OFFENDER ORIENTED REHABILITATION FOR SHOPLIFTING CRIMES IN HOOVER, ALABAMA AND THE TRANSCENDING

NATIONAL RESOLUTION

Grant MillerJS407-QL

April 24, 2016

ABSTRACT

By analyzing the offender level dataset for Hoover, Alabama to produce the

highest percentage rate of a specific gender and race that is most likely to commit

the crime of shoplifting, African American females are the targeted independent

variables to introduce rehabilitation programs to reduce recidivism. The research

completed shows the importance of family oriented rehabilitation and rehabilitation

that is offender based, such as programs for mothers. Research also showed the

negative effects of programs that used confrontation as the sole means of

deterrence. Through the research process, the importance of recognizing offender

variables is apparent in the end goal of equating a system that reduces recidivism.

PURPOSE OF STUDY

To offer specific rehabilitation based on the independent variable (sex and

race) with the greatest percentage of reported shoplifting offenses in Hoover,

Alabama. Though data and research is directed solely towards Hoover, Alabama, the

goal is to reach a national level of effective offender-based rehabilitation and to

reduce recidivism in the United States. The data analysis concludes that African

American females are more inclined to shoplift in Hoover, Alabama. A comparison

between the national averages and Hoovers averages produced similar findings. One

explanation for this high sex and race tendency correlates with racial profiling.

(Dabney 2004) Businesses typically try to find shortcuts when seeking out

shoplifters and the easiest shortcut to make is racial profiling. For this to be an

explanation on crime data, one must understand that when attention is solely

directed at a common race based on social class, many other shoplifters are not

apprehended because they did not fit the characteristics of a thief. This, a long with

offenders not being caught, skews the data greatly. Based on Hoover’s demography,

Whites make up 75.1% and African Americans make up 14.8% of the population.

(Census, 2015) This huge population differential should trend with whites

committing the most crime, yet African Americans make up one percent more of the

total top five crimes committed.

DATA ANALYSIS* Data collected from DS3 Offender-Level NIBRS 2013 data file for Hoover, Alabama

Women contain the highest percentage of shoplifting crimes reported in Hoover, Alabama in 2013.

African Americans contain the highest percentage of shoplifting crime in Hoover, Alabama in 2013.

KEY FACTORS OF RECIDIVISM THROUGH THE YEARS

In the past ten years crime rates have dropped but the recidivism rate has

only increased. (Harrison, 2012) There are many factors that could have produced

this heightened recidivism rate, but the greatest is the economic recession that the

United States went through. The government began cutting costs on corrections,

thusly removing educational, spiritual, and job-skill learning rehabilitation

programs in prisons. (Harrison, 2012) This research calls for the rehabilitation

program to fit the offender based on characteristics, status, environment, crime

committed, and family relationships. The importance of introducing rehabilitation

programs based on the crime committed looks at the characteristics of the offender

based on the understanding that specific crimes involve specific characteristics for

those crimes to be committed. (Tollenaar, 2014) When distributing key factors in

comparison to recidivism prevention, family relationships play a pivotal role. Age is

the biggest dependent variable when determining recidivism rates based on family

visitation though it has been concluded that family visitation reduces misconduct

among offenders. (Day, 2010) By allowing an offender to relate to a specific

rehabilitation program, the offender will be geared to adhere more to the lessons

taught. The importance of low recidivism rates is commonly derived from the

monetary values of keeping offenders incarcerated but the main goal is a re-

integrative system that allows offenders a second chance in life to become

prosperous citizens. This system allows for an increase in safety among citizens thus

resulting in a homeland security view of progress and more attention to be pointed

towards terrorist threats. One of the key concepts of the department of homeland

security is to promote a safe homeland against potential hazards through a

heightened system of security. (DHS, 2016)

REHABILITATION THROUGH OFFENDER BASED PROGRAMS

Based on the data analysis of the top five crimes committed in Hoover,

Alabama and the independent variables of race and sex, Hoover will be able to

develop specific rehabilitation programs to lower crime rates and ultimately reduce

recidivism. One system that would benefit African American women that were

found guilty for shoplifting would be educational programs that would offer basic

curriculum and job skills. Though simply implementing an educational program

would not change the offender, studies show that there is a monumental need for

highly motivated staff with the knowledge on the importance of rehabilitation

programs to offenders. (Heseltine, 2011) By staffing rehabilitation programs with

qualified and caring representatives, many offenders will acknowledge the belief

that they do have potential to be a law-abiding citizen. Another program that would

benefit offenders revolve around the importance of family relationships. Typically

offenders come from broken homes or environments that push regression in

society. By targeting Hoover’s high rate of African American female offenders,

programs used would incorporate a sense of family value the importance of decision

based actions that would be influential in their loved one’s eyes. One huge problem

with female offenders is the children that face the repercussions of their actions that

they leave behind. By introducing a rehabilitation program for offenders with

children, caseworkers will be able to discuss the negative effects on a child as they

experience negligence from their mother’s actions from a first hand experience.

