NCJ Number
140074
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 37 Issue: 5 Dated: (September 1992) Pages: 1327-1333
Date Published
1992
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The author reviewed the literature concerning criminals' explanations of their crimes and then studied the explanations given by 100 incarcerated men.
Abstract
The most consistent finding in the literature relates to crime severity. Especially among adults, offenders are inclined to deny, minimize, or blame accidents, alcohol, drugs, uncontrolled emotional factors, situations, or victims when they have been involved in committing a serious, violent crime. In the study of 100 adult male offenders, subjects attributed the criminal event to factors categorized according to external control, internal control, impaired internal control, randomized events, external orchestration or provocation, and fault in the legal system. Multiple explanations were permitted. The 100 subjects committed their crimes at a median age of 22.7 years and had a median number of 1 juvenile and 4 adult arrests prior to committing index offenses. No significant associations were found between juvenile or adult arrest histories, alias use, age at the time of the crime, trial plea, sentence length, duration of incarceration, and explanation types used. Only murderers significantly used a specific explanation type; they said their crimes resulted from external orchestration or provocation. The findings suggest that explanations are largely independent of traditional criminological attributes, that prolonged prison confinement does not cause offenders to admit to their crimes, and that murderers have an especially difficult time accepting responsibility for their acts. 40 references and 1 table