http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/justice/ Read the latest research on crime, punishment and justice. Read about what works and what doesn't. en-us Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:05:01 EST Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/justice/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109142127.htm Project Safe Neighborhoods -- a community-based policing effort launched in 2001 -- has been largely successful in its goal of reducing violent crime, according to a new analysis. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109142127.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110090903.htm Last year, the United States provided asylum and resettlement assistance for nearly 80,700 people from other countries, an increase from 71,300 individuals in 2007, according to the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. Health experts say the increase has made issues of immigrant and refugee violence and the need for effective intervention strategies more apparent. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110090903.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029155956.htm DNA samples often convict criminals. But many of today's forensic tests are so polluted by soil, tobacco and food remains, for example, that they can not be used. Now researchers in Sweden have improved a critical part of the analysis process. The first findings indicate that the new method strengthens the DNA analysis so that previously negative samples yield positive and usable DNA profiles. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029155956.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028142237.htm People who watch forensic and crime dramas on TV are more likely than nonviewers to have a distorted perception of America's criminal justice system, according to new research. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028142237.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152818.htm Psychologists have found that the more a person appears to suffer when tortured, the guiltier they are perceived to be. According to the researchers, those complicit with the torture need to justify the torture, and therefore link the victim's pain to blame. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152818.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161541.htm Legal counsel is a matter of life and death in Houston, but it is not necessarily tied to a defendant's socioeconomic status, according to new research. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161541.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105640.htm What does it mean when expert psychiatric witnesses in a court case reach opposing conclusions on the same sets of evidence? A new study suggests via mathematical modeling that both analyses can be completely accurate. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005102708.htm Scientists are developing new sensors to detect chemical agents and illegal drugs which will help in the fight against the threat of terrorist attacks. Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005102708.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007081351.htm A new study finds that US children are routinely exposed to even more violence and abuse than has been previously recognized, with nearly half experiencing a physical assault in the study year. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007081351.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929133246.htm HIV/AIDS is up to five times more prevalent in American prisons than in the general population. Adherence to treatment programs can be strictly monitored in prison. However, once prisoners are released, medical monitoring becomes problematic. A new study suggests the majority (76 percent) of inmates take their antiretroviral treatment intermittently once they leave prison, representing a higher risk to the general population. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929133246.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924231749.htm Children who are spanked have lower IQs worldwide, including in the United States, according to groundbreaking new research. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924231749.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916123515.htm Against the backdrop of last week's Congressional hearing into the future of forensic science, researchers have published a landmark paper on the controversial topic of bitemark analysis. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916123515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916123517.htm Parolees with a gambling habit may resort to criminal activities and substance abuse when they are released from prison if there are few community supports to help them re-integrate, a new study has concluded. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916123517.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914111528.htm The impact of hate crime is deep and widespread, says new research. Important new research by criminologists challenges existing stereotypes about the nature and impact of hate crime offending. While the term ‘hate crime’ conjures up images of violent acts committed by hate-fuelled extremists, the research suggests that many hate crimes are in fact lower-level forms of harassment committed by so-called ‘normal’ people who may not necessarily ‘hate’ their victim. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914111528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902122441.htm The use of digital data analysis within law enforcement is not simple. For example, how can you predict if somebody is a terrorist? A Dutch researcher has developed a model that makes digital data analysis more reliable. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902122441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908103632.htm Urban residents across the United States have dug in to create green spaces in their neighborhoods and the effects are positive -- increase in the number of owner-occupied dwellings, more personal income and rent increases in areas surrounding community gardens. But could the presence of green space contribute to lower crime levels in neighborhoods? Researchers investigated whether community gardens had an impact on reported property crimes in neighborhoods surrounding urban community gardens in Houston. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908103632.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163550.htm Rewards go further than punishment in building human cooperation and benefiting the common good, according to new research. While previous studies have focused almost exclusively on punishment for promoting public cooperation, here rewards are shown to be much more successful. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163550.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904103525.htm Homicide rates are closely linked to the form of political economy that runs a nation, according to a new study. Researchers claim that homicide rates are significantly higher in nations in neo-liberal politics where free market forces are allowed free rein, such as the USA, but are significantly lower in nations governed by social-democratic policies which still characterize most Western European nations. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904103525.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090816211837.htm In an advance toward the first portable device for detecting human bodies buried in disasters and at crime scenes, scientists are reporting early results from a project to establish the chemical fingerprint of death. The study could also lead to an electronic device that could determine the time elapsed since death quickly, accurately and onsite. Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090816211837.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810025245.htm U.S. prisons are too punitive, and often fail to rehabilitate, but targeting prisoners' behavior, reducing prison populations and offering job skills could reduce prisoner aggression and prevent recidivism, says one leading researcher. Wed, 12 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810025245.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804165151.htm 75 percent of Cambodians believe the Khmer Rouge trials will provide justice and promote reconciliation, but more than 87 percent of people old enough to remember the torture and murder during the Khmer Rouge era say the trials will rekindle "painful memories." Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804165151.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729074158.htm Guns smuggled from the US arm criminals in Canada and Mexico, contributing to a higher murder rate in Canada and more intense drug crime conflict near the Mexican border, according to a study. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729074158.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729074156.htm The assumption that gangs are at the root of gun crime in the UK is overstated, according to a new study. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729074156.