary institutions may never be understood by those who enjoy their freedom. The present study investigated the narratives about close relations, produced by inmates, with the analyses focusing specifically on the motive of power and the motive of intimacy, as described by McAdams. It was hypothesized that, depending on the length of prison sentence, the inmates would differ significantly regarding these motives and secondly that the motive of intimacy and the subjects' age would be significant predictors for the duration of the prison sentence. The study involved 356 male inmates (M = 28.80; SD = 10.91) who were asked to write stories about close relations with their partners. The findings show that individuals with longer prison sentence present a higher level of the power motive focused on building a stronger self, compared to the inmates sentenced to prison for a shorter duration. A multivariate regression analysis showed that the duration of imprisonment is positively predicted by the subjects' age and negatively by the motive of intimacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Revocation of a separable part of the judgment in case of violation of the principle of publicity: Federal Court of Justice, judgment of February 15, 2024 - 2 StR 404/23" deals with the revocation of a part of a judgment due to a violation of the principle of publicity. A regional court sentenced a defendant to a prison term of twelve years and nine months for serious crimes, however, a procedural error was identified. This led to the revocation of the guilty verdict in certain cases and the overall sentence. The Federal Court of Justice confirmed the previous case law regarding the violation of the principle of publicity with regard to a separable part of the judgment. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Drug use disorders are highly prevalent among people in prison. Nevertheless, treatment coverage for individuals with drug use disorders in prison remains understudied and unknown. The aim of this study was to estimate treatment coverage among a sample of people with harmful and likely drug dependence before entering prison and to investigate the factors associated with treatment utilization. Methods: This was a longitudinal cohort study using baseline survey data linked to registry data on imprisonment and treatment utilization. The study is based on the Norwegian Offender Mental Health and Addiction (NorMA) cohort (n = 733) recruited in 2013–2014 from 57 Norwegian prisons. At baseline, participants reported drug use the year before imprisonment, using the Drug Use Disorder Identification Test (DUDIT). The outcome of interest was DUD treatment, defined as at least one DUD treatment episode from the specialized health services during baseline imprisonment. Results: 40% of the sample had DUDIT scores that indicated likely drug dependence (≥ 25) and a need for treatment. Among this group, 64% received DUD treatment while imprisoned. Longer imprisonment (> 12 months; aOR = 8.87, p < 0.001), Nordic country of birth (aOR = 2.85, p = 0.003), daily/almost daily injecting drug use (aOR = 2.58, p < 0.001) and polydrug use (aOR = 2.19, p = 0.002) were positively associated with treatment utilization in prison. Conclusions: Most people with likely drug dependence before entering prison in Norway received DUD treatment during their time in prison. More severe drug use (Injecting drug use and polydrug use), longer imprisonments and being born in the Nordics were positively associated with treatment utilization. People in prison must have access to adequate treatment during imprisonment, and further studies should investigate the possible individual or structural barriers resulting in treatment gaps, especially for people who are foreign born and people with short sentences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the turn of the millennium, levels of recidivism following a prison term have declined in Sweden. The composition of the inmate population has changed, which provides a partial explanation. This study examines whether prison service interventions, such as the provision of treatment, education, and work, might have contributed to the decline in recidivism. The study sample comprises women and men who were released from Swedish prisons between 2012 and 2015. Data have been collected from the Prison and Probation Service registers and the Convictions Register. The analysis employs propensity score matching and regression analysis. The results show that the interventions examined have a positive effect on reducing recidivism, but that their explanatory power is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on the work of Professor Joanna Shapland, this exploratory, phenomenological study theorizes contexts that ground desistance for people sentenced to life in prison for crimes committed as youth. The investigation draws from 28 interviews conducted with 10 formerly incarcerated youth lifers, all male, who were imprisoned for an average of 27 years in California. The major themes are presented along three phases in the desistance journey: life in prison as a barrier to desistance, the will to change, and policy changes and the process of parole. The analysis finds that despite a harsh and violent prison environment, all located sources of support (i.e. spiritual, family, and peers) that facilitated desistance and hope to create a meaningful life inside of prison. While the work of desistance was ultimately externally validated by a parole board, all participants asserted agency to take behavioral and attitudinal steps toward desistance long before they had hope for freedom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A good many jurisdictions have criminalized cartel conduct and authorized custodial sentences for offenders in efforts to enhance antitrust enforcement. The authors explore why so few of those jurisdictions have imposed prison sentences on