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Measuring criminal thinking among convicts imprisoned in Punjab prisons of Pakistan
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to differentiate crime-related characteristics (such as the number of cases filed against current convictions and criminal history) based on the criminal thinking prevailing among convicts. However, because of the low reliability of subscales and poor structural validity of indigenous and translated versions of international instruments, a new instrument criminal attitude measure (CAM) was extracted to measure criminal thinking patterns among convicts incarcerated in central prisons of Punjab.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional research design was used. Data was collected from 1,949 male convicts (extracting mutually exclusive data from 649 respondents for EFA and 1,300 respondents for confirmatory factor analysis [CFA]). Both data samples were collected from convicts incarcerated in the nine (all) central jails of Punjab, Pakistan.
Findings
The results of this study showed poor model fit for both the indigenous criminal thinking scale and the translated version of criminogenic cognition scale. CAM was extracted through principal component analysis and proposed as a 15-item questionnaire with five factors extracted through varimax rotation. Those five factors are power orientation, mollification, entitlement, mistrust toward authorities and short-term orientation. The results of CFA for CAM confirmed the proposed five-factor structure for the construct. Findings based on MANOVA further found that CAM differentiates between the thinking patterns of recidivists, convicts with multiple charges filed against them in current convictions and convicts with a familial criminal record. The findings of this study showed that CAM is a practical, valid and reliable instrument for measuring criminal thinking among convicts.
Research limitations/implications
In this study, using the survey method was inevitable because of the restrictions imposed by the granted permission. However, this time duration was extended because of the courtesy of the Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent of each jail. This study is focused on a male sample only, and the findings cannot be generalized to females. The phenomena proposed (based on large data sets) in this study can further be elaborated using qualitative research designs and methods (using a small sample with an in-depth study). So, it is also suggested to test this new instrument on a comparative study between prisoners and non-prisoners to explore whether scale can differentiate between these two groups.
Practical implications
A short-scale and easy-to-administer instrument was developed for assessing major criminogenic needs among convicts for prison management, i.e. assigning barracks, allocating treatment and also detecting changes in attitude after imprisonment.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first study to explore and validate the construct of criminal attitudes among convicts using both the EFA and CFA. A small and valid instrument facilitates the measurement of criminogenic needs among prisoners. Data was collected from all central jails in Punjab. This study explored comparatively less researched crime characteristics in a relatively large sample.
... In Pakistan, the CCS was tested with an incarcerated population (Ishfaq & Kamal, 2023). However, the psychometric properties of the instrument proved to be questionable, as the CCS showed corrected item-total correlations between 0.15 and 0.49 and lacked internal consistency. ...
... In addition, Ishfaq and Kamal (2023) conducted a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to evaluate the CCS five-factor structure initially proposed by Tangney et al. (2012). Their findings suggested that the proposed factor structure exhibited poor construct validity, with suboptimal model fit indices (CFI = 0.65, TLI = 0.58, RMSEA = 0.07). ...
Despite the importance of criminogenic thinking in addressing criminal behavior, validated instruments to measure these cognitions in Portuguese forensic settings are scarce. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of the Criminogenic Cognitions Scale (CCS) in a sample of 364 Portuguese incarcerated males (Mage = 37.88, SD = 10.88). An exploratory factor analysis was conducted, indicating a 15-item, two-factor structure (KMO = 0.82; Bartlett’s test, χ² = 1841.2, df = 105, p < 0.001). The CCS dimensions, comprising Short-Term Orientation and Responsibility Evasion and Authority Resistance, demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties, including convergent validity with antisocial traits, moral disengagement, and self-control dimensions, as well as internal consistency (omega coefficient = 0.60–0.77; composite reliability = 74–91; coefficient H = 89–95), and sensitivity of items. The CCS is a valuable tool within prison settings for assessing criminogenic thinking patterns, supporting risk assessment, the development of targeted rehabilitation programs, and monitoring cognitive changes over time to reduce recidivism, thereby promoting inmates’ safer reintegration into society. Overall, our findings suggest the CCS is a promising tool for assessing criminogenic cognitions in the forensic Portuguese population.
Aim of the Study: The current study aimed at exploring the relationship between adverse childhood experiences, self-blaming and criminogenic cognitions in university students. Methodology: For this purpose, a cross-sectional research strategy was used to assess the prevalence of adverse childhood experience, self-blaming and criminogenic cognitions in university students. Data was collected from 200 university students using convenient sampling. Descriptive statistics were used for demographic findings and linear regression analyses were performed to determine the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACE), self-blaming and criminogenic cognition. Findings: The findings show that there is a negative correlation among the variables that are adverse childhood experience (ACEs), Self-Blaming (SB) and Criminogenic Cognitions Scale (CCS). It means that there is less likelihood that adverse childhood experience and self-blaming can cause criminogenic cognitions in students. However, there was a significance that was found with a subscale Failure of Accept Responsibility (FAR) of Criminogenic Cognitions Scale (CCS) with regard to independent variables. Conclusion: Study concluded that the culture and the society of the country Pakistan could greatly influence how such experiences might be received and in turn affect a person. Strong families and community support in Pakistan might prevent the ACEs, such as developing the thinking that leads to criminality. These cultural factors may also decrease the ‘self-blame attitude’ which, in turn, does not directly imply a link and explain why there was no association with criminogenic thinking.
The purpose of the present study was to explore self- reported criminal behaviors among drug abusers. Total one hundred (N= 100) drug abusers (heroin, cannabis, alcohol and crystal abusers) were interviewed sitting in Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers of Karachi, Pakistan. A semi-structured interview form was used to collect information pertaining to demographic characteristics, drug abuse and crime history. Results have revealed that most of the participants (67%) were involved in different crimes and among them majority were heroin abusers (84%). All drug abusers were commonly involved in the crime of pickpocketing (40.29%). Pickpocketing was mainly associated with heroin abuse (48%). About 20% cannabis users were equally involved in the crimes of pickpocketing, robbery and gambling. Alcoholics were, most of the time, involved in fighting (28%), whereas majority of crystal users (16%) had committed the crime of pickpocketing. Results also have depicted that majority of drug abusers (55.22%) had committed crimes to buy drugs.
