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Low Self-Control and Contact with the Criminal Justice System in a Nationally Representative Sample of Males
Title
Low Self-Control and Contact with the Criminal Justice System in a Nationally Representative Sample of Males.
Creator
Beaver, Kevin M., DeLisi, Matt, Mears, Daniel P., Stewart, Eric A.
Abstract/Description
Prior research on law enforcement and court system actions suggests that offender demeanor influences practitioner decisionmaking. However, few studies have examined a key implication of this body of work—namely, criminogenic factors associated not only with offending but also with demeanor may result in a greater likelihood of contact with and formal processing by law enforcement and the courts. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we test the hypothesis that...
Show morePrior research on law enforcement and court system actions suggests that offender demeanor influences practitioner decisionmaking. However, few studies have examined a key implication of this body of work—namely, criminogenic factors associated not only with offending but also with demeanor may result in a greater likelihood of contact with and formal processing by law enforcement and the courts. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we test the hypothesis that low self-control, which is associated with a range of characteristics that might influence practitioner perceptions of individual offenders’ demeanors, will predict greater contact and formal processing. Briefly, we found that low self-control was consistently related to criminal justice system involvement as measured by police contacts, arrests, age at first police contact, and arrest onset. The implications of the findings for theory and research are discussed.
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Date Issued
2008-10-14
Identifier
FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548700417_086a3a6b, 10.1080/07418820802593352
Format
Citation
Racial Threat, Intergroup Contact, and School Punishment
Title
Racial Threat, Intergroup Contact, and School Punishment.
Creator
Hughes, Cresean, Warren, Patricia Y., Stewart, Eric A., Tomaskovic-Devey, Donald, Mears, Daniel P.
Abstract/Description
Objectives: Drawing on the racial threat and intergroup contact literatures, we explore whether (1) a school’s racial or ethnic context increases school suspensions for Black, Hispanic, and White students; (2) intergroup contact among school board members reduces school suspensions for Black, His-panic, and White students; and (3) a school’s racial or ethnic context effects on school suspensions are conditioned by intergroup contact among school board members. Method: Count-dependent...
Show moreObjectives: Drawing on the racial threat and intergroup contact literatures, we explore whether (1) a school’s racial or ethnic context increases school suspensions for Black, Hispanic, and White students; (2) intergroup contact among school board members reduces school suspensions for Black, His-panic, and White students; and (3) a school’s racial or ethnic context effects on school suspensions are conditioned by intergroup contact among school board members. Method: Count-dependent multilevel modeling techniques on school- and district-level measures from a representative sample of Florida middle and high schools. Results: Larger racial and ethnic student populations within schools increase the likelihood of suspensions for Black and Hispanic students while decreasing suspensions for White students. Further, higher levels of intergroup contact between Black, White, and Hispanic school board members are associated with a lower likelihood of suspensions for all students. Finally, intergroup contact between Black, White, and Hispanic school board members moderates the effects of school racial and ethnic context on school suspensions. Conclusions: Important factors are associated with school punishment for Black, Hispanic, and White students. Integrated spaces play an important role in decreasing both punishment disparities and punishment severity.
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Date Issued
2017-01-29
Identifier
FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548707775_ade119f0, 10.1177/0022427816689811
Format
Citation
Culture and Formal Social Control
Title
Culture and Formal Social Control: The Effect of the Code of the Street on Police and Court Decision-making.
Creator
Mears, Daniel P., Stewart, Eric A., Warren, Patricia Y., Simons, Ronald L.
Abstract/Description
Objectives. Drawing on several interrelated lines of scholarship, we argue that cultural beliefs at individual and neighborhood levels may affect police and court decisions. We hypothesize that individuals who more strongly adhere to the code of the street or reside in areas where the street code culture is more strongly embraced will be more likely to be arrested and convicted, and that neighborhood-level effects will amplify the effect of street code adherence. Methods. To test these...
Show moreObjectives. Drawing on several interrelated lines of scholarship, we argue that cultural beliefs at individual and neighborhood levels may affect police and court decisions. We hypothesize that individuals who more strongly adhere to the code of the street or reside in areas where the street code culture is more strongly embraced will be more likely to be arrested and convicted, and that neighborhood-level effects will amplify the effect of street code adherence. Methods. To test these hypotheses, data from the Family and Community Health Study are examined using multilevel modeling. Results. Blacks who more strongly adhered to street code beliefs were more likely to be arrested and convicted; this effect was greater among those who resided in areas where the code of the street belief system was more entrenched. Conclusions. The findings highlight the potential usefulness of a focus on culture for understanding the exercise of formal social control.