(Beckerman, 1998) The probability of never being able to see their children again

promotes an adherence to social norms. Though widely practiced and made popular

by TV shows, the technique of scaring someone straight is not a successful way to

reduce recidivism. Studies show that confrontational forms of deterrence do not

reach its goal of reducing recidivism rates but results of non-confrontational

techniques show a positive result among low-level offenders. (Klenowski, 2010)

The research presented offers a utilitarian means to the reduction of recidivism and

the promotion of life in the United States that is protected from freedom being

treaded on by the unforgiven offender whom was left behind by a broken

rehabilitation system. Nationally, this effort promotes tranquility between citizens

and can reduce terrorism if these ideals were to be established globally. Though the

effort of establishing such systems will not produce an immediate effect for the

prosperity of the United States, the system will initiate a reduced recidivism rate,

safety of citizens, and even reduce the overpopulation of prisons. This research will

appeal to those invested in the monetary aspect of the currency devoted towards

prisoners as well as those invested in re-integrating offenders into society.

CAUTIONS

Though this research backs the implementation of rehabilitation among

offenders, it does not promote the reduction of punishment or the reduced

significance of the repercussions asserted by judicial officials or the Constitution of

the United States of America. The presented rehabilitation programs may be offered

to all offenders but will not reduce the length of sentence in serious offenders found

guilty of capital crimes. The systems of rehabilitation presented can be both court

ordered and voluntary but individuals who are not established as receiving of the

provided treatment (i.e. non-engaging or unreceptive) will not be accredited with

graduating from the course. Correctional officers will not be given the option to

retain inmates from attending any session unless actions could result in bodily harm

to the attendees of the course or the offender themselves. Though data is not yet

available to present a statistical analysis of the recidivism rates post-offender based

rehabilitation, a data collection and analysis is recommended every two years to

present a curve of the systems implemented. The dependent variables of the post-

data analysis will consist of the specific rehabilitation program used and the

independent variables will be the number of times an offender who received

treatment recommitted a crime from a scale of zero to ten.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Beckerman, A. (1998). Charting a course: Meeting the challenge of permanency planning for children with incarcerated mothers. Child Welfare, 77(5), 513-29. Retrieved from http://fetch.mhsl.uab.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/213810179?accountid=8240

Dabney, D. A., Hollinger, R. C., & Dugan, L. (2004). WHO ACTUALLY STEALS? A STUDY OF COVERTLY OBSERVED SHOPLIFTERS*. Justice Quarterly : JQ, 21(4), 693-728. Retrieved from http://fetch.mhsl.uab.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/228204010?accountid=8240

Day, G. J. (2010). Family time behind bars: The effect of visitation on institutional misconduct and recidivism among juvenile offenders (Order No. 3448043). Available from ProQuest Criminal Justice. (859201850). Retrieved from http://fetch.mhsl.uab.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/859201850?accountid=8240

Harrison, P. M. (2012). The impact of individual, community, and public policy factors on offender recidivism in four states: Bad people, bad places, or bad policy?(Order No. 3547018). Available from ProQuest Criminal Justice. (1271757854). Retrieved from http://fetch.mhsl.uab.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1271757854?accountid=8240

Heseltine, K., Sarre, R., Day, A., & Tomison, A. (2011). Prison-based correctional rehabilitation: An overview of intensive interventions for moderate to high-risk offenders. Woden: Australian Institute of Criminology. Retrieved from http://fetch.mhsl.uab.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/869137575?accountid=8240

Homeland Security. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2016, from https://www.dhs.gov/our-mission

Klenowski, P. M., Bell, K. J., & Dodson, K. D. (2010). An empirical evaluation of juvenile awareness programs in the united states: Can juveniles be "scared straight"? Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 49(4), 254. Retrieved from http://fetch.mhsl.uab.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/195783028?accountid=8240

Population estimates, July 1, 2015, (V2015). (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2016, from http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/0135896

Tollenaar, N., van der Laan, ,A.M., van der Heijden, P G, & , M. (2014). Effectiveness of a prolonged incarceration and rehabilitation measure for high-frequency offenders. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 10(1), 29-58. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11292-013-9179-y