Key words: Drug, abuse, crime, behaviors,
Crime is a major issue all over the world mostly in developing countries. Many social and economic determinants may cause crime such as poverty, ignorance, lack of education, unemployment, inflation, etc. This paper is an attempt to explore the crime-related and socio-economic crime factors in district jail Multan, Pakistan by collecting data through interviewing method from 172 male prisoners by random sampling technique. Two kinds of crime are linked through the purely crime-related variables and socio-economic variables by applying cross-tabulation analysis. The study has identified that crime is the upshot of many social, economic, and purely crime-related factors like the type of crime, economic, social, political & psychological factors, Criminal friendships, Revenge, joint family, rural area of residence, low education level, lack of support, Social deprivation, private-sector job, etc. The study has suggested some policies to reduce the crime rate.
This qualitative study considers the development of adolescent offending and examines a range of potential causes rooted in the issues of truancy, peer pressure, and educational and parental disengagement. Ten adult offenders recently released from prison were accessed through a probation service in the North West of England. Participants (M age = 35.2, S.D = 8.51) were interviewed about the indictable offences that they perpetrated between the ages of 12-16. Thematic analysis uncovered several key themes related to substance misuse and broader enjoyment of risk-taking behaviours, financial gain and the desire to develop a recognised criminal status, alongside fear and rejection of authority. In general, educational disengagement led to stronger associations with antisocial peers from whom acceptance was sought and offending identities were constructed around. Longer-term consequences of time spent with antisocial peers included substance abuse, more serious criminality, and increased risk-taking behaviour. The implications of the findings are discussed in the context of early interventions.
Objective: To determine a student's performance. A survey of undergraduate medical students was done to determine the factors linked to increased stress and emotional tiredness among medical students at Gujranwala Medical College (GMC) Pakistan. Material and Methods: Data was collected using a structured questionnaire collected from undergraduate medical students. Information related to stress, nervousness, being upset, daily life restlessness, being irritated, being focused, satisfaction with the lecturing, financial strains, family-related stress, living problems, and career, was collected from the respondents via proforma with permission. Results: 40.4% of students felt they had often faced stress during their last month with 37.1% facing unexpected events. Often students (34.4%) found restlessness during their last month with 39.1% of subjects feeling irritated by things happening around them. Some 35.8% of subjects had given thoughts to the future, 26.5% felt worthless and 33.1% forgot simple things or tasks. 39.1% felt they had difficulty focusing on the tasks given to them. Financial strain was always there in 3.3% and was rarely felt in 33.8% of subjects. Family-related problems were always there in 7.3% of subjects. 33.1% always felt dissatisfied with the quality of food in the mess. 29.8% of subjects felt they were unable to fulfill their parents’ expectations while 22.5% felt they face stress about their career. Conclusion: 40% of students are experiencing various forms of stress and emotional exhaustion. 33 percent of students always felt tension due to messed-up food, and 26.5 percent felt they always felt alone to deal with their problems.
Film is a most influential medium and has a huge impact on society, publics of different aspects have interests in different genre of film. Undoubtedly, People are affected by various forms of media, but the power of films is an obvious reality. Film it is a sort of transferal that plays out a story by strong and a gathering of pictures giving the mental trip of industrious turn of events. In Pakistan, most of the people watch Bollywood movies due to same language and culture aspects. The study attempts to understand the effect of Bollywood movies. Precisely, the current study is focused on "Effects of Drugs Depiction in Bollywood Movies on Youth in District Gujranwala". The main purpose of the study was to find that is there any part of Indian movies in drug utilization among Pakistani young people. The study is quantitative in nature and survey method was used to investigate the issue. A structured questionnaire was developed and distributed among the participants via Google form. The assessment was clear in nature and instrument was the study for understudies and besides Indian films subject to portrayal of medications by performers. Sample of the study was 300 youngster's female and male. Advantageous testing was applied to find the youthful response with respect to mediated use in Indian pictures and their part in drug utilization among Pakistani youth. The results showed that Indian movies depicting drug use conversely influence youth, such movies impacting their lifestyles and culture, their point of view, as each picked film has drug depiction by, critical minor and establishment characters and besides in music accounts, they are a wellspring of motivation for them. Exactly when they watch, they need to have some fun occasions that way, need to follow their number one entertainer/entertainers.
The present research was directed to study the mediating role of rumination between neuroticism and depression among the married and unmarried nurses of Multan. Data was taken from (n=150) nurses through a stratified proportional sampling method. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Ruminative Response Scale and Big Five Inventory were utilized as an assessment measure in the present research. SPSS-21 version was used in the current research. Pearson product-moment correlation analysis revealed that rumination and neuroticism have a significant positive (P = .05) relationship with depression. However, hierarchical regression analysis by Baron and Kenny method shows that rumination shows a significant mediating (P = .05) role between neuroticism and depression. Consequences determined that a higher level of ruminating thoughts and neuroticism would lead to depression. The present study will help to understand the consequences of depression, especially among nurses. Existing policies and coping strategies could be inquired and could probably to improve to better help this population. Based on this study, it is not only particular for professionals or nurses to be aware of depression toward a better life in the Pakistani society but also to be educated on the culture itself and clinical area.
Prison is a place for rehabilitation of offenders in every country of the world. The present study has tried to explore the present-day situation of the prison system of Pakistan and discuss its overcrowding condition in all four provinces. There are total 120 prisons in the country which hold authorized space for not more than 57,712 prisoners, but the number of inmates is 77,275, which is far away from the authorized space. This congested prison system not only creates hurdles in rehabilitation of prisoners but makes them more criminal by mixing of low and high frequency offenders. It also leads to various
health and behavioral problems. Rehabilitation is only possible if there is balance in authorized and available prisoners in the prisons. The present article has come up with some viable suggestion for concerned authorities that can better perform their duty in eradication of this problem. The authors discussed the role of parole and probation officers in the elimination of these numbers in prison. The
majority of the prisoners in our prisons are under-trail, thus the role of the judiciary has also been explored in balancing the incarceration ratio in prisons.
