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Title: Evidence on the Effectiveness of Juvenile Court Sanctions.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Cochran, Joshua C., Greenman, Sarah J., Bhati, Avinash S., Greenwald, Mark A.
Abstract/Description: Purpose The past decade has been witness to a proliferation of calls for evidence-based juvenile court sanctions—including various programs, interventions, services, and strategies or approaches—that reduce recidivism and improve mental health, drug dependency, and education outcomes. At the same time, an emerging body of work has identified “proven,” “evidence-based,” “best practice,” or, more generally, “effective” efforts to achieve these outcomes. Even so, grounds for concern exist...
Show morePurpose The past decade has been witness to a proliferation of calls for evidence-based juvenile court sanctions—including various programs, interventions, services, and strategies or approaches—that reduce recidivism and improve mental health, drug dependency, and education outcomes. At the same time, an emerging body of work has identified “proven,” “evidence-based,” “best practice,” or, more generally, “effective” efforts to achieve these outcomes. Even so, grounds for concern exist regarding the evidence-base for these and other sanctions. Methods This paper describes the heterogeneity of sanctioning within juvenile justice and argues that, despite substantial advances in research, the heterogeneity severely delimits the generalizability of evaluations to date. It also raises questions about how much is in fact known about the effectiveness of many juvenile justice sanctions. Conclusion Extant research offers grounds for optimism. Even so, explicit articulation of the limitations of this research and the need for studies that examine external validity is important for developing evidence about “what works” in juvenile justice. Implications for research and policy are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2011-11-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1461945642, 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2011.09.006
Format: Citation

Title: Gender Differences in the Effects of Prison on Recidivism.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Cochran, Joshua C., Bales, William D.
Abstract/Description: Purpose This study examines gender differences in the effectiveness of prison in reducing recidivism. Methods Using data on released male and female prisoners, we apply a propensity score matching methodology to compare the effects of prison on recidivism versus three counterfactual conditions—jail, intensive probation, and probation. Results The analyses indicated that a prison term, as compared to placement on intensive probation or traditional probation, is associated with a greater...
Show morePurpose This study examines gender differences in the effectiveness of prison in reducing recidivism. Methods Using data on released male and female prisoners, we apply a propensity score matching methodology to compare the effects of prison on recidivism versus three counterfactual conditions—jail, intensive probation, and probation. Results The analyses indicated that a prison term, as compared to placement on intensive probation or traditional probation, is associated with a greater likelihood of property and drug recidivism. There was little evidence that recidivism was greater when compared to jail, that prison increased the likelihood of violent or other recidivism, or that the criminogenic effect of prison is appreciably greater for females or males. Conclusions The findings do not support arguments that prison is an effective alternative to non-incarcerative punishments or that it exerts a differential effect on females or males. Further research is needed on what features of the prison experience contribute to the observed effects.
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Date Issued: 2012-09-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1461942724, 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2012.06.009
Format: Citation

Title: Improving Criminal Justice through Better Decision Making: Lessons from the Medical System.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Bacon, Sarah
Abstract/Description: Against a backdrop of unprecedented growth in the criminal justice system stand calls for increased government accountability, yet substantial gaps between ideal and actual practice remain. Many observers have pointed to the problem and some of its causes and solutions, including the need for performance monitoring and evidence-based practices. Less attention has been paid to how decision-making errors influence effective criminal justice practice. This article draws on examples from medicine...
Show moreAgainst a backdrop of unprecedented growth in the criminal justice system stand calls for increased government accountability, yet substantial gaps between ideal and actual practice remain. Many observers have pointed to the problem and some of its causes and solutions, including the need for performance monitoring and evidence-based practices. Less attention has been paid to how decision-making errors influence effective criminal justice practice. This article draws on examples from medicine, where decision making has been examined in more depth, and applies them to criminal justice. Its goals are to identify the types of decision-making errors that can undermine effective practice and policy in the criminal justice system, illustrate how systemic factors influence everyday decision making, and draw attention to the benefits of decision making-focused monitoring and assessment. The article concludes by discussing the implications for performance monitoring and improving the criminal justice system.
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Date Issued: 2009-03-13
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1464805126, 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2009.02.001
Format: Citation

