Sheila Royo Maxwell

Examining Probation Violations: Who, What, and When

Although much has been written about probation recidivism, studies have primarily focused on rates of recidivism and the characteristics of probationers who succeed or fail. Few studies have examined the types or seriousness of violations that probationers commit while on probation. This article examines the rates and timing of technical violations versus new criminal offenses that probationers commit while under probation supervision. Factors related to the commission of these two types of violations are also examined. Findings indicate that most probation violations were for technical reasons, and a significant proportion were committed during the first 3 months of probation. Few probationers committed new crimes while on probation, and these were often committed later in the probation period. Findings also reveal that certain characteristics of probationers were predictive of early technical and new criminal violations. Implications are discussed.

Experiencing and Witnessing Familial Aggression and their Relationship to Physically Aggressive Behaviors among Filipino Adolescents

The effects of family violence on children’s aggressive behaviors have been the focus of much research. However, results have been equivocal in at least the following three areas: (a) the specific effects on aggression of child-directed violence versus child-witnessed violence, (b) the salience of family violence as an explanation of aggression when other theoretically relevant explanations of aggression are controlled (i.e., peers, attachments, or moral beliefs), and(c) the gender-specific effects of family violence. Using a probability sample of adolescents from a medium-sized city in the Philippines, this article assesses the effects of child-directed and child-witnessed violence between parents on aggressive behaviors of adolescents while controlling for theoretically relevant explanations of aggression. Results show that child-witnessed and child-directed violence are positively and significantly related to self-reported aggression, that child-witnessed violence accounts for most of the variance in adolescent aggression, and that neither measures of family violence interacts with gender.

Assessing the Correctional Orientation of Corrections Officers in South Korea

The correctional goal in South Korea has recently changed from the straightforward punishment of inmates to rehabilitation. Currently, emphases are being placed on education, counseling, and other treatment programs. These changes have consequently begun to also change the corrections officers’ roles from a purely custodial role to a human service role, in which officers are expected to manage rehabilitation and treatment programs. Despite these changes, few studies have examined the attitudes of corrections officers toward rehabilitation programming. This is an important dimension to examine in rehabilitation programming, as corrections officers play a major role in the delivery of institutional programs. This study examines the attitudes of South Korean corrections officers toward rehabilitation programs. Approximately 430 corrections officers were sampled. Results show that correctional attitudes are largely influenced by not only officers’ own motivations for joining corrections but also by institutional factors such as job stress. Policy implications are discussed.

Examining the congruence between predictors of ror and failures to appear

Pretrial releasing remains a difficult decision for judges to make despite State and Federal guidelines, which outline who would be appropriate to release-on-recognizance (ROR) and who would not. The difficulty arises in balancing the rights of defendants on the one hand, who are presumed innocent before conviction and should not be unnecessarily detained, and ensuring future court appearances and community safety, on the other. Judges make decisions based on pretrial recommendations by prosecutors, defense attorneys, or pretrial agencies, but often without feedback on the consequences of their decisions. This article presents an empirical analysis of the congruence of predictors for ROR and failure-to-appear (FTA) across the four largest boroughs of New York City. Data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Pretrial Reporting Program were used. Results show incongruent predictors of ROR and FTA, and highlight the “contextual” nature not only of ROR decisions, but of FTAs as well.

Assessing the instrumental and symbolic elements in attitudes toward the death penalty using a sample of Puerto Rican students

Theoretical explanations for the support or opposition to the death penalty have often been dichotomized into the instrumental and the symbolic perspectives. The instrumental perspective sees support for the death penalty as utilitarian, that it is a means to a desired end, which is often to lower crime rates. The symbolic perspective sees support for the death penalty as emanating from individuals’ political and social ideologies, no matter its utilitarian value. Both perspectives have often been examined individually, and seldom juxtaposed as competing explanations in a singular model. This paper examines both perspectives in a singular model, using a sample of Puerto Rican students.