Keywords: Prison System, Overcrowded Prisons, Parole and Probation, Judiciary, Courts, Pakistan.
Most actuarial tools in criminology have been developed based on male offenders. However, there have been few studies on the nature and extent of crime in the female population. It has been suggested that this gendered difference in the development of robust actuarial tools for the assessment of criminal behaviours is mainly attributable to the fact that tool development requires
a large representative sample—it is an undeniable fact that males
commit far more offences and pose a greater offending threat than
females do. However, applying tools that have been specifically developed for males to female prison populations neglects potential behavioral and situational differences between genders, and may have an impact on the quality of decisions made in dayto-day practice in the criminal justice system. Based on a global sample comprising 61,324 offenders (male offenders = 41,557; female offenders = 19,767) sentenced to custody (n = 7,588) or
probation (n = 53,736), this study aims to fill this gap by analyzing
all the items in the five sections of the Level of Service/Case
Management Inventory (LS/CMI), a tool developed in order to predict criminal recidivism. Thus, this study explores indicators of criminal recidivism in male and female offenders. Our results regarding Section 1 of the LS/CMI are very similar to the results reported in previous studies. Our results for sections 2 to 5
indicate that only a few items are highly correlated to recidivism, and that those items—for example, criminal history and personal problems—are largely redundant with those in Section 1. In addition, the majority of the items in sections 2 to 5 present low levels of endorsement
Purpose:
To examine moderation of intergenerational transmission of crime and antisocial behavior of parents to adult arrests of sons (from age 18 years to ages 37-38 years). Moderators examined were from late childhood (constructive parenting and sons' inhibitory control, internalizing symptoms, and cognitive function), adolescence (delinquency and deviant peer association), and early adulthood (educational achievement, employment history, substance use, deviant peer association, and partner antisocial behavior).
Methods:
Study participants were parents and sons (N = 206) from the longitudinal Oregon Youth Study, recruited from schools in the higher crime areas of a medium-sized metropolitan region in the Pacific Northwest. Assessment included official arrest records, school data, interviews, and questionnaires.
Results:
As hypothesized, parents' and sons' histories of two or more arrests were significantly associated. Predictions of sons' arrests from a broader construct of parental antisocial behavior were significantly moderated by sons' late childhood cognitive function and early adult employment history, substance use, and romantic partner's antisocial behavior. Overall, there was relatively little intergenerational association in crime at low levels of these moderators.
Conclusions:
Findings indicate relatively large intergenerational associations in crime. The identified moderators may be used as selection criteria or targeted in prevention and treatment efforts aimed at reducing such associations.
Access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation is a fundamental human right and basic ingredient of public health. However, one of the major problems faced by developing countries in the twenty-first century is the lack of access to these facilities. Punjab, the most populous province of Pakistan with more than 50% of the country's population, is no exception. Keeping in view its importance, the current study is an effort to investigate important determinants of access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation in Punjab to ensure the provision of these services to the masses. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey Household data from 2017 to 2018 has been used for analysis. The results of a logistic regression model revealed that household media exposure, education level of household head, household wealth status, and ethnic background of the household head are some of the important determinants of household access to safe drinking water. For household access to improved sanitation, along with these factors, the role of social norms and place of residence are also important. Particularly, the role of social norms is very profound. Findings from the study suggest that efforts should be made to provide readily available media access, household education level needs to be enhanced, policies should be made to raise the living standard of the poorest households, and the social norm for the use of improved sanitation needs to be promoted. HIGHLIGHTS
In the wake of COVID-19, the importance of water, sanitation, and hygiene has been increased manifold.;
There is dire need to understand the important factors that contribute to access to safe water and improved sanitation.;
Currently, there are hardly any studies in Punjab (Pakistan) on this matter, so the current study is an effort to fill this gap.;
Objectives
The DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure (DSM-XC) is a transdiagnostic mental health symptom measure that has shown promise in informing clinical diagnostic evaluations and as a screening tool for research. However, few studies have assessed the latent dimensionality of the DSM-XC. We examined the factor structure of the DSM-XC in a large convenience sample of participants with varying degrees of psychological health.
Methods
Participants (n=3533) enrolled in a protocol conducted at the National Institute of Mental Health ( NCT04339790 ). We used a factor analytic framework to evaluate an existing two-factor solution (Lace & Merz, 2020) and two additional candidate solutions.
Results
The Lace and Merz solution had acceptable fit. Exploratory factor analysis yielded two candidate solutions: a six-factor (characterized as mood, worry, activation, somatic, thoughts, and substance use) and a bifactor (general factor of non-specific psychopathology, residual factors characterized as internalizing and thought disorder), which both had good fit and full measurement invariance across age, sex, and enrollment date.
Conclusions
Our findings confirm that the DSM-XC may be conceptualized as a multidimensional instrument and provide a scoring solution for researchers who wish to measure distinct constructs. Future research on the psychometric profile of the DSM-XC is needed, focused on the validity of these candidate solutions and their performance across research populations and settings.
Criminal social identity (CSI) is a factor for criminal behavior. CSI should therefore be a target of interventive strategies aiming to reduce the risk of re-offending. To date, there is limited knowledge on how CSI is expressed among individuals with different criminal histories, undermining the efforts to develop and target appropriate rehabilitative strategies. In the present investigation, network analysis was applied to model the pattern of relationships between different crime types and CSI. In total, eight networks were estimated among prisoners from the US (n = 772), UK (n = 638), and Poland (n = 1591).
Results show different pathways between CSI scores and crime types across samples. CSI formed positive links with acquisitive crime among U.S. and Polish male prisoners. Homicide formed negative associations with CSI among male prisoners from the U.S. and Poland as well as U.S. female prisoners. Crimes for which an individual is likely to face social stigmatization were positively associated with CSI in U.S. females and UK males. It is anticipated that from these results, we will be able to build a better understanding of the structural relationships between different types of criminal activity and CSI, subsequently leading to more effective rehabilitation strategies.
