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Showing 1 – 47 of 47 results.
Curated

Affect, Reason, and Decision Making (ICPSR 24610)

Released/updated on: 2009-09-22
Geographic coverage: Oregon, United States, Australia
Time period: 1995-01-01--1995-12-31
This study examines the commonly observed inverse relationship between perceived risk and perceived benefit. The researchers proposed that this relationship occurs because people rely on affect when judging the risk and benefit of specific hazards. The study tested and confirmed the hypothesis that providing information designed to alter the favorability of one's overall affective evaluation of an item (say nuclear power, natural gas, and food preservatives) would systematically change the risk and benefit judgments for that item. The study suggests that people seem prone to using an "affect heuristic" which improves judgmental efficiency by deriving both risk and benefit evaluations from a common source -- affective reactions to the stimulus item.
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Assessing the Impact of Pre-Adjudication Assessment Approaches on Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Oregon, 2014-2018 (ICPSR 37595)

Released/updated on: 2022-11-10
Time period: 2005-01-01--2018-12-31

This study examines two counties in Oregon (Multnomah and Yamhill) that have utilized a pre-adjudication risk assessment (PAA) to inform criminal case negotiation since 2014. This study seeks to answer these core questions:

  • has the introduction of a PAA into the court decision-making process impacted racial and ethnic disparities in sentencing outcomes over time in each county;
  • does one PAA process appear to produce more promising results in impacting racial/ethnic disparities;
  • using interviews and visual observations, how does the PAA influence case discussion and negotiation, decision-making, and workgroup norms and culture;
  • does validation of the PAA tool yield significant mean score differences across racial groups and/or predictive biases?

A number of jurisdictions have turned to pre-adjudication risk assessments (PAA) as a tool to potentially lower or stabilize incarceration rates by identifying the best suitable cases for community-based supervision. Questions have been raised about using risk assessment tools to help with the negotiation of sentencing outcomes in the pre-adjudication stages of criminal cases, particularly the potential for exacerbating disparate racial/ethnic sentencing outcomes.

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Building Tribal-Researcher Capacity to Inform Data-Driven Practices, Technology, and Tribal Justice, United States, 2019 (ICPSR 38013)

Released/updated on: 2023-02-13
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2019-01-01--2019-12-31

The Center for Court Innovation, in partnership with independent consultants from the public defender's office of certain tribes, conducted a comprehensive survey of tribal justice system stakeholders, focused on the existing use of risk-needs assessments and similar tools, and existing data collection/technology used by tribal jurisdictions around the country. The survey results create a comprehensive portrait of tribal court system risk and need assessment, data collection, management, and challenges reported by those directly involved in managing and working with people in the system.

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Case Classification for Juvenile Corrections: Evaluation of the Youth Level of Service Inventory in Ohio, 1998-2001 (ICPSR 3965)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30
Geographic coverage: United States, Ohio
This study assessed the effectiveness of the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI or Y-LSI). The Y-LSI is an instrument for classifying juvenile offender risk of recidivism and for identifying areas of treatment need that, if addressed, will result in a reduced risk of recidivism. Three juvenile correction agencies in Ohio that used the Y-LSI for case classification were the settings for this study. Data in Part 1 were collected on 1,679 youths received in the three correctional settings between July 1, 1998, and June 30, 1999. Youths' files were reviewed to complete the data collection instruments. These files contained demographic and background information, Y-LSI assessments, and information relating to treatment and service referrals, completion of programming, and supervision outcome. One year after the initial Y-LSI assessments, reassessment data were collected on youths. Reassessments were completed on youth at the time of program completion or one year after the initial assessment. Supervision outcome data were collected two years after the initial data collection. Data in Part 2 were collected in 2001 through a survey of 196 agency staff members on their reactions to the use of the Y-LSI as a classification instrument.
Curated

Chicago Women's Health Risk Study, 1995-1998 (ICPSR 3002)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30
Geographic coverage: United States, Chicago, Illinois
Time period: 1995-01-01--1998-12-31
The goal of the Chicago Women's Health Risk Study (CWHRS) was to develop a reliable and validated profile of risk factors directly related to lethal or life-threatening outcomes in intimate partner violence, for use in agencies and organizations working to help women in abusive relationships. Data were collected to draw comparisons between abused women in situations resulting in fatal outcomes and those without fatal outcomes, as well as a baseline comparison of abused women and non-abused women, taking into account the interaction of events, circumstances, and interventions occurring over the course of a year or two. The CWHRS used a quasi-experimental design to gather survey data on 705 women at the point of service for any kind of treatment (related to abuse or not) sought at one of four medical sites serving populations in areas with high rates of intimate partner homicide (Chicago Women's Health Center, Cook County Hospital, Erie Family Health Center, and Roseland Public Health Center). Over 2,600 women were randomly screened in these settings, following strict protocols for safety and privacy. One goal of the design was that the sample would not systematically exclude high-risk but understudied populations, such as expectant mothers, women without regular sources of health care, and abused women in situations where the abuse is unknown to helping agencies. To accomplish this, the study used sensitive contact and interview procedures, developed sensitive instruments, and worked closely with each sample site. The CWHRS attempted to interview all women who answered "yes -- within the past year" to any of the three screening questions, and about 30 percent of women who did not answer yes, provided that the women were over age 17 and had been in an intimate relationship in the past year. In total, 705 women were interviewed, 497 of whom reported that they had experienced physical violence or a violent threat at the hands of an intimate partner in the past year (the abused, or AW, group). The remaining 208 women formed the comparison group (the non-abused, or NAW, group). Data from the initial interview sections comprise Parts 1-8. For some women, the AW versus NAW interview status was not the same as their screening status. When a woman told the interviewer that she had experienced violence or a violent threat in the past year, she and the interviewer completed a daily calendar history, including details of important events and each violent incident that had occurred the previous year. The study attempted to conduct one or two follow-up interviews over the following year with the 497 women categorized as AW. The follow-up rate was 66 percent. Data from this part of the clinic/hospital sample are found in Parts 9-12. In addition to the clinic/hospital sample, the CWHRS collected data on each of the 87 intimate partner homicides occurring in Chicago over a two-year period that involved at least one woman age 18 or older. Using the same interview schedule as for the clinic/hospital sample, CWHRS interviewers conducted personal interviews with one to three "proxy respondents" per case, people who were knowledgeable and credible sources of information about the couple and their relationship, and information was compiled from official or public records, such as court records, witness statements, and newspaper accounts (Parts 13-15). In homicides in which a woman was the homicide offender, attempts were made to contact and interview her. This "lethal" sample, all such homicides that took place in 1995 or 1996, was developed from two sources, HOMICIDES IN CHICAGO, 1965-1995 (ICPSR 6399) and the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. Part 1 includes demographic variables describing each respondent, such as age, race and ethnicity, level of education, employment status, screening status (AW or NAW), birthplace, and marital status. Variables in Part 2 include details about the woman's household, such as whether she was homeless, the number of people living in the household and details about each person, the number of her children or other children in the household, details of any of her children not living in her household, and any changes in the household structure over the past year. Variables in Part 3 deal with the woman's physical and mental health, including pregnancy, and with her social support network and material resources. Variables in Part 4 provide information on the number and type of firearms in the household, whether the woman had experienced power, control, stalking, or harassment at the hands of an intimate partner in the past year, whether she had experienced specific types of violence or violent threats at the hands of an intimate partner in the past year, and whether she had experienced symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder related to the incidents in the past month. Variables in Part 5 specify the partner or partners who were responsible for the incidents in the past year, record the type and length of the woman's relationship with each of these partners, and provide detailed information on the one partner she chose to talk about (called "Name"). Variables in Part 6 probe the woman's help-seeking and interventions in the past year. Variables in Part 7 include questions comprising the Campbell Danger Assessment (Campbell, 1993). Part 8 assembles variables pertaining to the chosen abusive partner (Name). Part 9, an event-level file, includes the type and the date of each event the woman discussed in a 12-month retrospective calendar history. Part 10, an incident-level file, includes variables describing each violent incident or threat of violence. There is a unique identifier linking each woman to her set of events or incidents. Part 11 is a person-level file in which the incidents in Part 10 have been aggregated into totals for each woman. Variables in Part 11 include, for example, the total number of incidents during the year, the number of days before the interview that the most recent incident had occurred, and the severity of the most severe incident in the past year. Part 12 is a person-level file that summarizes incident information from the follow-up interviews, including the number of abuse incidents from the initial interview to the last follow-up, the number of days between the initial interview and the last follow-up, and the maximum severity of any follow-up incident. Parts 1-12 contain a unique identifier variable that allows users to link each respondent across files. Parts 13-15 contain data from official records sources and information supplied by proxies for victims of intimate partner homicides in 1995 and 1996 in Chicago. Part 13 contains information about the homicide incidents from the "lethal sample," along with outcomes of the court cases (if any) from the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. Variables for Part 13 include the number of victims killed in the incident, the month and year of the incident, the gender, race, and age of both the victim and offender, who initiated the violence, the severity of any other violence immediately preceding the death, if leaving the relationship triggered the final incident, whether either partner was invading the other's home at the time of the incident, whether jealousy or infidelity was an issue in the final incident, whether there was drug or alcohol use noted by witnesses, the predominant motive of the homicide, location of the homicide, relationship of victim to offender, type of weapon used, whether the offender committed suicide after the homicide, whether any criminal charges were filed, and the type of disposition and length of sentence for that charge. Parts 14 and 15 contain data collected using the proxy interview questionnaire (or the interview of the woman offender, if applicable). The questionnaire used for Part 14 was identical to the one used in the clinic sample, except for some extra questions about the homicide incident. The data include only those 76 cases for which at least one interview was conducted. Most variables in Part 14 pertain to the victim or the offender, regardless of gender (unless otherwise labeled). For ease of analysis, Part 15 includes the same 76 cases as Part 14, but the variables are organized from the woman's point of view, regardless of whether she was the victim or offender in the homicide (for the same-sex cases, Part 15 is from the woman victim's point of view). Parts 14 and 15 can be linked by ID number. However, Part 14 includes five sets of variables that were asked only from the woman's perspective in the original questionnaire: household composition, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), social support network, personal income (as opposed to household income), and help-seeking and intervention. To avoid redundancy, these variables appear only in Part 14. Other variables in Part 14 cover information about the person(s) interviewed, the victim's and offender's age, sex, race/ethnicity, birthplace, employment status at time of death, and level of education, a scale of the victim's and offender's severity of physical abuse in the year prior to the death, the length of the relationship between victim and offender, the number of children belonging to each partner, whether either partner tried to leave and/or asked the other to stay away, the reasons why each partner tried to leave, the longest amount of time each partner stayed away, whether either or both partners returned to the relationship before the death, any known physical or emotional problems sustained by victim or offender, including the four-item Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) scale of depression, drug and alcohol use of the victim and offender, number and type of guns in the household of the victim and offender, Scales of Power and Control (Johnson, 1996) or Stalking and Harassment (Sheridan, 1992) by either intimate partner in the year prior to the death, a modified version of the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) (Johnson, 1996) measuring the type of physical violence experienced by either intimate partner, and the Campbell Danger Assessment for the victim and offender. In addition, Part 14 contains a number of summary variables about the fatal incident, most of which are also in Part 13. These include questions related to the circumstances of the incident, time, place, witnesses, who had initiated the violence, outcome for the offender (e.g., suicide or other death, arrest, sentence, etc.), and outcome for children and others who witnessed the violence or found the body. Part 15 contains the same data as Part 14, except that each variable is presented from the woman's point of view, regardless of whether she was the victim or offender in the homicide. Additional summary variables were added regarding the overall nature of any prior physical abuse in the relationship, as well as the overall pattern of leaving and returning to the relationship in the year prior to the death.
Curated

