Jeff Maahs

General strain and delinquency: An anternative examination of conditioning influences

One of the key assumptions of Agnews general strain theory (GST) is that various factors condition the effect of strain on delinquency. Past research examining this question, however, has not revealed consistent support for this hypothesis. The accumulating negative evidence on the conditioning hypothesis suggests that the theory may need to be revised or, alternatively, that past studies simply were unable to uncover valid relationships because of the analytical methods employed. In the current examination, we use data from the National Youth Survey and contingency table analyses to examine whether the strain-delinquency relationship is conditioned by various risk factors such as exposure to delinquent peers, holding deviant beliefs, and having a behavioral propensity toward delinquency. The results reveal both cross-sectional and longitudinal support for the conditioning hypothesis derived from GST. Implications for future research on GST are discussed.

Are Private Prisons More Cost-Effective Than Public Prisons? A Meta-Analysis of Evaluation Research Studies

The need to reduce the costs of incarceration to state and federal correctional agencies has allowed the movement to privatize correctional institutions to gain considerable momentum. The empirical evidence regarding whether private prisons are more costeffective than public institutions, however, is inconclusive. To address this question, a meta-analysis was conducted of 33 cost-effectiveness evaluations of private and public prisons from 24 independent studies. The results revealed that private prisons were no more cost-effective than public prisons, and that other institutional characteristics—such as the facilitys economy of scale, age, and security level—were the strongest predictors of a prisons daily per diem cost.

Rethinking the IQ-delinquency relationship: A longitudinal analysis of multiple theoretical models

Criminological research has consistently demonstrated a relationship between IQ and delinquency, yet scholars continue to debate the precise mechanisms by which IQ should have an effect on delinquent behavior. Although researchers typically view the IQ-delinquency relationship as a function of “school performance,” additional explanations exist that have yet to be formally tested in conjunction with one another within the same analysis. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) we extend existing research by assessing the indirect effect of IQ on delinquency through three intervening processes: school performance, deviant peer pressure, and self-control. The results indicate strong support for the school performance model (especially when linked with self-control), yet considerable evidence exists of an indirect effect of IQ on delinquency through both deviant peer pressure and self-control. The implications for future theoretical development and integration are discussed.

The Symbolic Ownership of the Corrections “Problem”: A Framework for Understanding the Development of Corrections Policy in the United States

This article argues that the use of the concept of “problem ownership” is an important and overlooked tool for examining the historical changes and current transformations taking place in the corrections policy arena. Problem ownership refers to the ability of policy stakeholders to define the nature, scope, and boundaries of a policy problem and, as a consequence, to shape the laws and administrative rules in their policy domain. This article uses the concept of problem ownership as an analytical framework for (a) explaining the nature of historical changes in corrections policy and (b) predicting the future direction of corrections policy in the near term.

GUARDING THE PUBLIC: A STATUTORY ANALYSIS OF STATE REGULATION OF SECURITY GUARDS

ABSTRACT There is wide variation among states in the type of behavior that disqualifies individuals from becoming a security guard. There is also variation among states with respect to the minimum requirements for becoming a security guard. Roughly one-third of the states require that applicants be either citizens or legal residents of the United States. One half of the states have a minimum age requirement. The most common minimum age for both armed and unarmed security guards is eighteen years; however some states have different age requirements depending upon whether or not the guard is armed. For example, the minimum age in Delaware is twenty for unarmed guards and twenty-one for armed guards. As a general indicator, 66 percent of states regulated private security guard services in some manner in 1981. Presently, 82 percent of states regulate private security at the employee level. This is a positive sign, but it should be reiterated that there is a vast difference between regulation levels among the ...

Is Private Time Quality Time? A National Private–Public Comparison of Prison Quality:

The prison privatization debate has thus far formed around both normative and empirical frameworks. Although not denying the importance of the debate over whether private prisons should exist, the fact that privatization has occurred necessitates empirical examination. We, therefore, use census of federal and state correctional facilities data to compare the quality of confinement across federal, state, and private prisons. After controlling for important institutional differences, we find that across many of the domains of quality, public and private prisons are similar. Public and private prisons did differ on some measures. Private prisons experienced less crowding than either state or federal prisons. Conversely, federal prisons scored higher on measures of activity (work, treatment, education) than privately run institutions.

Prescribing Some Criminological Theory An Examination of the Illicit Use of Prescription Stimulants Among College Students

Recent evidence indicates that the illicit use of prescription stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin is common across college campuses and in professions (e.g., trucking) where staying awake and focused is valued. Existing research has established use patterns and explored respondents’ reasons for using these stimulants. Less is known, however, about whether or how well mainstream criminological theory explains this type of illegal activity. This article reports results from a survey (N = 484) of college students from a Midwestern university, examining whether measures of strain, self-control, and social learning predict the illicit use of prescription stimulants. Measures from social learning and social control theories were significant predictors of illicit use of prescription stimulants, whereas the measure of academic strain was not; the strongest predictor of illicit use of prescription stimulants was general deviance. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Train in vain: A statutory analysis of security guard training requirements

How does one become a security guard? What sort of training is mandated for those seeking to be a security guard? There are currently over 10,000 security companies in the United States, employing 1.8 million guards. Security guards already outnumber police by almost three to one, and this discrepancy is expected to continue to grow. Every state requires police officers to undergo rigorous training. Security guards perform many of the same functions as police officers, and may even carry weapons. The question arises: to what extent do states regulate the training of armed and unarmed private security guards? This paper examines state statutory requirements for security guard training. The provisions of all fifty states are compared and evaluated. Our focus is on state regulations regarding the training of security guards. We are interested in determining what threshold requirements the states have seen fit to establish for training security guards, and whether these threshold requirements provide adequate...

“I Hate These Little Turds!”: Science, Entertainment, and the Enduring Popularity of Scared Straight Programs

ABSTRACT Americans’ opinions about crime and justice are more often shaped by media coverage than by scientific evidence. A prime example of this phenomenon is Arts and Entertainment (A&E) Network’s Beyond Scared Straight program—a show that has achieved strong ratings despite the large body of empirical evidence demonstrating the ineffectiveness of inmate–juvenile confrontation tactics. To understand the complexity of American citizens’ opinions toward this program, we conducted a qualitative analysis of the online responses to the television series Beyond Scared Straight. The themes that emerged center around beliefs about the effectiveness of Scared Straight, the level of brutality displayed, its inspirational and emotional content, and its authenticity. We discuss these results in terms of the need for scholars to more effectively communicate social science information concerning what does—and does not—“work” to the public and to correctional policymakers.

Fetal Homicide: Emerging Statutory and Judicial Regulation of Third-Party Assaults Against the Fetus

Summary Under common law, a crime resulting in the death of a fetus that was viable but not “born alive” was viewed as a transgression less serious than murder. Accordingly, courts did not allow parents to bring wrongful death suits for the death of a fetus. In the past decade, however, several states have amended their criminal or civil statutes to include the specific crime of “feticide” or “fetal homicide,” and the Federal government is considering similar legislation. This paper examines the history and current status of criminal and civil law regarding the third-party killing of a fetus.