How Harris County, Texas' Indigent Defense Penalizes The Poor

Read article at: http://ht.ly/Tk2cK

Motivation for aggressive religious radicalization: Goal regulation theory and a personality × threat × affordance hypothesis

A new set of hypotheses is presented regarding the cause of aggressive religious radicalization (ARR). It is grounded in classic and contemporary theory of human motivation and goal regulation, together with recent empirical advances in personality, social, and neurophysiological psychology. We specify personality traits, threats, and group affordances that combine to divert normal motivational processes toward ARR. Conducive personality traits are oppositional, anxiety-prone, and identity-weak (i.e., morally bewildered). Conducive threats are those that arise from seemingly insurmountable external forces and frustrate effective goal regulation. Conducive affordances include opportunity for immediate and concrete engagement in active groups that are powered by conspiracy narratives, infused with cosmic significance, encouraging of moral violence, and sealed with religious unfalsifiability. We propose that ARR is rewarding because it can spur approach motivated states that mask vulnerability for people whose dispositions and circumstances would otherwise leave them mired in anxious distress.

“We have killed all of the children in the auditorium…what do we do now?”

—Taliban gunman, December 16, 2014

Full article at: http://ht.ly/Th5GZ

By: Ian McGregor,1,* Joseph Hayes,1 and Mike Prentice2

1Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada

2Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

*Correspondence: Ian McGregor, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada, ac.oolretawu@rogergcm.nai

1

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv_insight

Femicide & Murdered Women's Children: Which Future for These Children Orphans of a Living Parent?

To assess the prevalence of femicides in Italy over the last three years and the potential long lasting effects of these traumatic events for the children of a woman who dies a violent death.

The data used in this study come from an internet search for the number of femicides occurring in Italy between 1(st) January, 2012 and 31(st) October, 2014.

The total number of femicides was 319; the average age of murdered women was 47.50 ± 19.26. Cold arms in the form of sharp object -mostly knives- have caused the death of 102/319 women; firearms were used in 87/319 cases; asphyxiation was the chosen method in 52/319 cases. About the place where the femicides occurred, 209/319 were committed inside the victim's house. Children of women who died a violent death were 417 with a total of 180 minors in less than three years. A total of 52/417 children were witness to the killing and, among these 30/52 were minors; in 18/417 cases, children were murdered together with their mother and among these 9/18 were minors.

Long-term studies are needed to ascertain what happens to these children, to understand what are the most appropriate psychological treatments, the best decisions about the contact with their father and the best placement for these children.

Below:  Cumulative number of femicides per year

Full article at:   http://ht.ly/SXEh8 

By: Ferrara P1,2, Caporale O3, Cutrona C4, Sbordone A5, Amato M6, Spina G7, Ianniello F8, Fabrizio GC9, Guadagno C10, Basile MC11, Miconi F12, Perrone G13,Riccardi R14, Verrotti A15, Pettoello-Mantovani M16, Villani A17, Corsello G18, Scambia G19.

• 1Institute of Pediatrics, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
• 2Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy
• 3Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy
• 4Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy
• 5Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy
• 6Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy
• 7Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy.
• 8Institute of Pediatrics, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
• 9Institute of Pediatrics, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
• 10Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy
• 11Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy
• 12Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy.
• 13Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy
• 14Institute of Pediatrics, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
• 15Department of Pediatrics, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
• 16Institute of Pediatrics and Residency program, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
• 17Pediatric and Infectious Disease Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
• 18Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care, University of Palermo, Palermo
• 19Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy

More at: http://twitter.com/Prison_Health

The Rise of Boko Haram

Via:  http://ht.ly/SXw7u MT https://twitter.com/irinnews 

Circumstances and Outcomes of a Firearm Seizure Law: Marion County, Indiana, 2006–2013

Indiana statute allows police to seize firearms without a warrant if the officer believes a person meets the law's definition of “dangerous.” 

Review of the use of this law in Marion County (Indianapolis), Indiana, showed that prosecutors filed petitions in court to retain weapons seized by police under this law 404 times between 2006 and 2013. Police removed weapons from people due to identification of a risk of suicide (68%) or violence (21%), or the presence of psychosis (16%). The firearm seizures occurred in the context of domestic disputes in 28% of cases and intoxication was noted in 26% of cases. 

