Lynne Roberts

Signed Consent Forms in Criminological Research: Protection for Researchers and Ethics Committees but a Threat to Research Participants?

The use of signed consent forms is mandated by most human research ethics committees and social science ethics codes. In this article we argue that the use of signed consent forms in criminological research provides protection for researchers and ethics committees by providing documentation that informed consent has been obtained, but poses a threat to potential research participants, especially offenders. Consent forms constitute a record of participation in a research project, providing the potential for research documentation to be subpoenaed. This is a threat to the offenders future wellbeing in research where offenders are asked to report on illegal activities. Further, there is a general reluctance among offenders to sign consent forms, creating a barrier to participating in research and potentially affecting response rates and representativeness of samples. Concerns over confidentiality may result in limited disclosure and self-protecting responses. We recommend the development of alternative meth...

Timely Intervention or Trapping Minnows? The Potential for a Range of Net-Widening Effects in Australian Drug Diversion Initiatives

The range of drug diversion programs in Australia has increased markedly in the last decade. The question of whether these programs really do divert offenders from the criminal justice system or simply add levels of complexity and supervision has not been adequately addressed. Using Stanley Cohens (1985) conceptualisation of wider nets (more people in system), denser nets (increased intensity of intervention) and different nets (new services supplementing rather than replacing existing services) we examine the potential for a range of net-widening effects in three stages of Australian court and police drug diversion processes: the recruitment of program participants, the conditions imposed as treatment and the final sentencing outcomes. Because of the potential for net-widening with diversion programs, we recommend the incorporation of net-widening impact assessments into the planning of all new diversion initiatives followed by evaluations that monitor inadvertent net-widening. Ultimately, in determining the costs and the benefits of drug diversion, net-widening may represent a threat if seen from a criminal justice perspective but a benefit from a health perspective.