Community Supervision of Drug-Involved Probationers in San Diego County, California, 1991-1993 (ICPSR 2023)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30
Geographic coverage: San Diego, United States, California
Time period: 1991-01-01--1993-12-31
The Probationers in Recovery (PIR) program, developed by the San Diego County Probation Department, targeted high-risk, drug-abusing offenders with the goal of controlling offender behavior without increasing risks to communities. This evaluation of PIR was based on a quasiexperimental design that compared program activities and outcomes for two matched groups of high-risk probationers receiving different levels of service and supervision. The assessment included both a process evaluation to discover if expected service levels were implemented as designed, and an impact evaluation to assess the effectiveness of drug treatment within an intensive community supervision program. The experimental group included 209 PIR participants who received intensive community supervision and drug treatment, and the control group consisted of 151 probationers who were assigned to regular high-risk probation caseloads and who met the PIR screening criteria. The samples were selected from probationers entering community supervision from February to December 1991. The length of the PIR program varied, but for purposes of analysis the minimum time in the program to represent the intervention period was set at eight months, including relapse prevention. A comparable period was used for the control group. The subsequent six-month period was used to measure the effects of PIR and regular high-risk probation after intervention. Intake interviews were conducted with a subsample of 96 probationers in PIR and 80 in the control group (Part 1). The interviews were conducted within the first two weeks after intake. Follow-up interviews were conducted with these probationers after they had completed eight months of PIR or regular high-risk probation to measure experiences on probation and changes in behavior and attitudes (Part 2). Follow-up interviews were completed with 47 probationers from the experimental group in the PIR program and 35 in the control group. The case tracking portion of the study involved the review of probation, treatment, and state and local criminal history files (Part 3). Data on technical violations and arrests for new crimes were compiled for the following time periods: (1) six months prior to the instant offense (the baseline), (2) the first eight months of community supervision (the in-program period), (3) the six months after intervention, and (4) the combined 14-month period. The initial interview (Part 1) included questions regarding sociodemographic characteristics, current offense, awareness of probation conditions ordered, perceived consequences for violations of probation, drug use and drug history, prior drug treatment and treatment needs, criminal history, expectations regarding the probation term, opinions regarding probation and treatment, daily activities prior to the current offense, current life satisfaction, and prospects for the future. Questions on the follow-up interview (Part 2) focused on changes in probationers' personal lives (e.g., employment, income, education, marital status, living situation, and relationships with family and friends), technical probation violations and new offenses committed during the eight-month period, sanctions imposed by probation staff, contacts with probation and treatment staff, changes in drug use and daily activities, expectations with regard to remaining crime- and drug-free in the future, attitudes regarding probation and treatment, treatment needs, and significant life changes over the eight-month period. Variables in the tracking data file (Part 3) include sociodemographic characteristics, current offense and sentence imposed, probation conditions ordered, drug use history, offense and probation violations occurring before, during, and after an eight-month probation period, custody time, changes in level of probation supervision, and program interventions such as drug tests, services delivered, and sanctions imposed.
Curated

Cost Effectiveness of Misdemeanant Probation in Hamilton County, Ohio, 1981-1982 (ICPSR 8259)

Released/updated on: 2006-01-18
Geographic coverage: United States, Ohio, Cincinnati
Time period: 1981-01-01--1982-12-31
This research was designed to determine whether the supervision of misdemeanant probationers was cost-effective for increasing the level of successful probation completions in Hamilton County, Ohio. The primary objective was to examine the relationships among these factors: supervision costs, the collection of court costs, fines, and restitution, types of supervision, risk assessment, and probationer conduct for the population of probationers. Probationers were initially classified according to risk assessment and then randomly assigned to a supervision category. The probationer's risk potential was a numerical score derived from demographic background variables, prior record, and history of substance use. The DSCP (Degree of Successful Completion of Probation) was developed specifically to measure probationer conduct and to compare trends and relationships. The variables examined in the study include: risk assessment at intake, supervision level assigned, number of times the probationer was assigned to probation, start and planned termination dates, date of last status change, status at termination, degree of successful completion of probation achieved, costs incurred in administering probation, and amounts collected from each probationer for court costs, restitution, and fines. Although data were collected on 7,072 misdemeanant probation experiences, there are only 2,756 probationers included in the study. The remaining 4,316 cases were excluded due to failure of the probationer to show up for screening or for other reasons that did not meet the research criteria.
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The Creation of Muhajirat in America: Social Media as a Platform for Crafting Gender-Specific Interventions for the Domestic Radicalization of Women, 5 countries, 1970-2018 (ICPSR 37682)

Released/updated on: 2021-06-30
Geographic coverage: New Zealand, Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Australia
Time period: 1970-01-01--2018-12-31

This study examines the radicalization of Western women to extremist violence, both through the creation of a moral-situational-action risk model and the examination of their responses to various types of online propaganda. The Moral-Situational-Action Risk Model for Extremist Violence (MSA-RMEV) was developed using situational action theory from criminology and violence risk practice literature. The MSA-RMEV revolves around three domains reflective of propensity, mobilization, and capacity building, geared towards providing a violence risk assessment that can assist the intelligence community in preventing future acts of violence.

A sample of women who self-identified as conservative, liberal, and Muslim were exposed to jihadist, alt-right, and alt-left online propaganda. Physiological responses and self-report assessments were recorded. Eye-gaze, pupil dilation, galvanic skin response, heart rate, and facial emotions were documented, along with women's judgment of their emotional, cognitive, and arousal states, while viewing propaganda.

Based on their results, women were categorized as high-risk, medium-risk, or low-risk for violence. Additionally, numerous variables were created to identify participant's beliefs and behavior related to radicalization. Beliefs included religiosity, political affiliation, the presence of moral emotions, sacred values, developmental maturity, and militant thinking. Behaviors included group affiliations, extent of involvement in extremist activities, and presence on social media platforms such as Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter. Demographic variables such as age, marital status, number of children, race, ethnicity, country of origin, and educational status were included.

Curated

Cross-Validation of the Iowa Offender Risk Assessment Model in Michigan, 1980-1982 (ICPSR 9236)

Released/updated on: 2006-01-18
Geographic coverage: United States, Michigan
Time period: 1980-01-01--1982-12-31
These data were collected in an attempt to cross-validate the 1984 and 1985 versions of the Iowa model for assessing risk of offending while on parole by applying the model to a Michigan sample of male parolees over a follow-up period of two and one-half years. Different measures of predictors such as prior criminal history, current offense, substance abuse history, age, and recidivism on parole are available. The first file contains information on parolees such as demographic characteristics, drug use history, prior criminal history, risk scores, and parole history. The second file includes parolees' detailed criminal histories including the total number of violent and nonviolent felony arrests and dates, and charges and dispositions of each arrest with a maximum of eight arrests.
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Decision-Making in the Juvenile Justice System in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, 1999-2000 (ICPSR 3581)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30
Geographic coverage: Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan
Time period: 1999-01-01--2000-12-31
The goals of the juvenile justice system in the United States have always been multiple, beginning with rehabilitation, the primary goal when the juvenile court was established. More recently, policies advocating accountability seem to have predominated over other goals of the court, and concern exists that structured decision-making (SDM) in support of individual accountability has begun to fundamentally change the juvenile justice system. This study examined the use of SDM in state correctional agencies in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio and in juvenile courts in three counties in each of those states. Data were collected in phases from March 1999 to August 2000 during periodic site visits. Probation officers, judges and referees, prosecutors, and defense attorneys were interviewed in each of the 12 courts. Each survey contained a core set of questions eliciting respondents' views of juvenile justice, disposition objectives, and the use and value of SDM. Questions relevant to particular decision-makers were also included. All respondents provided demographic information and information about their job experience in criminal justice and professional training.
Curated

Developing a Juvenile Risk Assessment Instrument for Iowa State Evaluation Capacity Building, 1994-1995 (ICPSR 2632)

