The predictive validity of the V-RISK-10 and BVC among involuntarily admitted patients

Although endangerment towards others is a criterion for an involuntary admission in many countries, research on risk assessment of endangerment among involuntarily admitted individuals is limited. In this retrospective case-control study, we calculated scores for a German-translated version of the Violence Risk Screening-10 (V-RISK-10) and the Brøset Violence Checklist (BVC) in a sample of 111 people undergoing an involuntary admission in Reinickendorf, Berlin. Outcomes were violence, coercive measures, and readmission. In line with our hypotheses, the BVC demonstrated stronger predictive validities for short-term, and V-RISK-10 for long-term events. There was an incremental validity for both instruments for restraint 24 hours after admission and any violence until discharge. These findings support the evidence that structured risk assessment instruments may be useful for individuals undergoing an involuntary admission. Ethical considerations about screening procedures are discussed.

Effectiveness of social-therapeutic treatment for serious offenders in juvenile detention: A quasi-experimental study of recidivism

Due to legislative changes in Germany, there has been an increasing expansion of social-therapeutic facilities for juvenile offenders over the past 15 years. Social therapy comprises an eclectic mix of psychotherapeutic, educational, vocational, and recreational measures in a milieu-therapeutic setting to reduce recidivism of high-risk violent and sexual offenders. This study examined the effectiveness of social-therapeutic treatment on post-release recidivism among juvenile offenders. The sample included male offenders (n = 111) of the juvenile detention center in Berlin, Germany, aged 14-22 years, who were convicted of a violent (94%) or sexual offense (6%). Seventy-three subjects admitted to the social-therapeutic unit were compared to an offense-parallelized control group (n = 38) from the regular units using a propensity score based matching procedure. Initially, the groups did not differ with respect to risk (i.e., Level of Service Inventory - Revised) or risk-related characteristics (e.g., age). Subsequent Cox regression analyses revealed no average treatment effect on recidivism. Since the results indicated that the control group was not untreated, differential treatment effects were examined in a second step. School and vocational trainings had an effect on recidivism. The findings are discussed in light of the challenges in evaluating legally mandated offender treatment.

Junge Intensivtäter als besondere Herausforderung für Jugendstrafvollzug und Sozialtherapie

Von den Strafverfolgungsbehörden werden Jugendliche und Heranwachsende als Intensivtäter (IT) registriert, die in der Vergangenheit nicht nur wiederholt, sondern auch mit schweren Gewaltdelikten strafrechtlich in Erscheinung getreten sind und bei denen die Gefahr einer sich verfestigenden kriminellen Karriere besteht. Der vorliegende Beitrag befasst sich mit der Erreichbarkeit junger IT durch die kriminalpräventiven Maßnahmen des Jugendstrafvollzuges. In einer Vollerhebung der sozialtherapeutischen Abteilung (n = 191) und einer parallelisierten Vergleichsstichprobe (n = 43) des Berliner Jugendstrafvollzuges wurde jeweils etwa die Hälfte der Strafgefangenen als IT identifiziert. Die jungen IT wiesen vielfältige soziale und kriminogene Risiko- und Belastungsfaktoren auf und zeigten mehr Verhaltensauffälligkeiten im Vollzug. Zudem ergaben sich Hinweise für eine ausgeprägtere Zugehörigkeit der IT zur organisierten Kriminalität. Die Untersuchung des zukünftigen Legalverhaltens ergab, dass IT im Vergleich zu Nicht-IT häufiger (60 % vs. 31 %) und schneller nach ihrer Entlassung (1,2 Jahre vs. 1,8 Jahre) mit einem gewalttätigen Delikt polizeilich in Erscheinung treten. Ein Einfluss der SothA-Behandlung auf das Legalverhalten der IT konnte für nichtgewalttätige Delikte nachgewiesen werden. Weiterführende Analysen weisen auf einen Zusammenhang zwischen einer Zugehörigkeit zur organisierten Kriminalität und gewalttätigen sowie nichtgewalttätigen Delikten nach Entlassung hin. Die vorliegende Studie zeigt verschiedene Herausforderungen im Umgang mit jungen IT auf und gibt dabei wichtige Anhaltspunkte für die Ausgestaltung entsprechender Maßnahmen des Jugendstrafvollzugs entlang der besonderen kriminogenen Bedürfnisse dieser Subgruppe.

