Organizational trust is an important concept, which has led to calls to increase the level of both supervisor and management trust. Research on how workplace variables are linked to supervisor and management trust is limited. The present study used the job demands–resources model to explore how job demands (role overload, fear of victimization, and routinization) and job resources (job autonomy, instrumental communication, and quality supervision) were related to supervisor and management trust. Using data from 120 Nigerian prison staff, communication and supervision were related to higher levels of supervisor trust, and all three job resources were related to higher management trust; the other variables had nonsignificant associations with both types of trust. An implication from a policy perspective is that prison administrators should implement interventions to raise job autonomy, instrumental communication, and quality supervision to enhance the level of supervisor and management trust among the staff.
This research examines if uniformed police volunteers, called ‘special constables’ across England and Wales, are trained to understand and utilize evidence-based policing (EBP) in their volunteering. As the government across the United Kingdom focuses on neighbourhood policing, the special constabulary is key in enacting such activities within communities. The research used an anonymous online questionnaire, collecting data from 129 volunteer special constables across four different rural and urban police forces in England and Wales. The findings demonstrate that most respondents had received little training relating to EBP; however, nearly two-thirds of the respondents used EBP regularly. Despite national learning programmes, the data suggests that special constables may not be receiving similar opportunities for training as their regular police officer counterparts, yet are still expected to both support and complete similar policing tasks. This article concludes by discussing the implications of EBP training for volunteers and areas for future research.
This research note presents findings from a qualitative study exploring the barriers to victim and witness participation in the criminal justice system following acts of severe community violence. Drawing on data from stakeholder interviews and focus groups conducted in Philadelphia and North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad region, the study provides an analysis of how law enforcement professionals, victim advocates, and community-based service providers perceive and respond to victim and witness engagement. The findings reveal that barriers to participation operate across multiple, interrelated levels—from individual trauma and legal fears, to community norms, institutional practices, and justice system constraints. Supports used to facilitate participation include, but are not limited to, early engagement with victim advocates, trauma-informed approaches, and safety protections and court accompaniment. The research highlights stakeholder-informed recommendations to strengthen engagement practices and guide reforms aimed at improving participation among victims and witnesses in communities impacted by high rates of violence.
Gang activity presents a serious risk to many communities across Canada. The prevalence of gang violence has prompted the creation of a variety of prevention, intervention, and suppression efforts. The current study reviews existing intervention approaches, with a particular focus on those targeting high-risk and gang-entrenched individuals, and situates a new intervention and exiting program within the current gang control framework. An overview of findings from a recent evaluation this program – which uses a joint civilian and police officer case management approach – is presented. The process and impact evaluation findings suggest the approach may be an effective strategy for reducing gang involvement, and provide insights for best practices and implementation considerations for policymakers with respect to gang reduction efforts more generally. Key recommendations include maximizing risk and needs assessments, better use of formal case plans, and streamlining staff roles.
Many studies of pretrial rearrest aggregate charges of all severities together, from high-level felonies to petty misdemeanors. Using a dataset of over 15,000 felony defendants who were released pretrial between July 2017 and July 2021 in New Mexico, we disaggregated rearrest outcomes by offense type and severity and explored how these factors related to the risk scores generated by the Public Safety Assessment (PSA). We found that the rates of rearrest for serious crimes during pretrial release were lower than the overall rearrest rates suggest. In particular, across all PSA score categories, approximately one-third of rearrests involved misdemeanors or petty misdemeanors. Of the two-thirds of rearrests for felony charges, most were for fourth-degree offenses. Rearrest for first- or second-degree felonies was rare, occurring in less than 0.1% and 1% of cases, respectively, even among defendants whose initial charge was severe and who received high risk scores from the PSA.
This paper investigated the motivations, activities, satisfaction levels, and organizational perceptions of members of the Hungarian Civil Volunteer Guard (Polgárőrség) based on a nationwide quantitative survey of 431 volunteers. Using descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, and hypothesis testing, the study identified key factors influencing member satisfaction and future commitment. Results showed that higher volunteering hours and frequent cooperation with the police were strongly associated with greater satisfaction and organizational loyalty, while demographic variables such as gender, age, and education exerted minimal influence. Open-ended responses further revealed pressing challenges related to recruitment, public recognition, resource distribution, and institutional collaboration. The results emphasize that the organization’s future sustainability depends primarily on active member engagement and improved public visibility. The findings signal the need to adapt policy toward a sustainable future for the Civil Guard underpinned by greater involvement, public recognition, and integration.
This study investigates death sentences for mass shooters in the United States (1980–2020), examining the rate of mass shooters sentenced to death; differences in death penalty–eligible mass shooter outcomes based on offender, victim, and incident characteristics; and geographic (state-level) areas where mass shooters are sentenced to death. Findings show nearly one-third of all death penalty–eligible mass shooters were sentenced to death. However, the percentage of mass shooters who received death sentences decreased substantially after the turn of the century: from 39% (1980–1999) to 22% (2000–2020). Consistently significant predictors of a death sentence include a history of offender violence, victims under age 12, public locations, and incidents occurring in the South. Two-thirds of death sentences stem from mass shootings in just eight states. This work advances knowledge of death sentencing practices in America and provides an empirical foundation for policy discussions concerning the administration of capital punishment in mass shooting cases.
