Winter/Spring issue of the Alaska Justice Forum

The Winter/Spring 2012 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum features articles on self-protective behaviors in Anchorage, the 2012 Alaska Dashboard of indicators of issues that impact domestic violence and sexual assault, definitions and measures of recidivism,  recidivism among misdemeanor and felony offenders in Alaska, and predicting recidivism among juvenile offenders.

Articles:

"Self-Protective Behaviors in Anchorage" by Sharon Chamard

Using weighted data from the 2009 Anchorage Community Survey, this article examines self-protective behaviors that people engage in to feel safe in their homes, and the relationship between these behaviors and perceptions of safety, social engagement, and collective efficacy. Research from this type of study can assist law enforcement, policymakers, and planners in understanding how and why people engage in certain behaviors, and can also help in developing strategies and determining allocation of resources for crime prevention in neighborhoods.

"2012 Alaska Dashboard: Key Indicators Impacting Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault" by André B. Rosay

The 2012 Alaska Dashboard provides at-a-glance information on 32 key population indicators which provide a broad overview of key issues that impact domestic violence and sexual assault in Alaska. Developed by the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Data Group convened by Governor Sean Parnell, the indicators included in the 2012 Dashboard establish a baseline for the state of Alaska.

"Notes on Recidivism" by Barbara Armstrong

This article is a brief overview of the variance in definitions of and measures of recidivism — criminal reoffending — and presents information from four major national research organizations on how recidivism is determined and measured. The nature of the offense and its relationship to recidivism, underreporting of certain crimes to authorities, juvenile recidivism rates, and national recidivism figures are also discussed.

"Offender Recidivism Figures"

This article summarizes findings from a 2011 Alaska Judicial Council report which examined recidivism among both felony and misdemeanor offenders in Alaska who were released in 2008 and 2009 with a focus on the offenders released in 2008. Within two years of release, 30 percent of felons and 40 percent of misdemeanants released in 2008 were convicted of a new offense.

"Predicting Recidivism for Alaska Youth: An Evaluation of the YLS/CMI Survey"

This article presents findings from a 2011 evaluation of the Youth Level of Services/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) assessment instrument and its success in predicting recidivism for youth under the jurisdiction of the Alaska Division of Juvenile Justice. The study was conducted by the Alaska Judicial Council and the Institute of Social and Economic Research.