cartelists. Although data problems lead to understating the number of incarcerations, the record is not robust. The authors find that the reasons are varied. Statutory impediments and poor case selection are important factors. Others include poor case management, separation of investigation and prosecutorial responsibilities and judicial reluctance to impose sentences on 'white collar' criminals. In addition, lack of public support and cultural differences in sentencing in general also probably play roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reform. Abolish. Minimize. Criminal law scholars broadly understand that we need to do *something* about our penal system and the problem of mass incarceration. We just can't agree on what that "something" is. The debate about the right path forward raises several existential questions. How can reform be bad if it helps even one person suffer just a little less? Why would abolition not resonate given the sheer volume of suffering our "justice" system exacts? Who wouldn't agree that we must shrink the size of the system to ensure fewer people suffer? We are debating in the shadows of suffering. And with suffering as its grounding, this Essay argues that the projects of reform, abolition, and minimalism all have value. Using prisons as an example, this Essay sits in the tension between the projects and suggests that the discordance may be healthy. It embraces the idea that we can work to relieve the suffering of those incarcerated now while also thinking about how to imprison fewer people and even how to turn away from incarceration altogether. When we center suffering, the projects of reform, minimalism and abolition can all do important, indeed, lifesaving, work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Non-consensual condom removal (NCCR) refers to the act of removing a condom during sex without the other person's permission. It poses physical and psychological risks to women's health. Views and attitudes regarding this sexual practice are not well understood in the UK. This study aimed to explore young people's views on the morality and criminality of NCCR and how their views are affected by negative health outcomes, relationship status, and socio-demographic characteristics. Methods: A quantitative online survey of people aged 18–25 living in the UK was conducted. The survey consisted of two NCCR scenarios, varied by health outcome and relationship status, followed by questions about the morality and criminality of NCCR and respondents' socio-demographic characteristics. Statistical analysis included Chi-square testing and logistic regression modelling. Results: Most of the 1729 respondents considered NCCR to be a violation of consent to sex (97.4%-98.1%), to be wrong (99.3%-99.5%), and to be sexual assault (86.3%-89.2%). Respondents were more likely to support prison time for NCCR if the victim got pregnant (52.1%) (rather than depressed (41.6%)) or was part of a casual hook-up (53.9%) (as opposed to a long-term dating relationship (47.2%). Respondents who were female or non-heterosexual were more likely to view NCCR as sexual assault and support prison as a penalty for NCCR. Conclusion: The majority of young UK adults in this survey considered condom removal during sex without the other person's permission to be a violation of consent, morally wrong, and a form of sexual assault. Support for prison as a penalty was lower. These findings can inform future campaigns on consent in sexual relationships and legislation to provide support for women affected by NCCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For almost seventy years, Texas has recognized the importance of righting the state's wrongs and compensating people whom the state has wrongfully imprisoned. As Texas's legislation has changed throughout those seventy years, the amount of compensation has increased to account for the accurate value of a person's jinancial losses due to wrongful imprisonment. However, in those seventy years, one problem has persisted: Texas excludes a broad amount of wrongfully imprisoned people from receiving compensation due to the imposition of an innocence classification and a statute of limitations. As scientific methods improve and social movements condemn government misconduct, the number of exonerees and wrongfully imprisoned peopie rises throughout the country. Many states, as well as the federal government, have statutes that dictate who can recover compensation for the time they spent in prison and how much. Texas is at the forefront of these jurisdictions in terms of the amount of compensation awarded to the wrongfully imprisoned. Where Texas's legislation is fatally flawed is in the requirement of a finding of innocence to be eligible and the imposition of a statute of limitations to apply for this compensation. This Article examines the innocence requirement and statute of limitalions and provides a solution for those who are excluded by proposing that the Texas legislature amend the statute to eliminate both the innocence requirement and the statute of limitations to provide compensation to more wrongfully imprisoned people. Texas should eliminate the innocence requirement from its compensation statute because it prejudices those who receive relief through other avenues, such as prosecutorial misconduct or constitutional violations, that do not necessarily prove the innocence of the exoneree. Additionally, the statute of limitations should be eliminated because it places jiling limits on exonerees who face struggles to reintegrate after their release from prison and may be unaware of their ability to file for compensation, thus allowing the statute of limitations to pass without afiling. This Article advocates for the removal of these two problematic elements of Texas's compensation statute to improve the lives of all exonerees who are granted relief from being wrongfully imprisoned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is