Released/updated on: 2005-11-04
Geographic coverage: Iowa, United States
Time period: 1994-01-01--1995-12-31
This study was undertaken to address Iowa's inability to classify juveniles at risk of recidivism uniformly across the state by creating and testing a proposed risk assessment instrument. It was anticipated that the risk assessment instrument would be useful in not only providing the juvenile court officers with a tool to appropriately assess the risk of recidivism, but also in providing "common ground" to treatment staff and other relevant officials to determine whether certain interventions worked better with certain levels of risk than others, and whether limited resources were being appropriately utilized in providing appropriate interventions to juveniles with specific risk scores. To develop the Proposed Iowa Juvenile Court Intake Risk Assessment, a team of juvenile court representatives from all eight judicial districts in Iowa, consisting of juvenile court officers, intake officers, and supervisors, designed a risk assessment test instrument to assess a group of juveniles at intake during a one-month period between October and November 1994. The follow-up data collection was conducted by chief juvenile court officers eight months after the original data collection. The purpose of the follow-up was to gather data regarding reoffending. Risk assessment variables include types and number of current offenses, prior arrests and adjudication, histories of supervision and service, substance use and abuse, runaway occurrences, peer relationships, gang affiliation, attitude during intake interview, level of parental control, schooling status (dropped out, graduated, truant), type of current school, discipline problems, suspensions at school, current employment, history of family problems, and reoffending. Demographic variables include offender's sex and race.
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Development and Validation of an Actuarial Risk Assessment Tool for Juveniles with a History of Sexual Offending, 5 U.S. states, 2009-2013 (ICPSR 38335)

Released/updated on: 2022-08-30
Geographic coverage: Oregon, United States, Florida, New York (state), Virginia, Pennsylvania
Time period: 2009-01-01--2013-12-31

Because there are few existing tools for assessing the risk of recidivism for youth with a history of sexual offending that are empirically valid and reliable, knowledge and practice in this area has historically been limited. This project examined current practice and policy in the assessment, treatment, and management of juvenile sex offenders across multiple jurisdictions (Florida, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Virginia). The researchers developed a prototype assessment tool, state-specific risk assessment models, and practical guidance for building a risk assessment for sexual recidivism in juvenile justice settings.

The data file contains individual records for the full sample (n=8,035), including their risk predictors, recidivism measures, and resulting outputs (i.e., predicted probabilities of sexual recidivism) from the risk models.

Curated

Dissociating Affect and Deliberation in Choice Processes, 2001 (ICPSR 26281)

Released/updated on: 2010-01-25
Geographic coverage: Oregon, United States
Time period: 2001-09-01--2001-09-30
This study was conducted to examine hypotheses derived from an emotion-based model of stigma responses to radiation sources. A model of stigma susceptibility was proposed in which affective reactions and cognitive worldviews activate predispositions to appraise and experience events in systematic ways that result in the generation of negative emotion, risk perceptions, and stigma responses. For this study, a total of 198 respondents were asked about a series of 15 objects and activities: sun-tanning, radiation therapy for cancer control, microwave ovens, nuclear power plants, radiation from air travel, death of a favorite pet, medical x-rays, the upcoming spring break, natural background radiation, final exams for the term, radiation from nuclear weapons testing, radiation to prevent bacteria in food, a series of thefts or crimes in their neighborhoods, cosmic radiation, and radioactive waste from nuclear power plants. Providing ratings on 17 scales, respondents gave their feelings about each object or activity, offered their opinions on situations wherein the object or activity would or would not be of concern, the impact of the object or activity in their lives, and their adjustment to situations involving the object or activity. Queries also included how angry and afraid the object or activity made respondents, and how risky, disgraceful, moral, acceptable, and stigmatized they felt it was. Finally, participants provided self-report ratings of affective reactivity and worldviews.
Curated

Domestic Terrorism: Assessment of State and Local Preparedness in the United States, 1992 (ICPSR 6566)

Released/updated on: 1996-10-01
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1992-01-01--1992-12-31
This project sought to analyze states' and municipalities' terrorism preparedness as a means of providing law enforcement with information about the prevention and control of terrorist activities in the United States. To accomplish this objective, a national survey of state and local law enforcement agencies was conducted to assess how law enforcement agencies below the federal level perceive the threat of terrorism in the United States and to identify potentially promising anti- and counter-terrorism programs currently used by these jurisdictions. For the purposes of this survey, the researchers used the legal definition of terrorism as provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is "the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment of either, to further political or social objectives." However, incidents reported by state or local law enforcement agencies as potential terrorist incidents often are reclassified as ordinary crimes by the FBI if the FBI investigation does not reveal evidence that more than one crime was intended to be committed or that a network of individuals had prepared to carry out additional acts. Since these reported potential terrorist incidents may provide important early warnings that an organized terrorism effort is emerging, the researchers broadened the official definition to include suspected incidents and state and local officials' perceptions of crime due to terrorism. Three distinct jurisdictions with overlapping responsibilities for terrorism preparedness were surveyed in this study: (1) state law enforcement agencies, in most cases the state police, (2) organizations with emergency preparedness responsibilities and statewide authority but with limited powers of law enforcement, and (3) local law enforcement agencies, such as municipal police and sheriff departments. Similar questions were asked for all three jurisdiction groups. Variables pertaining to the organization include questions about contingency plans, guidelines, and special police training for dealing with threats of terrorism, the amount and types of information and resources exchanged among various agencies, and whether the agency had a special terrorism unit and, if so, its duties. Variables dealing with threat assessment include whether the agency had identified right-wing, left-wing, international, ethnic/emigre, or special-issue terrorist groups within their jurisdiction and how many incidents were attributed to each group. Additional variables provide information on whether the agency was involved in investigating any terrorist incidents and the type of support received from other agencies for these investigations. The risk assessment section of the survey sought information on whether the agency had conducted a risk assessment and what potential terrorist targets were present in their jurisdiction. Questions in the threat environment section cover the respondent's assessment of the impact of the Persian Gulf War, the agency's sources of information pertaining to terrorism, the likelihood of terrorist attacks on various major installations nationally, and the likelihood of a major attack in their jurisdiction. Administrative variables include the number of sworn officers or professional staff, number of support staff, department's budget for the current fiscal year, whether the agency received federal funds, and what percentage of the federal funds were used for anti-terrorism efforts.
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Evaluating a Lethality Scale for the Seattle Police Department Domestic Violence Unit, 1995-1997 (ICPSR 3026)

Released/updated on: 2012-08-22
Geographic coverage: Seattle, United States, Washington
Time period: 1995-01-01--1997-12-31
The specific aim of this project was to evaluate the usefulness of the Seattle Police Department's (SPD) Lethality Scale in identifying misdemeanor cases that might be high risk for escalating violence and subsequent felony incidents. Data provide information on 11,972 unique couples with incidents occurring between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 1997, involving intimate couples in which the suspect was at least 18 years old and the victim was at least 16, with no age restriction for cases referred to the juvenile division. The researchers reformatted the Domestic Violence Unit's (DVU) database to reflect a three-year history of violence between unique couple members. Only intimate couples were considered, meaning suspects and victims who were married, divorced, had a child in common, or were dating. The Lethality Scale was derived from the data in the DVU database. It was composed of six incident characteristic components (offense score, weapon score, location score, injury score, personal score, and incident/other score) with varying values that contributed to an overall score. The Total Lethality Score was the sum of the values from these six components. The lethality score referred to an individual only and did not reflect information about other people involved in the incident. To interpret the score, the DVU specified a period of time--for example, six months--and computed lethality score values for every person involved in an incident during this period. Information on individuals with a Total Lethality Score over a certain cut-off was printed and reviewed by a detective. Data are provided for up to 25 incidents per unique couple. Incident variables in the dataset provide information on number of persons involved in the incident, time and weekday of the incident, beat, precinct, census tract, and place where the incident occurred, type of primary and secondary offenses, if a warrant was served, charges brought, final disposition, weapon type used, arrests made, court order information, if evidence was collected, if statements or photos were taken by the DVU, and sergeant action. Dates were converted to time intervals and provide the number of days between the incident date and the date the file was sent to the prosecutor, the date charges were brought, and the date the case was officially closed. Time intervals were also calculated for days between each incident for that couple. Personal information on the two persons in a couple includes age, gender, injuries and treatment, relationship and cohabitation status of the individuals, pregnancy status of each individual, alcohol and drug use at the time of the incident, and role of the individual in the incident (victim, suspect, victim/suspect). Lethality scale scores are included as well as the number of incidents in which the unique couple was involved in 1995 and 1996, and 1989 median household income for the census tract.
Curated

Evaluation of the Implementation and Impact of the Massachusetts Intensive Probation Supervision Project, 1984-1985 (ICPSR 9970)

Released/updated on: 2006-01-18
Geographic coverage: United States, Massachusetts
Time period: 1984-01-01--1985-12-31
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an Intensive Probation Supervision (IPS) program on high-risk offenders. The IPS program was characterized by four changes in usual procedures: (1) increased supervision, (2) risk/needs assessment for substance abuse, employment, and marital/family relationships, (3) stricter enforcement of probation, and (4) a four-stage revocation procedure for technical violations. The investigators also studied whether the additional caseload of the probation officers who implemented the IPS program reduced the number of supervision contacts with non-IPS probationers under normal minimum, moderate, and maximum supervision regimens. Offenders put on IPS probation in 1985 from 13 experimental courts were compared to high-risk offenders put on regular probation in the experimental courts in 1984, and to high-risk offenders on regular probation from 13 control courts for both 1984 and 1985. Data were derived from risk assessment forms, needs/strengths assessment forms, probation supervision records, and criminal history data obtained from the state's probation central field. For each offender, a full range of data were collected on (1) offender risk characteristics at initial, four-month, ten-month, and termination assessments, (2) offender needs characteristics at the same intervals, (3) probation officer/offender contact chronologies for the entire one-year follow-up period, and (4) offender prior criminal history and recidivism during a one-year follow-up period.
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Examination of Actuarial Offender-Based Prediction Assessments in Texas, 1993-1996 (ICPSR 20403)

