CrimSL scholarship made a sizeable contribution to the American Society of Criminology's 2024 Annual Meeting on the theme Criminological Research and Education Matters: People, Policy, and Practice in Tumultuous Times.
Professor Scot Wortley, postdoctoral fellow M. Asif, and PhD students Lauren Borders, Joana Jabson, Roxy Shlapak, Jeffrey Wong and Bond Zhang made for a strong CrimSL contingent at the conference, which took place November 13-16, 2024, in San Francisco.
Following is a list of CrimSL contributions to the conference. Congratulations to all who took part!
Paper: Mental Illness & Housing Insecurity Among Former Inmates
Author: Joana Jabson, University of Toronto
Session: Lightning Talk: Media, Activism, and Dimensions of Mental Health
Nov. 13, 2024
Abstract: The purpose of this presentation is to discuss issues of securing housing among former inmates, particularly those who have mental health and addictions issues. There is a consensus in the literature indicating that the rates of mental health problems among inmates is clearly higher than the rates of the general population (Michalski, 2016; Jones et al., 2021; Kurdyak, 2021; Mussie et al., 2021). Studies have also found that homelessness is associated with significantly higher rates of reincarceration and re-offending (Jones et al., 2021). There is also connection between individuals who have mental health and substance issues, levels of police interaction and criminal justice involvement. Those who have mental health issues have higher levels of police interaction and in turn more likely to re-offend (Jones et al., 2021; Kouyoumdjian et al., 2019). The literature confirms that there is a need for better transition and community services for individuals being released from the correctional system. This presentation will highlight why housing and mental illness is a significant problem in Canada and provide recommendations for policy reform. The presentation will also discuss the need for a coordinated response between the government and the community to help individuals with mental illness and addiction issues.
Paper: Narratives of Women and Gender-Diverse Individuals as Policy Consultation for Drug Decriminalization
Author: Lauren Ivy Borders, University of Toronto
Session: In Event: Lightning Talk: Female Victims and Partners: Violence Against Women and Family Support Systems
Nov. 14, 2024
Abstract: Governments around the world have increasingly implemented decriminalization policies as alternatives to punitive approaches to personal drug use. However, this transition has been less than smooth, and prohibition-based narratives persist — as new approaches are often deemed incomplete or rendered ineffective by competing logics of criminalization. A common criticism of such policies is that they fail to fully consider the lived experiences of the people they impact, particularly those of women and gender-diverse individuals as they are uniquely vulnerable to criminalization and less likely to be included in research. This proposed study seeks to mitigate this knowledge deficit and center those with lived experience as consulted parties in the drug policymaking process by synthesizing typical approaches from the third sector and academia to inform ongoing change. This lightning talk will solicit feedback on a two-part qualitative approach to connect the experiences of women and gender-diverse individuals criminalized for drug offences with policy through narrative interviewing and thematic analysis of political discourse. The methodology presented is intended for Toronto, Ontario, but is meant to provide an adjustable framework for replication in other settings of rapid policy change. Findings will highlight discrepancies in perspective between affected individuals and policymakers, offering insights to improve the effectiveness of future policies through a targeted, community-centered, and theoretically grounded approach.
Paper: The Fear of God: Religiosity, Spiritual Deterrence and Youth Delinquency
Authors: Scot Wortley, University of Toronto; Chau Fung (Jeffrey) Wong, University of Toronto
Session: Advancing our Understanding of Choice and Decision Making
Nov. 14, 2024
Abstract: While early research consistently documents a negative relationship between religious involvement and youthful offending, religion is often overlooked with respect to contemporary scholarship. This paper contributes to the literature by examining data from a survey (N=3,393) of high school students from Toronto, Canada. Unlike previous research, the sample under study is religiously diverse including respondents from Christian, Muslim, Hindu, and Jewish backgrounds. Findings reveal that respondents who claim a religion are less likely to engage in offending behaviours than those who report being agnostic or atheist. The paper then explores the relationship between offending and religion using three different measures: 1) Frequency of religious participation; 2) Religiosity (devout vs. not religious); and 3) Spiritual deterrence (the belief that God will punish those who break the law). Results reveal that, regardless of religious affiliation, spiritual deterrence is a stronger predictor of offending than either frequency of religious participation or self-reported religiosity. Multivariate analyses reveal that spiritual deterrence remains a strong predictor of offending after controlling for other theoretically relevant factors including gender, age, race, social class, immigration status, family background, community crime and disorder, peer deviance, pro-crime attitudes, and self-control. The paper concludes with a discussion of theoretical and policy implications.
