International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Examining the Role of Familial Support During Prison and After Release on Post-Incarceration Mental Health
In this study, we examine whether familial support—either positive or negative—in-prison and after release affects mental health outcomes post-release. Using the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI) dataset, we regress post-release mental health on in-prison familial support, post-incarceration familial support, and changes in familial support. We find that while in-prison family support does not affect mental health, post-release familial support does. Also, experiencing an increase in negative familial support is associated with lower post-incarceration mental health. We conclude with a dis...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - December 4, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Wallace, D., Fahmy, C., Cotton, L., Jimmons, C., McKay, R., Stoffer, S., Syed, S. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

The Treatment Perspectives of Mentally Ill Offenders in Medium- and High-Secure Forensic Settings in Flanders
This study focuses on the treatment perspectives of MIOs in treatment as well as in prison settings in Flanders. Seventeen MIOs were interviewed about the treatment they received. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to derive key themes while acknowledging the individuality of the participants’ experiences. Treatment perspectives of MIOs in both settings revolved around similar themes, including "good" staff and privacy. However, their views differed on two themes: MIOs in treatment settings reported on feelings of lacking control and experiencing too much pressure, whereas MIOs in prison settings reported the...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - November 30, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: To, W. T., Vanheule, S., De Smet, S., Vandevelde, S. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

The Westgate Service and Related Referral, Assessment, and Treatment Processes
This article aims to communicate the referral, assessment, and treatment methods employed within the prison-based Westgate Personality Disorder Treatment Service, HMP Frankland. (Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology)
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - November 30, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Bennett, A. L. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

The Dangers of Posthumous Diagnoses and the Unintended Consequences of Facile Associations: Jeffrey Dahmer and Autism Spectrum Disorders
Posthumous diagnoses are not uncommonly given to notorious public and historical figures by applying retrospectively, and typically in the absence of the individual being diagnosed, contemporary diagnostic criteria. Although this may be relatively easy and free of consequences when it concerns clear-cut medical conditions, it may have unintended repercussions in the case of psychiatric disorders by creating myths and perpetuating stigma. The case of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is a typical example where a somewhat facile and almost syllogistic application of perhaps over-inclusive criteria may have contributed to the lege...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - November 30, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Palermo, M. T., Bogaerts, S. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

Matricide by Mentally Disordered Sons: Gaining a Criminological Understanding Beyond Mental Illness--A Descriptive Study
Matricide is one of the rarest of reported murders and has always been considered one of the most abhorrent crimes. Psychiatric investigations as to why a son might murder his mother yield indications of a high rate of mental illness, primarily psychotic disorders, in perpetrators. In an attempt to gain an in-depth understanding of the role of the mother–son bond in the etiology of matricide by mentally disordered sons, this article presents a qualitative study of nine cases of matricide examined at two Italian Forensic Psychiatry Departments between 2005 and 2010 and retrospective analysis of forensic psychiatry rep...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - November 30, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Catanesi, R., Rocca, G., Candelli, C., Carabellese, F. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

Verbal Functions in Psychopathy
The aim of this study was to compare the verbal functions and language skills of male psychopathic individuals (in prison and outside) with non-psychopaths. The purpose was therefore to analyze phonological processing, reading and writing skills, the meaning of words and images, and the understanding of sentences. Ninety individuals with an average age of 38.19 (SD = 7.67) voluntarily participated in this study. The data were collected in different settings: prisons, a private charitable organization, and private clinics and health centers. All participants completed the Psychopathy Checklist Revised and the Psycholinguist...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - November 30, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: de Almeida Brites, J., Ladera, V., Perea, V., Garcia, R. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

Narcissistic Symptoms in German School Shooters
School shooters are often described as narcissistic, but empirical evidence is scant. To provide more reliable and detailed information, we conducted an exploratory study, analyzing police investigation files on seven school shootings in Germany, looking for symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV) in witnesses’ and offenders’ reports and expert psychological evaluations. Three out of four offenders who had been treated for mental disorders prior to the offenses displayed detached symptoms of narcissism, but none was ...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - November 30, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Bondü, R., Scheithauer, H. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