Released/updated on: 2008-06-23
Geographic coverage: United States, Texas
Time period: 1993-01-01--1996-12-31
The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive assessment of the usefulness and effectiveness of prediction and classification of offenders under community supervision. A felony cohort data collection instrument was developed to test the validity of the Wisconsin Risk and Need Instrument in use in Texas, as well as to develop "better" predictor variables for a variety of dependent variables. Using the felony cohort data instrument, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Community Justice Assistance Division (TDCJ-CJAD) collected detailed statewide information on 3,405 felony offenders placed on probation in Texas during October 1993. Specifically, the form was completed by a probation officer on all felony probation intakes at the time the initial case classification risk/needs assessment was conducted. Additionally, follow-up forms were developed and administered to track the offenders' progress at one year, two years, and three years. Variables include probationer information, current offense, criminal history, social history, substance abuse, probation sanctions, case classification risk items, and case classification need items. Additional variables include felony cohort one-year follow-up data form questions, felony cohort second-year follow-up data form questions, and felony cohort third-year follow-up data form questions.
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Forensic Markers of Physical Elder Abuse, Los Angeles, California, 2014-2017 (ICPSR 37050)

Released/updated on: 2018-08-07
Geographic coverage: United States, Los Angeles, California
Time period: 2014-09-01--2017-02-28

These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

This study sought to: (1) document the spectrum of injuries and injury characteristics observed among physically-abused older adults reported to Adult Protective Services (APS) and compare those findings to injuries found among non-abused older adults, (2) identify observable injury characteristics and abuse circumstances that healthcare providers, law enforcement and prosecutors consider to be key forensic markers of physical abuse, (3) document information and evidence integral for achieving successful criminal prosecution, and (4) describe approaches that community-based frontline workers can employ to better document evidence of physical abuse.

The data included in this collection were collected under a National Institute of Justice-funded project that sought to document the spectrum and characteristics of injuries observed among physically abused, community-dwelling APS clients.

The collection includes two SAS datasets: injury.sas7bdat (with 47 variables and 403 cases) and subjectleveldata.sas7bdat (with 122 variables and 165 cases); and three SAS System Program Files: analysis-code-v1.sas, cleaned-injury-datasets-v1.sas, and formats.sas. Demographic variables in the collection are in the subjectleveldata.sas7bdat dataset, and include age, year of birth, gender, race, language, and level of education.

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Home Safety Project, 1987-1992: [Shelby County, Tennessee, King County, Washington, and Cuyahoga County, Ohio] (ICPSR 6898)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30
Geographic coverage: United States, Tennessee, Ohio, Washington
Time period: 1987-01-01--1992-12-31
The Home Safety Project was a population-based case control study of homicide in the home with control households matched to cases by victim age range, race, gender, and neighborhood (a proxy for socioeconomic status). The study was conducted in the following locations: Shelby County, Tennessee (August 23, 1987-August 23, 1992), King County, Washington (August 23, 1987-August 23, 1992), and Cuyahoga County, Ohio (January 1, 1990-August 23, 1992). The purpose of the data collection was to study risk and protective factors for homicide in the home and to identify individual and household factors associated with homicide (both behavioral and environmental). Respondents were asked a series of questions related to alcohol consumption, such as whether drinking ever created problems between household members, whether any household members had had trouble at work because of drinking, whether any physical fights or other violence had occurred in the home or outside the home due to drinking, and whether any injuries or hospital stays had resulted from drinking/fighting episodes. Additional queries covered whether any adult in the household had ever been arrested for any reason, whether anyone in the household used illicit drugs, and, if so, which ones. Questions on home safety features included whether the home had a burglar alarm, bars on the windows, exterior door deadbolt, security door, dogs, and any restricted access to the residence. Items on gun ownership covered whether there were any guns in the home and, if so, what type. Information also was elicited on the homicide that had taken place in the home, including whether the suspect was intimate with the victim, whether there was evidence of forced entry or entry without consent, whether the victim attempted to resist, and the respondent's assumption of the method of death as well as the medical examiner's determination. Demographic information includes victims' age, sex, and race, and respondents' age and sex. The unit of analysis is individual cases of homicide.
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Implementation of Quantitative Decision Aids in the Oklahoma Probation and Parole System, 1989-1990 (ICPSR 9963)

Released/updated on: 1993-12-18
Geographic coverage: United States, Oklahoma
Time period: 1989-01-01--1990-12-31
These data were collected to examine the use of quantitative decision aids in making probation and parole decisions in Oklahoma. The quantitative aids implemented in Oklahoma were modifications of the Wisconsin risks/needs assessment instruments. To determine the uses of and attitudes towards such instruments, Oklahoma probation and parole officers were queried regarding the appropriateness of the instruments in making probation and parole decisions, the specific circumstances in which the instruments were useful, the reasons why the instruments were used, and the extent to which the instruments were manipulated. In addition, data were collected from the officers on job satisfaction and age, length of employment, sex, education, and race.
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Improving the Accuracy and Fairness of Pretrial Release Decisions: A Multi-Site Study of Risk Assessments Implemented in Four Counties, Indiana, 2015-2018 (ICPSR 37829)

Released/updated on: 2021-02-25
Geographic coverage: Indiana, United States
Time period: 2015-01-01--2018-12-31

This study was a multi-site, quasi-experimental investigation of risk assessment-informed pretrial release decisions relative to decisions made without risk assessments. The study objectives were to investigate whether use of pretrial risk assessments: 1) improved risk management decisions relative to practice as usual; 2) improved the fairness of pretrial release decisions for racial minorities relative to practice as usual; and 3) revealed judge-level variation in pretrial release decisions. Secondary, administrative data were gathered from four counties in Indiana. Apart from risk assessment information, all data represent public records: court, jail and prison. Variables gathered from the data sources fall into three main categories: defendant variables, pretrial release decisions, and pretrial misconduct outcomes. Examples of specific variables include: booking and release dates, bond amounts, number and type of charges, and demographic information (age, sex and race).

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The Influence of Race/Ethnicity on Disparities in Correctional Dispositions: Examining How Risk Assessment & Neighborhood Socioeconomic Context Affects Sentencing Decisions of Adjudicated Juveniles, Ohio, 2010-2016 (ICPSR 37362)

Released/updated on: 2024-05-15
Geographic coverage: United States, Ohio
Time period: 2010-01-01--2016-12-31

The overall goal of this research project was to examine the impact that risk assessment has on the sentencing of racial minority youth and youth from disadvantaged neighborhoods. One of the main goals of correctional risk assessment is to reduce disparate outcomes for certain groups of youth in the juvenile justice system (e.g. Black youth). In practice, risk assessment is used with this goal in mind. However, there is very little research which shows whether or not risk assessment actually has its intended effects on sentencing. Therefore, this study set out to examine whether or not risk assessment reduces the sentencing gap seen in most research for minority youth and youth from disadvantaged neighborhoods. In addition, several other important research topics were explored to understand the role that race and socioeconomic disadvantage play in the juvenile justice system. These research topics included: (1) variation in the predictive validity of risk assessment across race, (2) variation in the predictive validity of risk assessment across neighborhood disadvantage, and (3) the moderating effects of race/gender and court dispositions on the predictive validity of risk assessment.

To achieve the research goals in this study, data was collected from a large juvenile court in a Midwestern County. Information from 4,383 youth that came into contact with the court between January 2010 and December 2016 were included in the study. Data was collected that related to youth demographics, neighborhood characteristics in which youth lived, risk assessments data measured by the Ohio Youth Assessment System (OYAS), treatment programming received, court dispositions/sentencing, and recidivism.

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Interpersonal Violence and Misconduct in Jails: An Empirical Investigation of Adverse Outcomes in the Los Angeles County Jail System, California, 2000-2018 (ICPSR 37822)

Released/updated on: 2021-07-29
Geographic coverage: United States, Los Angeles, California
Time period: 2010-01-01--2017-12-31

The Interpersonal Violence and Institutional Misconduct in Jails Study is a longitudinal evaluation of administrative data collected from the Los Angeles County Jail System. This study includes aggregate monthly information on the number and rate of incidents of interpersonal violence and serious institutional misconduct in the Los Angeles County Jail System over an eight-year time period (January 2010 to December 2017). This investigation also includes information on the development and validation of two separate risk assessment tools--the Inmate Risk Assessment for Perpetration (IRAP) and the Inmate Risk Assessment for Victimization (IRAV)--that were designed to help authorities proactively identify the perpetrators and victims of interpersonal violence in jail, respectively. The subjects used to construct and test these instruments were an admission cohort of all adjudicated inmates entering the Los Angeles County jail system in 2016 (N = 104,919). This population of inmates was randomly assigned into one of four groups. The first was the construction sample (n = 26,404), which was used to create the two risk assessment scales, and the other three served as cross-validation samples, which each served to evaluate the predictive accuracy and reliability of these instruments. These data include individual-level information on inmate demographics, criminal history, and other measures of institutional behavior.

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Long-Term Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Risk-Needs Assessment and Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) Reforms in Juvenile Probation: The Long-Term RNR-Impact Study, Louisiana and Pennsylvania, 2008-2017 (ICPSR 37974)

Released/updated on: 2023-07-13
Geographic coverage: United States, Louisiana, Pennsylvania
Time period: 2008-01-01--2017-12-31

The Long-Term Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) Impact Study was a pre-post, quasi-experimental study of the impact of the implementation of risk-needs assessment (RNA) and risk-need-responsivity-related (RNR) case management in 5 juvenile probation offices in 2 states. This study used 3 time points (pre-implementation, 1st year post-implementation, and 7th-year post-implementation) to examine the 7-year sustainability of impacts on system-responses (rates of informal processing, different dispositions, and out-of-home placements), youth outcomes (school and employment), and recidivism; as well as cost-effectiveness.