There are more than 200 independent review boards tasked with investigating police misconduct in cities across the United States. As more cities consider the creation of these boards to address police misconduct, it is critical to understand public appetite for specific board components (e.g., subpoena power). This study examines support for individual components and tests the hypothesis that there are specific segments of the public who prefer civilian review boards with constrained powers, limiting their capacity to independently investigate or discipline officers. This study also tests one theoretical explanation for why those on the political right may oppose police reform. Results reveal strong public support for boards powered by the resources and authority to investigate and discipline officers for misconduct independent of internal police processes. Yet, partisan differences and racial attitudes separate people who support strong boards from those who do not.
This pilot study evaluates three machine learning models—Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini—in parole decision-making by comparing their recommendations against human judicial decisions. Analyzing 150 cases across sexual, drug-related, and violent offenses, the study demonstrates alignment rates of 56%–68% between artificial intelligence (AI)-generated and human decisions. Findings reveal a consistent rehabilitative bias in AI recommendations, with statistical analyses indicating robust patterns across offense categories. This research establishes an empirical foundation for understanding AI’s potential as a decision-support tool in parole processes while preserving essential human judgment. While focusing on Israel, the findings offer a preliminary basis for considering similar AI integrations across different jurisdictions. These results underscore the importance of developing clear criminal justice policies and ethical frameworks to guide the responsible use of AI in parole decisions, ensuring that technological tools support rather than replace human judgment and enhance public trust in the system.
Protective orders (POs) are a primary legal mechanism to safeguard victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and reduce the risk of subsequent violence. Although POs have demonstrated effectiveness, scholarly attention to the legal consequences of PO violations remains limited. We systematically analyzed statutes governing first-time PO violations across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., using a comprehensive Westlaw search and supplementary legal resources. All jurisdictions address PO violations, and most classify a first-time violation as a misdemeanor. Penalties vary widely, ranging from 48 hours to 2.5 years of imprisonment and fines from $200 to $25,000; some states also require offenders to pay victim restitution and court fees. Policy reforms that promote greater equity, standardized statutory language, and improved coordination among courts, law enforcement, and victim services are critical to ensuring that POs function as reliable safeguards for IPV survivors nationwide.
This pilot study explores judges’ perceptions of the Youth Assessment and Screening Instrument (YASI), a risk and needs assessment tool used in juvenile court disposition decisions. Survey data from 42 judges across three U.S. states reveal that while judges view these tools as beneficial for standardizing evaluations and supporting rehabilitation efforts, they expressed concerns that overreliance could overlook individual circumstances and may not adequately account for changes over time. Perceptions varied by judicial experience and gender, particularly regarding fairness, implementation support, and data accuracy. Judges emphasized the need for consistent training, quality assurance measures, and feedback from youth and families, offering recommendations to improve YASI’s utility and effectiveness. These findings contribute new insights into judicial perceptions of assessment tools and enhance understanding of how judges engage with structured decision-making instruments to improve judicial decision-making and youth outcomes in juvenile justice.
This research paper examines experiences of female part-time volunteer police – Special Constables – across several different police forces in England and Wales, exploring gendered experiences in part-time volunteer policing in terms of accessibility, inclusion, engagement, and professional development. Interviews with female volunteer police reveal gendered constructions of volunteer policing roles, careers, status, and value. Within a male-centric and a “regular” paid-service officer-centric policing milieu, female Special Constables reflect a complex, contested professional space and professional identities. Findings highlight challenges of “fitting in” to policing and of “being fit for” the volunteer officer role. Substantial, and distinct, career barriers link to gendered differences in time availability and care responsibilities, life events, maternity, and parenthood. Particularly within leadership and specialisation pathways, there are constraints to female volunteer officer career progression. The study points to a need for fundamental institutional adaptation, to foster a model of gender-equitable participation within the volunteer police.
Recent studies reported low utilization of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in adult drug courts. We surveyed 94% of U.S. state and territorial drug court coordinators about their efforts to enhance delivery of MOUD and the overdose-reversal medication, naloxone. Roughly 90% of programs have retracted or never had policy prohibitions against MOUD, including methadone and buprenorphine. However, only about one quarter of states have enacted specific policies to enhance utilization, such as requiring staff to receive MOUD training or conduct routine screening of clients’ MOUD treatment needs. One half to two thirds of states do not monitor their programs’ delivery of MOUD or naloxone or barriers to implementation. Possibly as a result, only about one quarter or less of clients with an opioid use disorder receive the medications in most drug courts. The authors provide recommendations to help state and territorial agencies promote effective MOUD and naloxone practices in their adult drug courts.
