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THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF THE POLICE DISCRETION WITH YOUNG OFFENDERS: AN ECOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
Jennifer L. Schulenberg
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
This paper explores the relative contributions of four ecological theories of crime - urbanization theory, social disorganization theory, opportunity theory, and the overload hypothesis - to understanding crime rates and the use of discretion by Canadian police in their decision making about youth. Data on crime rates and police charging practices in 447 communities in Canada in 1991 were regressed on indicators of the characteristics of the police force and the community, within a path analytic framework. Support was found only for social disorganization theory as an explanation of crime rates; and for both urbanization theory and social disorganization theories as explanations of the police use of discretion with youth. No support was found for opportunity theory or the overload hypothesis.
TECHNOLOGIES OF CRIME: THE CYBER-ATTACKS ON ELECTRONIC GAMBLING MACHINES
John L. McMullan
Department of Sociology
Saint Mary's University
David C. Perrier
Department of Sociology
Saint Mary's University
This paper examines the criminal technologies and criminal organization associated with gambling-related computer crimes that occurred in the video lottery terminal industry in the province of Nova Scotia. We emphasize the techniques of VLT crime, such as cracking protection codes, boot tracing, ghost programming and down-lining, as rationally geared to neutralizing social control. We analyze how the cyber-attacks were socially organized and we conclude by discussing the implications that our case study has for the field of computer crime.
LA REMISE EN LIBERTÉ SOUS CONDITIONS PAR LES POLICIERS DANS DES ÉVÉNEMENTS DE VIOLENCE CONJUGALE
Sonia Gauthier
École de service social
Université de Montréal
Montréal, Québec
The author examines the exercise of the authority by police officers when giving suspects a conditional release pending their first appearance in court. This authority was granted in 1994 under the Canadian Criminal Code, ss.499 (2) and 503 (2.1). The research focuses on suspects in domestic violence cases. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 officers (investigators and lieutenant-detectives) of the Montreal Police Department, between March and October 2000. The investigators claimed that the new powers had enabled them to release a significant percentage of accused persons in whose favour authority is exercised varies among officers from 35% to 90%. The decision to proceed with conditional release is made in cases where the investigator has determined that there is no risk of the accused's reoffending. The main contributing factors in making this determination are prior violent incidents (which may or may not have been referred to the courts) and failure to follow a court order, as well as the seriousness of the charges. The condition that officers consider the most important - and which they imposed in almost all cases - was the avoidance of any communication with the victims.
THE INCARCERATION OF ABORIGINAL OFFENDERS: TRENDS FROM 1978 TO 2001
Julian V Roberts
Department of Criminology
University of Ottawa
Ronald Melchers
Department of Criminology
University of Ottawa
The high rates of Aboriginal admissions to custody have been noted by Commissions of Inquiry, all levels of government, and Corrections texts in Canada or some time. In the most recent year for which data are available (200-2001), Aboriginal offenders accounted for 19% of provincial admissions and 17% of federal admissions to custody. This article examines provincial custodial sentenced admissions for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal offenders since 1978, when national statistics including the ethnicity of the offender were first published. Particular emphasis is paid in this analysis to recent trends during a period in which Parliament and the Supreme Court have tried to address the problem, the former by statutory recognition of the unique nature of Aboriginal offenders, the latter by judgements interpreting
Criminal Code sentencing provisions introduced in 1996. The findings suggest that little progress has been made in reducing the number of Aboriginal sentenced admissions over the past few decades. Although the volume of Aboriginal admissions to custody has declined since 1993-1994, non-Aboriginal admissions have declined at an even faster rate, suggesting that specific policy changes are not responsible for the Aboriginal decline.
DO YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS REJECT ADULT PUNISHMENT NORMS?
Jane B. Sprott
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
University of Guelph
This study investigates whether or not people see young offenders as a distinct group of youths who reject society's punishment norms. Specifically, views from members of the public and from young offenders on appropriate punishments in three hypothetical cases are explored. Results reveal that not only do members of the public see young offenders as a distinct group of youths who prefer more lenient punishments than do other adolescents, but young offenders themselves also believe that other young offenders would prefer lenient punishments. Young offenders, however, actually suggest harsher punishments than members of the public suggest. Moreover, young offenders are aware of public support for punitive sanctions and of the desire to keep offenders out of the community through incarceration. These findings support earlier findings by Beaquisto and Freed (1996) that offenders do not reject society's punishment norms. Young offenders' misconception that the public is punitive, however, may present a challenge for reintegration.
