Robert R. Weidner

The Impact of Contextual Factors on the Decision to Imprison in Large Urban Jurisdictions: A Multilevel Analysis

This study examines the influence of social and legal contextual factors on the processing of individual felony cases in large urban jurisdictions for 1998. Results of hierarchical logistic regression analyses that control for the effects of individual case-level factors show that three jurisdictional characteristics—use of sentencing guidelines, level of crime, and racial composition—influence the decision to imprison. These findings suggest that the type of sentence one receives and the reason one receives it partially depend on where it is meted out. This research demonstrates the importance of accounting for case-level factors in studies of cross-jurisdictional differences in punitiveness.

EXPLAINING SENTENCE SEVERITY IN LARGE URBAN COUNTIES: A MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS OF CONTEXTUAL AND CASE-LEVEL FACTORS

This study used hierarchical logistic modeling to examine the impact of legal, extralegal, and contextual variables on the decision to sentence felons to prison in a sample of large urban counties in 1996. None of the four contextual (county-level) variables—the level of crime, unemployment rate, racial composition, and region—increased the likelihood of a prison sentence, but 10 case-level factors, both legal and extralegal, and several macro-micro interaction terms were influential. These results demonstrate the importance of considering smaller geographic units (i.e., counties instead of states) and controlling for case-level factors in research on interjurisdictional differences in prison use.

A Test of Turk’s Theory of Norm Resistance Using Observational Data on Police-Suspect Encounters

Turk’s theory of norm resistance explains how authority-subject relations can be structured in manners that have different probabilities of overt conflict (norm resistance). Building on previous research by Lanza-Kaduce and Greenleaf, this study uses data collected as part of an observational study of the police in Indianapolis, Indiana, and St. Petersburg, Florida, to examine Turk’s theory as it relates to conflict in police-suspect encounters. It examines three hypotheses derived from the theory of norm resistance, using multivariate statistical techniques to control for several factors either posited or empirically shown in previous research to influence overt conflict. Two of the three hypotheses are supported. Consistent with prior research, organization and sophistication of police and suspects are significant predictors of overt conflict. However, the hypothesis that conflict will be less likely when officers’ positional authority is reinforced by race, age, sex, and wealth deference norms is not supported.

Domestic violence cases involving children: effects of an evidence-based prosecution approach.

This article reports findings from the evaluation of a city-county criminal prosecution unit for domestic violence involving children. Data from 446 cases prosecuted in the first 2 years of the Joint Prosecution Unit (JPU) were compared to a matched group of 446 domestic abuse cases prosecuted by both the city and county attorneys’ offices in the 2 years prior to inception of the JPU. Results of the comparisons indicated that fewer cases were declined or dismissed by the new unit, and that cases were prosecuted at a significantly more stringent level. Multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that child and weapon factors were associated with increased likelihood of a more serious (i.e., felony) plea for the new prosecution unit, relative to the comparison group. Results are presented in the context of addressing the difficulties inherent in the prosecution of domestic abuse and in light of the increasing awareness of the detrimental effects of domestic violence on children.

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.

Supervisory influences on officers’ perceptions of less lethal force policy: a multilevel analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of sergeants’ less lethal force policy perceptions on subordinate officers’ policy perceptions. Sergeants are a critical level of supervision in police departments with respect to policy administration, particularly in regard to the use of force. Little empirical research, however, has been conducted on either officer policy perceptions or this aspect of the supervisory role. Design/methodology/approach – Surveys of 765 patrol officers and 146 patrol sergeants served as the data source. Multilevel modeling procedures were used to test for supervisory influences on officer force policy perceptions while controlling for relevant officer-level variables. Additional analyses were conducted to examine potential moderating effects for this sergeant-officer attitudinal relationship. Findings – Findings revealed that sergeant policy perceptions, views of top management, and their level of support had a significant impact on officers’ force policy percep...

Delinquency among a Sample of Russian Youth: A Test of Power-Control Theory

Power-control theory purports to explain juvenile delinquency in terms of socioeconomic class, gender, and family structure. To date, it has been developed and investigated only with Canadian and American samples. This paper extends the application of this explanation by using data collected from Russian youths. As part of a 1992 study of legal socialization, a questionnaire was administered to 268 Moscow students. Based upon their responses to items that reflect elements of power-control, we examine the thesis that gender differences in risk orientation and delinquency will vary on the basis of family structure, as that is determined by parental roles in the workplace.

Front-line supervisors’ perceptions of less-lethal force policies: examining the ‘transmission belts’ of police departments

This study uses survey data from five municipal police agencies to examine sergeants’ attitudes regarding the clarity, discretionary assistance, restrictiveness, and guidance of their departments’ less-lethal force policies. In general, sergeants reported favorable attitudes toward their respective policies. However, this support varied to some extent across types of resistance, with somewhat weaker support for departmental policy in regard to lower levels of resistance (e.g., verbal and passive). Analyses reveal some interdepartmental differences regarding sergeants’ attitudes on policy restrictiveness; while sergeants from one department generally reported that their policy was not restrictive enough, sergeants from another department were more likely to feel that their policy was too restrictive. Finally, this research finds that sergeants’ personal views on the appropriateness of different force options to control resistant citizens varied at times from their departments policy. Implications of these findings for practice and research are discussed.