This study also examined whether there was a significant difference in the impacts of implementation after 7 years between probation offices that were effective versus ineffective in their first year of implementation.

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A Model of Static and Dynamic Sex Offender Risk Assessment in Vermont, 2001-2010 (ICPSR 31782)

Released/updated on: 2014-09-04
Geographic coverage: Vermont, United States
Time period: 2001-01-01--2010-12-31

Since 2001, Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC) sex offender treatment providers and probation and parole officers have scored every adult male sex offender under community supervision on three measures of static (unchangeable) risk at intake (i.e., Static-99, RRASOR-Rapid Risk Assessment for Sex Offence Recidivism, and VASOR-Vermont Assessment of Sex Offender Risk) and one measure of dynamic (changeable) risk (i.e, SOTNPS) at intake and then every six months thereafter. This project conducted record reviews to verify the accuracy of the risk assessment scores and examined how scores on the Sex Offender Treatment Needs and Progress Scale (SOTNPS) and one or more of these static risk instruments can be combined into an overall model of risk assessment. An empirically derived decision-making model was created to assist correctional administrators, probation and parole officers, and treatment providers in allocating and delivering supervision and treatment services based on an individual's treatment needs and risk to sexually re-offend.

Three hypotheses were tested. First, it was expected that one or more static risk measures (Static-99R, Static-2002R and VASOR) would predict sexual recidivism with moderate accuracy in the sample. Second, a dynamic risk measure, Sex Offender Treatment Needs and Progress Scale (SOTNPS), or a subset of risk factors contained in this measure would also predict sexual recidivism with moderate accuracy and be sensitive to the changes in dynamic risk over time. Third, a combined static and dynamic risk measure would predict sexual recidivism more accurate than either measure alone.

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Moving Forward on Gang Prevention in Los Angeles, California, 2009-2014 (ICPSR 35506)

Released/updated on: 2017-06-16
Geographic coverage: Los Angeles, California
Time period: 2011-04-01--2013-11-30

These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

Using multiple data time points this study investigated the prospective validity of a secondary gang prevention program called Gang Risk of Entry Factors (GREF) assessment. At Time 1 of the study interview cut-points were established for high and low risk on nine risk factors that were included on the assessment. Those who scored high risk on four or more risk factors were determined eligible for secondary prevention. At time 2 each participate was then classified into one of four levels of gang membership. The goal of this was to investigate how successful the GREF was in identifying the youth (in the absence of a program) who become associated with a street gang in the 12 to 18 months of the study time frame .

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Multi-Method Study on Risk Assessment Implementation and Youth Outcomes in the Juvenile Justice System, United States, 2013-2018 (ICPSR 37443)

Released/updated on: 2020-06-30
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2013-01-01--2018-12-31

To better understand the factors that may help or hinder effective implementation of risk and needs assessments, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in 2015 launched a study led by the University of Cincinnati to examine the Ohio Youth Assessment System (OYAS) in three states-Arizona, Indiana, and Ohio. The OYAS tools measure risk and needs to inform court decisions as well as the delivery of services and treatment. Researchers collected data through a variety of methods, including in-person interviews with personnel at juvenile justice agencies; web-based surveys; comprehensive case record data for youths assessed by the OYAS; and phone interviews of youth following their case disposition and/or facility release.

One of the study's key objectives was to understand how staff perceived the implementation of the OYAS. To assess the impact of the OYAS on youth outcomes--including reduced recidivism and other prosocial behavior and attitudes--the research team analyzed juvenile justice case records and conducted followup interviews with youth. Demographic variables included in this study include the race, gender, age, ethnicity, and level of education of participants.

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A Multi-site Comparison of Risk Assessments within the Juvenile Justice System, 2007-2013 [United States] (ICPSR 34934)

Released/updated on: 2018-03-02
Geographic coverage: Oregon, California, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Nebraska
Time period: 2007-01-01--2013-12-31

These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

This study examined the validity, reliability, equity and cost of nine juvenile justice risk assessment instruments. It was designed to provide a comprehensive examination of how several risk assessments perform in practice. This study posed the following questions:

  1. Is each risk assessment instrument sufficiently reliable (i.e., inter-rater reliability) to ensure that decisions regarding level of risk and identified service needs are consistent across the organization?
  2. What specific risk assessment items are associated with less reliability? What items are rated reliably by staff?
  3. Is each risk assessment instrument valid? Specifically, what degree of discrimination is attained between assigned risk levels? Could the instrument be improved by adding or deleting specific factors and/or altering cut-off scores?
  4. Is each risk assessment instrument valid for population subgroups: White/Caucasian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, females, probationers, and youth in aftercare status? Could equity be improved by adding or deleting specific factors or altering cut-off scores?
  5. What costs are associated with each risk assessment instrument?

The study collection includes 31 SPSS data files

  1. all_jais_combined.sav (n=1,141; 6 variables)
  2. ar_fire_final_file_ojjdp-ICPSR.sav (n=119; 205 variables)
  3. AR_yls_irr_FINAL-ICPSR.sav (n=155; 136 variables)
  4. azaoc_FINALFILE-ICPSR.sav (n=7,589; 438 variables)
  5. AZAOC_irr_FINAL-ICPSR.sav (n=458; 101 variables)
  6. AZDJC_FINAL_FILE-ICPSR.sav (n=1,265; 1,290 variables)
  7. AZDJC_irr_FINAL-ICPSR.sav (n=55; 120 variables)
  8. COMMITMENT_FINAL_SAMPLE2-ICPSR.sav (n=11,154; 719 variables)
  9. FinalDJJReleasesWithRecid_BothYears2-ICPSR.sav (n=90,818; 31 variables)
  10. FIRE_NE_COMM_FINAL_FILE_OJJDP-ICPSR.sav (n=597; 174 variables)
  11. fire_ne_probation_final-ICPSR.sav (n=1,077; 237 variables)
  12. FL_irr_FINAL-ICPSR.sav (n=519; 140 variables)
  13. GA_irr_FINAL-ICPSR.sav (n=509; 263 variables)
  14. gafire_boyscommunityALL_FINAL-ICPSR.sav (n=5,009; 781 variables)
  15. gafire_communityALLforretrofit2-ICPSR.sav (n=6,943; 666 variables)
  16. gafire_finalsampforanalysis_all-ICPSR.sav (n=7,412; 642 variables)
  17. gafire_finalsampforanalysis_girls-ICPSR.sav (n=2,005; 768 variables)
  18. jais_boys_wk_1-ICPSR.sav (n=1,989; 484 variables)
  19. jais_girls_wk_1-ICPSR.sav (n=745; 484 variables)
  20. NE_irr_FINAL-ICPSR.sav (n=727; 160 variables)
  21. OR_irr_FINAL-ICPSR.sav (n=477; 112 variables)
  22. ORE_FIRE_final-ICPSR.sav (n=12,370; 340 variables)
  23. PROBATION_FINAL_BOYS_ALL-ICPSR.sav (n=20,621; 837 variables)
  24. PROBATION_FINAL_GIRLS_ALL-ICPSR.sav (n=6,748; 849 variables)
  25. va_boyssample-ICPSR.sav (n=1,106; 1,273 variables)
  26. va_final_sample_fullscreen-ICPSR.sav (n=1,439; 1,237 variables)
  27. va_girlssample-ICPSR.sav (n=333; 1,256 variables)
  28. VA_irr_expert_FINAL-ICPSR.sav (n=10; 308 variables)
  29. VA_irr_worker_FINAL-ICPSR.sav (n=685; 308 variables)
  30. vafinalsample-ICPSR.sav (n=1,919; 1,200 variables)
  31. workersurveyfinal-ICPSR.sav (n=400; 69 variables)
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Multi-State Recidivism Study Using Static-99R and Static-2002 Risk Scores and Tier Guidelines From the Adam Walsh Act, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, South Carolina, 1990-2004 (ICPSR 34628)

Released/updated on: 2022-05-26
Geographic coverage: United States, Minnesota, Florida, New Jersey, South Carolina
Time period: 1959-01-01--1984-12-31, 1990-01-01--2004-12-31, 1995-01-01--1999-12-31, 1999-01-01--2000-12-31, 2004-01-01--2005-12-31, 1995-01-01--1999-12-31

This study seeks to examine important components of our nation's sex offender tracking and monitoring systems, with a focus on risk assessment and sexual recidivism (measured by re-arrest). Data were collected from 1,789 adult sex offenders in the following states.

  • Florida: 500 cases
  • Minnesota: 500 cases
  • New Jersey: 291 cases
  • South Carolina: 498 cases

The data file contains another 551 cases from the state of Massachusetts. However, due to how and when those cases were identified they were not included in the Principal Investigator's focus and analysis. There are also another 151 cases where a study participant's state is missing. Total there are 2,491 cases and 1,947 variables.

