Extended supervision or civil commitment for managing the risk of sexual offenders : public safety and individual rights

Since the early 1990&rsquo;s, there has been a proliferation of legislative initiatives in North America, the United Kingdom, and Australasia that are intended to improve public protection from high risk sexual offenders. These laws include extended supervision of sexual offenders once released from prison and indefinite involuntary civil commitment to secure treatment facilities following the expiration of a prison sentence. The enactment of these laws has sparked intense debate and numerous legal challenges on a variety of issues, including the need to strike a proper balance between public safety and the rights of individual offenders. Recent challenges to Extended Supervision Orders in New Zealand have included the assertion that this approach is inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act. This article compares the use of Extended Supervision Orders in New Zealand to the use of civil commitment of Sexually Violent Predators in the United States, and particularly in California, which currently confines the largest number of offenders under this type of commitment. It is argued that Extended Supervision is more flexible, less intrusive, less punitive, and less costly than civil commitment. The degree to which it is effective in improving public safety remains an empirical question.<br /

Design and fabrication of the NASA HL-20 full scale research model

A full-scale engineering model of the HL-20 Personnel Launch System (PLS) was constructed for systems and human factors evaluation. Construction techniques were developed to enable the vehicle to be constructed with a minimum of time and cost. The design and construction of the vehicle are described

The Development of a Training Model Based on Transformative Learning Concept and Self-esteem Theory to Enhance Service Mind of Airline Personnel

This research was aimed to develop a training model for the airline personnel who are directly responsible for providing services to passengers such as cabin attendant, ground staff, reservation staff &amp; ticketing staff (Front Line Staff). This research theory based on transformative learning concept and self-esteem theory and integrated by using non-formal education training model to develop a new training model in order to enhance service mind of the airline personnel that consisted of 3 main factors: a) Basic principles, b) Processes and c) Procedures

Member Retention in Social Networking Sites

With the growth in social networking and the highly competitive nature of the social networking market, it is important for companies, entrepreneurs and investors to understand the factors that influence member retention. This paper utilizes a variation of expectation confirmation theory that incorporates both perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment to better understand continuation intention among members of social networking sites. In addition, the impact of the member’s self-identification with their particular social networking site (SNS) and the emotional attachment between individuals in the virtual community are considered. The proposed model provides insight into how community factors influence customer retention thus providing value to researchers, companies, entrepreneurs and investors

Examining the Relationships between Gratitude and Readiness for Self-Directed Learning in Undergraduate Nursing Students

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between gratitude and readiness for self-directed learning among nursing students enrolled in a four-year baccalaureate nursing program. For this study a sample of 59 nursing students were selected from a four-year baccalaureate nursing program, situated in a private, faith-based college in the Southeast United States. During data collection, participants were asked to complete the Gratitude 6-item questionnaire [GQ-], the 40-item Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale for Nursing Education [SDLRS-NE], and two demographic questions (i.e., age and class rank). Using both parametric and nonparametric statistics, this study examined eight research questions, and from this exploration several findings did emerge. First, there is a small, but significant positive relationship between gratitude and readiness for self-directed learning (r = .359, p = .005; ρ = .358, p = .006), and at a closer examination other positive correlations were found between gratitude and desire-to-learn, and between gratitude and self-control. Second, a positive correlation was found between age and one’s desire-to-learn, indicating that as age increases so does one’s desire-to-learn. Third, among the three predictors for readiness for self-directed learning (i.e., age, class rank, and gratitude), gratitude was the strongest predictor for desire-to-learn, and for self-control. Recommendations for future research include a replication of this study using a larger, more diverse sample. Conducting more qualitative research to determine what learning experiences nursing students are grateful for and how gratitude influences their readiness learning. As for the measurement of gratitude, there is a great opportunity for reexamining how gratitude is operationalized and measured. Finally, this study supports the notion that gratitude is an important resource for building the characteristics of readiness for self-directed learning

Sexual and violent recidivism by offender type and actuarial risk : reoffending rates for rapists, child molesters and mixed-victim offenders

The current study examines sexual and violent reoffence rates for a sample of 2474 sexual offenders over an average of 15 years following release from prison. Reoffence rates are reported as a function of the offenders\u27 victim type and level of risk as assessed by the Automated Sexual Recidivism Scale, a computer scored measure of relevant historical risk factors. Observed sexual recidivism rates for offenders with child victims, adult victims, and mixed victims were quite similar. Results indicate that offenders with exclusively female child victims not only showed a lower rate of sexual reoffending, but that the reoffence rates were relatively low across all levels of actuarial risk. In contrast, those with male child victims and adult victims showed a pronounced escalation of reoffence rates as actuarial risk increased. Results also indicated that adult victim offenders are less consistent in the victim type of their reoffences, with 37% sexually reoffending against child victims. Finally, combined rates of sexual and violent reoffending were particularly high for those with adult victim sexual offence histories. Risk assessment and public policy implications are discussed. <br /

Short term reoffending by child victim sex offenders in New Zealand : a comparison of those with and without extended supervision

Sexual offenders with child victims in New Zealand who are considered at high risk for reoffending are subject to an Extended Supervision Order. This allows for a period of supervision of up to ten years following release to the community. The present study examined 89 offenders given Extended Supervision Orders over the 33 month period since the legislation was enacted. All types of reoffending resulting in criminal convictions by this group were included. A matched sample of sexual offenders with child victims released prior to this legislation and a sample of offenders judged to be lower risk were compared to those under extended supervision. Offenders under extended supervision reoffended faster and at a higher rate for both sexual and general offences than those deemed lower risk, but at a lower rate than pre-extended supervision high risk offenders. The relationship between specialist treatment programme attendance and completion, actuarial risk level, and recidivism in the extended supervision sample were also investigated. These variables were found not to be significant predictors of sexual recidivism.<br /

Risk assessment of child-victim sex offenders for extended supervision in New Zealand

Recently enacted legislation in New Zealand, the Parole (Extended Supervision) Amendment Act 2004, allows for the imposition of up to 10 years of supervision in the community for child-victim sex offenders following their release from prison. The Act requires reports to be written specifically assessing the risk of sexual re-offending against children. This study examined the application of actuarial measures used by the New Zealand Department of Corrections in these assessments, including a computer-scored instrument based on static factors (the Automated Sexual Recidivism Scale; ASRS) and a clinically-based judgement of dynamic risk factors (the SONAR). It was expected that a conservative approach would be taken in making recommendations for or against extended periods of supervision, such that a high score on either measure would predict a recommendation for extended supervision. It was found, however, that a more individualized approach was often taken, whereby a baseline assessment of risk as predicted by the ASRS was adjusted by clinicians based on SONAR ratings. Implications for the practice of risk assessment in sexual re-offending are discussed.<br /