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Date Issued
2016-03-01
Identifier
FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548709286_c8e3ff5b, 10.1080/07418825.2016.1149599
Format
Citation
Whites’ Concern about Crime
Title
Whites’ Concern about Crime: The Effects of Interracial Contact.
Creator
Mears, Daniel P., Mancini, Christina, Stewart, Eric A.
Abstract/Description
In recent decades, crime has emerged as a prominent policy focus nationally. Accordingly, a large literature on public views about crime has developed, one strand of which highlights the racialization of crime as a factor central to public opinion and policy discourse. Drawing on this work and studies on the effects of interracial contact, the authors seek to advance theory and research on public opinion about crime.To this end, they draw on data from an ABC News and Washington Post poll to...
Show moreIn recent decades, crime has emerged as a prominent policy focus nationally. Accordingly, a large literature on public views about crime has developed, one strand of which highlights the racialization of crime as a factor central to public opinion and policy discourse. Drawing on this work and studies on the effects of interracial contact, the authors seek to advance theory and research on public opinion about crime.To this end, they draw on data from an ABC News and Washington Post poll to test competing hypotheses about the effects of interracial friendship among Whites on concern about local and national crime. The results suggest that interracial contact increases concern about crime among urban Whites.The authors discuss the implications of these findings for theory, research, and policy.
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Date Issued
2009-11-01
Identifier
FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1464882407, 10.1177/0022427809341944
Format
Citation
Interracial Contact and Fear of Crime
Title
Interracial Contact and Fear of Crime.
Creator
Mears, Daniel P., Stewart, Eric A.
Abstract/Description
Despite a large literature on public views about crime, the racialization of crime, and the contact hypothesis, surprisingly little is known about how interracial friendships may influence Whites’ fear of crime. At the same time, and perhaps because no counterpart stereotype to that of “Blacks as criminals” exists, there has been little exploration of how such contact may influence Blacks’ fear of crime. To address these research gaps, this study built on prior theory and research and used...
Show moreDespite a large literature on public views about crime, the racialization of crime, and the contact hypothesis, surprisingly little is known about how interracial friendships may influence Whites’ fear of crime. At the same time, and perhaps because no counterpart stereotype to that of “Blacks as criminals” exists, there has been little exploration of how such contact may influence Blacks’ fear of crime. To address these research gaps, this study built on prior theory and research and used data from an ABC News and Washington Post poll to test competing hypotheses about the effect of interracial contact on Whites’ and Blacks’ fear of crime, respectively. The analyses revealed that close interracial friendships are associated with increased fear of crime among Whites, decreased fear of crime among lower-income Blacks, and increased fear among higher-income Blacks. The implications for theory and research are discussed.
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Date Issued
2010-01-01
Identifier
FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1464279389, 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2009.11.005
Format
Citation
Security at the Expense of Liberty
Title
Security at the Expense of Liberty: A Test of Predictions Deriving From the Culture of Control Thesi.
Creator
Pickett, Justin T., Mears, Daniel P., Stewart, Eric A., Gertz, Marc
Abstract/Description
In The Culture of Control: Crime and Social Order in Contemporary Society, David Garland linked contemporary crime control policies and welfare reforms to a cultural formation that he termed the “crime complex of late modernity.” According to Garland, once established, the crime complex exerts a contemporaneous effect on public views about both criminal justice and the welfare state, increasing popular support for security measures as well as more restrictive public assistance policies....
Show moreIn The Culture of Control: Crime and Social Order in Contemporary Society, David Garland linked contemporary crime control policies and welfare reforms to a cultural formation that he termed the “crime complex of late modernity.” According to Garland, once established, the crime complex exerts a contemporaneous effect on public views about both criminal justice and the welfare state, increasing popular support for security measures as well as more restrictive public assistance policies. Although Garland’s thesis has featured prominently in scholarship on crime and punishment, few empirical studies have tested the specific predictions that underlie his arguments. To address this research gap, this study uses public opinion data to assess the extent to which key dimensions of the crime complex are associated with public views about criminal justice policies and welfare reforms that emphasize security and control. The results support several of the theoretical underpinnings of Garland’s thesis. The authors discuss the implications of the findings for theory, research, and policy.
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Date Issued
2013-02-25
Identifier
FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1461874016, 10.1177/0011128712461612
Format
Citation
Code of the Street and Inmate Violence
Title
The Code of the Street and Inmate Violence: Investigating the Salience of Imported Belief Systems..
Creator
Mears, Daniel P., Stewart, Eric A., Siennick, Sonja E., Simons, Ronald L.