A Person-Centered Approach to Prison Behavior Based on Officers' Observations: Relations to Risk, Prison Misconduct, and Recidivism

Incorporating measures of prison behavior into risk assessment and management procedures may assist in treatment planning, risk monitoring, and decision-making. A behavior rating scale was used to assess prison officers' observations on externalizing, internalizing, and adaptive behavior in a sample of 277 sexual and violent offenders in correctional treatment in Berlin, Germany. The present study employed latent profile analysis to identify inmate subtypes with similar behavioral patterns. Results indicated a solution with five latent profiles that showed similarities with previous inmate typologies. The subtypes were termed "Aggressive-Psychopathic," "Asocial," "Situational," "Inconspicuous, and "Inadequate-Dependent." Analyses attested to the construct and predictive validity of the subtypes and involved the examination of differences on criminological characteristics, risk assessment instruments, various types of prison misconduct, and postrelease recidivism. This person-centered study illustrates the importance of attending to broader patterns of inmate behavior. The structured assessment of behavioral observations by prison officers can be a valuable and easy-to-implement approach to benefit from this largely neglected resource.

Let's Work Together - Occupational Factors and Their Correlates to Prison Climate and Inmates' Attitudes Towards Treatment

The role of psychosocial and structural occupational factors in mental health service provision has broadly been researched. However, less is known about the influence of employees' occupational factors on inmates in correctional treatment settings that mostly seek to apply a milieu-therapeutic approach. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationships between occupational factors (job satisfaction, self-efficacy, and the functionality of the organizational structure) and prison climate, the number of staff members' sick days as well as inmates' treatment motivation. Employees (n = 76) of three different correctional treatment units in Berlin, Germany, rated several occupational factors as well as prison climate. At the same time, treatment motivation of n = 232 inmates was assessed. Results showed that higher ratings of prison climate were associated with higher levels of team climate, job satisfaction and the functionality of the organizational structure, but not with self-efficacy and sick days. There was no significant relationship between occupational factors and the perceived safety on the treatment unit. Inmates' treatment motivation was correlated with all aggregated occupational factors and with average sick days of staff members. Outcomes of this study strongly emphasize the importance of a positive social climate in correctional treatment units for occupational factors of prison staff but also positive treatment outcomes for inmates. Also, in the light of these results, consequences for daily work routine and organizational structure of prisons are discussed.

Confessions and Denials When Guilty and Innocent: Forensic Patients' Self-Reported Behavior During Police Interviews

Several self-report studies together with analyses of exoneration cases suggest that suspects with mental disorder are especially prone to making false confessions. The present study asked 153 forensic patients in Germany about their behavior during suspect interviewing by the police. Self-reported ground truth of guilt and innocence was asked for, thereby taking into account that the risk of false confession is present only if a person has ever been interviewed when innocent. Indeed, surveying samples that include suspects who have never been interviewed when innocent may lead to underestimating the risk of false confessions. In the present study, all patients reported having been interviewed previously when guilty; and almost two-thirds (62%, n = 95), that they had also been interviewed at least once when innocent. These participants stated that they remained silent while being interviewed significantly more often when guilty (44%) compared to when innocent (15%). This corroborates laboratory research findings indicating that the right to remain silent is waived more often by innocent than by guilty suspects. Out of all 95 participants who were ever interviewed when innocent, 25% reported having made a false confession on at least one occasion. This result is in line with previous international research showing a high percentage of false confessions among suspects with mental disorder.

Prison Climate and Its Role in Reducing Dynamic Risk Factors During Offender Treatment

Although several offender treatment experts have suggested that therapeutic relationships play an important role in offender treatment, empirical finding supporting those arguments are scarce. The present study has therefore examined the relationship between prison climate, treatment motivation, and their influence on changes in risk factors in N = 215 inmates and detainees in four correctional facilities in Berlin, Germany. The inmates' perception of prison climate significantly correlated with their attitudes towards treatment. More positive climate in terms of therapeutic hold and more positive treatment attitude in terms of trust in therapy were also the best predictors of stronger decreases in dynamic risk factors measured by the Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R). Our results support the importance of treatment relationship factors within the course of offender rehabilitation.

Predicting Offenders' Institutional Misconduct and Recidivism: The Utility of Behavioral Ratings by Prison Officers

Measures of current behavior are rarely incorporated into risk assessment. Therefore, the current study used a behavior rating scale to assess prison officers' observations of inmates prison behavior and examined the contribution of these ratings for risk assessment. Prison officers rated 272 sexual and violent offenders in three different correctional treatment facilities in Berlin, Germany. Factor analysis revealed three psychologically meaningful factors measuring externalizing, internalizing and adaptive prison behavior. The construct validity of the three factors was established through correlational analyses with standardized risk assessment instruments. Externalizing and internalizing behaviors were significant predictors of violent recidivism after release. In addition, externalizing was a significant predictor of institutional misconduct, whereas adaptive and internalizing behavior predicted whether an inmate was granted privileges (e.g., minimum-security confinement). Logistic regression analyses indicated that externalizing behavior ratings added incrementally to the Level of Service Inventory-Revised for the prediction of institutional misconduct and violent recidivism. The results indicate that prison officers observe important prison behaviors and that behavioral ratings can improve risk assessment.