Some of the material in is restricted to members of the community. By logging in, you may be able to gain additional access to certain collections or items. If you have questions about access or logging in, please use the form on the Contact Page.
An increasing body of research has linked the geographic distribution of lead with various indicators of criminal and antisocial behavior. The current study, using data from an ongoing project related to lead exposure in St. Louis City, MO, analyzed the association between aggregate blood lead levels and specific indicators violent crime within the city. Ecological study. St. Louis, Missouri. Blood lead levels. Official reports of violent crimes were categorized as 1) crimes involving a firearm (yes/no), 2) assault crimes (with or without a firearm), 3) robbery crimes (with or without a firearm), 4) homicides and 5) rape. With the exception of rape, aggregate blood-lead levels were statistically significant predictors of violent crime at the census tract level. The risk ratios for each of the outcome measures were as follows: firearm crimes 1.03 (1.03-1.04), assault crimes 1.03 (1.02-1.03), robbery crimes 1.03 (1.02-1.04), homicide 1.03 (1.01, 1.04), and rape 1.01 (0.99-1.03). Extending prior research in St. Louis, results suggest that aggregated lead exposure at the census tract level predicted crime outcomes, even after accounting for important sociological variables. Moving forward, a more developed understanding of aggregate level crime may necessitate a shift toward studying the synergy between sociological and biological risk factors such as lead exposure., Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5703470.
Although many states have adopted sentencing guidelines, questions remain about whether guidelines achieve one of their primary goals—reducing disparities that arise from such extralegal factors as race and ethnicity. To date, research has not taken a cross-state approach to testing for racial or ethnic disparity in sentences imposed in guideline and nonguideline states or to examining whether less disparity exists in states with voluntary or presumptive guidelines. To address this research gap and inform sentencing scholarship, data from the State Court Processing Statistics program are used to determine whether offenders’ race or ethnicity affects incarceration and sentence length decisions in jurisdictions with different types of sentencing systems. Implications of the findings for theory, research, and policy are discussed., Publication Note: This article was originally published in Crime and Delinquency. You can find the publisher's version at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0011128709352234, Preferred Citation: Wang, Xia, Daniel P. Mears, Cassia C. Spohn, and Lisa Dario. 2013. “Assessing the Differential Effects of Race and Ethnicity on Sentencing Outcomes under Different Sentencing Systems.” Crime and Delinquency 59(1):87-114.
Objectives: Despite the dramatic expansion of the US correctional system in recent decades, little is known about the relative effectiveness of commonly used sanctions on recidivism. The goal of this paper is to address this research gap, and systematically examine the relative impacts on recidivism of four main types of sanctions: probation, intensive probation, jail, and prison.
Methods: Data on convicted felons in Florida were analyzed and propensity score matching analyses were used to estimate relative effects of each sanction type on 3-year reconviction rates.
Results: Estimated effects suggest that less severe sanctions are more likely to reduce recidivism.
Conclusions: The findings raise questions about the effectiveness of tougher sanctioning policies for reducing future criminal behavior. Implications for future research, theory, and policy are also discussed., Publication Note: The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10940-013-9205-2”., Preferred Citation: Cochran, Joshua C., Daniel P. Mears, and William D. Bales. 2014. “Assessing the Effectiveness of Correctional Sanctions.” Journal of Quantitative Criminology 30(2):317-347.
Research to date has taken a relatively narrow view of the criteria by which the effectiveness of juvenile justice sentencing policies are to be assessed. This narrowness is particularly striking given the comprehensive “get tough” reforms that recently have been enacted in nearly every state. Drawing on previous research and an analysis of the potential effects of a recent juvenile justice sentencing reform in Texas, this paper argues for greater attention to conceptualizing and empirically assessing effectiveness broadly, including reference to intended and unintended effects, multiple goals and means, and diverse stakeholders. The argument is sustained first by outlining and discussing these key dimensions and then by empirically illustrating the potential importance of one of these dimensions – diverse stakeholders and their respective interests., Preferred Citation: Mears, Daniel P. 2000. “Assessing the Effectiveness of Juvenile Justice Reforms: A Closer Look at the Criteria and the Impacts on Diverse Stakeholders.” Law and Policy 22(2):175-202.
