Category: CRJ101 Intro CJ

Long-term drop in solving rape cases | Modern Policing

This article reviews the national clearance rate for rape, which has dropped from 62% in 1964 to 32% in 2017. Some of the decline is probably due to increased reporting by victims and more complete recording by police. Also, the FBI definition was expanded in 2013 and, most recently, #MeToo has caused a surge in…
— Read on gcordner.wordpress.com/2018/12/28/long-term-drop-in-solving-rape-cases/

Berkeley not so special any more | Modern Policing

Here is another report about the difficulty the police departments are facing for hiring new officers.

I think this is causing police to re-examine their recruiting and hiring procedures. What will policing look like 10-20 years from now?

Berkeley PD has many unfilled positions and has lost experienced officers to other agencies in recent years, something that rarely happened before, according to this article. The agency has a distinctive history going all the way back to August Vollmer, and was the “go to” agency in northern California for many years. Current and departed…
— Read on gcordner.wordpress.com/2018/12/22/berkeley-not-so-special-any-more/

Use of Force in New Jersey | Modern Policing

News media in New Jersey obtained over 72,000 documents from the state’s 469 police departments for the years 2012-2016 to compile what it calls a “comprehensive statewide database of police use of force.” According to the authors, “No one has ever seen data like this in New Jersey. Not the attorney general, not county prosecutors…
— Read on gcordner.wordpress.com/2018/12/01/use-of-force-in-new-jersey/

How psychology affects police investigation | Modern Policing

Wrongful convictions and biases are hot topics in policing. These videos discuss theses and more.

This site has 7 brief videos that explain how the brain and human psychology affect perception and memory, leading to such problems as tunnel vision, confirmation bias, and false confessions. Produced by the Innocence Project in cooperation with IACP, the videos feature noted scientists and expert practitioners. For police, “The films are not intended to…
— Read on gcordner.wordpress.com/2018/11/23/how-psychology-affects-police-investigation/

Interest in Police Patrol Careers

This is an interesting report that looks at possible causes of why people are not pursuing a career in policing.

Why, we wondered, despite the robust and increasing numbers of entry-level positions in police patrol, was the career of police patrol work such a “hard sell” with the current potential applicant pool? Also, why were some of those very individuals seemingly interested in specialized police work (e.g., detective or investigator, K9 officer, narcotics officer)

but averse to patrol officer positions? Were these potential applicants fearful of the selection process (i.e., invasive background investigations and social media oversight)? Were these people deterred from police patrol careers because of the perception that the initial training expectations were too rigorous (i.e., academy physical training and the challenge of attending a lengthy academy)? Another consideration which grew out of this conversation was the potential inability or failure of police agencies to possibly address basic recruit expectations, namely assistance with the application process, realistic job preview, and mentoring

aquila.usm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi

Is There A Cure For Hate? : NPR

This is an interesting article which speaks to some of the issues and problems with rehabilitation and is similar to thoughts on the effectiveness of probation and parole

After the Pittsburgh mass killing, many are wondering how to turn extremists away from violence and hate. But there is very little research, and even less funding, to make that happen.
— Read on www.npr.org/2018/11/06/663773514/is-there-a-cure-for-hate

Criminal Justice topics on the ballot

This is exactly the type of programs, policy, and laws that are an example of the impact of the Criminal Justice System on a Community.

Think about how these proposals would impact the community.

Are the proposals based on political rhetoric or evidence based practices?

The report from The Marshall Project that discusses several different Criminal Justice initiatives that can be decided at the Ballot box.   See the report HERE

Crime victimization in 2016 | Modern Policing

BJS has released its revised 2016 victimization report, available here. Long-term, the violent crime victimization rate has been fairly flat since 2010 and it is 75% lower than in 1993. The serious violent crime rate decreased 3% in 2016 over the previous year, while property crime was up 7%. There was a significant 31% decrease…
— Read on gcordner.wordpress.com/2018/10/30/crime-victimization-in-2016/

Research Central: Risk Assessment and Behavioral Health Screening for Youth in Probation

OJJDP’s Risk Assessment and Behavioral Health Screening Project, cofunded in 2014 with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, examined whether using a risk assessment for reoffending coupled with mental health and substance use screening protocols improves case processing, service allocation, and recidivism rates.

The study encompassed multiple probation offices in Arkansas and Rhode Island. Both states administered a risk assessment instrument in conjunction with the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Version 2 (MAYSI-2) for mental health screening and the CRAFFT substance use screening tools. As one component of the study, the researchers examined service referral, how services were used, and recidivism outcomes of youth. They also studied if and how services and outcomes were influenced by the potential behavioral health needs identified in MAYSI-2 and CRAFFT.

Overall, the researchers found that mental health services were used more often than risk-reduction services in most sites and had little influence on recidivism. There was some evidence that substance abuse treatment reduced recidivism among youth identified in CRAFFT as having a substance use problem.

This is a link to the OJJDP website: https://www.ojjdp.gov/newsletter/252069/sf_6.html?utm_source=NewsAtAGlance102218&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NewsAtAGlance&utm_content=ResearchCentral

Link to the REPORT: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/251912.pdf