Andres F. Rengifo’s research while affiliated with Rutgers School of Nursing and other places

This paper explores two models of preference-formation of trust in the police in Latin America and the Caribbean: An institutional model that highlights the role of broad assessments of government performance and legitimacy and an experiential approach focussed on more narrow experiences of victimization and police contact. We examine these frameworks based on theory and analysis of administrative data and surveys from the Americas Barometer 2014 (N = 34,798 respondents T = 22 countries). Findings show that respondents with higher confidence in their government also indicate higher ratings of trust in the police. Similarly, trust is higher among individuals who had not experienced victimization or bribery or who anticipated faster police response times. At the country level, our results suggest that trust is negatively related to economic development but positively related to rule of law. We draw on these findings to outline an integrative model that combines both institutional and experiential perspectives.

We examine variation in criminal defense work in a sample of arrest hearings in three states of Mexico (N = 186). Specifically, drawing on systematic observations, we map the explicit challenges voiced by counsel to oppose motions by prosecutors supporting the legality of detentions. We find that “instrumental” challenges are more likely when defendants are accompanied by friends/relatives, and in the presence of more proactive judges; moreover, these challenges increase the likelihood of a ruling of illegality, controlling for other factors. However, defense practices also rely on more “expressive” challenges and other strategies that weaken the adversarial model. Critically, we also find that judicial decisions are independently shaped by the level of engagement of prosecutors during hearings and the skin color of defendants—darker defendants have lower odds of having their arrests be declared illegal. We discuss these findings in the context of the literature on courtroom workgroups and pretrial justice.

This study documents the extent to which prosecutors and judges in New Jersey deviate from new case review protocols post-bail reform. We draw on a random sample of hearings observed in two courts ( N = 372) to (a) map prosecutorial requests to depart from risk-based recommendations for pretrial monitoring and (b) explore patterns in judicial review signaling more limited case processing. Findings show that in 16% of cases, prosecutors deviated from guidelines and most of these motions were adopted by judges to increase supervision. Deviations from process by judges were more frequent, with 39% of cases observed linked to one or more markers of reduced review. Multivariate results suggest that case-level factors influenced the patterning of these departures in different ways, with older defendants and most Latinx defendants receiving a more limited assessment of their cases. We discuss findings in connection to literature on corrections reform and smart decarceration initiatives.

Criminal courts in the United States engage defendants with Limited English Proficiency on a regular basis. However, we know little about how court‐appointed interpreters shape case‐level routines and dispositions, nor how these interpreters navigate their immediate courtroom environment. We draw on observations of bail hearings (N=647) conducted in 2015–16 in three arraignment courts in New York and New Jersey to map the practice and consequences of language interpretation. More specifically, we examine whether the use of an interpreter relates to indicators of judicial treatment and case disposition by bail type/amount, and explore more broadly how the presence of interpreters shapes the casework of other courtroom actors. Results from multivariate regression models indicate that cases with interpreters are associated with a more limited judicial review, a lower likelihood of unconditional release, and higher cash bonds. We discuss these findings in terms of evolving mechanisms of social control and the criminalization of disadvantaged populations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

This article examines the role of racial identity in the configuration of opinions about the police. We argue that racial identity links social context to individual valuations of law enforcement, moderating the association between specific encounters and general views on police legitimacy and effectiveness. These propositions are assessed using data from a sample of 451 Black and Latino/a youth in New York City. Findings lend partial support for the hypothesis that, for youth with a strong racial/ethnic identity, the detrimental consequences of more “coercive” stops and stops seen as disrespectful are amplified for valuations of legitimacy but not of effectiveness. We discuss these findings in the context of emerging work connecting race, law, and procedural justice at the micro- and macrolevels.

The judicial reforms of Latin America have transformed the form and substance of criminal justice administration. However, little is known about its concrete impact in terms of the preliminary disposition of cases and the performance of justice operators. This work contributes to the debate on the “quality” standards in the defense service, through an empirical analysis of a sample of preliminary hearings observed directly and randomly in two cities of Colombia (n=330). In particular, it describes the defendant’s type of legal assistance -public or private- as well as five indicators of service performance: Influence (favorability of the resolution); Visibility (intervention time); Specificity (definition of request), Depth (number of arguments used); and Controversy (use of debate/appeal). Results show that performance of the defense varies across these proposed dimensions and it is less influential when it comes to dealing with violent crimes, and when its performance in the courtroom is less visible, less controversial and more specific. In other words, the likelihood of judicial adoption of the requests made by the defense reflects in part of its own professional performance and case strategy (e.g., intervention time, nature of the request made, and limited use of appeals/debates).

Este artículo examina los factores que condicionan el trato y la disposición preliminar de casos penales. Para esto estimamos modelos multivariados basados en la observación aleatoria de audiencias en Bogotá y Cali (N = 330), lo que incluyó la recolección de datos sobre el comportamiento de los jueces, sus decisiones y las características de las personas detenidas. Se demuestra que factores “extralegales”, como, por ejemplo, el tipo de defensa o el origen étnico o racial de los procesados, están asociados con la variación en el trato e imposición de la detención preventiva, además de criterios “legales” relacionados con la gravedad de los delitos y las condenas previas.

Objectives The advent of mass incarceration has reinvigorated calls for a deeper understanding of how the “quality of relationships” is shaped by imprisonment (Travis J, Western B, Redburn S (eds), The growth of incarceration in the United States: exploring causes and consequences, National Academies Press, Washington DC, 2014). We address this issue by describing how imprisonment relates to four dimensions of tie strength in a sample of South Bronx residents. Methods We draw on a series of survey-based multilevel models to examine how tie strength relates to characteristics of respondents and their self-reported contacts (N1 = 585 ties, N2 = 97 egos) regarding (a) frequency, (b) duration, (c) multiplexity, and (d) reciprocity. Results Ties of formerly-incarcerated persons are of shorter duration and exhibit less overlap relative to other respondents. However, markers of general association across the sample to currently/formerly incarcerated persons correlate with alter-ego ties that are more frequent, long-lasting, and multi-dimensional. Conclusions There is some support for the notion that direct exposure to incarceration is linked to a weakening of ties akin to a “knifing-off” process (Maruna and Roy, J Contemp Crim Justice 23(1):104–124, 2007). Indirect exposure to incarceration may follow an inverse pattern, strengthening the ties among those “left behind”.