The aim of this research is to provide an insight into the correlation between criminal behavioural styles and criminal styles of thinking with the results of monitoring the activities of convicted persons in the process of (re)classification. Criminal behavioural styles were measured with the Lifestyle Criminality Screening Form score (LCSF) (Walters, White, & Denney, 1991), and criminal styles of thinking were measured with the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) (Walters, 1995, 2005). This could identify and eliminate eight styles of thinking and four styles of behaviour characterizing a criminal lifestyle. The sample for this research consisted of 126 inmates of Banja Luka Correctional Facility. Seven out of eight criminal styles of thinking (mollification, cut-off, entitlement, power orientation, superoptimism, cognitive indolence and discontinuity) are negatively correlated with results of monitoring the activities of convicted persons in terms of thinking. Three out of four criminal behavioural styles (interpersonal intrusiveness, self-indulgence and social rule breaking) are negatively correlated with monitoring the activities of convicted persons in terms of behaviour. The General Criminal Thinking (GCT) score of the PICTS and Total LCSF score was found to successfully predict the result of monitoring the activities of 216 male offenders in the behavioural and thinking segment in the process of prison classification after controlling for age, marital status, level of education, length of sentence and recidivism. These results suggest that the GCT score of the PICTS and LCSF score may have a role in internal classification decisions. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Keywords: criminal lifestyle, criminal thinking styles, offenders, prison classification
This study investigated the effect the number of observed variables (p) has on three structural equation modeling indices: the comparative fit index (CFI), the Tucker–Lewis index (TLI), and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). The behaviors of the population fit indices and their sample estimates were compared under various conditions created by manipulating the number of observed variables, the types of model misspecification, the sample size, and the magnitude of factor loadings. The results showed that the effect of p on the population CFI and TLI depended on the type of specification error, whereas a higher p was associated with lower values of the population RMSEA regardless of the type of model misspecification. In finite samples, all three fit indices tended to yield estimates that suggested a worse fit than their population counterparts, which was more pronounced with a smaller sample size, higher p, and lower factor loading.
The current research was aimed at the development and validation of an indigenous scale for assessment of criminal thinking among offenders in Pakistani cultural context. The research has been carried out in two studies. Study I dealt with the development of an Indigenous Criminal Thinking Scale. The items of the scale were empirically validated through content validation and factor analysis on offenders (N = 230). The results indicated that Indigenous Criminal Thinking Scale as an internally consistent five factor scale (Criminal Rationalization, Power Orientation and Justification, Personal Irresponsibility, Vindication, and Entitlement). Study II of the current research was conducted to determine the gender differences on Indigenous Criminal Thinking Scale. The convergent validity was established with the help of Brief Criminal Attitude Scale (Taylor, 1968) and both scales showed Indigenous Criminal Thinking Scale as valid and reliable instrument for measuring criminal thinking. Results concluded that the Indigenous Criminal Thinking Scale is a promising measurement tool in indigenous setting.
The Network Kernel Density Estimation (NetKDE) is a useful tool for visualization of point events over a network space, but it lacks in expressing the statistical significance of the mapped phenomenon. In this paper, we discuss the network hotspot detection of street crimes by integrating the NetKDE and the Getis-Ord GI* statistics. We selected four types of network-constrained crimes, i.e., bike theft, car theft, robbery, and snatching. The NetKDE is a useful technique to study the patterns of crimes bounded by the road networks. We used the Spatial Analysis along Networks (SANET) tools for computing the Network Kernel Density Estimation (NetKDE) and utilized the results of the NetKDE as input values for computing the Getis-Ord GI* statistics. The combination of these two methods can detect the network-constrained hotspots that are statistically significant. We also performed the network K-function, the extension of the Ripley’s K-function on networks. The network K-function analysis displays the significant clustering of crime events at different scales. Results demonstrated that the intensity of street crimes are strongly concentrated in the central part of the city. Moreover, the results reflected that the functional nature of different urban land use affects the frequency of crime events. Various urban land uses such as commercial, residential and industrial area seemed to influence the distribution of different types of crimes. The hotspot analysis has real potential, impacting the police patrolling protocols. The methods presented in this study suggest that there is a need to distinguish the planar and network hotspots and crime prevention policies could be enacted according to the type of hotspots.
Cronbach’s alpha is a statistic commonly quoted by authors to demonstrate that tests and scales that have been constructed or adopted for research projects are fit for purpose. Cronbach’s alpha is regularly adopted in studies in science education: it was referred to in 69 different papers published in 4 leading science education journals in a single year (2015)—usually as a measure of reliability. This article explores how this statistic is used in reporting science education research and what it represents. Authors often cite alpha values with little commentary to explain why they feel this statistic is relevant and seldom interpret the result for readers beyond citing an arbitrary threshold for an acceptable value. Those authors who do offer readers qualitative descriptors interpreting alpha values adopt a diverse and seemingly arbitrary terminology. More seriously, illustrative examples from the science education literature demonstrate that alpha may be acceptable even when there are recognised problems with the scales concerned. Alpha is also sometimes inappropriately used to claim an instrument is unidimensional. It is argued that a high value of alpha offers limited evidence of the reliability of a research instrument, and that indeed a very high value may actually be undesirable when developing a test of scientific knowledge or understanding. Guidance is offered to authors reporting, and readers evaluating, studies that present Cronbach’s alpha statistic as evidence of instrument quality.
The present study applied a narrative analysis upon rioter accounts of their motivations during the August 2011 England riots. To the authors’ knowledge, this piece of research was the first to utilise narrative theory to explore the phenomenon of Rioting. Narrative accounts of twenty rioters were compiled from media, online and published sources. Content analysis of the cases produced a set of 47 variables relating to offenders’ motivations given when describing their criminality. Data were subjected to Smallest Space Analysis (SSA), a non-metric multidimensional scaling procedure and results revealed four distinct themes: the Professional Rioter, the Revengeful Rioter, the Victim Rioter and the Adventurer Rioter in line with previous research conducted on differing crime types (Canter et al, 2003; Youngs and Canter, 2011). The four narrative themes are consistent with motivations identified in previous theories.
