John Ortiz Smykla

Juvenile Drug Courts: Understanding the Importance of Dimensional Variability

Juvenile drug courts have emerged as “innovative” responses to juvenile drug offenders, but comparatively little is known about their operations. Using Goldkamps typology of adult drug courts and secondary analyses of Cooper and Bartletts data from a national-level survey of juvenile drug courts, this article first describes these courts and then analyzes the variability in key dimensions of juvenile drug courts that were operating in the United States on January 1, 1998. Results showed that juvenile drug courts have great variation across their key dimensions (e.g., target populations, target problems, court processing focus, and candidate screening and evaluation). The authors raise questions about future research that might ignore the variance across the key dimensions of juvenile drug courts that were uncovered.

Effects of a prison facility on the regional economy

Abstract Changes in economic and social well-being in three Alabama countries, immediately subsequent to the opening of large state prison facilities in those countries, are examined. Case study comparisons of prison and control (no prison) counties, using variables of population growth, total employment, per capita income, retail sales, property value, farm acreage and value, school enrollment, and crime rates and juvenile court cases, find some mixed indicators of a prisons effect on the local economy, but the majority of variables showed no negative effects, and positive improvement was found in some cases.

Do juvenile drug courts reduce recidivism?: Outcomes of drug court and an adolescent substance abuse program

Juvenile drug courts have emerged as “innovative” responses to juvenile drug offenders, but comparatively little is known about their operations. This paper presents results of a retrospective comparison of drug court participants to an adolescent substance abuse program (ASAP) to examine which participants fared better in terms of future recidivism. Using data collected from official case files, we compared recidivism levels for all juveniles (n = 150) terminated from drug court between 1996 and 1999 with those of a random sample of juveniles (n = 158) terminated from ASAP during 1994 and 1995. Biand multivariate analyses were conducted to identify whether significant differences existed between the groups concerning re-arrest (recidivism) over a 24-month post-release observation period. Study results highlighted by logistic regression analyses suggesting that juveniles in drug court were no more likely to recidivate than were juveniles in ASAP is a positive finding for the drug court program and is an indication that the program is working, especially given the serious nature of this juvenile offender population.

Community Perceptions of Police Body-Worn Cameras: The Impact of Views on Fairness, Fear, Performance, and Privacy

Despite relatively little extant research, efforts to expand the use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) in policing are increasing. Although recent research suggests positive impacts of BWCs on reducing police use-of-force and citizen complaints, little is known about community members’ perceptions of BWCs. The current study examined perceptions of residents of two Florida counties and found a large majority of respondents supported the use of BWCs. Structural equation modeling was utilized to examine factors that influence views of BWCs. Findings indicate that positive perceptions of police performance and more police interaction were associated with greater perceived benefits of BWCs, whereas concerns about the privacy reduced perceived BWC benefits. Respondents’ views of procedural fairness and crime concern were indirectly related to perceptions BWC benefits. Non-White and younger respondents were indirectly less likely to perceive benefits. Implications of these findings and future directions for research are discussed.

The incidence of learning disabilities and mental retardation in youth under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court

The incidence rate of learning disabled and mentally retarded youth among three groups of youth under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court is examined. These three groups are institutionalized delinquents, nonconfined delinquents, and status offenders. The chi-square statistic indicated no significant differences (p > .05) with respect to the presence of either learning disabilities or mental retardation among the three groups.

A Mixed Methods Analysis of Methodological Orientation in National and Regional Criminology and Criminal Justice Journals

The current study uses a mixed methods design to examine the so-called methodological divide in criminology and criminal justice and the extent to which mixed methods are being employed within the discipline. The authors content analyzed research articles from two national and four regional journals to determine the type and frequency of various methodologies. A sample of journal article authors was then surveyed to gain a better understanding of the methodological and publication pressures experienced by researchers. Findings indicate that although quantitative methods still dominate, the use of mixed methods appears to be increasing. Differences between national and regional journals are also discussed.

Criminal procedure in Uruguay, South America: A test of the universal applicability of Ingraham's six stages of criminal procedure

Abstract Ingrahams (1987) model for studying criminal procedure was applied in the context of Uruguay, South America. The research found that the models six tasks or functions (intake, screening, charging the defendant and safeguarding his/her rights, adjudicating, sanctioning, and appeal) enhanced understanding of criminal procedure in Uruguay. Application of the model in a Latin American context is expected to help increase the attention given to Latin American criminal justice in comparative courses, in view of the minimal level of such attention that was discovered by Peak (1990).

Critique concerning Prediction in Probation and Parole: Some Alternative Suggestions:

The decision to grant or deny probation or parole is dependent upon making predictions of what activity and behavior can be affected by probation or parole. However, in research conducted on correctional decision-making, the evidence shows that decision-making diverges significantly from what one would expect to be true if there were any validity to preventive or correctional claims as guides to decision-making. In light of this finding, this article discusses the side effects of prediction in probation and parole including economic consequences, sentencing issues, ethical issues, moral and political issues, and legal issues. The article concludes with several recommendations to limit our belief and use of prediction in probation and parole.

Guidelines for police undercover work: New questions about accreditation and the emphasis of procedure over authorization

A survey of the 100 largest police departments in the United States was conducted to document the experience of police undercover operations and the existence of agency guidelines. Eighty-nine agencies responded, revealing that all 89 conduct undercover activities but only 64 have guidelines for such operations. Types of crimes investigated by police undercover operations, reasons for having or not having guidelines, and regional analyses are offered. One finding is that police undercover guidelines emphasize either procedure or authorization in undercover police work. Of the departments that have guidelines, more emphasize procedure (“how to”) than authorization (“when to”). Questions about this dichotomy and the impact of national accreditation standards are raised for future research.

War and capital punishment

This article examines the relationship between war and capital punishment. Based on Executions in the United States, 1608-1987: The Espy File (Espy and Smykla, 1987), a new, comprehensive computer-readable data collection on the history of capital punishment, changes in execution rates were measured across Worm Wars 1 and H and the Korean War with a before-, during-, and afterdesign. After review of several theoretical reasons to suspect that executions might continue at the same level or even increase during and after war periods compared with prewar periods, it was found that the number of executions dropped during and after World Wars 1 and H and the Korean War compared to prewar periods of equal length. Explanations related to changes in the number of homicides or in public opinion are discounted. It is suggested that the changes are, in part, functions of the influence of women and the elderly during large-scale mobilization and of war-time parole, which required military service in lieu of incarceration and execution.