NCJ Number
213382
Journal
Criminology Volume: 44 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2006 Pages: 199-234
Date Published
February 2006
Length
36 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the pattern of short-term offense specialization among a sample of male inmates.
Abstract
Results indicated that offenders demonstrated a significant degree of short-term specialization in terms of their offending patterns. The analysis focused specifically on whether previous research findings that have indicated low levels of offending specialization could be replicated using an alternative research approach that examined specialization using a month-to-month time lag. The findings underscored the importance of methodological choices in criminological research and the need to develop a theoretical explanation to account for offender generality in the long term as well as offender specialization in the short term. Participants were 658 male inmates incarcerated in the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services during 1989 and 1990. Participants completed a survey interview that collected information about the years leading up to the current arrest; measurement periods ranged from 25 to 36 months. Specifically, information was gathered about criminal history, age of onset, frequency of offending, race, and local life circumstances. Data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate techniques. Future research should focus on whether the pattern of short-term criminal specialization yet long-term versatility holds true for female offender samples. Footnotes, tables, figure, references