In recent years, states have invested heavily in supermaximum (supermax) security prisons, yet critical questions about them remain unaddressed. In this article, the author examines these prisons through an evaluation research framework, focusing on five questions: (a) Are supermaxes needed? (b) Do they rest on sound theory? (c) Are they typically implemented as intended? (d) Do they achieve their intended goals (i.e., impacts)? (e) Are they cost-efficient?This article argues that investigation of each question reveals substantial research gaps that raise significant questions about whether supermaxes are warranted, effective, or efficient. It then discusses a range of research and policy implications., Keywords: supermax; prison evaluation; impacts; effectiveness, Publication Note: The version of record can be found at https://www.doi.org/10.1177/0032885507310964.
The growth of theories, methodologies, and substantive/empirical areas in sociology has not led to consensus about what sociology is or how to generate cumulative knowledge. Recourse to general or “grand” theories, conceptual frameworks, and methodological advances has not proven noticeably helpful in resolving this situation. Suggesting an alternative strategy, this paper delineates nine analytical issues central to “doing” sociology. The authors contend that systematic attention to these issues will increase the generation of cumulative sociological knowledge, Publication Note: Publisher’s version of record available at http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=4336227&site=ehost-live
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 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., Publication Note: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Mears, Daniel P., Eric A. Stewart, Sonja E. Siennick, and Ronald L. Simons. 2013. “The Code of the Street and Inmate Violence: Investigating the Salience of Imported Belief Systems.” Criminology 51(3):695-728., which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1745-9125.12017. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving (http://olabout.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-820227.html#terms)., Preferred Citation: Mears, Daniel P., Eric A. Stewart, Sonja E. Siennick, and Ronald L. Simons. 2013. “The Code of the Street and Inmate Violence: Investigating the Salience of Imported Belief Systems.” Criminology 51(3):695-728.
After the Columbine school shooting in 1999, concern about bullying crescendoed. A prominent belief emerged that bullying causes school shootings. However, many of the beliefs about bullying constitute myths—that is, empirically unverified assumptions. These beliefs ignore critical conceptual issues that attend to efforts to understand the bullying-school shootings connection. In so doing, they likely inhibit progress toward a more accurate understanding of the causes of school shootings and what can be done to prevent them. In this paper, we present this argument and identify recommendations for research and policy., Keywords: Columbine, bullying, schools, shootings, myths, Publication Note: The version of record can be found at https://www.doi.org/10.1080/15564886.2017.1307295.
Family scholars have demonstrated that economic conditions influence marital quality and relationship instability. Similarly, researchers have identified low income and poverty as important risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV). Yet limited work has examined how economic factors influence the use of violence in the romantic context, particularly during young adulthood. Using the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study ( = 928), we examine the influence of economic and career concerns as specific sources of conflict on IPV among a sample of young adults. Findings suggest that these areas of disagreement within romantic relationships are associated with IPV risk, net of traditional predictors. We discuss the implications of our findings for intervention and prevention efforts., Keywords: Economic well-being, Family stress, Intimate partner violence, Young adulthood, Grant Number: R01 HD044206, R01 HD066087, R24 HD050959, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4894749.
Of the many recent changes in juvenile justice, none are more prominent than waiver laws designed to more easily transfer young offenders to adult courts. These laws create more options to punish youth as if they were adults, leading some to question the need for a separate juvenile justice system. As yet, however, we have little systematic empirical basis for assessing the effectiveness of these laws. To help develop the foundation for such an assessment, this article examines the leading intended and unintended impacts identified by researchers. It then discusses critical research gaps that must be addressed if we are to develop a balanced and empirically informed assessment of the effectiveness of waiver., Keywords: waiver, transfer, juvenile, justice, impacts, Publication Note: Publisher’s version of record available at http://yvj.sagepub.com/content/1/2/156.short, Preferred Citation: Mears, Daniel P. 2003. “A Critique of Waiver Research: Critical Next Steps in Assessing the Impacts of Laws for Transferring Juveniles to the Criminal Justice System.” Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice 1(2):156-172.