Paper: Investigating the Moderators in the Relationship between Righteous Anger and Support for Lynching
Authors: Muhammad Asif, University of Toronto; Hina Fazal, Bahauddin Zakariya University
Session: Attitudes about Race, Racism, & Police
Nov. 14, 2024
Abstract: Lynching is an act of assault in which a mob execute punishment of a suspect through physically attacking and torturing the suspect without trial and following legal procedures. As such acts of violence pose a serious threat to justice, human rights, and rule of law. A couple of recent studies have explored the significance of anger, police legitimacy, and political encouragement in relation to support for vigilantism. This study also corroborates with these earlier findings. However in addition, it contributes in finding moderating effect of police lawfulness in the relationship between righteous anger and support for lynching. A multistage random sampling procedure was employed to collect data from university students for the cross-sectional survey study. Our moderation analysis shows that righteous anger, police lawfulness, and political encouragement significantly affect support for lynching. However, contrary to previous findings, trait anger does not affect such support. Moreover, only the moderating effect of police lawfulness turns out to be significant. Thus, our findings suggest that in order to prevent and avoid support for lynching, police need to be lawful and incorrupt, and religious-political leaders also need to be cooperative in de-escalating acts of lynching.
Paper: Timeless tensions: Reexploring ethical dilemmas in predictive public safety approaches
Authors: Kanika Samuels-Wortley, Ontario Tech University; Kathryn Henne, Australian National University; Scot Wortley, University of Toronto
Session: Exploring Recent Trends in Policing and Social Control
Nov. 14, 2024
Abstract: Integrated Offender Management (IOM) Units, established in many Canadian, British, and Australian law enforcement agencies, employ predictive analytics to help determine ‘prolific offenders’, or persons at risk of engaging in future crimes. Those identified are privy to focused surveillance and intervention strategies. While proponents highlight the potential for increased public safety and efficient resource allocation, critics express ethical concerns, particularly regarding potential biases against certain racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups. The IOM approach seemingly aligns with the 1980s theory of selective incapacitation, which also focused on predicting high-risk offenders but often resulted in longer prison sentences. This approach sparked debates similar to those surrounding the use of predictive analytics in law enforcement. Through in-depth interviews with persons identified as ‘prolific offenders’, the following study documents important contextual nuances about the effects of predictive analytics by exploring the perceptions of those who are impacted (i.e., identified high risk persons) by contemporary predictive technologies.
Paper: Unveiling Disparities: Comparative Analysis of Police-Involved and Criminal Homicides by Race and Age
Author: Guoliang Zhang, University of Toronto
Session: Roundtable: Police Practice on the Streets
Nov. 14, 2024
Abstract: This research examines racial disparities in police use of lethal force in the United States, focusing on comparisons between Black, White, and Asian individuals. Logistic regression and LASSO regularization were employed to analyze official and Washington Post datasets spanning 2015 to 2022. Key findings indicate that Asians have the highest relative likelihood of experiencing fatal police encounters, followed by Whites, with Blacks being the least likely, relative to their respective rates of criminal homicides. Interestingly, the effect for Asian risk becomes more pronounced with LASSO, suggesting that when analysis is focused on the most relevant predictors, the increased risk for Asians is very clear. Furthermore, middle-aged men, particularly those armed with customized weapons or engaged in physical altercations, were identified as most vulnerable to police-involved fatalities. The findings of this research hold essential implications for police institutions to understand and reduce racial disparities through comprehensive strategies, offering deeper insights into the particular vulnerability of Asian Americans in police use of lethal force.
Session: Roundtable: There is Nothing Just About it: Enhancing Disadvantage Through the Criminal Legal System
Discussant: Scot Wortley, University of Toronto
Nov. 14, 2024
Abstract: Bringing together leading scholars on policing, courts, corrections, and re-entry this session reflects on the ways marginalization is experienced and compounded at every stage of the criminal legal process in Canada. This discussion aims to challenge misconceptions that justice is equitable in the North. Examining the interwoven and often overlooked mechanisms that enhance rather than mitigate disadvantage across criminal justice professionals, spaces, and socio-legal contexts we challenge the possibilities of justice in a system that aggravates, rather than mitigates marginalization. Drawing on insights from diverse research projects that employ a variety of methodological approaches we develop our understanding of the interplay between the criminal justice process, race, Indigeneity, poverty, mental health and the criminalization of substance use.
Paper: Navigating Boundaries: First Nations Policing in Canada
Session: Navigating the Covid-19 Pandemic and Calls for Reform: Police Perceptions and Responses
Chair: Roksolyana Shlapak, University of Toronto
Nov. 15, 2024
Abstract: Amid mounting calls to defund the police, Indigenous police leaders and communities are advocating for greater investment into First Nations policing. First Nations policing is administered under the First Nations Policing Program and is a distinct model of policing in Canada. Despite being introduced over three decades ago, there is still much unknown about policing under the Program, particularly the unique histories and sociologies of self-administered First Nations police services. My research involves extensive ethnographic fieldwork conducted over a period of several months in Akwesasne, a community that has developed its own self-administered police institution: the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service. My research sheds light on the complexities of community policing in Akwesasne, the role(s) and experiences of police, and various factors that shape police work and policing in the community, including the multiple geographic colonial borders that run through it. My study also addresses some tensions within First Nations policing and discusses the importance of supporting Indigenous self-administered justice agencies as well as advancing scholarship in this area.