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National Survey of Juvenile Justice Professionals, 2005-2007 [United States] (ICPSR 26381)

Released/updated on: 2013-03-21
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2005-10-01--2007-12-31
This study involved a survey of juvenile court judges, chief probation officers, prosecutors, and public defenders to measure their impressions of recent policy changes and the critical needs facing today's juvenile justice system. In addition the study garnered recommendations for improving the administration and effectiveness of this system. The study's primary objective was to provide policymakers, administrators, and practitioners with actionable information about how to improve the operations and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system, and to examine the role practitioners could play in constructing sound juvenile justice policy. A total of 534 juvenile court judges, chief probation officers, court administrators, prosecutors, and defense attorneys in 44 states and the District of Columbia participated in the Assessing the Policy Options (APO) national practitioner survey. The survey consisted of four major sections: demographics, critical needs, policies and practices, and practitioner recommendations. Critical needs facing the juvenile justice system were measured by asking respondents about the policy priority of 13 issues in their respective jurisdictions; topics ranged from staff training and development to effective juvenile defense counsel to information technology. Respondents were also asked to assess the effectiveness of 17 different policies and practices -- ranging from parental accountability laws to transfer and treatment -- in achieving 6 vital juvenile justice outcomes.
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A Novel Trauma-Informed Screening Approach for Teen Dating Violence Perpetration in Racially Diverse Adolescents: A Multi-Site Study, Houston, Texas, and Champaign, Illinois, 2019-2021 (ICPSR 38324)

Released/updated on: 2024-05-15
Geographic coverage: United States, Illinois, Texas, Champaign-Urbana, Houston
Time period: 2019-01-01--2021-12-31

Teen dating violence (TDV) is an increasing criminal justice and public health issue. Due to these startling trends, federal agencies have called for increased prevention programming for this pattern of violence. In response, the proposed study tests whether a trauma-informed risk algorithm, based on modifiable risk and protective factors, can properly forecast TDV-perpetration risk in diverse adolescent samples.

High school students in Texas (N=507) and adolescents participating in a juvenile diversion program in Illinois (N=77) completed surveys at baseline, 6-months, and 12-months. Surveys measured TDV-perpetration and other violent behavior, childhood adversities, individual risk factors for TDV-perpetration, and interpersonal and culturally-relevant protective factors. A novel analytic plan involving latent growth curve modeling and evidence-based medicine (EBM) was used to contextualize each risk factor's relation to TDV-perpetration and how these findings into an empirically-based decision-making tool.

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Optimizing Juvenile Assessment Performance, United States, 2003-2019 (ICPSR 37840)

Released/updated on: 2021-03-25
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2003-01-01--2019-12-31, 2011-01-01--2016-12-31, 2009-01-01--2018-12-31, 2012-01-01--2016-12-31, 2009-01-01--2015-12-31, 2006-01-01--2017-12-31, 2008-01-01--2015-12-31, 2008-01-01--2017-12-31, 2010-01-01--2017-12-31, 2003-01-01--2018-12-31, 2005-01-01--2016-12-31
In nearly every state and in the vast majority of juvenile justice agencies, risk assessments are incorporated into diversion, case management, supervision, and placement practices. Despite two decades of use within the juvenile justice system, little research regarding the methods of risk assessment development is discussed or translated to the field and practitioners. Many of the contemporary tools used today are implemented off-the-shelf, meaning that tools were developed with a specific set of methods, selecting and weighting items used in the prediction of a specified sample of youth. What is not known is how the various designs, methods, and circumstances of tool development impact the predictive performance when adopted by a jurisdiction. This study seeks to provide input into this dilemma. Demographic information in this study includes age, race, and sex.
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Perceptual Deterrence and Desistance from Crime: A Study of Repetitive Serious Property Offenders in Tennessee, 1987-1988 (ICPSR 9971)

Released/updated on: 1999-11-19
Geographic coverage: United States, Tennessee
Time period: 1987-01-01--1988-12-31
For this data collection, offenders confined to prison were surveyed to examine the utility of deterrence theory variables as predictors of differential desistance from serious property crimes. The investigators also examined subjects' "criminal calculus," that is, their expectations of the likely gains and losses of further criminal behavior and the conditions under which they likely would commit further crimes. Specifically, the data explored whether decisions to commit crime are based on assessment of potential returns from alternate courses of action and the risk of legal sanctions. Sixty repeat offenders who had served one or more prison sentences were asked about their history of criminal activity, reasons for committing crimes, expectations of future criminal activities, and likely consequences of committing crimes. Data were collected in pre-release interviews in 1987 and 1988 as part of a larger study. Variables include age, education, age at first arrest, alcohol and drug use as a juvenile, as a young adult, and as a mature adult, past crimes, willingness to commit specific property crimes, reasons for being willing or unwilling to commit specific property crimes, expectations of arrest subsequent to actual crimes committed, and the likelihood of future criminal activity.
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Police Departments' Use of Lethality Assessments: An Experimental Evaluation (ICPSR 34975)

Released/updated on: 2016-01-13
Geographic coverage: United States, Oklahoma
Time period: 2009-01-01--2013-12-31

Police Departments' Use of Lethality Assessments: An Experimental Evaluation examined the effectiveness of the Lethality Assessment Protocol (LAP), a tool used to gauge the severity of danger to victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and determine whether to immediately connect victims with additional resources and safety options. Specifically, the evaluation focused on the effectiveness of the LAP at decreasing the rates of repeat, lethal and near lethal violence and increasing the rates of emergency safety planning and help seeking among women who experienced IPV and called the police. Additionally, the predictive and concurrent validity of the screening portion of the LAP was evaluated, as were the implementation of the LAP by officers and IPV victims' satisfaction with the police responses they experienced.

The study consisted of two groups: (1) a comparison group, which included women who were victims of IPV and were referred to the study by a police officer; and (2) an intervention group which consisted of victims of IPV who were administered the LAP by police. Both groups were contacted for baseline and follow-up phone interview surveys that recorded the victims' self-reported demographic information (age, race, income, education marital status), information about the status of their relationships with their partners, as well as the type of abuse they had endured and how this affected their behavior.

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Probation officers' Compliance with the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI): A Multi-level Study of Post-implementation Practice across Pennsylvania counties, 2015-2018 (ICPSR 37201)

Released/updated on: 2020-02-27
Geographic coverage: United States, Pennsylvania
Time period: 2015-01-01--2018-12-31

This research uses in-depth cases studies in five counties, combining interviews and observations, interviews with state reform leaders, and a statewide survey, to examine juvenile probation officers' use of the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) in local practice. In particular, the study assessed the form YLS/CMI policies take in local Pennsylvania counties and their consistency with the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model, the extent to which officers' routine practices align with policies and RNR principles, and how state and county factors have shaped local policies and practices. In doing so, it sought to highlight promising strategies for effective RNA implementation. Study findings describe an example of an apparently well-planned statewide effort to implement and support the YLS/CMI in local counties, involving a sustained attention to attention to training, quality assurance, and problem-solving. Local county policies, while showing some variation, focused on strategies for conducting the YLS/CMI assessment and applying its results to a variety of decisions and activities--supporting, in particular, risk and need principles. Study results further suggest a substantial statewide level of practitioner adherence to a general policy model, though this pattern was stronger for some activities than others, and varied substantially by local county. Variation in implementation across counties seemed to relate, in particular, to the extent of local quality assurance processes, leadership enthusiasm for the YLS/CMI, staff enthusiasm for evidence-based practices (with implications for training and recruitment), and organizational climate.

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Risk Assessment and Schemes for Sexual Recidivism: A 25 Year Follow-Up of Convicted Sex Offenders Referred to the Massachusetts Treatment Center, 1959-1984 (ICPSR 25928)

Released/updated on: 2010-03-31
Geographic coverage: United States, Massachusetts
Time period: 1959-01-01--1984-12-31
The aim of the study was to evaluate and to improve the decision-making algorithms that have been generated to assess risk in sexual offenders. More specifically, it was the task of this research project to evaluate the extant actuarials in a sample of sexual offenders on whom long-term follow-up data were available. Researchers attempted to assess the comparative accuracy of the major risk instruments over time and over subsamples, explore their underlying factor structure, examine the accuracy of a new assessment protocol, and explore the potential for generating improved predictive instruments. The sample was drawn from an earlier study in which researchers had followed 599 offenders who had been referred to the Massachusetts Treatment Center (MTC) for evaluation between 1959 and 1984. Of these, 266 (the Bridgewater Treatment [BT] sample) had been committed to MTC as "sexually dangerous" and subsequently released, and 333 (the Bridgewater Observation [BO] sample) had been determined not to be sexually dangerous and returned to finish their sentences. There were two sources of data for the study. The first source was the offender's MTC clinical and criminal archival records. The second comprised four record sources that were accessed to obtain comprehensive follow-up data. In this study, researchers coded these records both on modern empirically-derived, mechanical actuarials that have been developed since 1997 for predicting sexual recidivism, and on a new experimental measure. Two coding teams were created. In general Team A was responsible for (a) purifying, redacting, and scanning detailed copies of offenders' files, (b) classifying all BO sample using both the MTC typologies and the DSM-IV Conduct Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder categories, and (c) classifying a subset of the BT sample using the DSM-IV Conduct Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder categories. Team B was responsible for coding all actuarials and the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised on all offenders in the study, and for classifying all BT sample using the DSM-IV Conduct Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder categories.
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Risk Factors for Male-Perpetrated Domestic Violence in Vietnam Veteran Families in the United States, 1988 (ICPSR 3086)

