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This review of research into prison therapeutic communities (TCs) covers democratic TCs, which treat personality disorders, and hierachical TCs, which treat drug abusers. The article outlines the history and establishment of TCs in Britain, USA, Canada and Europe and also describes typical TC treatment regimes and examines research into treatment outcome. It highlights the fact that outcome research rests mainly on reconviction and recidivism figures, despite criticisms of these as measures. Research shows that TCs can reduce offending and a relationship between length of time in therapy and positive outcome as been a consistent finding. However, TCs are established sparingly in prisons and historically have been relatively short-lived.

Florida law allows judges to withhold adjudication of guilt for individuals who have been found guilty of a felony and are being sentenced to probation. Such individuals lose no civil rights and may lawfully assert they had not been convicted of a felony. Labeling theory would predict that the receipt of a felony label could increase the likelihood of recidivism. Reconviction data for 95,919 men and women who were either adjudicated or had adjudication withheld show that those formally labeled are significantly more likely to recidivate in 2 years than those who are not. Labeling effects are stronger for women, whites, and those who reach the age of 30 years without a prior conviction. Second‐level indicators of county characteristics (e.g., crime rates or concentrated disadvantage) have no significant effect on the adjudication/recidivism relationship.

Abstract: A 1992 study, The Dynamics of Recidivism, was cited by the Home Secretary of the Conservative government during the 1990s to support the political doctrine that 'prison works'. This claim drew on qualitative data from pre‐ and post‐prison interviews of 130 male offenders to uphold a narrow rational choice perspective that emphasised the perceived 'costs' of imprisonment to the offender. A ten‐year reconviction study was carried out as a follow‐up to the 1992 study. The subsequent criminal careers of the majority of the sample contradict an assumption that imprisonment has a deterrent impact. In the light of these findings, and an analysis of the differential impacts of subjective and social factors in the experiences of these ex‐prisoners, this article reviews the limitations of 'rational choice theory' as a basis for understanding recidivism and desistance from crime.

This paper reports on a follow-up of a sample of 303 adolescent male sex of fenders from New South Wales, Australia. Adult rearrest and reconviction data were obtained for 292 of these individuals. The mean observation period between their adjudication as adolescents and their follow-up as adults was 7.3 years. Seventy-five (25%) received further convictions for sexual offenses prior to their 18th birthday. As adults, 25 (9%) came to the attention of police for further alleged sexual offenses, including 14 (5%) who received convictions for these offenses. Of these, 11 (79%) also received new convictions for nonsexual offenses. Overall, 61.3% of subjects received convictions for nonsexual offenses as adults. Results suggest considerable diversity and persistence in delinquent and criminal behavior, and challenge assumptions about high transition rates from adolescent to adult sexual offending.

The primary purpose of this study is to examine the effects of South Carolina's comprehensive registration policy on recidivism of juveniles who sexually offend. Registered and nonregistered male youth are matched on year of index offense, age at index offense, race, prior person offenses, prior nonperson offenses, and type of index sexual offense, for a total of 111 matched pairs. Recidivism is assessed across a mean 4.3-year follow-up ( SD = 2.5). The sexual offense reconviction rate is too low (2 events) to support between-group analyses. Cox regression results indicate no significant between-group differences with respect to new nonsexual person offense convictions but significant between-group differences with respect to new nonperson offense convictions. Specifically, registered youth are more likely than nonregistered youth to have new nonperson offense convictions across follow-up. Public policy implications of these findings are discussed.

This article builds on earlier articles by McWilliams and Pease in suggesting that the probation service requires a transcendent justification for its activities. The author supports the need for greater links between prison and probation services in promoting effective practice and public protection but asserts that probation' authority also derives from its understanding of crime in a community context. In developing a community justice framework for the probation service the author discusses three principles: justice, penance, and community, particularly as they might impact on the most marginalised and vulnerable in our inner cities. The case for a community justice dimension to effective practice is further endorsed by a recent Home Office study of the social factors most associated with reconviction. Best outcomes in relation to crime reduction are most likely to be achieved by a bridge‐building effort between criminal justice professionals and the involvement of communities most at risk.

The aim of this study was to vefify whether static factors (criminal history, age, relationship status) and dynamic factors (deviance index based on phallometric data, score of psychometric testing) permit prediction of recidivism in sexual aggressors. Three types of recidivism (sexual, violent, criminal) were determined in 113 rapists and in 269 child molesters over an average follow-up of 64.5 months. The sexual reconviction rate was 21.2% in rapists and 13% in child molesters. Reconvicted rapists were younger and had more previous convictions than those who were not reconvicted, Compared with those who did not reoffend, the child molesters who were reconvicted for a sexual offense had higher pedophilic indices, had more previous sexual charges, were younger, more frequently had male victims, had more frequently extrafamilial victims, and a higher percentage of them were living alone. Psychometric data did not predict recidivism in either rapists or child molesters.