There were significant demographic differences in the circumstances of firearm seizures and the firearms seized. The seized firearms were retained by the court at the initial hearing in 63% of cases; this retention was closely linked to the defendant's failure to appear at the hearing. The court dismissed 29% of cases at the initial hearing, closely linked to the defendant's presence at the hearing. In subsequent hearings of cases not dismissed, the court ordered the destruction of the firearms in 72% of cases, all when the individual did not appear in court, and dismissed 24% of the cases, all when the individual was present at the hearing. 

Overall, the Indiana law removed weapons from a small number of people, most of whom did not seek return of their weapons. The firearm seizure law thus functioned as a months-long cooling-off period for those who did seek the return of their guns.

Via: http://goo.gl/ivb9vq Purchase full article at: http://goo.gl/SXnP3R

By: George F. Parker M.D

Director of Forensic Psychiatry, IU Health Neuroscience Center, Indianapolis, IN, U.S.A.

http://twitter.com/Prison_Health

No Effect of Unemployment on Intimate Partner-Related Femicide During the Financial Crisis: A Longitudinal Ecological Study in Spain

Spain’s financial crisis has been characterized by an increase in unemployment. This increase could have produced an increase in deaths of women due to intimate partner-related femicides (IPF). This study aims to determine whether the increase in unemployment among both sexes in different regions in Spain is related to an increase in the rates of IPF during the current financial crisis period.

An ecological longitudinal study was carried out in Spain’s 17 regions. Two study periods were defined: pre-crisis period (2005–2007) and crisis period (2008–2013). IPF rates adjusted by age and unemployment rates for men and women were calculated. We fitted multilevel linear regression models in which observations at level 1 were nested within regions according to a repeated measurements design.

Rates of unemployment have progressively increased in Spain, rising above 20 % from 2008 to 2013 in some regions. IPF rates decreased in some regions during crisis period with respect to pre-crisis period. The multilevel analysis does not support the existence of a significant relationship between the increase in unemployment in men and women and the decrease in IPF since 2008.

The increase in unemployment in men and women in Spain does not appear to have an effect on IPF. The results of the multilevel analysis discard the hypothesis that the increase in the rates of unemployment in women and men are related to an increase in IPF rates.

The decline in IPF since 2008 might be interpreted as the result of exposure to other factors such as the lower frequency of divorces in recent years or the medium term effects of the integral protection measures of the law on gender violence that began in 2005.

Below:  Spain time series for unemployment rates of men and women and intimate partner-related femicide rates (2005–2013)

Full article at:  http://ht.ly/SSs16 

By: J. Torrubiano-Domínguez^1*, C. Vives-Cases¹², M. San-Sebastián³, B. Sanz-Barbero²⁴, I. Goicolea¹³ and C. Álvarez-Dardet¹² https://twitter.com/UmeaUniversity

More at: http://twitter.com/Prison_Health

Is Tattooing a Risk Factor for Adolescents' Criminal Behavior? Empirical Evidence from an Administrative Data Set of Juvenile Detainees in Taiwan

Juvenile crime affects not only the victims of the crime but also the delinquents' future. How to prevent adolescent criminal behavior has become an important public policy issue. This study contributes to this interesting issue by examining the relationship between tattooing and adolescents' criminal behavior. In particular, this study investigates whether or not having a tattoo/tattoos is connected to the incidence of various criminal activities, including: larceny, robbery, fraud, assault, drug use, and homicide. 

A unique sample of 973 juvenile detainees drawn from the administrative profiles in Taiwan and the coarsened exact matching method were utilized. Results show that compared to their nontattooed counterparts, tattooed juvenile detainees were significantly more likely to commit fraud, assault, drug abuse, and homicide by 3%, 13%, 9%, and 9%, respectively. In contrast, tattooing was not significantly associated with larceny or robbery. 