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 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., Keywords: street code, police, court, social control, decision-making, Publication Note: The version of record can be found at https://www.doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2016.1149599
The homicide rate in Chicago nearly tripled between 1965 and 1992, and subsequently declined by more than 50% through 2005. But is this trend representative of all areas in the city? Drawing on the social disorganization and concentrated disadvantage perspectives, this paper uses semi-parametric group-based trajectory modeling to examine homicide trajectories in Chicago neighborhoods from 1965-1995. Significant variability is found in homicide trajectories across neighborhoods. Multivariate results show that disadvantage increases the likelihood of having an increasing or persistently high homicide trajectory. Social disorganization and family disruption are also predictive of variation in homicide trajectories, but only in communities with already low levels of homicide. Other theoretically relevant predictors are evaluated, and suggestions for theoretical refinement and future research are discussed., Keywords: trajectory modeling, homicide trajectories, Chicago neighborhoods, homicide rates, prediction of criminal behavior, Note: This version of the article is the author's post-print. The published version appears in Homicide Studies, the copyright of which is owned by Sage Publications, Inc., Citation: Stults, Brian J. 2010. Determinants of Chicago Neighborhood Homicide Trajectories: 1965-1995. Homicide Studies, 14 (3): 244-267. doi: 10.1177/1088767910371173
Social learning theory remains one of the leading explanations of intimate partner violence (IPV). Research on attitudes toward IPV represents a logical extension of the social learning tradition, as it is intuitive to expect that individuals exposed to violence in the family of origin may internalize behavioral scripts for violence and adopt attitudes accepting of IPV. Yet despite this assumed link between family violence and attitudes toward IPV, few studies have empirically examined factors associated with the development of such attitudes. Using data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationship Study (TARS), we examine the role of family violence on the adoption of attitudes accepting of IPV among a sample of young adults (n = 928). The current investigation contributes to existing literature on attitudes toward IPV by (a) providing an empirical examination of factors associated with attitudes toward IPV in predictive models; (b) relying on a multifaceted index, describing specific conditions under which IPV may be deemed justifiable; (c) examining extra-familial factors, in addition to family violence exposure, to provide a more comprehensive account of factors associated with attitudes toward IPV; and (d) focusing particular attention on the role of gender, including whether the factors associated with attitudinal acceptance of IPV are similar for men and women. Findings indicated considerable variation in overall endorsement of attitudes regarding the use of violence across conditions, with greater endorsement among women. Consistent with social learning approaches to IPV, exposure to violence in the family of origin was associated with attitudes toward IPV. Yet findings also signaled the salience of factors beyond the family, including a range of sociodemographic, relationship, and adult status characteristics. We discuss the relevance of our findings for future theorizing and research in the area of attitudes toward IPV., Keywords: Anything related to domestic violence, Children exposed to domestic violence, Domestic violence, Perceptions of domestic violence, Grant Number: R01 HD044206, R01 HD066087, R24 HD050959, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5123960.
Recent scholarship has highlighted the potential implications of in-prison experiences for prisoner reentry and, in particular, recidivism. Few penological or reentry studies, however, have examined the relationship between one experience that may be especially consequential, inmate misconduct, and recidivism. The goal of this study is to address this gap in the literature by employing a matching design that estimates the effect of inmate misconduct on reoffending, using data on a release cohort of Florida prisoners. The results indicate that inmates who engage in misconduct, violent misconduct in particular, are more likely to recidivate. Consistent with prior scholarship, we find that this relationship holds only for adult inmates. These findings underscore the importance of prison experiences for understanding recidivism, examining youthful and adult inmate populations separately, and devising policies that reduce misconduct., Publication Note: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Justice Quarterly in 2014, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/07418825.2012.736526., Preferred Citation: Cochran, Joshua C., Daniel P. Mears, William D. Bales, and
Eric A. Stewart. 2014. “Does Inmate Behavior Affect Post-Release Offending? Investigating the Misconduct-Recidivism Relationship among Youth and Adults.” Justice Quarterly 31(6):1044-1073.