Purpose: The aim of present study is to explore the social and demographic determinants of
total crime, property crime and violent crime in Punjab, the main province of Pakistan.
Methodology: 25 districts of province Punjab are selected as sample for empirical estimation.
The time span to be covered in the study is 2005-2012. Findings: Empirical evidences estimated
by applying fixed and random effects models reveals that deterrence variable positively and
significantly impact different level of crime in Pakistan. Recommendations: Similarly, increase
in population density is an important factor to stimulate criminal activities in Pakistan. However
education provides mixed evidence in our analysis.
Purpose- The aim of the current study was to test the construct validity and dimensionality of the Measure of Criminal Social Identity (MCSI) within both a combined sample of American, Pakistani, and Polish inmates, as well as examined as individual country samples.
Method- Adopting a cross-sectional survey design, the opportunistic sample consisted of offenders incarcerated in three different countries; 351 inmates from Poland, 501 from the United States, and 319 from Pakistan (combined data set n = 1171), with inmates completing anonymous, self-administered, paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Traditional confirmatory factor analysis, along with confirmatory bifactor modelling was used in order to examine the fit of four different models of criminal social identity.
Findings- Results revealed that data were best explained by a three-factor model of criminal social identity (cognitive centrality, in-group ties, and in-group affect) within both combined and individual offender samples. Composite reliability indicated that the three factors were measured with very good reliability.
Conclusions/limitations/implications- Validation of the MCSI within the large cross-cultural combined prison sample provides substantial support for the measure’s reliability and utility across diverse offender samples. Consideration of low factor loadings of items one and three for the Pakistan dataset and item two for the United States dataset, leads the researchers to outline possible recommendations that these questions be reworded and additional items be added.
Originality- This is the first study to validate MCSI cross-culturally and specifically utilising a Western prison sample, consisting of male and female offenders.
Andrews, Bonta, and Wormith (2004) presented the LS\CMI as a fourth-generation instrument designed for the assessment of risk and needs of adults in custody. Now widely used, prior research has focused mainly on the examination of the predictive validity of the overall score provided by the instrument. In practice, however, parole/probation officer rely of the LS\CMI items for case planning and case management purposes. Yet, the psychometric properties of these items are not well known. The current study, therefore, aimed to investigate the internal structure of the LS\CMI using item response theory (IRT).
Aim:
To assess the relationship between testing positive for opiates and/or cocaine and prior offending.
Methods:
139,925 persons (107,573 men) identified from a saliva test for opiate and cocaine metabolites following arrest in England and Wales, 1 April 2005-31 March 2009, were case-linked with 2-year recorded offending history. The prior offending rate, accounting for estimated incarceration periods, was calculated by: drug-test outcome; gender; four main crime categories (acquisitive, non-acquisitive, serious acquisitive, and non-serious acquisitive) and 16 sub-categories. Rate ratio (RR) compared opiate and/or cocaine positive to dual-negative testers. Adjusted rate ratio (aRR) controlled for age at drug test.
Results:
The relationship between testing positive for opiates and cocaine and prior 2-year offending was greater for women than men (aRR men 1.77; 95% CI: 1.75-1.79: women 3.51; 3.45-3.58). The association was weaker for those testing positive for opiates only (aRR: men: 1.66, 1.64-1.68; women 2.73, 2.66-2.80). Men testing positive for cocaine only had a lower rate of prior offending (aRR: 0.93, 0.92-0.94), women had a higher rate (aRR: 1.69, 1.64-1.74). The strongest associations were for non-serious acquisitive crimes (e.g. dually-positive: prostitution (women-only): aRR 24.9, 20.9-29.7; shoplifting: aRR men 4.05, 3.95-4.16; women 6.16, 5.92-6.41). Testing positive for opiates and cocaine was associated with violent offences among women (aRR: 1.54, 1.40-1.69) but not men (aRR: 0.98, 0.93-1.02).
Conclusions:
Among drug-tested offenders, opiate use is associated with elevated prior offending and the association is stronger for women than men. Cocaine use is associated with prior offending only among women.
The purpose of this study was to translate and validate the Criminal Sentiment Scale Modified (CSS-M), which measures the criminal attitudes into Spanish. Despite the large body of research proving their importance as one of the best predictors of criminal conduct, only a few measures have been psychometrically developed and validated, and none of them are available in the Spanish language. A sample of 153 male inmates from Penitentiary Brians I of the Catalan Prison Service (Spain) participated voluntarily in the study (73.9% of Spanish nationality, mean age = 37.3) completed the final version of the Spanish adaptation. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted with all the scales simultaneously, showing that the underlying structure of the CSS-M was best explained by a two-factor solution: Sentiments toward the establishment and Criminality self-benefits. Moreover, a set of analyses of variance (ANOVA) was also performed, validating the scale well. According to the results of the study, it was concluded that the Spanish version of the CSS-M has satisfactory psychometric properties, enabling its potential usefulness within the legal field of Spanish-speaking countries as a key element in crime prevention.
Unable to exorcise its nightmarish traits inherited as colonial legacy, police in Punjab is still seen as a public-frightening rather than a public-friendly organization, which continues to promote a sense of fear rather than security and well being among the population. This image has perpetuated a widespread mistrust between police and the general masses. Reforms introduced in past were either not implemented properly or failed to improve policing. This constructivist study focuses on the lived experiences of different stakeholders in society and highlights different aspects of the phenomenon as understood and described by those stakeholders, highlighting public image of police, problems faced by police and their perceived reasons, views on previous reforms and hurdles in the way of their implementation, and suggestions for improvement.