From a policy perspective, given the significant link between tattooing and criminal behavior, the presence of a tattoo in adolescents may serve as a valuable indicator regarding adolescents' high probability of committing crimes.

Via:  http://ht.ly/SP0Yh Purchase full article at: http://goo.gl/v2jCTo

By: Liao PA1, Chang HH, Su YJ.

• 1Department of Economics, Shih Hsin University, Taipei, 11645, Taiwan.

http://twitter.com/Prison_Health

Gaps in Crisis Mental Health: Suicide and Homicide-Suicide

Gaps in crises of mental health emerge from poor distinction between the qualities of people who suicide and those who murder and then kill themselves. The role, if any, that substance use has in such lethal violence is an example of such a lack of distinction. 

In this study, a sample of medical examiner investigative and toxicology reports from Los Angeles and Orange counties in California were available for analysis for 432 suicide cases and 193 homicide-suicide cases. This informed clearer toxicological and pharmacological distinction of suicide from homicide-suicide. 

• Blood alcohol levels were higher in persons committing suicide than in homicide-suicide perpetrators (p=.004). 
• Homicide-suicide perpetrators had almost twice the level of stimulants in their system than people who suicide (p=.022) but did not have comparatively elevated levels of drugs or alcohol. 

Predictors of suicide included the following: 

• substance abuse history, 
• high number of drugs in system, 
• death inside a house, 
• and legal impairment by alcohol. 

Predictors of homicide-suicide included 

• gunshot as the cause of death, 
• female gender, 
• domestic conflict, 
• children living in the home, 
• and prior arrest for substance abuse.

Via:  http://ht.ly/SMnwy  Purchase full article at: http://goo.gl/7Islzk

By: Carretta CM1, Burgess AW2, Welner M3.

• 1School of Nursing, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ
• 2William F. Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA.
• 3The Forensic Panel, New York, NY.

http://twitter.com/Prison_Health

A Burning Question: Does Arson Increase When Local House Prices Decline?

We construct panel data on house prices and the determined cause of 4.8 million individual fires in the United States between 1986 and 2010 to test whether decreases in local housing market prices coincided with increases in arson. Since some insured homeowners may attempt to disguise the actual cause of fire as accidental, we also examine how decreases in local house prices are associated with changes in the total number of fires and the probability of determined causes of accidental fires. For the sample period, our results suggest that declines in local house prices coincided with increases in arson, the total number of fires, and the probability that fires were determined to occur due to arson and misuse. We provide further support for the existence of such an effect with empirical evidence that the relation between declines in house prices and arson is stronger in states that allow mortgage lender recourse.

Via:  http://goo.gl/QB8FJP Read full (PDF) article at: http://ow.ly/d/3Mdw

By:  Michael D. Eriksen is an Assistant Professor of Finance, Rawls College of Business, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409. James M. Carson is the Daniel P. Amos Distinguished Professor of Insurance, Department of Insurance, Legal Studies, and Real Estate, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602

Personality Disorders and Violence: What Is The Link?

Despite a well-documented association between personality disorders (PDs) and violence, the relationship between them is complicated by the high comorbidity of mental disorders, the heterogeneity of violence (particularly in regard to its motivation), and differing views regarding the way PDs are conceptualised and measured. In particular, it remains unclear whether there is a causal relationship between PDs and violence, and what the psychological mechanisms might be that mediate such a relationship. Here, a perspective on PD and violence is offered that views the relationship between them through the lenses of the Five Factor Model of personality and a quadripartite typology of violence. Evidence is reviewed suggesting that emotion dysregulation/impulsiveness, psychopathy, and delusional ideation conjointly contribute to the increased risk of violence shown by people with PD, and do so by contributing to a broad severity dimension of personality dysfunction. This view is consistent with the abandonment of personality disorder categories in the forthcoming eleventh edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), where severity of personality disorder is defined in terms of the degree of harm to self and others.

