Matching Items (4)
Description
This dissertation explores the lives of women who are on the Severely Mentally Ill (SMI) caseload at Maricopa County Adult Probation in Arizona (The Phoenix metro region). The project focuses on three primary issues: (1) what are the pathways to the criminal justice and mental health systems for women on the SMI caseload (2) how does discretion and expansive formal social control (both benevolent and coercive) impact the lives of these women on the SMI caseload and (3) what are the gendered aspects to successful completion of SMI probation. To answer these questions a mixed-methods research design was employed. First, in-depth semi-structured interviews were completed with 65 women on the SMI caseload. Second, these interviews were supplemented with a case file review of each participant, and field observations (encompassing roughly 100 hours) were conducted at the Maricopa County Mental Health Court. Third, analysis also included 5.5 years of quantitative intake data from the SMI caseload, exploring demographic information and risk and assessment needs scores. The biographies of the women on the SMI caseload revealed similar histories of victimization, substance abuse, and relationship difficulty that previous pathways research has noted. Additionally, mental health problems directly impacted the path to the criminal justice system for some women on the SMI caseload. Results also showed many aspects of expanded social control for women on the SMI caseload. This expanded control appeared to be gendered at times and often created double binds for women. Finally, quantitative analysis showed that some predictive factors of SMI probation completion were gendered. Policy implications and summaries of findings are discussed.
ContributorsMulvey, Philip (Author) / Decker, Scott H. (Thesis advisor) / Spohn, Cassia (Committee member) / Holtfreter, Kristy (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Risk assessment instruments play a significant role in correctional intervention and guide decisions about supervision and treatment. Although advances have been made in risk assessment over the past 50 years, limited attention has been given to risk assessment for domestic violence offenders. This study investigates the use of the Domestic Violence Screening Inventory (DVSI) and the Offender Screening Tool (OST) with a sample of 573 offenders convicted of domestic violence offenses and sentenced to supervised probation in Maricopa County, Arizona. The study has two purposes. The first is to assess the predictive validity of the existing assessment tools with a sample of domestic violence offenders, using a number of probation outcomes. The second is to identify the most significant predictors of probation outcomes. Predictive validity is assessed using crosstabulations, bivariate correlations, and the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. Logistic regression is used to identify the most significant predictors of probation outcomes. The DVSI and the OST were found to be predictive of probation outcomes and were most predictive of the outcomes petition to revoke filed, petition to revoke filed for a violation of specialized domestic violence conditions, and unsuccessful probation status. Significant predictors include demographics, criminal history, current offense, victim characteristics, static factors, supervision variables and dynamic variables. The most consistent predictors were supervision variables and dynamic risk factors. The supervision variables include being supervised on a specialized domestic violence caseload and changes in supervision, either an increase or decrease, during the probation grant. The dynamic variables include employment and substance abuse. The overall findings provide support for the continued use of the DVSI and the OST and are consistent with the literature on evidence-based practices for correctional interventions. However, the predictive validity of the assessments varied across sub-groups and the instruments were less predictive for females and offenders with non-intimate partner victims. In addition, study variables only explained a small portion of the variation in the probation outcomes. Additional research is needed, expanding beyond the psychology of criminal conduct, to continue to improve existing risk assessment tools and identify more salient predictors of probation outcomes for domestic violence offenders.
ContributorsFerguson, Jennifer (Author) / Hepburn, John R. (Thesis advisor) / Ashford, José B. (Committee member) / Johnson, John M. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Juvenile justice institutions have been slow to adapt their practices to the developmental challenges of adolescence. Traditional probation, which impacts the vast majority of justice-involved youth, is one such institution considering the primary goal is ensuring youth’s compliance with probation terms rather than long-term prosocial change. To better engage youth, jurisdictions are increasingly using graduated response systems that utilize incentives to reinforce desired behaviors in both the short- and long-term. Yet, little is known about what motivates youth. The current study tested three research questions. The first explored what types of incentives would motivate youth to do well on probation. The second tested what parents believe would motivate youth and how it compared to what youth desire. The final question investigated if older youth desired monetary incentives less than younger youth. Youth most desired praise-based incentives followed by privilege-based incentives and monetary incentives. Further, parents’ perceptions aligned with youths’ perceptions. Overall, these findings highlighted praise may be more impactful than previously thought, and further exploration is needed to understand its effect. Privilege and monetary-based incentives could still prove motivational for youth, but to a lesser degree than previously thought.
ContributorsRichardson, Justin Turner (Author) / Fine, Adam D (Thesis advisor) / Spohn, Cassia C (Committee member) / Stolzenberg, Stacia N (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Justice involved youth are an extremely important and vulnerable population. This alone makes understanding the systems they interact with even more vital due to the power those systems may have in the development of youth’s lives. Research suggests that social relationships impact youth development (Bronfenbrenner, 1977), including for justice-involved youth (Drake et al., 2014). However, gaps in literature exist in assessing multiple adult relationships for youth and measuring self-efficacy rather than probational success. The current study addresses these gaps in the literature with a sample of youth on probation (N = 889). Data came from two sources: self-report surveys from youth and official record data from the jurisdiction’s risk/needs assessment tools. Paired t-tests were administered to test the comparative levels of support between youth and the adults in their lives. It was found that youth and probation officer support had the strongest correlation. Then, linear regressions were utilized to assess relationship quality and youth self-efficacy. It was found that probation officer relationship quality was strongest in correlating to youth self-efficacy. Multiple regressions were also administered to analyze the moderation impact of probationary officer relationship quality and school employee relationship quality in relation to parent relationship quality. No statistically significant results were found. Findings suggest the importance of proximal relationships to youth and the critical importance of the probationary officer relationship to youth who are on probation.
ContributorsWeber, Lex (Author) / Fine, Adam (Thesis director) / Cross, Allison (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)
Created2023-05