Medical educators attempt to create reliable and valid tests and questionnaires in order to enhance the accuracy of their assessment and evaluations. Validity and reliability are two fundamental elements in the evaluation of a measurement instrument. Instruments can be conventional knowledge, skill or attitude tests, clinical simulations or survey questionnaires. Instruments can measure concepts, psychomotor skills or affective values. Validity is concerned with the extent to which an instrument measures what it is intended to measure. Reliability is concerned with the ability of an instrument to measure consistently.1 It should be noted that the reliability of an instrument is closely associated with its validity. An instrument cannot be valid unless it is reliable. However, the reliability of an instrument does not depend on its validity.2 It is possible to objectively measure the reliability of an instrument and in this paper we explain the meaning of Cronbach’s alpha, the most widely used objective measure of reliability.
Accounts of prison life consistently describe a culture of mutual mistrust, fear, aggression and barely submerged violence. Often too, they explain how prisoners adapt to this environmentin men's prisons, at leastby putting on emotional masks' or fronts' of masculine bravado which hide their vulnerabilities and deter the aggression of their peers. This article does not contest the truth of such descriptions, but argues that they provide a partial account of the prison's emotional world. Most importantly, for current purposes, they fail to describe the way in which prisons have a distinctive kind of emotional geography, with zones in which certain kinds of emotional feelings and displays are more or less acceptable. In this article, we argue that these emotion zones', which cannot be characterized either as frontstage' or backstage' domains, enable the display of a wider range of feelings than elsewhere in the prison. Their existence represents a challenge to depictions of prisons as environments that are unwaveringly sterile, unfailingly aggressive or emotionally undifferentiated.
The current study examines the intergenerational transmission and concentration of violent offending using conviction data of 3,440 persons from three consecutive generations from the Dutch Transfive study. Violent offending is more concentrated within nuclear families than non-violent offending, and the intergenerational transmission of violent offending is stronger than the intergenerational transmission of non-violent offending. Due to the low prevalence of violent offending by women, only transmission from father to son is studied. Paternal violent offending before the birth of the son does not increase the son’s risk to become violent, while paternal violent offending during the son’s childhood and adolescence does. These results suggest that exposure to paternal violence plays an important role in the intergenerational transmission of violent offending.
Background:
The present study aimed to examine pathways to imprisonment for women in Pakistan. It was hypothesized that early life victimization in women, problematic family relationship and economical deprivation would be significantly associated with criminal activities of women prisoners.
Method:
To identify the pathways to prison, structured interview was devised by the researchers. Sample comprised of 114 women prisoners enlisted from KotLakhpat jail, Lahore, Pakistan.
Results:
Poverty, revenge, anger and lack of empowerment were significantly associated with criminal activities of women of fender.
Conclusion:
The umbrella of rehabilitation should also cover social and legal matters of women offenders along with tackling their psychological issues.
One of the major justifications for the rise of mass incarceration in the United States is that placing offenders behind bars reduces recidivism by teaching them that “crime does not pay.” This rationale is based on the view that custodial sanctions are uniquely painful and thus exact a higher cost than noncustodial sanctions. An alternative position, developed mainly by criminologists, is that imprisonment is not simply a “cost” but also a social experience that deepens illegal involvement. Using an evidence-based approach, we conclude that there is little evidence that prisons reduce recidivism and at least some evidence to suggest that they have a criminogenic effect. The policy implications of this finding are significant, for it means that beyond crime saved through incapacitation, the use of custodial sanctions may have the unanticipated consequence of making society less safe.
Theory, research, and clinical reports suggest that moral cognitions play a role in initiating and sustaining criminal behavior. The 25 item Criminogenic Cognitions Scale (CCS) was designed to tap 5 dimensions: Notions of entitlement; Failure to Accept Responsibility; Short-Term Orientation; Insensitivity to Impact of Crime; and Negative Attitudes Toward Authority. Results from 552 jail inmates support the reliability, validity, and predictive utility of the measure. The CCS was linked to criminal justice system involvement, self-report measures of aggression, impulsivity, and lack of empathy. Additionally, the CCS was associated with violent criminal history, antisocial personality, and clinicians' ratings of risk for future violence and psychopathy (PCL:SV). Furthermore, criminogenic thinking upon incarceration predicted subsequent official reports of inmate misconduct during incarceration. CCS scores varied somewhat by gender and race. Research and applied uses of CCS are discussed.
Purpose
The rates of offending and re-offending for young males are higher than any other population. Whilst the UK Ministry of Justice (2020) states that rehabilitation programmes should aim to build a positive identity, little is known about the subjective experiences of how this occurs. Various theories and models suggest that the development of a positive identity assists rehabilitation for young men with convictions (i.e. Johns et al. , 2017). Therefore, the current study aimed to gather personal narratives from male, young offenders with the intention of understanding identity development.
Design/methodology/approach
Twelve interviews were conducted with young men with convictions aged between 18 and 25 years who had almost completed a rehabilitation process within the community. Narrative analysis was used to analyse the data. All were engaging with the rehabilitation service as a result of conviction for low to medium level offences, including burglary, harm of another person and drug related offences.
Findings
Three plots were identified which explain identity when committing offences: “The Powerless”, “The Feared” and “The Disconnected”. One plot was evident within the narratives which explained positive identity when rehabilitated: “The Connected”. The findings illustrate the importance of an approach which considers various aspects of a young offender’s life.
Originality/value
The current study further adds to knowledge base of young offender rehabilitation by providing a systemic understanding of how men with convictions’ identity develop pre- and post-rehabilitation. New implications for trauma informed practice are discussed.
Purpose
This study aims to differentiate maladaptive personality domains through crime-related characteristics among convicts incarcerated in central jails of Punjab (CJP). In total, 552 respondents were taken from nine CJP.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through the Personality Inventory for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 Short Form (PID-5 SF) (Maples et al. , 2015), and forced-choice questions were designed to measure crime-related characteristics.
Findings
Confirmatory factor analysis showed that PID-5 SF exhibited a good to excellent construct validity based on the DSM-5 criteria of using three facets to measure a domain (APA, 2013). Multivariate analysis showed that convicts who have committed different crime types and have criminal records exhibit different personality domains.