Community supervision is the most frequently used correctional sentence, requiring individuals to adhere to court-ordered conditions. Using a sample of 304 adults under probation supervision, this study investigated the influence of the type and number of special conditions on probation outcomes. Our findings revealed that the type of special conditions significantly predicted probation outcomes. Specifically, individuals ordered to a higher number of treatment conditions were more likely to experience negative outcomes, including technical violations, rearrest, and revocation. Individuals ordered to more control conditions had a higher number of technical violations and were over five times more likely to be revoked. Requiring a higher total number of court-ordered conditions increased the likelihood of technical violations, and greater odds of rearrest and revocation. Findings illustrate the importance of evaluating the imposition of court-ordered conditions, highlighting the potential for the excessive use of conditions to inadvertently undermine the effectiveness of the probation system.
Research in both criminology and sociology has emphasized the problem of organizational compliance with legal mandates, including law enforcement compliance. Recent research has drawn attention to the problem of police agency use of purely symbolic structures (ceremonious compliance) that appear to comply with legal mandates, while their practices reject the underlying ideals—most notably with regard to hate crime data reporting. The present work describes the current status of federal legislation regarding hate crimes and data collection, including signed legislation as well as introduced bills not yet subjected to a vote. In addition to describing the current socio-legal landscape surrounding hate crime data collection, we also discuss promising aspects of recent legislation, weaknesses, and potential changes that could be made to enhance the accuracy of hate crime data. Our results reveal how legislation shapes law enforcement hate crime reporting and how organizations respond to legal mandates more broadly.
This study examines prosecutorial decision-making for seeking the death penalty in Kentucky death-eligible cases between 2000 and 2016. The analysis includes both propensity score matching (PSM) and logistic regression. PSM allows researchers to better identify sentencing disparities in sentencing concerning the defendant and victim’s race. Using both sets of official court records compiled by the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy and the Jefferson County Public Defender’s Office, we examined all death-eligible Kentucky homicide cases from 2000 to 2016 ( N = 944). The results offer support to the Focal Concerns theory. Prosecutors treated defendants who took a female’s life as more blameworthy. Unlike previous Kentucky-based studies, homicide cases featuring a Black defendant and a White victim did not attract prosecutorial attention. The findings support that protection of the community is the foremost reason why a prosecutor would seek the death penalty.
In January 2020, New York implemented a bail reform law restricting judges’ discretion to set money bail for certain offense types. We used a controlled-interrupted time series (CITS) design to estimate the reform’s impact on pretrial recidivism. Leveraging the reform’s offense-based eligibility criteria, defendants were separated into treatment and control groups. By comparing recidivism pre- and post-reform and between the treatment and control groups, we were able to minimize confounding from coinciding changes. We evaluated the new law’s effect on multiple recidivism measures: any re-arrest, felony re-arrest, and violent felony re-arrest. In addition, we conducted subgroup analyses for high-risk defendants with recent criminal history. We found a statistically significant increase in violent felony re-arrests among the subgroup of individuals with recent criminal history.
Due to the increasing threat of ransomware, policy makers have been working to develop strategies to curb attacks. These strategies include using mechanisms already in place, such as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and adopting new legislation, such as the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022. States have had ransomware statutes as early as 2014. This study conducted a contemporary review of these state statutes, including identifying and discussing relevant themes and trends. A contemporary review of legal cases citing state criminal ransomware statutes was also conducted. The results suggest there is not heavy reliance on state statutes criminalizing ransomware. The results also demonstrate the complexities involved when trying to develop ransomware legislation. It is recommended that organizations take measures to understand the limitations of state and federal ransomware legislation and develop comprehensive policies to protect against potential threats.
There has been a drastic increase in the use of video teleconferencing (VTC) in judicial proceedings since the COVID-19 pandemic, which has sparked debate about the appropriateness of incorporating this new technology into courts’ routine operations. A systematic review of state laws on using video teleconferencing technology in criminal court proceedings shows courts across the United States are cautiously embracing the convenience of remote proceedings. However, legislators are more conservative about using video teleconferencing in higher-stakes proceedings such as evidentiary hearings and sentencing hearings, by either prohibiting the use or requiring the parties’ consent. Other aspects of state statutes include special rules for child witnesses, expert witnesses, and incarcerated individuals.
Incentives and sanctions, and more recently therapeutic adjustments, are used in problem-solving courts (PSCs) to promote behavioral change for participants. However, little is known about how PSC team members perceive the use of these strategies. Drawing upon 20 semi-structured interviews with drug court, mental health court, and veterans’ court personnel within a midwestern jurisdiction, we explored perceptions of incentives, sanctions, and therapeutic adjustments. Nearly all personnel reported a need to increase frequency and types of incentives offered. In addition, some PSC personnel described nonjudicial team members imposing informal consequences without the judge present. Furthermore, confusion was noted between the terms “sanction” and “therapeutic adjustment.” Understanding the distinction between sanctions and therapeutic adjustments is critical for PSC program evaluation, yet greater dissemination of existing guidelines is needed. Oversight by statewide administrative entities could help ensure consistent understanding and application of PSC best practices.