We conducted a systematic review of studies reporting on the effectiveness of Circles of Support and Accountability (Circles). Circles use volunteers to provide support for sex offenders living in the community. We searched 10 databases up to the end of 2013 and identified 3 relevant outcome studies. An additional 12 papers or reports were identified by searching reference lists, Google, and contacting key authors and Circles providers to obtain unpublished data. These 15 studies comprised one randomized controlled trial, three retrospective cohorts with matched controls, and 11 case series. The majority reported measures of recidivism, particularly reconviction. The 4 studies with controls generally reported that participation in Circles was associated with lower recidivism although there were few statistically significant differences. Few studies examined changes in risk or psychosocial outcomes. A number of methodological issues are discussed. Longer term, prospective follow-up studies with control groups are required to address these issues.

Sexual offenders constitute a substantial proportion of the older male prison population. Recent research findings, with potential consequences for risk management, indicate that recidivism risk might be lower in older sexual offenders. We followed up all adult male sexual offenders released from prison in Sweden during 1993-1997 (N =1,303) for criminal reconviction for an average of 8.9 years. We studied rates of repeat offending (sexual and any violent) by four age bands (<25, 25-39, 40-54, and 55 +years), and examined whether risk factors for recidivism remained stable across age groups. Results showed that recidivism rates decreased significantly in older age bands. In addition, the effect of certain risk factors varied by age band. These findings on recidivism rates in older sexual offenders concur with studies from the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada and may suggest some generalizability in Western settings. Further research is needed to address underlying mechanisms.

Intro -- Impressum -- Inhaltsverzeichnis -- Abkürzungsverzeichnis -- Vorwort -- 1. Einleitung -- 2. Allgemeine Angaben zur Kriminalprognose -- 2.1 Wozu benötigen wir Kriminalprognosen? -- 2.2 Prognoseerstellung in der Praxis -- 2.3 Arten der Prognosestellung -- 2.4 Gütekriterien -- 2.5 Methoden der Kriminalprognosen -- 2.5.1 Intuitive Kriminalprognose -- 2.5.2 Statistische Kriminalprognose -- 2.6 Allgemeine Problemfelder bei der Prognoseerstellung -- 2.7 Auffälligkeiten der Prognoseerstellung -- 3. Ausgewählte Instrumente der Kriminalprognose und deren Relevanz für die praktische Kriminalistik -- 3.1 OGRS - Offender Group Reconviction Scale -- 3.1.1 Verfahren -- 3.1.2 Empirie und Gütekriterien -- 3.1.3 Anwendungsmöglichkeit für die polizeiliche Praxis -- 3.2 VRAG - Violence Risk Appraisal Guide -- 3.2.1 Verfahren -- 3.2.2 Empirie und Gütekriterien -- 3.2.3 Anwendungsmöglichkeit für die polizeiliche Praxis -- 3.3 SORAG - Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide -- 3.3.1 Verfahren -- 3.3.2 Empirie und Gütekriterien -- 3.3.3 Anwendungsmöglichkeiten für die polizeiliche Praxis -- 3.4 RRS - Rückfallrisiko bei Sexualstraftätern -- 3.4.1 Verfahren -- 3.4.2 Empirie und Gütekriterien -- 3.4.3 Anwendungsmöglichkeiten für die polizeiliche Praxis -- 3.5 Static-99 zur Erfassung des statistischen Risikos bei ­Sexualstraftätern -- 3.5.1 Verfahren -- 3.5.2 Empirie und Gütekriterien -- 3.5.3 Anwendungsmöglichkeiten für die polizeiliche Praxis -- 3.6 Stable 2007 zur Erfassung des stabil-dynamischen Risikos bei Sexualstraftätern -- 3.6.1 Verfahren -- 3.6.2 Empirie und Gütekriterien -- 3.6.2 Anwendungsmöglichkeiten für die polizeiliche Praxis -- 3.7 Acute-2007 zur Erfassung des akut-dynamischen Risikos bei Sexualstraftätern -- 3.7.1 Verfahren -- 3.7.2 Empirie und Gütekriterien -- 3.7.3 Anwendungsmöglichkeiten für die polizeiliche Praxis.