thought that the monoamine oxidase-A (MAOA) enzyme, which catalyzes key brain signaling chemicals like serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine, indirectly influences antisocial behavior by disrupting the neurotransmitter balance in brain regions and neural networks. This study aims to assess the MAOA enzyme level in serum and serotonin linked to antisocial behavior in cases in the prison of Baghdad City, Iraq. Blood samples were collected from (63) prisoners and (27) control groups, ages 18 years to 65 years, with a mean ± SD of 37.8 ± 8.8, all males, with different prison terms and different crimes for prisoners in the prison at Baghdad City, Iraq. MAOA and serotonin levels were measured in serum in prisoners and healthy men, and the results showed the serum levels of MAOA enzyme and serotonin were decreased in prisoners compared to the healthy (11.5 IU/ml vs. 19.5 IU/ml) and (79 IU/ml vs. 439 IU/ml), respectively, with the observed difference being significant (P < 0.001(. The results of the relationship between education and social violence were: illiterate 11.1%, primary school 27%, secondary 52.4%, and university 9.5%. The median serum level of MAOA and serotonin in the age group 18–39 years was (11.3 IU/ml, 68.3 ng/ml), respectively, and in the age group 40–65 years was (13 IU/ml, 139 ng/ml), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous research has consistently shown value in studying emotion processing with psychopathy, but the relative effect of aural and visual stimulation has hardly been considered. Aims: Our aims were to (1) compare reaction time and self‐rated valence ((un)pleasantness), arousal and sense of being dominated by affective sounds or visual images among offenders with and without psychopathy (=/>26) on the psychopathy check‐list revised; (2) investigate any associations, controlling for social desirability and depression; (3) explore the possible mediating effect of criminogenic cognitions on any relationships between psychopathy and emotional responses to affective stimuli. Methods: Professional educators invited all male offenders serving semi‐open custody sentences in one prison to participate. After a semi structured interview to assess psychopathy, they self‐reported on criminogenic cognition, depression and social desirability scales, before a computer task using standardised human and animal sounds and images. Using the self‐assessment manikin, participants rated the emotional valence, arousal and dominance levels when pleasant, unpleasant and neutral sounds or images were presented. Results: About one in three prisoners completed all the ratings—120 men, of mean age 38.8 years (SD = 11.06). All had shorter reaction times to sounds than images. Offenders with high affective‐interpersonal factor scores rated all types of sounds as less pleasant. Men with high psychopathy scores took longer to respond to unpleasant images than those with lower scores. There was a positive relationship between psychopathy factors and criminogenic cognitions and the external locus of criminogenic cognitions mediated the relationship between psychopathy facets and emotional responses of valence to pleasant sounds. Conclusion: Our findings confirm the potential importance of emotional reactions to sounds as well as images among men with psychopathy. Given the shorter reaction times to sounds, in real life sounds could prove more provocative than images. While only small differences emerged between men above and below the PCL‐R threshold, indications from facet analyses suggest that further study of sound stimuli could enhance the understanding of emotional response differences to inform interventions. Future research in this area should focus on human‐related stimuli and add alexithymia measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Concepcion v. United States, addressing a circuit split on considerations during sentencing modification proceedings under the First Step Act of 2018. Topics include the Court's ruling allowing judges to consider both changes in law and fact, concerns about potential racial bias, and the need to narrow the scope of judicial discretion to maintain fairness and address historical sentencing biases.

This Note explores the impact of lengthy prison sentences on rehabilitation and the need for second chances. While incarceration serves purposes such as retribution and incapacitation, it fails to promote rehabilitation and deterrence. Oregon should do more in providing opportunities for early release and rehabilitation for individuals serving lengthy sentences. The Note features interviews with incarcerated individuals who share their thoughts and experiences. Overall, this Note sheds light on the importance of second chances and on the need for reform in the criminal justice system to ensure that prisoners are not denied the chance to lead productive and fulfilling lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses an interview with Fury Young, the founder of FREER Records, formerly known as Die Jim Crow Records, which focuses on recording music by currently and formerly incarcerated individuals. Fury Young started the record label to provide a platform for incarcerated musicians to share their music. The article highlights the challenges and successes of recording in prisons, the evolution of the record label, and the impact of the music created by incarcerated artists. Fury Young also discusses his personal journey, including his experiences with busking, releasing his own EP, and his relationship with BL Shirelle, a key figure at the label. The article also touches on the social activism efforts of FREER Records, such as providing personal protective equipment to prisons and advocating for clemency for incarcerated individuals like Mark Springer. Fury Young's commitment to supporting and amplifying the voices of incarcerated musicians is evident throughout the article. [Extracted from the article]