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

Title: Towards Rational and Evidence-Based Crime Policy.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P.
Abstract/Description: Rational crime policy constitutes a basic goal for society. If, however, evidence-based, cost-efficient crime prevention is the standard, there is little indication that current policies—including programs, laws, and court decisions—are rational. To support that assessment, this article uses an evaluation research perspective to highlight five prominent problems with extant crime policies:(1) a lack of empirical assessment of the need for them; (2) a range of design issues, including gaps...
Show moreRational crime policy constitutes a basic goal for society. If, however, evidence-based, cost-efficient crime prevention is the standard, there is little indication that current policies—including programs, laws, and court decisions—are rational. To support that assessment, this article uses an evaluation research perspective to highlight five prominent problems with extant crime policies:(1) a lack of empirical assessment of the need for them; (2) a range of design issues, including gaps between crime theory and policy, and, most notably, the pursuit of silver bullet solutions; (3) a range of implementation issues, including disjunctures between ideal and actual practice; (4) the lack of rigorous impact evaluations and the sometimes misplaced emphasis on them; and (5) a scarcity of cost-efficiency analyses for guiding investment decisions. It then discusses the implications of these problems and suggests steps that can be taken to place crime policy on a more evidence-based foundation.
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Date Issued: 2007-12-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548360065_b6d6c7ba, 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2007.09.003
Format: Citation

Title: Thinking fast, not slow: How cognitive biases may contribute to racial disparities in the use of force in police-citizen encounters.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Craig, Miltonette O., Stewart, Eric A., Warren, Patricia Y.
Abstract/Description: Purpose: To illuminate how racial disparities in police use of force may arise and to guide research aimed at explaining such disparities. Methods: We draw on research on policing, racial disparities in criminal justice, and cognitive bias and decision making to argue that police-citizen encounters require rapid assessments that demand reliance on cognitive “shortcuts,” or heuristics, that may inﬂuence the use of force. Results: When cognitive shortcuts rely on biases about the dangerousness...
Show morePurpose: To illuminate how racial disparities in police use of force may arise and to guide research aimed at explaining such disparities. Methods: We draw on research on policing, racial disparities in criminal justice, and cognitive bias and decision making to argue that police-citizen encounters require rapid assessments that demand reliance on cognitive “shortcuts,” or heuristics, that may inﬂuence the use of force. Results: When cognitive shortcuts rely on biases about the dangerousness of racial minorities, they can con-tribute to disparities in the use of force. These biases may interact with those that citizens hold, which creates a greater potential for disparities. In addition, biases of oﬃcers and citizens may be inﬂuenced by such factors as oﬃcer training, social context, and reaction time. Conclusions: Research is needed that identiﬁes cognitive shortcuts used during police-citizen encounters, con-ditions under which they are activated, and strategies for minimizing their role in contributing to racial dis-parities in the use of force.
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Date Issued: 2017-09-17
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1548708820_1bd6b056, 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2017.09.001
Format: Citation

Title: Toward a Systematic Foundation for Identifying Evidence-based Criminal Justice Sanctions and their Relative Effectiveness.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Barnes, James C.
Abstract/Description: Nationally, there have been increased calls for evidence-based criminal justice policy. Despite considerable progress toward that objective, there still is no systematic, comparative foundation for assessing the relative effectiveness of diverse sanctions in achieving any of a range of goals. In this article, the importance of evidence-based policy and the critical research gaps that must be filled were discussed, as well as the next steps that must be taken to place criminal justice...
Show moreNationally, there have been increased calls for evidence-based criminal justice policy. Despite considerable progress toward that objective, there still is no systematic, comparative foundation for assessing the relative effectiveness of diverse sanctions in achieving any of a range of goals. In this article, the importance of evidence-based policy and the critical research gaps that must be filled were discussed, as well as the next steps that must be taken to place criminal justice sanctioning on a solid, evidence-based foundation. Concluding remarks focused on the implications of current research gaps and several strategies for addressing them.
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Date Issued: 2010-07-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1464277908, 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2010.04.044
Format: Citation