The dramatic growth in incarceration nationally has increased attention to the factors that influence recidivism among ex-prisoners. Accordingly, scholars have called for research that identifies factors, such as employment opportunities, that may influence reentry experiences. Few studies, however, have examined how changes in labor market conditions affect ex-prisoner offending. Drawing on prior scholarship, this study examines the effect of such changes on the recidivism of ex-prisoners and, in particular, how the recidivism among blacks and whites may be differentially affected by changes in labor market conditions in the areas to which they return. The analyses indicate that, among black male ex-prisoners, labor market declines increase violent recidivism. They also indicate that, among white male ex-prisoners, the effects are more tenuous, influence only property recidivism, and are moderated by prior labor market conditions and criminal history. Implications of the study are discussed., Publication Note: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Justice quarterly in 2014, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/07418825.2012.677466., Preferred Citation: Mears, Daniel P., Xia Wang, and William D. Bales. 2014. “Does a Rising Tide Lift All Boats? Labor Market Changes and Their Effects on the Recidivism of Released Prisoners.” Justice Quarterly 31(5):822-851.
The present research examined how the within-person association between sexual initiation and internalizing symptoms decays over time, using data with annual measurement occasions across adolescence (N = 1,789) and statistical models of within-person change. Sexual initiation was associated with increased levels of internalizing symptoms for early-initiating girls (ninth grade, approximately age 15), but not for on-time-initiating girls or for boys. The association between girls' early sexual initiation and internalizing symptoms declined precipitously over time. Indeed, 1 year after sexual debut, early-initiating girls were similar to on-time or noninitiating girls on internalizing symptoms, suggesting early sexual initiation does not produce lasting detriments to girls' mental health. Findings inform how researchers perceive sexual initiation, both as a developmental milestone and as a prevention target., Grant Number: R01 DA013709, R01 DA018225, P50 DA010075, P50 DA039838, T32 DA017629, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5546176.
Evidence of a corrections agency scandal involving corruption can be expected to diminish public perceptions of agency effectiveness, especially in an era in which government accountability has featured prominently in national and state criminal justice policy discourse. However, relatively little scholarly attention has studied this idea. Using 2006 public opinion survey data collected prior to and after the highly publicized resignation of a corrections department director who was investigated for and subsequently convicted of graft and mismanagement, this study examines whether a prominent corrections agency scandal exerted an appreciable effect on how the public viewed the agency’s performance. Study findings suggest that the scandal had no effect on the public’s perception of the department’s performance. Implications of the study for research and policy are discussed., Publication Note: This article published by Criminal Justice Reivew. Publisher's version can be found at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0734016812450026, Preferred Citation: Mancini, Christina, and Daniel P. Mears. 2013. “The Effect of Agency Scandal on Public Views Toward the Correctional System.” Criminal Justice Review 38(1):5-28.
Objectives. This article examines two questions. First, does interracial contact increase or decrease Whites' perceptions of Blacks' criminality? Second, does it affect Whites' perceived victimization risk, and, if so, is the effect mediated by the perceived criminality of Blacks as compared to the perceived criminality of different racial and ethnic groups? Methods. Multivariate regression analyses of data from a national public opinion poll that included measures of perceived victimization risk and the criminality of Whites and Latinos. Results. Interracial contact increases Whites' perceptions of the criminality of all racial and ethnic groups, not just Blacks. It also increases Whites' perceived risk of victimization, an effect that partially arises by increasing their perception of Whites and Latinos, and not just Blacks, as criminal. Conclusions. Although the identified effects may be due to Whites' stereotypes about Blacks, they are equally consistent with the notion that interracial contact may educate Whites about crime. Unfortunately, the present study could not investigate this possibility. Future research ideally will address this limitation, use additional measures of contact, and assess other explanations for any identified effects., Publication Note: Published version available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022427811431156, Preferred Citation: Mears, Daniel P., Justin T. Pickett, Kristin Golden, Ted Chiricos, and Marc Gertz. 2013. “The Effect of Interracial Contact on Whites’ Perceptions of Victimization Risk and Black Criminality.” Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 50(2):272-299.
