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The Effects of Sanction Intensity on Criminal Conduct - JDAI Helpdesk

The Effects of Sanction Intensity on Criminal Conduct - JDAI Helpdesk

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strategy allows probati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ficers to focus their time and resources <strong>on</strong> the highest-risk<br />

clients.<br />

We explored the ability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the model to correctly classify <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders as low or n<strong>on</strong>low<br />

risk, using the sample <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders who participated in the trial <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> low intensity<br />

supervisi<strong>on</strong> and an additi<strong>on</strong>al group <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> APPD clients who also received low or n<strong>on</strong>-low<br />

risk predicti<strong>on</strong>s according to the model.<br />

We also examined the possibility that<br />

assignment to low-intensity supervisi<strong>on</strong> could interact with prior serious <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fending to<br />

increase serious recidivism compared to regular probati<strong>on</strong>. Our analyses revealed that<br />

the model is largely successful, perhaps needing just a slight adjustment the threshold for<br />

defining low-risk. In the c<strong>on</strong>text <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the APPD’s goal <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> classifying the majority <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> its<br />

caseload as low risk, we also found that the crimes defined in the model as ‘serious’<br />

provided a better indicati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> who the higher-risk <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders were than did UCR Part I<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenses or a simple victim/n<strong>on</strong>-victim crime status indicator. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> majority <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders<br />

predicted by the model to be low risk had committed a ‘serious’ <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fense by those<br />

definiti<strong>on</strong>s at some point in their careers, although their risk <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> an <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fense in these<br />

categories remained lower than that <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> predicted n<strong>on</strong>-low risk <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders. Thus, we<br />

c<strong>on</strong>clude that a statistical model <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the type developed in Philadelphia would appear to be<br />

a useful <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fender and resource management tool.<br />

Proceeding from the assumpti<strong>on</strong> that a majority <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a probati<strong>on</strong> agency’s caseload<br />

could be classified as low-risk for the most serious recidivism, we discovered that such<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders resp<strong>on</strong>d just as well, if not better, to reduced supervisi<strong>on</strong> as they do to<br />

traditi<strong>on</strong>al probati<strong>on</strong>. Offenders with no prior history <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> serious <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fending appear to<br />

improve their outcomes regardless <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> probati<strong>on</strong>’s input. This is a str<strong>on</strong>g justificati<strong>on</strong> for<br />

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