NCJ Number
220077
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Volume: 49 Issue: 3 Dated: July 2007 Pages: 307-340
Date Published
July 2007
Length
34 pages
Annotation
This study investigated distributions of residual career length (RCL), the number of years remaining in criminal careers up to the last offense, based on a sample of French-Canadian adjudicated male offenders.
Abstract
Findings from the study indicate that the number of years remaining in criminal careers declines at a steady pace with age. Residual career length (RCL) also tends to decline with each successive conviction, with increased time lags between the current and previous offenses, and with later onset. RCL is defined as the number of years remaining in criminal careers up to the last offense. Knowledge about RCL is limited. This study sought to provide estimates of RCL in relation to general criminal career parameters (age, number of prior convictions, time since the previous conviction, age of onset, and offense type). It also sought to estimate the predictability of RCL based on offending information available in official records, and therefore assess the value of these predictors for decisionmaking in criminal justice. The study extends the analysis of RCL carried out in a recent study using two samples of British males. The analyses utilized a sample of French-Canadian adjudicated males from the Montreal Two Samples Longitudinal Study and included both self-report and official records up to age 40. Tables, figures and references