Michael Weinrath

Victimization and Fear of Crime

Victimization has generally been associated with increased fear of crime. Analysis of two very large victimization surveys completed in the Canadian city of Edmonton, Alberta, explores the ways in which age and gender condition the experience of different types of victimization. While younger women were sensitized by assault (current or prior), older women appeared to be desensitized by similar victimization.

Violent Victimization and Fear of Crime Among Canadian Aboriginals

Abstract Violent victimization by offenders has led to concerns over the negative consequences that this has on victims, including a greater fear of crime. Because their disadvantaged status leads to greater rates of violent victimization, it is speculated that fear of crime will be higher among the poor and racial minorities. Examining the common violent crime of assault, this hypothesis is tested by comparing the results of two national Canadian surveys, the 1991 post-censal Aboriginal Peoples Survey (N = 18,000%), and the 1993 Canadian General Social Survey (N = 10,000%). Contingency tables (cross-tabs) and multi-variate logistic regression are used to assess differences in reported fear levels between Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal cases. While Aboriginal rates of violent victimization are higher, there are no appreciable differences in fear levels. In some situations Non-Aboriginal Canadians are even more likely to report fear. This relationship holds even in controlled analysis for urban based Aboriginals and Non-Aboriginals. Assault does not substantially increase the fear levels of either group. Income differences between Aboriginals and Non-Aboriginals are a concern. Low income earners are more afraid, while high income earners are not. While other factors mediated some of these effects, policy makers need to direct attention to the large number of urban based, impoverished Aboriginals.

Specific Deterrence and Sentence Length The Case of Drunk Drivers

Researchers have assessed the effect of longer prison sentences by conducting aggregate-level studies of general deterrence. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the specific deterrent effects of longer custody sentences on individual offenders. The authors evaluated the effect of sentence length on drunk driving recidivism by using official records in a retrospective research design. A sample of 514 incarcerated drunk drivers we are followed up for 24 to 45 months in Alberta, Canada. The study searched for possible sentencing thresholds, the optimum sentence length at which point deterrent effects are maximized, and used multivariate statistical analysis to control for possible confounding background variables. The authors observed that sentence length exerted consistent deterrent effects on repeat drunk driving, even for chronic offenders. Shorter sentences were less effective in discouraging drunk driving recidivism, while sentences longer than 6 months did not produce additional benefits.

Third generation prison classification: the manitoba case

Some investigators have recommended the use of a single instrument for both community‐based and incarcerated offenders to simplify offender classification. To assess the feasibility of such a practice, we compared a community/institutional classification instrument, the Primary Risk Assessment (PRA), with the Institutional Security Assessment (ISA), a device intended solely for custodial settings. Sentenced inmate admissions for 1997 (N = 1064) had three outcome criteria applied: proportion of inmates assigned to each security category, institutional misconduct, and recidivism rates. In direct comparison, the ISA outperformed the PRA in predicting institutional violations and reoffence. Study findings did not support the use of a community corrections based instrument in an institutional setting. Both instruments posed problems, however, with respect to the proportions of inmates assigned to appropriate security categories. Results supported the development of an integrated, third generation instrument to improve inmate classification.

ARE NEW DIRECTIONS WARRANTED FOR THE PRESENTENCE REPORT? AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF ITS PREDICTIVE UTILITY IN THE ADULT COURT SYSTEM

ABSTRACT In recent years, changes have been advocated for the presentence investigation report (PSR). Instead of a narrative-style, social casework approach, reports have been advocated that either focus on interpreting legal status (offense severity, prior record), incorporate statistical prediction models, or provide specific community alternatives to custody. This study attempted to answer the fundamental question of whether or not narrative PSRs were helpful to the judiciary in assigning probation. The effects of a PSR on recidivism were examined for a sample of 206 adult offenders assigned to one years probation. Statistical controls for risk status, sources of extra-legal information and reoffense severity were used to rigorously test the impact of the presentence report. Results did not support use of the narrative presentence report. Study findings indicated that the narrative PSR should be discontinued. Results also have implications for the use of legal status, risk prediction instruments and ...

The Impact of an Intensive Supervision Program on High-Risk Offenders: Manitoba's COHROU Program

Les États-Unis ont des programmes de surveillance intensive (PSI) depuis longtemps, mais ceux-ci n’existent au Canada que depuis peu. Le programme de la Manitoba’s Criminal Organization High Risk Offender Unit (COHROU) conjugue surveillance intensive, soutien et placement dans un programme à une intervention policière rapide dans le cas de non-conformité aux conditions de surveillance. La COHROU tente d’utiliser des programmes basés sur les preuves pour répondre aux besoins criminogènes et compléter la surveillance. Cette étude quantitative et rétrospective évalue des clients du programme admis pour plus de 8 ans (N = 409) en faisant le suivi de nouvelles condamnations pour crimes violents, infractions contre les biens ou manquement aux conditions de la probation ainsi que toute autre infraction ayant lieu pendant le programme ou deux ans après la surveillance. Tous les jours incarcérés trois ans avant et après le programme sont aussi pris en compte. Les résultats indiquent que la récidive était importante, mais qu’un grand nombre de condamnations étaient des violations de conditions. À l’aide de comparaisons des données repères avant et après le programme, une réduction des récidives violentes, du nombre de jours en incarcération et de la sévérité générale du crime a été observée. Bien que la tendance à la baisse de la sévérité de l’infraction et de l’incarcération soit encourageante, l’allégation de l’évaluation voulant que les PSI soient efficaces est limitée, car il manque un groupe de référence. Des chercheurs futurs pourraient aussi vouloir étudier les aspects plus qualitatifs du fonctionnement du programme COHROU et de la surveillance des agents de probation afin de comprendre les caractéristiques du programme qui affectent les participants.

Accessing drug treatment courts do age, race or gender matter?:

To ensure equitable access to diversion from custody, Canadian drug treatment courts should accept referrals whose age, gender, and Indigenous race proportions are similar to probation or custody admissions. Of particular concern are Indigenous offenders, who are over-represented in Canada’s community and institutional corrections systems. To examine the influence of these extra-legal factors, we assessed referrals to the Winnipeg, Manitoba drug treatment court (N = 288). Provincial corrections data from Statistics Canada’s adult key indicator report, eight years of official records drug court data (2006–2014), and local male sentenced inmate admission data were analyzed. Age, gender, and Indigenous status did not influence referral. Indigenous male referrals to the drug treatment courts were generally higher risk than females or other males. Correctional institutions data showed that Indigenous male inmates had more convictions for violence and higher street gang membership rates, thus attempting to increase drug court referral poses significant challenges. In Manitoba, substantial custody reductions of offenders overall and Indigenous male offenders in particular will require more radical solutions than the drug court.