Below: The quadripartite (2×2) violence typology. The intersection of impulsiveness (vs. control/premeditation) and affect (positive vs. negative) yields 4 distinct types of violence characterised by motives of excitement seeking and greed (both associated with positive affect) and revenge and self-defence (both associated with negative affect)

Below:  A schematic overview of the suggested relationship between personality disorder (PD) and violence. General psychopathology (p) is subsumed by 3 factors, Externalizing, Internalizing and Thought Disorder but, as reported in [7], p is associated most strongly with Thought Disorder (indicated by a heavy arrow in the figure). Externalizing subsumes traits associated with both psychopathy and emotional impulsiveness, both of which contribute to severe PD and increase the risk for violence, particularly appetitive violence. Thought Disorder is shown as contributing independently to the risk of violence, and particularly of aversive violence. Also shown are contextual factors such as alcohol use that operate as proximal causal risk factors for violence in concert with distal personality factors

Read more at: http://ht.ly/SHz3S

By:  Richard Howard

Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham Innovation Park, Jubilee Campus, Triumph Road, Nottingham, NG7 2TU UK

Biggest Probelms with Police Body Cameras

Via: http://ht.ly/SBckU MT https://twitter.com/eyywa

Clarifying the Link Between Childhood Abuse History and Psychopathic Traits in Adult Criminal Offenders

Childhood abuse is a risk factor for the development of externalizing characteristics and disorders, including antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy. However, the precise relationships between particular types of childhood maltreatment and subsequent antisocial and psychopathic traits remain unclear. 

Using a large sample of incarcerated adult male criminal offenders (n = 183), the current study confirmed that:

• severity of overall childhood maltreatment was linked to severity of both psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder in adulthood. 
• Moreover, this relationship was particularly strong for physical abuse and the antisocial facet of psychopathy. 
• Sexual abuse history was uniquely related to juvenile conduct disorder severity, rather than adult psychopathy or antisocial behaviors. 
• Additionally, there was a significantly stronger relationship between childhood maltreatment and juvenile conduct disorder than between childhood maltreatment and ASPD or psychopathy. 

These findings bolster and clarify the link between childhood maltreatment and antisocial behavior later in life. 

Via: http://ht.ly/SB8aM   Purchase full article at: http://goo.gl/3lyvcs

By:  Dargis M, Newman J, Koenigs M.

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv_insight

The Rikers Island Hot Spotters: Defining the Needs of the Most Frequently Incarcerated

We used "hot spotting" to characterize the persons most frequently admitted to the New York City jail system in 2013.

We used our Correctional Health Services electronic health record to identify 800 patients admitted in 2013 who returned most since November 2008. We compared them to a randomly selected control group of 800 others admitted in 2013, by using descriptive statistics and cross-tabulations, including data through December 2014.

The frequently incarcerated individuals had a median of 21 incarcerations (median duration 11 days), representing 18 713 admissions and $129 million in custody and health costs versus $38 million for the controls. The frequently incarcerated were: 

• significantly older (42 vs 35 years), 
• and more likely to have serious mental illness (19% vs 8.5%) 
• and homelessness (51.5% vs 14.7%) in their record. 
• Significant substance use was highly prevalent (96.9% vs 55.6%). 
• Most top criminal charges (88.7%) for the frequently incarcerated were misdemeanors; assault charges were less common (2.8% vs 10.4%). 

Frequently incarcerated persons have chronic mental health and substance use problems, their charges are generally minor, and incarceration is costly. Tailored supportive housing is likely to be less costly and improve outcomes.

Via: http://ht.ly/SB6Xh Purchase full article at: http://goo.gl/tg5GQO

By: MacDonald R1, Kaba F1, Rosner Z1, Vise A1, Weiss D1, Brittner M1, Skerker M1, Dickey N1, Venters H1.

• 1All of the authors are with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Correctional Health Services, Queens, NY.

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv_insight

Crime and Punishment in Darwin

Via: http://ht.ly/SyJTu

Justice Denied: Two Charts Show the Enormity of the Crisis of India's Justice Delayed System

Read about it here: http://ht.ly/Syjvd

The Effect of Temperature on Arson Incidence in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Studies of crime and weather have largely excluded arson from empirical and theoretical consideration, yet weather could influence arson frequency over short time frames, influencing the motivation and activity of potential arsonists, as well as the physical possibility of fire ignition. This study aims to understand the role of weather on urban arson in order to determine its role in explaining short-term variations in arson frequency. 

