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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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paradox.” He suggests that ‘nothing works’ prop<strong>on</strong>ents did not c<strong>on</strong>sider the fact that<br />

high-risk <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders, by definiti<strong>on</strong>, will always re<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fend more than low-risk <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders.<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>y mistakenly took higher recidivism rates to mean that treatments were not effective,<br />

but rigorous research comparing intensive treatment to n<strong>on</strong>-intensive programs actually<br />

shows that intensive treatment programs can help to reduce re<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fending for high-risk<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders.<br />

Low-risk <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders c<strong>on</strong>tinue to re<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fend at a lower rate than high-risk<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders in both intensive and n<strong>on</strong>-intensive treatment, but studies frequently find that<br />

their recidivism increases when they are subjected to intensive programs. Drawing <strong>on</strong> a<br />

wide body <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Canadian research, Andrews (1989) c<strong>on</strong>cludes that “lower risk cases may<br />

be assigned safely to the least restrictive settings” (p. 15). Since then, numerous metaanalyses<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> correcti<strong>on</strong>al treatment have c<strong>on</strong>sistently shown that both treatment and<br />

supervisi<strong>on</strong> work better when the PEI (particularly the risk principle) are adhered to; that<br />

is, when a larger proporti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> high-risk <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders are served. More importantly for the<br />

present study, they have shown that low-risk <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders tend to have less favorable<br />

outcomes when they receive higher-intensity programming or supervisi<strong>on</strong> (see<br />

Lowenkamp & Latessa, 2004 for a summary <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the research). As we have seen, this<br />

finding is also borne out in studies <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> intensive probati<strong>on</strong> (Erwin, 1986; Hanley, 2006).<br />

While the idea <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> placing high-risk <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders in low-intensity supervisi<strong>on</strong> clearly<br />

seems inadvisable, the comm<strong>on</strong>ly-held noti<strong>on</strong> that ‘more is better’ also means that the<br />

thought <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> reducing supervisi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> low-risk <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders is not intuitive to policymakers or<br />

researchers. Nevertheless, we have presented several theories – deterrence/defiance,<br />

deviant peer c<strong>on</strong>tagi<strong>on</strong>, and the principles <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> effective interventi<strong>on</strong> – suggesting that<br />

assigning lower-level <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fenders less supervisi<strong>on</strong> may be more appropriate. Low-intensity<br />

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