Research

Objective: The primary aim of the study is to document the prevalence and variation in types of pre- incarceration gang membership among a sample of incarcerated felons. The second goal is to consider if and how pre-incarceration gang involvement affects institutional behavior.Materials and Methods: This study builds on the existing literature by considering if and how different types of pre-incarceration gang involvement effect prison misconduct. This relationship is examined while controlling for attitudinal measures and pre-prison social characteristics that may condition…

Family context has been identified as a central domain in the study of delinquency, particularly during early childhood. As youth enter adolescence peer associations become a much stronger influence. Using a sample of preadolescent youth, this research examines the effect of family and peer relationships on delinquency. Specifically, path analysis is used to test the effects of family structure, parental supervision, and parental attachment on serious delinquent behavior to deter- mine if a youth’s family life has a unique effect…

We evaluated the efficacy of sex offender residence restrictions in Michigan and Missouri using a quasi-experimental design with propensity score matching. First, we examined the implementation of the laws and found that sex offenders in both states were less likely to live in restricted areas after the implementation of the laws than the prerestriction sample, but the differences were not statistically significant. In our outcome analysis, we find little evidence that residence restrictions changed the prevalence of recidivism substantially for…

Numerous studies have examined the postrelease behaviors of men and women, highlighting the importance of social bonds in understanding posi- tive reentry. However, there is evidence that the effect of social bonds on recidivism may vary by gender. Furthermore, research suggests that an indi- vidual’s propensity for criminality, including prior criminal history, may hinder the development and maintenance of positive social bonds and subsequently affect reentry transitions.The current study extends previous research in two ways. First, the authors examine gender…

Over the last several decades, police departments and other criminal justice agencies have seen a shift toward a proactive problem-solving response to crime problems. This problem-solving orientation has often included an emphasis on expanded partnerships across criminal justice agencies as well as with a variety of community stakeholders, including researchers. This manuscript uses the issue of gun violence as a lens through which to examine the organizational and inter-organizational changes necessary to apply a data-driven, proactive, and strategic policing-led response…

A broad body of research has examined the theoretical and empirical linkages between neighborhood characteristics, social processes, and aggregate crime patterns (Anderson, 1999; Bursik & Grasmick, 1993; Sampson & Groves, 1989). Less attention has been paid to gangs in the resurgence of research on neigh- borhoods and violence (Decker, Melde, & Pyrooz, 2013). Further, much of the neighborhoods research focuses on gangs as dependent variables, seeking to explain the emergence of gangs (Tita, Cohen, & Engberg, 2005) or spatial dis- tribution of gang homicide (Rosenfeld,…

We evaluated the efficacy of sex offender residence restrictions in Michigan and Missouri using a quasi-experimental design with propensity score matching. First, we examined the implementation of the laws and found that sex offenders in both states were less likely to live in restricted areas after the implementation of the laws than the prerestriction sample, but the differences were not statistically significant. In our outcome analysis, we find little evidence that residence restrictions changed the prevalence of recidivism substantially for…

Numerous studies have examined the postrelease behaviors of men and women, highlighting the importance of social bonds in understanding posi- tive reentry. However, there is evidence that the effect of social bonds on recidivism may vary by gender. Furthermore, research suggests that an indi- vidual’s propensity for criminality, including prior criminal history, may hinder the development and maintenance of positive social bonds and subsequently affect reentry transitions.The current study extends previous research in two ways. First, the authors examine gender…