The domestic violence in Kosovo remains one of the biggest challenges despite country's continuous attempts to harmonize its laws with EU legislation, including the enactment of the Criminal Code (2019) which foresees domestic violence as a criminal offense. This study aims to understand how the criminalization of domestic violence has impacted the courts' punitive policy. The data are collected through semi-structured interviews with seven judges and analysis of 130 judgments on domestic violence, which were randomly selected in the Basic Court of Prishtina, covering the period January 2019 – June 2021. The results show that criminalization of domestic violence had a limited impact on the punitive policy: suspended imprisonment and suspended fine prevail as types of sentences, sentence of imprisonment is applied mostly to recidivists while guilty plea and remorse are the most common mitigating circumstances. Judges believe the mild sentences represent the right way to address domestic violence effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding of restorative justice (RJ) among legal practitioners in the modern Irish criminal justice system is explored, beginning with a definition of the meaning of RJ, its relevance among current legal practitioners and its prevalence in Ireland. The outcomes from a brief survey on RJ among legal practitioners are reviewed. This paper considers the potential of RJ in the mainstream criminal justice system and concludes by offering suggestions as to how RJ might be incorporated and developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an audience ethnography, focusing on the documentary The Work (dir Jairus McLeary and Gethin Aldous, US, 2017), which depicts a four-day therapeutic programme involving men from the community and men from a high security prison. The film was screened to audiences of people who live and work in an English prison-based therapeutic community. Previous prison-based audience studies have highlighted the significance of the media text and the characteristics and experiences of the audience, but have not specifically addressed the salience of the context in which the media is consumed. By conducting the research in an atypical penal environment, the intention is to illuminate how consumption is affected by different penal contexts. The audience offered macro, meso and micro level responses to the documentary. At a macro level, they recognised the reforming intentions of the film, but also revealed the limitations of popular culture, with its emphasis on spectacle. At a meso level, the audience offered a sophisticated and expert analysis of the content and omissions of the film's representation of therapeutic processes and cultures. At a micro level, those serving prison sentences used the content of film as therapeutic material, reflecting on their own emotions and experiences, while the prison staff used the content to explore their professional identities. The audiences viewed the film through a therapeutic habitus, and media consumption was a way of enacting and reinforcing the expectations and practices of therapeutic community life. By highlighting the salience and variability of penal contexts, the study extends prison-based audience scholarship, but also highlights a factor that should be considered in the planning and design of media and arts programmes in prison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This research has set out to investigate the current over-population of prisons in Scotland. Using a narrative approach to literature, it has evaluated, summarized and drawn conclusions on sources identified. It has analyzed current penal policy in Scotland through the lens of the philosophies of punishment, exploring how the theories identified translate from policy to practice and from practice to the lived experiences of service-user. The research findings suggest that culture of risk aversion and the use of shortterm prison sentences have contributed significantly to the current prison populations. This research argue further that the risk approaches do not only infringe on the rights of the vulnerable but seem to be more expensive than the rehabilitation approaches in terms of the budgetary allocations for prisons and community services. It also opinioned that the Presumption Against Short Periods of Imprisonment (Scotland) Order 2019 and section 17 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 have the potential to increase the current prison population, therefore, consideration should be given to repealing it as it defeats the purpose of the Community Payback Order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prison sentences that exceed the natural lifespan present a puzzle because they have no more power to deter or incapacitate than a single life sentence. In three survey experiments, we tested the extent to which participants support these longer-than-life sentences under different decision contexts. In Experiment 1, 130 undergraduates made hypothetical prison sentence-length recommendations for a serious criminal offender, warranting two sentences to be served either concurrently or consecutively. Using a nationally representative sample (N = 182) and an undergraduate pilot sample (N = 260), participants in Experiments 2 and 3 voted on a hypothetical ballot measure to either allow or prohibit the use of consecutive life sentences. Results from all experiments revealed that, compared to concurrent life sentences participants supported the use of consecutive life sentences for serious offenders. In addition, they adjusted these posthumous years in response to mitigating factors in a manner that was indistinguishable from ordinary sentences (Experiment 1), and their support for consecutive life sentencing policies persisted, regardless of the default choice and whether the policy was costly to implement (Experiments 2 and 3). These judgment patterns were most