We use data reported to the Ontario Fire Marshall's office of arson events in the City of Toronto between 1996 and 2007 to estimate the effect of temperature, precipitation, wind conditions and air pressure on arson events while controlling for the effects of holidays, weekends and other calendar-related events. 

We find that temperature has an independent association with daily arson frequency, as do precipitation and air pressure. In this study area, cold weather has a larger influence on arson frequency than hot weather. There is also some evidence that extremely hot and cold temperatures may be associated with lower day-time arson frequency, while night-time arson seems to have a simpler positive linear association with temperature.

Via:  http://ht.ly/Sw1lf Purchase full article at: http://goo.gl/gn9GTm

By: Yiannakoulias N1, Kielasinska E2.

• 1School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S4K1, Canada.
• 2School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S4K1, Canada.

County-Level Heat Maps of Prison Capacity and Latino Inmate County of Origin

Via:  http://ht.ly/SvtwN MT https://twitter.com/LSEUSAblog

Percentage of inmates visited by distance and race/ethnicity

Via:  http://ht.ly/SvtwN MT https://twitter.com/LSEUSAblog

Predicted Likelihood of Prison Visitation by Economic Disadvantage

Via:  http://ht.ly/SvtwN MT https://twitter.com/LSEUSAblog

Detection of Drugs in Nails (fingernails and toenails): Three Year Experience

Nails (fingernails and toenails) are made of keratin. As the nail grows, substances incorporate into the keratin fibers where they can be detected 3-6 months after use. Samples are collected by clipping of 2-3 mm of nail from all fingers (100 mg). We present drug testing results from 10,349 nail samples collected from high-risk cases during a 3-year period of time. Samples were analyzed by validated analytical methods. The initial testing was performed mostly using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, but by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) as well. Presumptive positive samples were subjected to confirmatory testing with sample preparation procedures including washing, pulverizing, digestion and extraction optimized for each drug class. 

The total of 7,799 samples was analyzed for amphetamines. The concentrations ranged from 40 to 572,865 pg/mg (median, 100-3,687) for all amphetamine analytes. 

• Amphetamine and methamphetamine were present in 14% of the samples, 
• 22 samples were positive for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (0.3%), 
• 7 for methylenedioxyamphetamine (0.09%) 
• and 4 for 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-ethylamphetamine (0.05%). 
• Cocaine and related analytes were found in 5% samples (7,787 total), and the concentration range was 20-265,063 pg/mg (median 84-1,768). 
• Opioids overall ranged from 40 to 118,229 pg/mg (median 123-830). 
• The most prevalent opioid was oxycodone (15.1%) and hydrocodone (11.4%) 
• compared with 1.0-3.6% for the others, including morphine, codeine, hydromorphone, methadone, 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine and oxymorphone. 
• Carboxy-Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol positivity rate was 18.1% (0.04-262 pg/mg, median 6.41). 
• Out of 3,039 samples, 756 were positive (24.9%) for ethyl glucuronide (20-3,754 pg/mg, median 88). 
• Other drugs found in nails included barbiturates, benzodiazepines, ketamine, meperidine, tramadol, zolpidem, propoxyphene, naltrexone and buprenorphine. 

Nail analyses have become a reliable way of determining the long-term use and abuse of drugs. Extraction techniques are simple and produce accurate and precise results. Sensitive analytical instrumentation, mainly LC-MS-MS, allows for detection of femtogram (10(-15) g) quantities of substances in nails. Samples were from a high-risk population, therefore the extraordinary positivity rate was observed.

Via:  http://ht.ly/SsNUz 

By: Shu I1, Jones J1, Jones M1, Lewis D1, Negrusz A2.

• 1United States Drug Testing Laboratories, Inc., 1700 South Mount Prospect Road, Des Plaines, IL 60017, USA.
• 2United States Drug Testing Laboratories, Inc., 1700 South Mount Prospect Road, Des Plaines, IL 60017, USA