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1Professor, Department of Criminal Justice, 238 Rivers Building, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858-4353. sorensenj@ecu.edu.
The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
|September 21, 2013
Summary
This study estimates violence risk for incarcerated capital murderers. Actuarial data on age, education, and affiliations can inform clinical risk assessments for defendants facing life imprisonment.
Area of Science:
- Criminology
- Forensic Psychology
- Legal Studies
Background:
- Previous research has focused on estimating the risk of violence posed by capital murder defendants.
- Understanding violence propensity is crucial for sentencing and risk management in the legal system.
Purpose of the Study:
- To partially replicate previous studies on risk assessment for capital murder defendants.
- To forecast violence propensity among incarcerated individuals sentenced to life imprisonment.
- To demonstrate the utility of actuarial data in clinical risk assessments for capital murder trials.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from nearly 2,000 incarcerated capital murderers.
- Employed logistic regression to model violence outcomes.
- Included predictors such as age, educational attainment, prior imprisonment, and gang affiliation.
Main Results:
- Identified key predictors influencing violence propensity in this population.
- Provided empirical data to support the use of actuarial factors in risk assessment.
- The study successfully modeled violence outcomes based on selected demographic and behavioral factors.
Conclusions:
- Actuarial data can effectively anchor individualized clinical assessments of risk.
- Forecasting violence propensity is feasible using historical behavioral data.
- This approach aids in more objective risk evaluations for capital murder defendants.
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