SAGE Journal Articles

Click on the following links. Please note these will open in a new window.

Journal Article 1: Dirks-Linhorst, P. A., & Kondrat, D. (2012). Tough on crime or beating the system: An evaluation of Missouri Department of Mental Health’s not guilty by reason of insanity murder acquittees. Homicide Studies, 16(2), 129-150. doi:10.1177/1088767912438711

Abstract: Homicide defendants asserting the insanity defense make a volatile combination. Numerous studies review inmates with murder convictions, yet the literature is not rich regarding defendants found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) for murder. This study analyzes 27 years of insanity acquittals in Missouri, finding significant differences between those defendants found NGRI for murder and those found NGRI for other crimes. The get-tough-on-crime initiatives found in the criminal justice system may have led to longer hospital stays post-1996 for NGRI murder acquittees, yet hospitalization lengths increased for all NGRI acquittees, a potential unintended consequence. Policy implications and future research directions are discussed.

 

Journal Article 2: Redding, R. E. (2003). The effects of adjudicating and sentencing Juveniles as adults: Research and policy implications. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 1(2), 128-155. doi:10.1177/1541204002250875

Abstract: Across the nation, serious and chronic juvenile offenders are increasingly being tried as adults in criminal court and incarcerated in adult correctional facilities. This trend raises important questions for policy makers. To what extent do trials in criminal courts and incarceration in adult prisons promote or inhibit community protection and the accountability and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders? This article discusses the legal consequences of adjudication in criminal court and offers a comprehensive review of research findings on the deterrent effects of transfer laws, conviction and sentencing patterns and recidivism rates in juvenile versus criminal courts, and conditions and programming in juvenile versus adult correctional facilities. The implications of these research findings for juvenile justice policies on adjudicating and sentencing juveniles as adults and directions for future research are discussed.