Competency to Proceed to Trial Evaluations and Rational Understanding
In Dusky v. United States, the United States Supreme Court established "rational understanding" as a necessary component of a defendant’s competency to stand trial. Yet, rational understanding has engendered misunderstanding, stemming from inconsistent court rulings and lack of systematic attention given to definitions of rationality. The purpose of this article is to assist with the conceptualization of rational understanding as it relates to competency to proceed to trial. This will be accomplished through a review of legal decisions and scholarly papers that provide various definitions of rationality. We discuss t...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - November 30, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Ragatz, L., Vitacco, M. J., Tross, R. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

Dusky Is Here to Stay--For Now
(Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology)
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - November 30, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Palermo, G. B. Tags: Editorial Source Type: research

Book Review: Art on trial: Art therapy in capital murder cases
(Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology)
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - October 27, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Palermo, M. T. Tags: Book Review Source Type: research

Stimulants and Cannabis Use Among a Marginalized Population in British Columbia, Canada: Role of Trauma and Incarceration
This study explored differences in substance use (cannabis vs. stimulants) and associations with trauma and incarceration among a homeless population. Data were derived from the BC Health of the Homeless Study (BCHOHS), carried out in three cities in British Columbia, Canada. Measures included sociodemographic information, the Maudsley Addiction Profile (MAP), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) Plus. Stimulant users were more likely to be female (43%), using multiple substances (3.2), and engaging in survival sex (14%). Cannabis users had higher rates of l...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - October 27, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Saddichha, S., Werker, G. R., Schuetz, C., Krausz, M. R. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

Reliability and Validity of the Chinese Version of the LSI-R With Probationers
This study is the first attempt to examine the reliability and validity of a Chinese version of the LSI-R with 305 probationers (269 males, 36 females) in Guangzhou, China. Factor analysis was conducted using principal component analysis. The internal consistency was estimated by Cronbach’s alpha for the total and subscales. Under the cross-sectional design, technical violation (TV) was used as a dependent variable for bivariate correlations and binary logistic regression model to investigate the concurrent validity of the Chinese version of LSI-R, controlling the age. Results offered support to this instrument by so...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - October 27, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Zhang, J., Liu, N. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

Improving Agreement About Intervention Plans in Probation by Decision Support
This article addresses the question whether the use of this tool results in better agreement between probation officers. A significant and meaningful improvement in agreement was found on all domains of the intervention plan. Implications for probation practice are discussed. (Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology)
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - October 27, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Bosker, J., Witteman, C., Hermanns, J., Heij, D. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

General Theory versus ENA Theory: Comparing Their Predictive Accuracy and Scope
General theory attributes criminal behavior primarily to low self-control, whereas evolutionary neuroandrogenic (ENA) theory envisions criminality as being a crude form of status-striving promoted by high brain exposure to androgens. General theory predicts that self-control will be negatively correlated with risk-taking, while ENA theory implies that these two variables should actually be positively correlated. According to ENA theory, traits such as pain tolerance and muscularity will be posi-tively associated with risk-taking and criminality while general theory makes no predictions concerning these relationships. Data ...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - October 27, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Ellis, L., Hoskin, A., Hartley, R., Walsh, A., Widmayer, A., Ratnasingam, M. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

Dopaminergic Polymorphisms, Academic Achievement, and Violent Delinquency
Recent research in the field of educational psychology points to the salience of self-control in accounting for the variance in students’ report card grades. At the same time, a novel empirical study from molecular genetics drawing on the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) data has revealed that polymorphisms in three dopaminergic genes (dopamine transporter [DAT1], dopamine D2 receptor [DRD2], and dopamine D4 receptor [DRD4]) are also linked to adolescents’ grade point averages (GPAs). Juxtaposing these two lines of research, the current study reanalyzed the Add Health genetic subsam...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - October 27, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Yun, I., Lee, J., Kim, S.-G. Tags: Articles Source Type: research