Originality/value
In addition to the literature, the data from all CJP, Pakistan, was collected and tested so that need for personality-oriented intervention could be identified for the prison setting. This also highlights that the usefulness of PID-5 SF is not only in identifying maladaptive personality among incarcerated convicts but also in differentiating between different crime-related characteristics.
This study aimed to assess the experiences of death row inmates using a phenomenological constructivist approach. This approach involves using philosophy and methods of analysis to study the lived experiences of death row inmates. To do this, the researchers used a semi-structured interview schedule with open-ended questions to gather data from a sample of five male inmates aged 30 to 60. The results, analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis, showed that the inmates had experienced major childhood events that contributed to their criminal behavior in adulthood. The major themes identified through the analysis included the inmates’ mental health, predisposition towards criminality, psychological and physical changes after being sentenced to death, social and interpersonal experiences, coping strategies, and perspectives on themselves, others, and the world. In addition to the challenges of solitary confinement and the uncertainty of execution, death row inmates may face other difficulties, such as limited access to visitors, legal counsel, and educational and recreational activities. Overall, the experience of being on death row is often described as one of the most difficult and challenging experiences a person can go through.
Crime is a social evil for Global world in all facets. Crime is always considered as a social malevolent that is strictly related to individuals’ economic, psychological and social background .The first empirical study investigated by Becker (1968) and Ehrlich (1973) on the relationship between crime and other socio-economic factors. This study mainly focuses on the multiple psychological and socio-economic factors such as, peer relations, inherited influence (negative risk averse attitude), broken families or family disputes, unemployment, level of education, age, locality of residence, family income, marital status and family size, which influences criminal activities in Bahawalnagar district, Pakistan. This study decays time series and cross sectional descriptive analysis for Crime investigation for a particular region. The findings pay attentions on multiple factors of crime in order to analyze the crime rate and helpful in policy formulation of law enforcement agencies of Pakistan.
Included in the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is the Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure (CCSM), a self-report checklist with 23 items assessing 13 major psychiatric symptom clusters. To date, minimal literature has examined the factor structure of the CCSM and its utility identifying significant psychological distress, and existing studies pose notable limitations. Four hundred (400) American adults (M age = 34.13; 50.2% female) participated online via Amazon Mechanical Turk as part of a larger study, which included the CCSM. The sample was randomly split to conduct exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFAs and CFAs). EFAs revealed structures with one (general psychopathology) and two (externalizing/serious mental illness and internalizing/affective) factors accounting for 67.3% and 73.7% of the variance, respectively. CFAs indicated good fit for both models, though statistical comparison of the models via χ2 difference test revealed the two-factor model provided significantly better fit. Areas under the receiver operating curve (AUCs) suggested that all CCSM variables of interest poorly differentiated those currently receiving mental health treatment from those who have never received mental health treatment (AUCs ranged from .57 to .68). Implications of these findings, various limitations, and recommendations for future lines of inquiry were discussed.
Recidivism among released inmates is associated with a substantial societal burden given the financial and medical consequences of victimization. Among incarcerated North Americans, approximately 7% are housed in solitary confinement (SC). Studies show SC can lead to psychological deterioration and dispute it can effectively reduce institutional misconduct or recidivism. This meta-analysis aims to clarify the impact of SC on postrelease recidivism, which we hypothesized would increase following SC. A meta-analysis was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases from inception until December 2019. Studies on adult inmates in correctional settings were included if they met an operational definition of SC, measured recidivism, and included a comparison group in general inmate population. Random-effect models were used to assess the impact of SC on multiple types of recidivism. Of the 2,713 identified records, 12 met inclusion criteria (n = 194,078). A moderate association was found between SC and any recidivism (odds ratio [OR] = 1.67, 95% confidence interval [1.41, 1.97]), which persisted in controlled studies (OR = 1.41). This association was replicated across types of recidivism comprising violence (OR = 1.41), rearrests (OR = 1.37), and reincarceration (OR = 1.67). Moreover, a more recent exposure to SC increased recidivism risk (OR = 2.02), and a dose-response relationship was found between days in SC and recidivism. The overall database presented high heterogeneity but no publication bias. Findings show a small to moderate association between SC and future crime/violence. Considering the societal costs associated with antisocial behaviors following SC, mental health and psychosocial programming facilitating inmates' successful reentry into society should be implemented and rigorously evaluated in strong research design.
The purpose of the current study was to measure the prevalence of traumatic events among 479 male convicts imprisoned in Central Jail of Mianwali (CJM) and Central Jail of Faisalabad (CJF) Punjab, Pakistan. The study was aimed to explain the relationship between multiple trauma exposure and comorbid psychiatric symptoms among convicts. Data was collected by using self-reported Cross-Cutting Symptoms Measure (American Psychiatric Association. American Psychiatric Publication, Washington, D.C; 2013) and Early Trauma Inventory-SR Short Form (ETISR-SF) (Bremner et al. J Nerv Ment Dis, 195(3), 211–218; 2007). ETISR-SF was translated into Urdu and confirmed the four-factor structure for the construct measuring general trauma, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Findings of the study showed that perceived severity and emotional experience at the time of traumatic event mediated the predictive relationship between trauma exposure and comorbid symptomology. The relationship was strengthened by urban residential area and multiple cases filed in current conviction among convicts imprisoned in central jails of Punjab, Pakistan. Findings have implication for a unique and at-risk sample of convicts by highlighting the areas which should be targeted in order to improve the mental health of prisoners and control violent reoffending.
Recidivism rates vary by conviction offense type and release status. Less is understood regarding associations of conviction offense type and release status on the specific recidivism outcomes of overall recidivism, new recidivism, and technical recidivism. This study examined associations of overall recidivism, new recidivism, and technical recidivism over a 3-year period among individuals released from the Iowa Department of Corrections from 2010 to 2014 (N = 18,947). Recidivism was operationalized as reincarceration in this study. Drug offenders were the largest group released to supervised parole, and the highest proportion of offenders reincarcerated were drug offenders. Those released without supervision had lower odds of overall recidivism. Findings demonstrate that associations of recidivism outcomes vary based on recidivism operationalization, conviction offense type, and release status.
The Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) is a self-report measure which is given to individuals who have been involved in criminal activity or are known to the Criminal Justice System. Although the PICTS is extensively used and its psychometric properties supported within the research, no critique has yet specifically assessed its utility with forensic populations. Therefore, the aim of the critique was to analyse the scientific and psychometric properties of the PICTS. Adaptions have been made to the PICTS from the first to the fourth revision due to issues with the reliability and validity of the measure. Although the PICTS does have satisfactory internal and retest reliability, the reliability of the validity scales within the measure has continued to be poor. Furthermore, no independent research on the measure has been undertaken. As such, gaps in research and issues that need to be addressed have been highlighted. Practical implications, limitations, and future research are also discussed.
Introduction:
There are more than 10 million people imprisoned worldwide. These individuals experience a higher burden of communicable and non-communicable disease, mental health and substance misuse problems than the general population and often come from marginalized and underserved groups in the community. Prisons offer an important opportunity for tackling health problems in a way that can deliver benefits to the individual and to the community. This paper focuses specifically on emerging health issues for prisons across the world.
Sources of data:
This paper uses sources of international data from published systematic reviews and research studies, the Ministry of Justice for England and Wales, the Prisons and Probations Ombudsmen Review and other United Kingdom government briefing papers.
Areas of agreement:
Deaths in custody are a key concern for the justice system as well as the health system.
Areas of controversy:
Suicide is the leading cause of mortality in prisons worldwide but non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, are increasing in importance in high-income countries and are now the leading cause of mortality in prisons in England and Wales.
Growing points:
The prison population is ageing in most high-income countries. Older people in prison typically have multiple and complex medical and social care needs including reduced mobility and personal care needs as well as poor health.
Areas timely for developing research:
Further research is needed to understand the complex relationship between sentencing patterns, the ageing prison population and deaths in custody; to model its impact on prisons and healthcare provision in the future and to determine effective and cost-effective models of care. Research into the health of prisoners is important in improving the health of prisoners but there is considerable variation in quantity and quality between countries. Recent innovations seek to address this disparity and facilitate the sharing of good practice.
Purpose: Previous research conceptualized murderers as highly callous and self-gratifying individuals, offending as a result of psychopathic tendencies. The current exploration sought to verify whether murderers differ on psychopathy and criminal social identity from recidivistic and first time incarcerated offenders.
Methods: The study compared an opportunistic sample of murderers (n = 94), recidivists (n = 266), and first time offenders (n = 118) on criminal social identity (3 factors: cognitive centrality, in-group affect, and in-group ties) and psychopathy (4 factors: callous affect, interpersonal manipulation, erratic lifestyle, antisocial behavior).
Results: Recidivists scored significantly higher on cognitive centrality and in-group ties than murderers. Recidivists score significantly higher than first time incarcerated offenders or murderers on the erratic lifestyle and interpersonal manipulation factors of psychopathy. Additionally, recidivists scored significantly higher on antisocial behavior compared to first time offenders. All three groups of prisoners did not differ in terms of callous affect.
Conclusion: Contrary to previous research and media portrayals of homicide perpetration being rooted in psychopathic tendencies such as callous affect, the present findings found no support for such a conceptualization of the crime. Moreover, unsurprisingly, it appears murderers have less developed criminal cognitions than other offending groups.
Dear Editor,
We were interested to read the paper by Bansal and colleagues published in the February 2016 issue of Pain Medicine . The purpose of the authors was to develop a Hindi version of Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) and investigate the psychometric properties of the scale in a sample of patients …
This study was conducted to assess the value of administering a risk/need assessment instrument to low-risk offenders in Pakistan. The Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) and a measure of religiosity, the Muslim Religiosity-Personality Inventory (MRPI): Abridged Scale, were administered to probationers in this highly devout Muslim country that has little experience with risk/need assessment. In spite of the low recidivism rate, predictive validities based on correlation and receiver operating characteristic analyses were comparable with those of Western cultures overall, and for samples based on gender, geographic location, and type of crime. Although religiosity was negatively correlated with recidivism, it offered no incremental validity to the LS/CMI to predict recidivism because it was also correlated negatively with the LS/CMI. The findings have theoretical implications for the risk assessment of low-risk offenders and for the contribution of religiosity to offender risk and practical implications for the Pakistani justice system.
This article reports results from five studies. Exploratory factor analysis was used to select indicators from the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles, Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy scales, and Personality Assessment Inventory—Antisocial Features Scale. The 10 indicators were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis, the results of which show that the two-dimensional model (proactive, reactive) achieves significantly better fit than a general one-factor model and a two-factor social learning model (criminal thinking, antisocial behavior) with 521 medium-security and 116 maximum-security inmates. The construct validity of the two-dimensional model is confirmed in a path analysis pairing (a) proactive scales with positive outcome expectancies for crime and (b) reactive scales with hostile attribution biases. Implications for a unified theory of aggression and criminality are discussed.
Two meta-analyses were performed on the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS: Walters, 1995) as a predictor of recidivism. Seven samples from six different studies (5 published, 1 unpublished) were included in the first meta-analysis. The results revealed a pooled mean effect size (r) of .20 for the reconstructed General Criminal Thinking score (GCTrc), a pooled mean effect size of .17 for the reconstructed Proactive Criminal Thinking score (Prc), and a pooled mean effect size of .17 for the reconstructed Reactive Criminal Thinking score (Rrc). Data from three of these studies (4 samples) were sufficient to perform a meta-analysis of the incremental validity of the GCTrc. In all four samples, the GCTrc score predicted recidivism above and beyond the contributions of age and criminal history, with a mean effect size (odds ratio) of 1.27. Whereas the PICTS GCTrc score satisfied two of the three criteria for dynamic risk (i.e., dynamic risk factors are statistically and clinically significant predictors of outcome and are incrementally valid relative to well-established static risk factors), there is a need for additional data to assess its standing on the third criterion (i.e., changes in dynamic risk factors predict outcome and changes in outcome risk).