Understanding cultural context when collecting field data: lessons learned from field research in a slum area in the Philippines

Textbooks on research methods generally emphasize the need to collect data with high validity, reliability, and in the case of qualitative research, authenticity. Yet, field research often poses unanticipated challenges, particularly when the research is conducted in less-than-well-documented milieus. This article outlines field challenges encountered by the authors when doing a qualitative study of a slum community in the Philippines. Acceptable Western standards for gaining entry into a research community, for participating in local community life, and for the language and dress code used in the field had to be re-evaluated by the authors according to the prevailing Filipino cultural norms and the norms used in the local slum community. Lessons learned in this research can inform those doing qualitative research generally, but particularly those considering research in non-Western cultures.

A Phenomenological Approach to Assessing a DUI/DWI Program:

In an effort to find a more proactive solution to the problem of drunk driving, a midwestern city has implemented a Driving Under the Influence or Driving While Impaired (DUI/DWI) Court program, a derivative of the popular drug courts. Eligible participants are those who have had two or more drunk-driving offenses but who have not been convicted of a violent offense. Participants volunteer for a 36-week program in exchange for a suspension of their prison sentence. Program elements include drug/alcohol monitoring, support groups, counseling, and extensive supervision. Using a phenomenological approach, this article describes the challenges faced by 20 participants, how they navigated the program requirements, their key realizations about their conditions, and their views on the viability and effectiveness of the program. The article uses qualitative interviews of participants and stakeholders collected for a process evaluation of the DUI program, and official records collected for programming purposes. Findings from this research can be used broadly for programming purposes and can be used by other court jurisdictions that are developing similar programs.

The Proportions of Different Types of Sex Offenders and the Degree of Difficulty in Treating Them: A Comparison of Perceptions by Clinicians in Taiwan and in Michigan

Research has shown that sex offenders are a heterogeneous group, but few studies have examined differences in types of sex offenders cross-culturally or examined the perceptions of clinicians about difficulties in treating different types of sex offenders. This study compares the perceptions of clinicians in Taiwan and in Michigan of the types of sex offenders they are serving and on the difficulties of treating these sex offenders. The Groth typology of sex offenders was used as the baseline typology. Results show significant differences in proportions of rapists and child molesters between Taiwan and Michigan, but no significant differences were found in other types. The rankings by clinicians of the degree of difficulty in treating different types of sex offenders were identical in both areas, although the clinical experiences of clinicians between these two areas were different.

Towards understanding antisocial behaviors and delinquency among Filipino youth

This paper examines some of the correlates of antisocial behaviors and delinquency among Filipino youth. Specifically examined is the salience of peer‐associations, family‐relations and legal beliefs as predictors of antisocial behaviors. The sample comprises grade school and high school students in the city of Cagayan de Oro in the Southern Philippines. Results show that peer‐associations, family‐relations and legal beliefs as well as gender are significant predictors of antisocial behaviors, but their saliency is not consistent across levels of behavior seriousness. Family relations are significant predictors of minor and medium forms of antisocial behaviors, while legal beliefs are significant predictors of medium and serious forms. Peer‐association is also more significant for medium to serious forms of antisocial behaviors.

Police officers’ perceptions of organizational justice and their trust in the public

Abstract Research in organizational psychology has consistently demonstrated that employee perceptions of organizational justice have significant effects on employee attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors. Similar studies utilizing the organizational justice model in policing have also noted these effects, including the relationship of justice perceptions with officer attitudes toward the public. Recent theoretical developments in policing contend that the association between internal perceptions of justice and external attitudes may be the result of organizational and supervisory practices that ‘trickle-down’ into the police-community relationship. This paper explores this association by assessing the effects of officer perceptions of organizational justice on officer trust in the public. A sample of patrol division police officers were surveyed using measures taken from the organizational justice literature and Mayer, Davis, and Schoorman’s model of organizational trust. Results show a strong relationship between perceptions of organizational justice and trust in the public even when other relevant predictors are controlled.