Released/updated on: 2001-09-20
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1988-01-01--1988-12-31
The goal of this project was to gain a better understanding of risk factors associated with male-perpetrated domestic violence, partner's mental distress, and child behavior problems. The researchers sought to demonstrate that two important social and health problems, domestic violence and trauma-related psychological distress, were connected. The project was organized into four studies, each of which addressed a specific objective: (1) Variables characterizing the perpetrator's family of procreation were used to determine the pattern of relationships among marital and family functioning, perpetrator-to-partner violence, partner's mental distress, and child behavior problems. (2) The perpetrator's early background and trauma history were studied to establish the degree to which the perpetrator's family of origin characteristics and experiences, childhood antisocial behavior, exposure to stressors in the Vietnam war zone, and subsequent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology related to perpetrator-to-partner family violence. (3) The perpetrator's degree of mental distress was examined to ascertain the ways in which the current mental distress of the perpetrator was associated with marital and family functioning, violence, and current mental distress of the partner. (4) Developmental and intergenerational perspectives on violence were used to model a network of relationships explaining the potential transmission of violence across generations, commencing with the perpetrator's accounts of violence within the family of origin and terminating with reports of child behavior problems within the family of procreation. Data for this study came from the congressionally-mandated National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS) (Kulka et al., 1990), which sought to document the current and long-term psychological status of those who served one or more tours of duty in the Vietnam theater of operations sometime between August 5, 1964, and May 7, 1975, compared to their peers who served elsewhere in the military during that era and to a comparable group who never experienced military service. This study relied upon data from the National Survey and Family Interview components of the larger NVVRS. Data were collected through face-to-face structured interviews, with some supplementary self-report paper-and-pencil measures. The interview protocol was organized into 16 parts, including portions requesting information on childhood experiences and early delinquent behaviors, military service history, legal problems in the family of origin and postwar period, stressful life events, social support systems, marital and family discord and abusive behaviors, and physical and mental health. This study emphasized four categories of explanatory variables: (1) the perpetrator's accounts of family of origin characteristics and experiences, (2) the perpetrator's conduct and behavior problems prior to age 15, (3) the perpetrator's exposure to war-zone stressors, and (4) mental distress of the perpetrator, with attention to PTSD symptomatology and alcohol abuse. Additionally, the project incorporated four clusters of family of procreation criterion variables: (1) marital and family functioning, (2) perpetrator-to- partner violence, (3) partner mental distress, and (4) child behavior problems. Variables include child abuse, family histories of substance abuse, criminal activity, or mental health problems, relationship as a child with parents, misbehavior as a child, combat experience, fear for personal safety during combat, alcohol use and abuse, emotional well-being including stress, guilt, relationships with others, panic, and loneliness, acts of physical and verbal violence toward partner, children's emotional and behavioral problems, problem-solving, decision-making, and communication in family, and family support.
Curated

Risk Factors for Violent Victimization of Women in a Major Northeastern City, 1990-1991 and 1996-1997 (ICPSR 3052)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1990-01-01--1991-12-31, 1996-01-01--1997-12-31
This study addressed the question of whether women who were sexually abused as children were at increased risk of either sexual abuse or domestic violence victimization later in life. It also investigated the role of other potential risk factors, including family background, sexual behavior, alcohol problems, and a woman's own aggressive behavior. The investigators sought to answer the following questions: (1) Are victims of child sexual abuse at increased risk of adolescent or adult sexual victimization as compared to nonvictims? (2) Are victims of child sexual abuse at increased risk of physically violent nonsexual victimization as compared to nonvictims? (3) How is the risk of sexual revictimization and physical victimization among abuse survivors affected by their engaging in violent behavior, such as physical fighting, engaging in heavy drinking, and practicing risky sexual behavior, such as having multiple sexual partners? (4) Were women who reported drinking problems and physical fighting in Wave 2 at increased risk of domestic violence victimization at Wave 3, compared to the other child abuse victims in the study? This study consisted of a secondary analysis of selected variables collected during two waves of a three-wave prospective study of the consequences of child abuse and sexual assault for adult, adolescent, and child victims (McCahill, Meyer, and Fischman, 1979). During the first wave of the study, data were gathered on 206 girls ranging in age from 10 months to 12 years who were victims of reported cases of sexual abuse and who were examined at a municipal hospital in 1973-1975. In 1990 and 1991, follow-up interviews (Wave 2) were conducted with 136 of the original 206 girls, then aged 18 to 31. During this wave, a comparison group of girls treated at a hospital for reasons other than child sexual abuse was matched to the 206 victims on the basis of race, age, and date of hospital visit, for purposes of analysis of their official criminal records. The criminal records data are not included in this data collection. Also, none of the women in the comparison group were interviewed during Wave 2. In 1996 and 1997, another wave of follow-up interviews (Wave 3) was conducted. Using the same criteria as in Wave 2, a new matched comparison group was identified, resulting in an additional 85 girls in the sample. Of the 174 women interviewed during Wave 3, 80 were known victims of child sexual abuse who also had been interviewed during Wave 2. The data in Part 2 (Wave 3 Women Also Interviewed at Wave 2) are a subset of Part 1 (All Wave 3 Interviews). Part 1 variables supply information on self-reported family history of substance abuse and criminal activity, parental care and neglect, and family violence when the respondent was a child. Topics focusing on respondents' current (adult) experiences include violence in relationships, injuries as a result of domestic violence, use of a weapon during domestic violence, sexual history, sexual victimization, and parental attachment. Variables in Part 2 cover parental affection and support received by the respondent when she was a teenager, history of fighting, physical abuse by a partner, dating and sexual history, alcohol abuse, and sexual victimization. Demographic variables (found in Part 1 only) include age, marital status, race, and education.
Curated

Role of Stalking in Domestic Violence Crime Reports Generated by the Colorado Springs Police Department, 1998 (ICPSR 3142)

Released/updated on: 2005-11-04
Geographic coverage: United States, Colorado, Colorado Springs
Time period: 1998-04-01--1998-09-30
This study examined the role of stalking in domestic violence crime reports produced by the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD). It provided needed empirical data on the prevalence of stalking in domestic violence crime reports, risk factors associated with intimate partner stalking, and police responses to reports of intimate partner stalking. The study was conducted jointly by the Justice Studies Center (JSC) at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and the Denver-based Center for Policy Research (CPR). JSC staff generated the sample and collected the data, and CPR staff processed and analyzed the data. The sample was generated from CSPD Domestic Violence Summons and Complaint (DVSC) forms, which were used by CSPD officers to investigate crime reports of victims and suspects who were or had been in an intimate relationship and where there was probable cause to believe a crime was committed. During January to September 1999, JSC staff reviewed and entered information from all 1998 DVSC forms into a computerized database as part of the evaluation process for Domestic Violence Enhanced Response Team (DVERT), a nationally recognized domestic violence prevention program. A subfile of reports initiated during April to September 1998 was generated from this database and formed the basis for the study sample. The DVSC forms contained detailed information about the violation including victim and suspect relationship, type of violation committed, and specific criminal charges made by the police officer. The DVSC forms also contained written narratives by both the victim and the investigating officer, which provided detailed information about the events precipitating the report, including whether the suspect stalked the victim. The researchers classified a domestic violence crime report as having stalking allegations if the victim and/or police narrative specifically stated that the victim was stalked by the suspect, or if the victim and/or police narrative mentioned that the suspect engaged in stalking-like behaviors (e.g., repeated following, face-to-face confrontations, or unwanted communications by phone, page, letter, fax, or e-mail). Demographic variables include victim-suspect relationship, and age, race, sex, and employment status of the victim and suspect. Variables describing the violation include type of violation committed, specific criminal charges made by the police officer, whether the alleged violation constituted a misdemeanor or a felony crime, whether a suspect was arrested, whether the victim sustained injuries, whether the victim received medical attention, whether the suspect used a firearm or other type of weapon, whether items were placed in evidence, whether the victim or suspect was using drugs and/or alcohol at the time of the incident, number and ages of children in the household, whether children were in the home at the time of the incident, and whether there was a no-contact or restraining order in effect against the suspect at the time of the incident.
Curated
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State-Mandated Criminal Background Employment Screening: A High Stakes Window into the Desistance Process, New York, 2008-2009 (ICPSR 36414)

Released/updated on: 2018-02-27
Geographic coverage: United States, New York (state)
Time period: 2008-01-01--2009-12-31

These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

This study examines criminal background checks that were carried out by the New York State Department of Health (DOH) for individuals with criminal history records who have been provisionally hired to work as unlicensed direct care employees in the long term care industry. These individuals applied for jobs in this industry for the first time in 2008 and 2009.

This information was then augmented with criminal history information provided by the NY Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).

The collection contains 1 Stata data file (Criminal_background_check.dta (n=7209; 40 variables)).

Curated
Restricted

Understanding Crime Victimization Among College Students in the United States, 1993-1994 (ICPSR 3074)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1993-01-01--1994-12-31
This study was designed to collect college student victimization data to satisfy four primary objectives: (1) to determine the prevalence and nature of campus crime, (2) to help the campus community more fully assess crime, perceived risk, fear of victimization, and security problems, (3) to aid in the development and evaluation of location-specific and campus-wide security policies and crime prevention measures, and (4) to make a contribution to the theoretical study of campus crime and security. Data for Part 1, Student-Level Data, and Part 2, Incident-Level Data, were collected from a random sample of college students in the United States using a structured telephone interview modeled after the redesigned National Crime Victimization Survey administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Using stratified random sampling, over 3,000 college students from 12 schools were interviewed. Researchers collected detailed information about the incident and the victimization, and demographic characteristics of victims and nonvictims, as well as data on self-protection, fear of crime, perceptions of crime on campus, and campus security measures. For Part 3, School Data, the researchers surveyed campus officials at the sampled schools and gathered official data to supplement institution-level crime prevention information obtained from the students. Mail-back surveys were sent to directors of campus security or campus police at the 12 sampled schools, addressing various aspects of campus security, crime prevention programs, and crime prevention services available on the campuses. Additionally, mail-back surveys were sent to directors of campus planning, facilities management, or related offices at the same 12 schools to obtain information on the extent and type of planning and design actions taken by the campus for crime prevention. Part 3 also contains data on the characteristics of the 12 schools obtained from PETERSON'S GUIDE TO FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES (1994). Part 4, Census Data, is comprised of 1990 Census data describing the census tracts in which the 12 schools were located and all tracts adjacent to the schools. Demographic variables in Part 1 include year of birth, sex, race, marital status, current enrollment status, employment status, residency status, and parents' education. Victimization variables include whether the student had ever been a victim of theft, burglary, robbery, motor vehicle theft, assault, sexual assault, vandalism, or harassment. Students who had been victimized were also asked the number of times victimization incidents occurred, how often the police were called, and if they knew the perpetrator. All students were asked about measures of self-protection, fear of crime, perceptions of crime on campus, and campus security measures. For Part 2, questions were asked about the location of each incident, whether the offender had a weapon, a description of the offense and the victim's response, injuries incurred, characteristics of the offender, and whether the incident was reported to the police. For Part 3, respondents were asked about how general campus security needs were met, the nature and extent of crime prevention programs and services available at the school (including when the program or service was first implemented), and recent crime prevention activities. Campus planners were asked if specific types of campus security features (e.g., emergency telephone, territorial markers, perimeter barriers, key-card access, surveillance cameras, crime safety audits, design review for safety features, trimming shrubs and underbrush to reduce hiding places, etc.) were present during the 1993-1994 academic year and if yes, how many or how often. Additionally, data were collected on total full-time enrollment, type of institution, percent of undergraduate female students enrolled, percent of African-American students enrolled, acreage, total fraternities, total sororities, crime rate of city/county where the school was located, and the school's Carnegie classification. For Part 4, Census data were compiled on percent unemployed, percent having a high school degree or higher, percent of all persons below the poverty level, and percent of the population that was Black.
Curated