Title: The Prison Experience: Introduction to the Special Issue.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P.
Date Issued: 2012-09-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1461942019, 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2012.05.006
Format: Citation

Title: Social Isolation and Inmate Behavior: A Conceptual Framework for Theorizing Prison Visitation and Guiding and Assessing Research.
Creator: Cochran, Joshua C., Mears, Daniel P.
Abstract/Description: Purpose Scholarship suggests that prison visitation is important because it allows inmates access to social ties that, in turn, can offset social isolation and help inmates cope with the transition back into society upon release. Only a small number of empirical assessments of visitation exist, however, and existing studies have typically overlooked how the heterogeneity inherent in visitation may influence whether visitation is beneficial, harmful, or has no effect. The goal of this paper is...
Show morePurpose Scholarship suggests that prison visitation is important because it allows inmates access to social ties that, in turn, can offset social isolation and help inmates cope with the transition back into society upon release. Only a small number of empirical assessments of visitation exist, however, and existing studies have typically overlooked how the heterogeneity inherent in visitation may influence whether visitation is beneficial, harmful, or has no effect. The goal of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework for theorizing this heterogeneity and its impacts, evaluating visitation research, and guiding future research aimed at estimating visitation effects. Methods The paper reviews theory and research on inmate visitation. In so doing, it systematically examines heterogeneity in visitation and the implications of this heterogeneity. Results The paper identifies five dimensions—visitation timing, longitudinal patterns in visitation, visitor type, visitation experiences, and inmate characteristics—that can be used to characterize visitation events or patterns that, themselves, may have varied effects on in-prison outcomes and reentry outcomes. Conclusions More nuanced theories of, and empirical research on, inmate visitation are needed both to understand better the implications of visitation, and inmate social ties more broadly, and to advance theory, research, and policy.
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Date Issued: 2013-07-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1460487632, 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2013.05.001
Format: Citation

Title: Sex Offender Residence Restriction Laws: Parental Perceptions and Public Policy.
Creator: Mancini, Christina, Shields, Ryan T., Mears, Daniel P., Beaver, Kevin M.
Abstract/Description: Despite a steady decline in sex crime over the past twenty years, new laws, such as residence restrictions, targeting such crime have proliferated. Some scholars have argued that public concern about sexual offending against young children has served as a catalyst for the emergence of these laws. Few studies, however, have empirically tested this claim. To address this gap and to contribute to scholarship on public opinion about crime and justice, this research tests a central implication...
Show moreDespite a steady decline in sex crime over the past twenty years, new laws, such as residence restrictions, targeting such crime have proliferated. Some scholars have argued that public concern about sexual offending against young children has served as a catalyst for the emergence of these laws. Few studies, however, have empirically tested this claim. To address this gap and to contribute to scholarship on public opinion about crime and justice, this research tests a central implication flowing from prior work—namely, the notion that people with children will be more likely to endorse increased restrictions on where sex offenders can live. Analyses of public opinion data from a 2006 poll of Florida residents suggest that parents are indeed significantly more likely to support such restrictions. Implications of the study for research and policy are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2010-09-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1464280597, 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2010.07.004
Format: Citation

Title: Unpacking the relationship between age and prison misconduct.
Creator: Valentine, Colby L., Mears, Daniel P., Bales, William D.
Abstract/Description: Purpose Age constitutes one of the most robust correlates of prison misconduct—younger inmates are more likely to commit infractions. Minimal theoretical or empirical attention, however, has been given to the potential nonlinear effect of age on misconduct. The current study examines the age-misconduct relationship and how it may vary by timing of misconduct after admission and by type of infraction. The paper also assesses the utility of different nonlinear transformations to estimate the...
Show morePurpose Age constitutes one of the most robust correlates of prison misconduct—younger inmates are more likely to commit infractions. Minimal theoretical or empirical attention, however, has been given to the potential nonlinear effect of age on misconduct. The current study examines the age-misconduct relationship and how it may vary by timing of misconduct after admission and by type of infraction. The paper also assesses the utility of different nonlinear transformations to estimate the age-misconduct relationship. Methods The study examines 137,552 offenders admitted to state prison in Florida from 1995 to 2000 and uses negative binomial regression to assess the relationship between age and misconduct. Results Analyses indicate that the youngest inmates, especially those age 24 and under, are substantially more likely to engage in misconduct, that this relationship is more pronounced during the initial months of incarceration, and that it holds regardless of type of offense. Conclusions The youngest inmates appear to be especially likely to engage in misconduct. Nonlinear specifications of the age-misconduct relationship should be employed in future research. Studies are needed to explain why misconduct is disproportionately higher among young inmates. Policies are needed that effectively reduce misconduct among this population.
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Date Issued: 2015-09-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1459520787, 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2015.05.001
Format: Citation