Abstract/Description
Scholars have long argued that inmate behaviors stem in part from cultural belief systems that they “import” with them into incarcerative settings. Even so, few empirical assessments have tested this argument directly. Drawing on theoretical accounts of one such set of beliefs—the code of the street—and on importation theory, we hypothesize that individuals who adhere more strongly to the street code will be more likely, once incarcerated, to engage in violent behavior and that this effect...
Show moreScholars have long argued that inmate behaviors stem in part from cultural belief systems that they “import” with them into incarcerative settings. Even so, few empirical assessments have tested this argument directly. Drawing on theoretical accounts of one such set of beliefs—the code of the street—and on importation theory, we hypothesize that individuals who adhere more strongly to the street code will be more likely, once incarcerated, to engage in violent behavior and that this effect will be amplified by such incarceration experiences as disciplinary sanctions and gang involvement, as well as the lack of educational programming, religious programming, and family support. We test these hypotheses using unique data that include measures of the street code belief system and incarceration experiences. The results support the argument that the code of the street belief system affects inmate violence and that the effect is more pronounced among inmates who lack family support, experience disciplinary sanctions, and are gang involved. Implications of these findings are discussed.
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Date Issued
2013-08-01
Identifier
FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1460486872, 10.1111/1745-9125.12017
Format
Citation
Whites’ Perceptions about Black Criminality
Title
Whites’ Perceptions about Black Criminality: A Closer Look at the Contact Hypothesis.
Creator
Mancini, Christina, Mears, Daniel P., Stewart, Eric A., Beaver, Kevin M., Pickett, Justin T.
Abstract/Description
Scholars have documented how media accounts and policy discourse have presented Blacks and criminality as virtually synonymous, a phenomenon termed the racialization of crime. However, despite extant research on the contact hypothesis—which holds that relationships with members of other groups should reduce stereotypes—no studies have examined whether different indicators of interracial contact (IC) affect Whites’ perceptions of Black criminality; by extension, no research speaks to whether...
Show moreScholars have documented how media accounts and policy discourse have presented Blacks and criminality as virtually synonymous, a phenomenon termed the racialization of crime. However, despite extant research on the contact hypothesis—which holds that relationships with members of other groups should reduce stereotypes—no studies have examined whether different indicators of interracial contact (IC) affect Whites’ perceptions of Black criminality; by extension, no research speaks to whether IC effects are contingent on types of racialized views, or whether the amount of IC impacts perceptions. To advance scholarship, this study uses survey data to analyze the extent to which each type of IC is associated with Whites’ views of Black criminality. It then examines whether IC differentially predicts beliefs in crime versus non-crime-related stereotypes. Finally, it assesses whether the amount of IC influences stereotype endorsement. Consistent with the contact hypothesis, results indicate a generalized stereotype-reducing impact of IC, with some caveats.
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Date Issued
2015-08-17
Identifier
FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1459951674, 10.1177/0011128712461900
Format
Citation
Spatial Distance, Community Disadvantage, and Racial and Ethnic Variation in Prison Inmate Access to Social Ties
Title
Spatial Distance, Community Disadvantage, and Racial and Ethnic Variation in Prison Inmate Access to Social Ties.
Creator
Cochran, Joshua C., Mears, Daniel P., Bales, William D., Stewart, Eric A.
Abstract/Description
Objectives: This article examines the impact of distal prison placements on inmate social ties. Specifically, we test whether distance adversely affects inmates by reducing their access to family and friends and then test whether the effects are amplified for minorities and inmates who come from socially disadvantaged areas. Methods: These questions are assessed using a sample of inmates that includes all convicted felony offenders admitted to a single state’s prison system over a three-year...
Show moreObjectives: This article examines the impact of distal prison placements on inmate social ties. Specifically, we test whether distance adversely affects inmates by reducing their access to family and friends and then test whether the effects are amplified for minorities and inmates who come from socially disadvantaged areas. Methods: These questions are assessed using a sample of inmates that includes all convicted felony offenders admitted to a single state’s prison system over a three-year period. Results: We find that inmates vary greatly in the distance from which they are placed from home and that Latinos are placed more distally than Blacks and Whites. We also find that distance and community disadvantage adversely affect the likelihood of inmate visitation. Although the adverse effect of distance appears to be similar across racial and ethnic groups, a difference exists among Blacks—for this group, high levels of community disadvantage amplify the adverse effects of distance. Conclusions: This study identifies an important dimension along which incarceration may adversely impact inmates, their families, and the communities from which they come, and how these effects may be patterned in ways that disproportionately affect minorities and prisoners from disadvantaged areas.
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Date Issued
2016-01-26
Identifier
FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1459517786, 10.1177/0022427815592675
Format
Citation