We undertook a Rapid Evidence Assessment to explore the existing empirical evidence relating to the impact of probation caseloads on recidivism. Over 3,000 potentially relevant papers were sifted from which five were deemed robust enough to be analysed in detail. All five were US studies which examined the impact of particular initiatives to reduce caseloads and were delivered by mainstream community-based probation officers. All recorded reductions in measured outcomes compared to comparators. Overall, although the number of robust studies remains quite small for such a key area of consideration, there appears to be a growing body of evidence that lower probation caseloads have a positive impact in terms of reducing reoffending in the USA. All five studies looked at a range of criminal justice outcomes including technical probation violations, violations for new arrests and reconvictions. Interestingly, although researchers were expecting to find a higher rate of probation violations among the cohorts supervised by probation officers with lower caseloads (due to the increased intensity of supervision), this did not turn out to be the case.

Criminologists and other developmental researchers have long acknowledged the importance of both continuity and change in antisocial and criminal behaviour over the life‐course. To the extent that young offenders having contact with the police will persist with offending into adulthood is an important social issue with significant implications for the ongoing development and implementation of early intervention and prevention programs. Using data from New South Wales, this paper tracks a cohort of 8,797 juvenile offenders over ten years and is among the first of its kind to use multivariate techniques to examine the long‐term outcomes of those who were cautioned, conferenced or convicted in that state. The study finds that just over half of all juvenile offenders were reconvicted in court of a further offence and that reconviction rates were higher for young males and Indigenous offenders than for females or non‐Indigneous offenders. In concluding, this paper draws attention to the need for improved assessment and early intervention efforts that more accurately target those young people most at risk of persisting with offending into adulthood.

Traffic violations represent by far the most significant number of misconducts punished by law. This is due to the fact that the majority of the population actively participates in road traffic. Despite the importance of this topic, only a limited number of empirical studies have been conducted about traffic offenses. The present study intends to reduce this deficit in the field of traffic infringements by analyzing nationwide data about sentences and cases of repeated offenses, differentiating by seriousness of the misdemeanors and their general and traffic specific penalties. For the first time, a complete data set from the "Bundeszentralregister" (Federal Central Criminal Register) is evaluated. This traffic violation data set contains records of 250,000 people. As a result, this research incorporates nearly all people convicted in a specific year in Germany. Under due consideration of criminal records, these data are classified into distinct categories depending on the seriousness of the offense and the type of punishment. Furthermore, this study appraises the correlation between traffic specific reconviction rates and the success of related punishments.

An empathy-related component has been included in most sex offender treatment programs since the 1980s; however, research linking empathy to sexual offending and/or to treatment outcome has produced mixed findings. This study examined the relationship between victim specific empathy, general empathy, and overall treatment change (determined by responses on a battery of psychometric tests) with static risk (Risk Matrix 2000 [RM 2000]) and sexual offense reconviction data in a sample of 105 offenders who completed treatment while in prison or in the community in England and Wales and followed up for an average period of more than 10 years. Victim-specific empathy improved from pretreatment to posttreatment and related to overall treatment change. A small group of offenders, whose victim empathy scores deteriorated from pretreatment to posttreatment, had higher rates of sexual recidivism compared with the rest of the sample. In contrast, neither were any reliable pretreatment to posttreatment changes noted on general empathy scores, except for an indication on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index Personal Distress Scale, nor was any relationship found to sexual recidivism. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to treatment goals and sexual recidivism.

Purpose Contrary to public opinion, empirical studies have consistently shown that persons convicted of a sexual offense (PCSO) are less likely to recidivate with a general offense. While researchers often point toward the surreptitiousness of sexual offending to explain low rates of recidivism, this paper tests a novel explanation: SOs recidivate at lower rates than persons convicted of a non-sexual offense (PCNSO) because they are more often revoked to prison before they are able to commit a new crime, perhaps owing to more restrictive post-release supervision guidelines. Methods Using a sample of 196,468 unique male releases, the difference in general and sexual recidivism between PCSO ( n = 29,420) and PCNSO was assessed through survival analyses (Cox regression models). Results Results demonstrated that PCSO were significantly less likely to be reconvicted for a general crime, but more likely for a sex offense. They were also more likely to be reincarcerated due to a revocation without a new sentence. Accounting for revocations, the difference in reconviction risk lessens between the groups but does not disappear. Conclusions This analysis provides evidence that differences in community supervision are contributing to the difference in recidivism rates between PCSO and PCNSO. Implications and future research are discussed.