consistent with retributive punishment heuristics and have implications for sentencing policy and for theories of punishment behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La clinique révèle la fréquente absence de honte chez les auteurs de violences sexuelles comme un négatif de la honte éprouvée par les victimes. Nous avons cherché à comprendre ce paradoxe en analysant les dynamiques de l'introjection de la honte dans l'identification à l'agresseur chez la victime et l'injection de la honte dans l'identification projective de l'agresseur sur sa victime. Nous nous sommes intéressés à Louis, un prêtre destitué, condamné pour comportements pédocriminels. Cette étude fait partie d'une recherche doctorale qualitative menée auprès d'une population de sujets incarcérés à partir d'entretiens de recherche structurés autour du récit de vie. Nous observons chez Louis, comme souvent chez nos sujets de recherche auteurs de violences sexuelles, que derrière l'apparente absence de honte, se dessine une grande honte inconsciente, tout d'abord introjectée dans les abus subis, puis retournée et injectée dans la relation intersubjective et dans les abus commis, comme moyen de décharge d'une honte insupportable. L'introjection de la honte de l'agresseur par sa victime dans la dynamique de l'identification à l'agresseur décrite par Ferenczi apparaît comme la réciproque de l'injection de la honte par l'agresseur à sa victime dans la dynamique de l'identification projective : une identification projective ordinaire sous la forme d'un retournement projectif de la honte et une identification projective opératoire sous la forme de comportements violents et pervers. Le mécanisme des vases communicants psychiques de la honte chez les auteurs et victimes de violences sexuelles, entre injection et introjection, permet de mieux comprendre le caractère contagieux de cet affect dans l'étiologie des violences sexuelles. Forensic clinical investigation frequently reveals the absence of shame in perpetrators of sexual violence while simultaneously victims seem overwhelmed by shame. We sought to understand this paradox by analyzing the dynamics of the introjection of shame in victims' identification with the aggressor and of the injection of shame in the aggressor's projective identification with his victim. We focused on the case of Louis, a dismissed priest, sentenced for pedocriminal behavior. This case is part of a qualitative research project conducted on a population of 14 inmates of a Parisian prison and based on interviews structured around the individual's life story and analyzed with the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology. We observe that behind Louis's apparent absence of shame, as with many of our research subjects guilty of sexual violence, there is, in fact, a great deal of unconscious shame, first introjected by the victim in the abuse suffered, and later injected in the victim in the abuse committed as a means to unload an unbearable shame. The introjection of the shame of the aggressor by his victim in the dynamic of Ferenczi's identification with the aggressor appears as a complement to the injection of shame by the aggressor into his victim through the dynamic of projective identification: both an ordinary projective identification in the form of a projective reversal of shame, and an operative projective identification in the form of perverse behaviors. The communicating vessels of shame among perpetrators and victims of sexual violence, between injection and introjection, help us better understand the contagious characteristics of shame in the etiology of sexual violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To what extent are accused's backgrounds within the criminal justice system considered during the sentencing process, and if they are, how do judges make sense of them? To better understand this aspect of the sentencing process, this article examines data from interviews with, and observations of, 16 Sheriffs in 14 different Scottish Sheriff Courts. The accused persons' backgrounds were indeed considered during the sentencing process. However, how Sheriffs constructed their role as sentencers seemed to directly affect how they acknowledged and took them into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We face a crisis of excessive incarceration. Undeserved punishment violates a bedrock principle of justice, yet criminal defendants are often imprisoned without assurance that their deprivation of liberty and exclusion from society is deserved. Legislatures are under powerful pressures to authorize and even mandate carceral penalties that may exceed individual culpability; prosecutors have strong cost incentives to threaten undeserved penalties to induce guilty pleas, and to pursue those penalties if defendants refuse to plead guilty; and judges face like institutional pressures to sentence defendants more harshly if they insist on trial. This Article proposes a new sentencing model that employs the democratic voice of the jury to restrain individual injustice and mass incarceration by having the jury establish the maximum term that an individual defendant deserves and confining judicial sentencing discretion within that upper bound. In a liberal democracy, the people should share responsibility for ensuring that prison sentences imposed in their name are deserved and, therefore, morally just. Because juries directly express lay norms, they can speak with greater democratic legitimacy than judges or other experts on the moral question of desert. On this question, juries should be judges--and courts should not be permitted for any reason to impose a longer prison term than the jury has deemed to be deserved. Even legislatively mandated carceral minimums should be subject to jury override in order to avoid unjust incarceration. This proposal would operationalize a widely endorsed sentencing paradigm often called "limiting retributivism." This model