Jurg Gerber

A Large-Scale Multidimensional Test of the Effect of Prison Education Programs on Offenders' Behavior

This study examined the prison behavior and postrelease recidivism of more than 14,000 inmates released from Texas prisons in 1991 and 1992. Comparisons were made between participants and nonparticipants in prison education programs on a variety of behavioral outcomes. The findings suggest that these programs may be most effective when intensive efforts are focused on the most educationally disadvantaged prisoners. Implications for correctional education policy and correctional program research are discussed.

Social Consequences of the War on Drugs: the Legacy of Failed Policy:

The current war on drugs has radically transformed the criminal justice system. Although criminologists are aware of the multitudes of problematic justice system outcomes associated with this war, the widespread social, economic, health, political, and human costs of the current antidrug crusade have not been studied extensively by criminologists. The objective of this study is to bring attention to these broader societal costs of the drug war.

The New War on Drugs: Grass Roots Movement or Political Construction?

The 1986 War on Drugs is analyzed from the perspective of the constructionist approach to social problems. Using the model developed by Mauss, and relying on self-report data on drug use, we argue that the objective conditions of drug use cannot explain why drugs became an issue immediately prior to the 1986 elections. Instead, explanations for the rise of drugs as a social problem are to be found primarily in the political realm. Politicians looking for a “safe” election issue took advantage of a general public concern about drug abuse by promoting drugs as a social problem. Theoretical implications for Mausss approach are explored in a concluding section. Specifically, this model needs to be revised to allow for a more active involvement of state officials in the process of claims making.

Distribution and Correlates of Self-Reported Crimes of Trust

This study examines the distribution and correlates of a special class of property crimes, crimes of trust, using longitudinal and cross sectional self-report data from a national sample. We begin by defining crimes of trust and consider their conceptual relationship to “conventional” property crimes, which we here characterize as crimes of stealth, and to white collar crimes, which are defined in terms of the social status of the perpetrators. Crimes of trust are here defined as property crimes that typically involve deliberate contact with the victim or, where there is more than one victim, with at least one or more victims, in which there is typically more of a focus on concealing the fact that a crime has been committed than on concealing the identity of the perpetrator (as is the case in crimes of stealth), without regard to the socioeconomic status of the perpetrator (thus including but not limited to white collar crimes). The focus here is on crimes of trust committed by individuals (as opposed to corporate crime). We first examine their distribution by sociodemographic characteristics, then examine the correlation of crimes of trust with other types of illegal behavior, using data from the National Youth Survey Family Study, including (1) longitudinal self-report data from a nationally representative panel of individuals who were 11–18 years old in 1976–77 and who were followed through early middle age (ages 36–44) in 2002–2003, plus (2) cross-sectional data on these individuals plus their parents, spouses, and children age 11 and older in 2002–2003 (total age range 11–88). The results suggest that crimes of trust have a different age–crime curve from conventional crimes, and that they are not as strongly correlated with problem substance use, gender, and other socioeconomic indicators as conventional crimes.

Social Bonds, Self-Control, and Adult Criminality A Nationally Representative Assessment of Hirschi’s Revised Self-Control Theory

Recent modifications to self-control theory suggest that influential factors (bonds) equate to self-control in the calculation of whether or not to engage in deviant behavior. Hirschi argued that self-control should fare better as a theory when it is operationalized as the number and salience of an individual’s social bonds, rather than as a cognitive scale, or count of previous acts, as suggested by the original theory. This study extends the control theory literature by assessing the impact of redefined self-control, as well as attitudinal self-control, on adult criminal behavior. Data analyzed were from Waves 10 and 11 of the National Youth Survey Family Study. Findings suggest that both forms of self-control (new and old) are equivalently predictive of adult crime, yet it is unlikely that they are capturing the same phenomenon during adulthood. Implications for control theory are discussed.

The Civil Forfeiture of Assets and the War on Drugs: Expanding Criminal Sanctions While Reducing Due Process Protections

The War on Drugs has resulted in some of the most extensive changes in criminal justice policy since the due process revolution of the 1960s. Asset forfeiture has been used as a criminal sanction but has been camouflaged as a civil procedure, thus in effect limiting the due process rights of those accused. The state has extended its control over citizens and has simultaneously weakened the rights of individuals to protect themselves against state intrusion. The potential for excess with a civil asset forfeiture policy absent adequate due process protections render this policy unacceptable in a society based on the rule of law.

Predictors of Law Enforcement Agencies’ Perceptions of Partnerships With Parole Agencies

The current study aimed to enhance the understanding of how law enforcement agencies collaborate with parole agencies and how they view police-parole partnerships. The data were collected through a state-wide survey of all sheriffs’ offices and a random sample of municipal police departments in Texas, the state with the nation’s largest parole population. The primary research question focused on identifying (1) empirically derived and meaningful patterns of police-parole partnerships and (2) the predictors of the perception among law enforcement agencies with regard to partnerships with parole agencies. The main finding was that police agencies who valued partnerships with parole agencies tended to already be involved in collaborations with parole agencies and had an organizational culture which supported working with other agencies.

Women as victims of corporate crime: A call for research on a neglected topic

Criminologists have paid less attention to white‐collar than to street crime, to victims than to offenders, and to women than to men, either as victims or as offenders. In fact, we have been unable to locate even a single study that focuses specifically on women as victims of corporate crime. We present several case studies that indicate that women are indeed often victimized by corporate activities. We argue that research on this topic is both necessary and timely. Feminist analysis may explain why little attention has been paid to this issue so far and also provides a theoretical framework for future research.

Facilitating police-probation/parole partnerships

Purpose – The current study examines the prevalence, perceived effectiveness, and potential antecedents (e.g. departmental culture) of law enforcement agencies in collaborating with probation and parole agencies. Specifically, the study reveals how the leaders (i.e. police chief, sheriff) in law enforcement view police-community corrections partnerships. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from a state-wide survey of all sheriffs’ offices and a random sample of municipal police departments in Texas. Findings – Findings indicated information sharing and specialized enforcement partnerships were the most common partnership types, partnerships were more common with adult and juvenile probation than with adult parole, and partnerships remain predominantly informal. Finally, police chiefs/sheriffs in the departments with a culture supportive of offender reentry were more likely to support and engage in partnerships with adult/juvenile probation and adult parole agencies. Originality/value – Even ...

A Limited Capacity to Treat: Examining the Effects of Prison Population Control Strategies on Prison Education Programs

The number of prisoners across the country has increased dramatically throughout the 1980s. Texas is one state that has felt the strain of prisoner population pressures. To keep abreast of demand, more state prison units were built. However, new prisons were soon filled to capacity. This situation forced policymakers to implement a population cap and an allocation formula. To keep the prisoner population within the cap, prisoners were released early and time served declined rapidly over the course of the 1980s. These latter consequences severely affected the ability of the Windham School System to deliver prison education programs. The data showed that one in seven inmates was released prior to taking a vocational certification test. Various policy options are then explored.