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716113301.htm Impulsive boys with inadequate supervision, poor families and deviant friends are more likely to commit criminal acts that land them in juvenile court, according to a new study. The most surprising finding from the 20-year study was how help provided by the juvenile justice system substantially increased the risk of the boys engaging in criminal activities during early adulthood. Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716113301.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707111749.htm Comprehensive regulation of gun sellers appears to reduce the trafficking of guns to criminals, according to a new study. The study is the first to incorporate measures of the enforcement of gun sale laws into a study of the effectiveness of those laws. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707111749.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615112219.htm Could an entirely new approach to online security, based on distributed sanctions, help prevent cybercrime, fraud and identity theft? A report in the International Journal of Intercultural Information Management suggests it could. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615112219.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617080412.htm The current legal system relies on the moral compass of each individual jury to decide the outcome of a trial. This method could be viewed more as a lottery than an infallible system of justice. To investigate this claim, top criminal lawyers have created the Honesty Lab -- an online study devised to try and establish if the standard test for dishonesty used to convict criminals in England and Wales, based on the attitudes of each individual jury, is in fact flawed. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617080412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609122230.htm Relocation substantially lowers the likelihood of re-incarceration for parolees, according to new research. Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609122230.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601091924.htm A program aimed at reducing criminal behavior in juvenile justice teens has yielded a surprising side benefit. The program is also reducing the teens' rate of pregnancy, according to a new study. Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601091924.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602092259.htm New "brain-based" technologies have been hailed as "the next, best thing for lie detection in America, particularly in the context of post-9/11 anxiety," according to experts. However, some are not convinced the new technologies are superior to traditional methods, such as polygraphy. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602092259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527210722.htm Elderly people who live below the poverty line and perceive their neighborhoods to be dangerous are more likely to have a mobility disability. Researchers suggest that even perceiving one's neighborhood as unsafe can "get into the body" and, ultimately, prove hazardous for elder health. Fri, 29 May 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527210722.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529112056.htm Drug-facilitated sexual crimes are increasing. Germany's Bonn Institute for Forensic Medicine has recorded that the number of examinations on the use of intoxicants in sexual offences within their catchment area increased 10-fold between 1997 and 2006. In a new study, researchers present the modes of action and the detection windows for the most frequent substances. Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529112056.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528203739.htm People who commit filicide, the killing of their own child, are no more psychotically disordered than other homicide offenders. New research shows that that prevention of filicide cannot remain the task of psychiatry alone, but health care and society at large must work to prevent the danger. Thu, 28 May 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528203739.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527151138.htm Researchers have created a model for providing empirical evidence on when an ex-convict has been "clean" long enough to be considered "redeemed" for employment purposes. Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527151138.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090519134835.htm Researchers compared two popular television shows, CSI and CSI: Miami, to actual US homicide data, and discovered clear differences between media portrayals of violent deaths versus actual murders. This study complements previous research regarding media influences on public health perception. Fri, 22 May 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090519134835.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090514153043.htm Genes trump environment as the primary reason that some adolescents are more likely than others to be victimized by crime, according to a criminologist. Wed, 20 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090514153043.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518111726.htm Can prison sentences deter potential criminals? A new study suggests that in certain circumstances, they can. Tue, 19 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518111726.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518173324.htm Some federal judges are tossing out civil cases based on their own opinions, a disturbing trend that makes background checks even more important in the search for a new associate justice for the US Supreme Court, a U.S. legal expert says. Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518173324.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507055702.htm China has made significant progress in cybercrime legislation but faces increasing challenges to keep pace with the country's exponential growth in internet use, according to a new report. Mon, 11 May 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507055702.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507141400.htm Homicidal poisonings are rare but on the rise -- and infants are the most common victims -- according to a new study that aims to raise awareness of this often overlooked crime. Fri, 08 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507141400.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090430122048.htm The creators of the EFIT-V forensic facial composite software describe how it works and recent successes with police services in the UK. Fri, 01 May 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090430122048.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090326092358.htm A new study shows a positive link between the amount of the hypnotic (sleeping medicine) zopiclone in the blood and the chance of being assessed as impaired in a clinical examination. The study also included drivers who only showed alcohol in their blood test. Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090326092358.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090326085220.htm The tools used by business and management researchers could be sharpened to help in the fight against organized crime by recognizing entrepreneurship and career progression in gangs, according to a new report. Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090326085220.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090319102313.htm A new report by psychologists warns of the dangers of jurors facing trauma because of their exposure to harrowing and gruesome evidence. In the first study of its kind, the research highlights how women jurors are more vulnerable, particularly if the trial covers material that resonates with their personal histories. Fri, 20 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090319102313.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090319102417.htm New research shows that the news media often tend to look for the assumed "reasons or causes" which provoked the crime. According to the authors, the way certain media use crimes "is extremely dangerous and gives rise to erroneous conceptions of one of the most serious problems of present world." Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090319102417.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090313080302.htm A survey of 45 customer contact centers in Glasgow, Scotland, has revealed that they offer criminals multiple opportunities for identity theft. Details show that agents at such centers commonly receive suspicious phone calls. Others reported having been offered money in exchange for private customer information. Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090313080302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225073213.htm Climate change will not be taken seriously until the media highlights its significance, say researchers. He believes the way the media handles issues like climate change shapes the public's perception of its importance. Limited coverage is unlikely to convince readers that climate change is a serious problem that warrants immediate and decisive action. Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225073213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090218135119.htm A congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council finds serious deficiencies in the U.S. forensic science system and calls for major reforms and new research. Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090218135119.htm