Title: To Execute or Not to Execute?: Examining Public Support for Capital Punishment of Sex Offenders.
Creator: Mancini, Christina, Mears, Daniel P.
Abstract/Description: In the 1990s, states enacted a plethora of new “get tough” laws targeting sex crime. These included extending the death penalty—a punishment typically reserved for murderers—to convicted sex offenders. Little attention, however, has been given to explaining why these tougher responses emerged and, in particular, whether the public supported extending the use of the death penalty to sex offenders. The goal of this paper was to examine whether public perceptions about executing sex offenders...
Show moreIn the 1990s, states enacted a plethora of new “get tough” laws targeting sex crime. These included extending the death penalty—a punishment typically reserved for murderers—to convicted sex offenders. Little attention, however, has been given to explaining why these tougher responses emerged and, in particular, whether the public supported extending the use of the death penalty to sex offenders. The goal of this paper was to examine whether public perceptions about executing sex offenders accorded with the punitive shift in policy and, more broadly, to contribute to scholarship on the death penalty. To this end, this paper examined data from a 1991 national public opinion poll, conducted just prior to the punitive shift in sex crime policies. The study found that views about executing sex offenders depended heavily on whether the victim was a child, that support for executing sex offenders was substantially lower than for executing murderers, and that few social and demographic divides differentially predicted support for executing sex offenders versus murderers. Implications of the study are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2010-09-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1464279945, 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2010.06.013
Format: Citation

Title: Supermax Housing: Placement, Duration, and Time to Reentry.
Creator: Mears, Daniel P., Bales, William D.
Abstract/Description: Despite the growth in and debate about super-maximum security housing, there exist few studies of inmates’ experiences or placement in supermax incarceration. The lack of research on this new type of confinement assumes particular salience given criticisms that such confinement is excessive, that placement in it is arbitrary, and that it may have adverse effects on reentry into society. The goal of this article was to inform efforts to understand how supermax housing is used and to contribute...
Show moreDespite the growth in and debate about super-maximum security housing, there exist few studies of inmates’ experiences or placement in supermax incarceration. The lack of research on this new type of confinement assumes particular salience given criticisms that such confinement is excessive, that placement in it is arbitrary, and that it may have adverse effects on reentry into society. The goal of this article was to inform efforts to understand how supermax housing is used and to contribute to policy debates about this housing. To this end, it used data from the Florida Department of Corrections to investigate several dimensions of the supermax experience. These included the frequency of placement into supermax confinement, the duration of time spent in such confinement, and the timing of it relative to reentry back into society. In addition, the article explored factors, especially behavioral indicators, that may contribute to decisions to place inmates in supermaxes. The article concludes by discussing the study's findings and implications for research and policy.
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Date Issued: 2010-07-01
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1464277468, 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2010.04.025
Format: Citation

text (13)	+ -
journal article (2)	+ -

Mears, Daniel P. (13)	+ -
Bales, William D. (3)	+ -
Cochran, Joshua C. (3)	+ -
Mancini, Christina (2)	+ -
Stewart, Eric A. (2)	+ -

Bacon, Sarah (1)	+ -
Barnes, James C. (1)	+ -
Beaver, Kevin M. (1)	+ -
Bhati, Avinash S. (1)	+ -
Craig, Miltonette O. (1)	+ -
Greenman, Sarah J. (1)	+ -
Greenwald, Mark A. (1)	+ -
Shields, Ryan T. (1)	+ -
Valentine, Colby L. (1)	+ -
Warren, Patricia Y. (1)	+ -

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