forbids sentences that exceed desert, but allows sentences to be tailored to utilitarian goals within that moral limit. Blending lay normative sense and judicial expertise, this proposed model would enable juries to perceive and prevent carceral excesses while retaining judicial discretion in the selection of final sentences. This hybrid model not only would prevent undeserved trial penalties but also would diminish plea-bargaining injustices, for prosecutors could no longer induce guilty pleas by threatening penalties that no reasonable jury would deem deserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sentencing disparity research has generally focused on the Black-white binary or treats Latina/o/x/s as a monolithic group. Less attention has been paid to the ways that diverse racial identities among Latina/o/x/s may correlate with sentence severity. We integrate insights from Latinx studies to examine sentence length disparities in Florida from 2015 to 2017, with a particular interest in comparing the unique effects of Latinidad across varying racial identities. Multiple regression modeling with weighted effect coding is employed to assess prison sentence lengths for 73983 individuals using data from the National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP). The results demonstrate the need to treat Latina/o/x system-involved individuals as diverse, to integrate insights from Latinx studies in theorizing on related topics, and to identify innovative approaches for accurately capturing these data. The reliance on administrative data limits researchers' ability to adequately study ethnoracial sentencing disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista CIENCIA UNEMI is the property of Universidad Estatal de Milagro (UNEMI) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Turkish Journal of History / Tarih Dergisi is the property of Istanbul University, Department of History and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives : This study investigates the effects of the length of imprisonment on reoffending after release. Methods: To account for endogeneity from omitted variables that influence both sentencing decisions and the likelihood to reoffend, this study uses variation in the proclivity to impose lengthier sentences across judges to which criminal cases are randomly assigned within district courts in the Netherlands. Using administrative data on all adult offenders convicted to short-term imprisonment (≤ 1 year) by a single-sitting judge in the Netherlands in 2012, we estimate multiple instrumental variable models. Results: The results indicate that an increase in imprisonment length significantly reduces the amount of offenses committed after release, whereas we only find small and statistically non-significant estimates for the probability to recidivate. Conclusions: We find evidence for a specific preventative effect of longer prison terms on the post-release reoffending frequency, but little evidence for desistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender violence encompasses a multitude of morally problematic psychological, physical, and sexual behaviors that, in most countries, constitute criminal offenses. In this study, we investigate the association between moral foundations (Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, and Sanctity) and punitive responses to gender violence offenses. Our case study focuses on gender violence in Portugal, a country in which these offenses are a prevalent social problem. We collected data on gender violence legal cases decided in Portuguese courts between 2002 and 2022, and we used a latent class cluster analysis model to identify the complex patterns in the data and reduce such patterns to a distinct number of clusters. Four main clusters unravel latent relations between the foundations mapped in the legal narratives and corresponding punitive responses: (i) Affirmative with suspended prison time (moral rhetoric rooted in Authority); (ii) Mixed outcomes but no prison time (moral rhetoric rooted in Sanctity); (iii) Affirmative with lengthy prison time large compensation (moral rhetoric rooted in Loyalty and Care); and (iv) Affirmative with court fines (moral rhetoric rooted in Fairness). The moral foundations provide a valuable lens to understand the problem of gender violence, but further research is needed to establish the causal mechanisms between morality and punitive responses to gender violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Magazine of Historical Studies & Archaeology is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This research aims to find the roles and importance of TVET implementation within Punjab's prisons from the prisons-based vocational teachers' point of view. While offering the advantages of decreased recidivism and improved reintegration, delivery of TVET within prison settings may be problematic. The study adopts a qualitative research approach in undertaking the views on TVET among prisoners and the difficulties experienced in the process of rehabilitation through vocational training by conducting a series of semistructured interviews with prison-based vocational training. The teachers reported issues, like disproportionate training, little organizational support, and a restricted professional environment prevailing in prison. This study, therefore, calls for further reformative changes in prison-based vocational training in Pakistan, especially in areas of curriculum, financial support and management, and social support for prisoners. Improving the professional practice of trainers through increased support for their learning and, in turn, acceptable learning environment to make TVET more active. By addressing these issues, much effort can be made to enhance contribution of the prisonbased TVET in decreasing recidivism and assisting integration of prisoners back into society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]