Using Machine Learning to Identify High-Risk Domestic Violence Offenders in New York City, New York, 2006-2017 (ICPSR 38540)

Released/updated on: 2024-02-12
Geographic coverage: New York City, United States, New York (state)
Time period: 2006-01-01--2019-05-30

To address the relative difficulty in predicting domestic violence incidents and effectively targeting resources, the University of Chicago Crime Lab and the New York Police Department (NYPD) collaborated to develop and test a machine learning-based statistical model to predict the risk of domestic violence victimization in New York City.

Phase 1 of the project was to develop a statistical model using machine learning techniques. NYPD administrative records dated between January 2006 and January 2017 were used as input data to build and refine the tool. Due to the lack of unique identifiers for victims in the records, the research team also used data from the Chicago Police Department to create a probabilistic record linkage toolkit (Name Match) to identify which records belonged to the same person within and across data sources.

In Phase 2, the researchers aimed to field test the tool's capability to identify individuals at risk of repeated domestic violence through a large-scale randomized control trial. Measuring the effects of regular home visits of high-priority individuals thought to be at risk of serious domestic assault, the test intended to compare the selections of individuals made by officers versus those predicted by the tool.

This collection contains only the machine learning code files (R and Python) created during secondary analysis, which have been released as a zipped package. Please refer to the Data Roadmap for instructions on how to obtain the original NYPD data. To access the Name Change algorithm and documentation, please visit the Github repository.

Curated

Validation of a Risk Assessment Instrument for Juvenile Probationers in Alameda County, California, 1996 (ICPSR 3254)

Released/updated on: 2001-12-14
Geographic coverage: United States, California
Time period: 1996-01-01--1996-12-31
This study sought to develop a risk assessment instrument to be used in the placement of adjudicated juveniles and determination of outcomes for juvenile probationers. The following research questions served as a guide in developing the risk assessment instrument: (1) Does the instrument measure what it purports to measure? (2) Do similar cases receive similar recommendations for placement services? (3) Is the instrument fair to dissimilar groups? (4) Is the instrument useful to practitioners? and (5) Will the instrument be simple to implement? The goal of the new risk assessment instrument was to address the relative risk of recidivism without taking into account the severity of the current offense. In order to develop a new risk assessment instrument, researchers adapted a pre-existing instrument that had been used and validated with juvenile probationers in California. The new instrument was used to evaluate youths for three measures of recidivism: intake actions, petitions filed, and petitions sustained through one year after the placement decisions were made. The sample of youths was comprised of those who in 1996 had received either a field supervision or a placement order as a disposition. The instrument measured age at first finding, prior criminal behavior, institutional commitments or placement of 30 consecutive days or more, drug/chemical use, alcohol use, parental skills, school disciplinary problems, and peer relationships.
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Validation of Risk Assessment Tools for Predicting Re-offending at Different Developmental Periods, 1951-2010 (ICPSR 32761)

Released/updated on: 2014-02-26
Geographic coverage: North Carolina, Canada, Netherlands, United States, Connecticut
Time period: 1951-01-01--2010-12-31
The study was a secondary data analysis examining the accuracy of risk assessment tools in predicting re-offending during early adulthood (age 18 to 25 years) compared to their accuracy in predicting re-offending during adolescence (age 12-17 years; youth tools only) or in later adulthood (older than 25 years, adult tools only). The investigators combined datasets that involved the same risk assessment tools. The adolescent risk assessment tools included the North Carolina Assessment of Risk (NCAR), the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI), and the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk for Youth (SAVRY). The adult risk assessment tools included the Historical Clinical Risk Management-20 items (HCR-20) and the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG). Using the datasets, the study examined the following recidivism outcomes: (1) any type of re-offending (excluded status offenses), and (2) violent re-offending specifically.
Curated

Validation of the Los Angeles County [California] Probation Department's Risk and Needs Assessment Instruments, 1997-1999 (ICPSR 3715)

Released/updated on: 2006-03-30
Geographic coverage: United States, Los Angeles, California
Time period: 1997-04-01--1999-06-30
In 1996, the Los Angeles County Probation Department developed a set of six instruments to better assess offender risks and needs. Each instrument was intended to serve a specific purpose, with separate instruments used for adult and juvenile populations and release and placement decisions. The instruments were to be completed by probation staff. These instruments were tested in a pilot project by probation field staff in 1997. The probation department then asked RAND to re-examine the six instruments for instrument integrity, use of overrides, and relationship to long-term recidivism outcomes. The probation department's research staff had completed the instruments between April and December 1997 using available reports and case file information. RAND's involvement in the study began after all samples had been selected and instruments completed. The probation department gave RAND the data on instrument scores. Recidivism data were gathered at 6, 12, and 18 months after the instruments' administration. For juveniles data on the nature and date of arrest were available from the Juvenile Automated Information files. Data on adult re-arrests were unavailable, but the Adult Probation System provided the date, nature, and disposition of offenses referred to probation.
Curated

Validation of the RAND Selective Incapacitation Survey and the Iowa Risk Assessment Scale in Colorado, 1982 and 1986 (ICPSR 9292)

Released/updated on: 2006-01-18
Geographic coverage: United States, Colorado
This data collection was designed to replicate the Rand Selective Incapacitation Survey and the Iowa Risk Assessment Scale using a group of Colorado offenders. The Iowa model provides two assessments of offender risk: (1) a measure of general risk to society and (2) a measure of the risk of new violence. The Iowa dataset includes crime information from defendants' self-reports and from official crime records. Both files contain important self-report items such as perceived probability of being caught, weapon used in the offense committed, months free on the street during the reference period, and detailed activity description during the free period. Other items covered include employment history, plans, reasons for committing the crime, and attitudes toward life, law, prisons, and police.
Curated

Violence Against Women: Developmental Antecedents Among Black, Caucasian, and Hispanic Women in the United States, 1987-1988 and 1992-1994 (ICPSR 3293)

Released/updated on: 2002-05-14
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2000-01-01--2000-12-31
The aim of this study was to examine the factors related to different patterns of male violence against women. Employing both intra-individual and sociocultural perspectives, the project focused on the relationship between violence against women and previously established risk factors for intimate partner violence including stressors related to work, economic status, and role transitions (e.g., pregnancy), as well as family power dynamics, status discrepancies, and alcohol use. The following research questions were addressed: (1) To what extent do Caucasian, Black, and Hispanic individuals engage in physical violence with their partners? (2) How are socioeconomic stressors associated with violent relationships among Caucasian, Black, and Hispanic couples? (3) To what extent are changes in patterns of physical violence against women associated with different stages of a relationship (e.g., cohabitation, early marriage, pregnancy, marriage)? (4) To what extent do culturally linked attitudes about family structure (family power dynamics) predict violence among Caucasian, Black, and Hispanic couples? (5) To what extent do family strengths and support systems contribute to the cessation of violence among Caucasian, Black, and Hispanic couples? (6) What is the role of alcohol use in violent relationships among Caucasian, Black, and Hispanic couples? The data used for this project came from the first and second waves of the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH) conducted by the Center for Demography and Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison [NATIONAL SURVEY OF FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS: WAVE I, 1987-1988, AND WAVE II, 1992-1994 (ICPSR 6906)]. The NSFH was designed to cover a broad range of family structures, processes, and relationships with a large enough sample to permit subgroup analysis. For the purposes of this study, the analytical sample focused on only those couples who were cohabiting or married at the time of the first wave of the study and still with the same person at the time of the second wave (N=3,584). Since the study design included oversamples of previously understudied groups (i.e., Blacks, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans), racial and ethnic comparisons were possible. In both waves of the NSFH several identical questions were asked regarding marital conflicts. Both married and cohabiting respondents were asked how often they used various tactics including heated arguments and hitting or throwing things at each other to resolve their conflicts. In addition, respondents were asked if any of their arguments became physical, how many of their fights resulted in either the respondent or their partner hitting, shoving, or throwing things, and if any injuries resulted as a consequence of these fights. This data collection consists of the SPSS syntax used to recode variables from the original NSFH dataset. In addition, new variables, including both composite variables (e.g., self-esteem, hostility, depression) and husband and wife versions of the variables (using information from both respondent and partner), were constructed. New variables were grouped into the following categories: demographic, personality, alcohol and drug use, relationship stages, gender role attitudes, division of labor, fairness in household chores, social support, and isolation. Psychological well-being scales were created to measure autonomy, positive relations with others, purpose in life, self-acceptance, environmental mastery, and personal growth. Additional scales were created to measure relationship conflict, sex role gender attitudes, personal mastery, alcohol use, and hostility. The Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) were also utilized.
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