Feature Channels: Crime and Forensic Science

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In 2017, there were nearly 40,000 gun-related deaths in the United States, including homicides and suicides.

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By: Bill Wellock | Published: April 26, 2022 | 12:39 pm | SHARE: Reported antisemitic incidents in the United States reached their highest level ever in 2021, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported.ADL noted 2,717 incidents last year, a 34% increase from 2020. It is the highest number since the organization began tracking incidents in 1979.

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This white paper delves into the factors that impact whether cases of child sexual abuse move forward to prosecution. It makes actionable recommendations for achieving justice for all involved and for strengthening the safety of communities.

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PSPI Live is an online symposium series that highlights papers published in the APS journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest (PSPI).

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Using Gallup survey data from 2000-2019 spanning across four presidential administrations, political scientists at Washington University in St. Louis find anxiety about crime, race and the president’s political party influence whether Americans hold presidents accountable for crime.

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Scanning the brains of newborns, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that maternal exposure to poverty and crime can influence the structure and function of young brains even before babies make their entrances into the world.

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The first study to take a “network analysis” approach to patterns of violence within UK organised crime gangs (OCG) has shown that OCG members who previously offended together are likely to end up attacking one another.

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We’re all familiar with the classic “look” of a movie bad guy: peering through narrowing eyes with a sinister sneer (like countless James Bond villains, including Christopher Walken’s memorable Max Zorin in A View to a Kill) or pumped up to cartoon-like dimensions (like the Soviet boxer Drago who growls “I must break you” to Rocky Balboa in Rocky IV).

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A study of a nationally representative database of 105,988 admissions referred to treatment by the criminal justice system who reported heroin or other opiate as their primary, secondary, or tertiary substance used showed that fewer than 6 percent of cases received opioid agonist treatment as part of the treatment plan. Those with daily substance use, comorbid psychiatric problems, prior treatment, females, Latinos, and those who were older and those who were living independently were more likely to receive this treatment, as were those living in the Northeast and with government health insurance.

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New research published March 11 in Criminology by Sadé Lindsay, sociologist in the Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy, finds that the formerly incarcerated face a “prison credential dilemma” when deciding whether to use credential from prison education and training programs when seeking employment.

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Paper notes that the U.S. federal government budgeted $1.5 million in 2021 for child sexual abuse prevention research.

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Don't miss these articles in our Staff Picks channel

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Analyzing data from thousands of young people, Joshua Jackson in Arts & Sciences finds the juvenile justice system is not rehabilitating kids.

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Washington counties that rely more on revenue from court-imposed fines and fees also sentence more women to incarceration, a study by the University of Washington finds.

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Immigration has been a politically charged topic for decades in the U.S. What’s missing from the discussion is consideration of criminal justice practice and policy, says Xavier Perez, a criminology faculty member in DePaul University’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

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The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), Florida State University (FSU) and Purdue University have teamed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to help law enforcement target, extract and collate cell phone evidence related to an incident.

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In America’s jails, suicide is the leading cause of death – nearly three times higher than in prisons or the general public. Researchers have long recognized the shock and lack of control associated with circumstances and surroundings in jail, however, the extent to which these experiences culminate in a propensity for suicide and self-harm (SSH) remains understudied. A study is the first to examine the risk factors for attempting and threatening SSH in a large metropolitan jail. Among the results: those in protective custody are seven times more likely to threaten and/or attempt SSH; the threat is 61 percent greater for first-time inmates; and the rate is 64 percent lower for males vs. females – individuals had a similar risk regardless of their age or race.

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A substantial minority of Americans morally opposed to abortion would nonetheless offer help to a friend or close family member who is seeking one, finds a new analysis of both public opinion data and in-depth interviews.

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Prisons and jails have been fertile ground for COVID-19 outbreaks, leading to millions of cases in the United States. Individuals released from these facilities often transition to other congregate settings, such as homeless shelters and group homes, where COVID-19 infections can continue to spread. Now, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System have been awarded a five-year, $3.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to test a program aimed at reducing SARS- CoV-2 transmission among people recently released from incarceration.

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Here are some of the latest articles we've posted in the Behavioral Science channel.

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Irvine, Calif., Jan. 25, 2022 — The University of California, Irvine Master of Advanced Study in criminology, law & society has been named the nation’s best online criminal justice master’s program by U.S. News & World Report for the third year in a row. The 2022 rankings also mark the fifth consecutive year in which the UCI program has placed in the top three.

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Communities with more religious congregations have fewer mass public shootings, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

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A new research study by an Arizona State University criminology professor finds that empathy is rarely expressed by criminal justice officials in the aftermath of police killings of unarmed African Americans, potentially missing an opportunity to ease tensions.

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Keeping children safe online is always important, but with the rapid rise of children using social media amid COVID-19 also comes increased opportunities for predators to access and exploit our youngest and most vulnerable citizens.

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To prevent wrongful convictions, only the first identification of a suspect should be considered.

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Adam Fine, an ASU assistant professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University, has co-written a book on misbehavior.

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The instructional models that are used to train police officers across the U.S. are in many cases antiquated, inadequate, and in critical need of immediate transformation, according to a new report by American University's School of Public Affairs.

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A new study examined the impact changes to background checks and licensing policies has made on different types of violent crime in Massachusetts. The study found no immediate impact, suggesting that state lawmakers may want to ensure their legislation is being implemented as intended.

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The findings suggest the new no-prosecution policies did not result in increased public complaints about drug use or sex work in Baltimore, and that those who had charges dropped did not go on to commit serious crimes.

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A review including new data analysis, published Oct. 14 in Science, exposes the harm mass incarceration has on families and advocates for family-friendly criminal justice interventions.

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The use of GPS-equipped ankle monitors is increasingly viewed as a more humane alternative to incarceration, yet a report released today finds they cause many of the same harms associated with traditional incarceration.

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On Wednesday, September 22, the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy is hosting a virtual panel discussion about the gun violence epidemic in the U.S. and specific calls to action state policymakers can take to address the issue.

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The UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law has received a $1 million grant from Walmart, Inc. The grant will fund a Court Observation Project through Bowen’s new Center for Racial Justice and Criminal Justice Reform. The project will introduce a state-wide court observation initiative that will create and share a transparent body of reliable data and research about Arkansas’s criminal justice system that is otherwise unavailable in the state.

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Rutgers Women’s Health Institute addresses the unique health concerns of women reentering society after incarceration through a new state commission