Global prevalence of borderline personality disorder and self-reported symptoms of adults in prison: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The prevalence of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in the general population is estimated to be 1.8 % whereas the rates of BPD among people in prison have been reported between 9 and 30 %. To date, there are no published systematic reviews into the rates of BPD among adults in prison. Understanding the prevalence of BPD in this setting can help to inform prison-staff education, funding and intervention options, and adequate care for an already at-risk population. We aimed to explore the global prevalence of BPD diagnoses and self-reported symptomology among adults in prisons via systematic review and meta-analysis. We also aimed to explore gender differences between women and men in prison. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of papers where a BPD diagnosis or self-reported symptoms were reported within a prison population of male or female adult offenders (18+ years). Our search yielded 33 studies comprising diagnostic interviews, and 15 studies which included self-reported symptom measures. The results indicated that for women and men in prison, the prevalence of BPD was (27.4 % and 18.8 %, respectively) when assessed via diagnostic interview. Results were similar for both women and men in studies that used a self-report measure to assess a BPD diagnosis (29.1 % and 16.4 %). Findings suggest that the prevalence of BPD in prisons should be considered when making decisions about mental health and criminogenic interventions. Self-report measures could be a resource-efficient method for screening prisoners for personality pathology in prison settings. Contemporary, well-structured, large-scale studies are required to better understand the prevalence of personality disorder in prisons.

Neurocognitive Disorders and Cognitive Reserve: a Study on a Psychiatric Rehabilitation Patients Sample.

BACKGROUND: Research on neurocognitive disorders and cognitive reserve in psychiatric rehabilitation patients is crucial to understanding how cognitive function impacts rehabilitation outcomes. Cognitive reserve refers to the brain's resilience to neuropathological damage, and exploring its role in psychiatric patients can provide insights into their varying responses to treatment and recovery potential. Investigating whether there are differences in cognitive reserve and neurocognitive disorders between offenders and non-offenders within psychiatric rehabilitation can help tailor interventions and improve rehabilitation strategies. This study explores cognitive reserve (CR) and neurocognitive disorders (NCDs) in a sample of psychiatric patients within a Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center, with a particular focus on differences between offenders and non-offenders following the closure of Judicial Psychiatric Hospitals in Italy (March 31, 2015). METHOD: In our observational study, were recruited a total of 59 patients (20 females and 39 males, mean age = 45.39 years) from various Psychiatric Rehabilitation Communities in Southern Italy. The patients were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5 CV) and a battery of tests, including in particular the Cognitive Reserve Index Questionnaire (CRIq), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI) and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0). RESULTS: Results indicated significant differences between offenders and non-offenders in cognitive reserve, psychopathological symptoms and personal and social functionality. CONCLUSION: Understanding these distinctions is important for developing specialized therapeutic approaches that address the rehabilitation needs of each group that also include neurocognitive aspects such as cognitive reserve.

Considerations on expanding criminal offender DNA databases with Y-STR profiles.

Although national criminal offender DNA databases (NCODDs) including autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) have been a successful tool to identify criminals for decades in many countries, yet there are many criminal cases they cannot solve. In cases with mixed male-female samples, particularly sexual assault, expanding NCODDs with Y-chromosomal STR (Y-STR) profiles allows database matching in the absence of autosomal STR profiles. Although Y-STR matches are not individual-specific, this can be largely overcome with rapidly mutating Y-STRs (RM Y-STR) allowing separation of paternally related men. Expanding NCODDs with Y-STR profiles is also beneficial for law enforcement in cases without known suspects via familial searching. Expanding NCODDs with Y-STR profiles may raise concerns about genetic privacy and fundamental human rights. A legal analysis of the European Convention on Human Rights revealed that when primarily for reidentifying convicted sex offenders, it would be in line with the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, while a generalized approach primarily for familial searching and involving all types of offenders may not. This paper aims to stimulate a debate among various stakeholders regarding the benefits and risks of expanding NCODDs with Y-STR profiles that in some countries has already been practically implemented.

Characteristics that predict exposure to and subsequent intentional viewing of child sexual abuse material among a community sample of Internet users.

BACKGROUND: An important element of reducing the sexual abuse and exploitation of children is to understand the behaviors of individuals who consume child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including the predictors of continued use. OBJECTIVE: To investigate predictors of 'ever viewing' CSAM and subsequent intentional use among individuals in the community. METHOD: This study used multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify significant predictors of ever viewing CSAM (n = 742) in an anonymous survey of 5512 Internet users in the community, and of subsequent intentional CSAM use among a subset of 459 CSAM viewers. RESULTS: The characteristics of respondents that were significantly associated with ever viewing CSAM were being male, older in age (25-34 and 55+ years cf. 18-24 years), residing in Australia, New Zealand, or Canada (cf. the United Kingdom), earlier exposure to adult pornography (<14 years), experiencing childhood physical abuse or neglect, viewing bestiality pornography featuring adults, viewing bondage/S&M (BDSM) pornography featuring adults, being likely (self-reported) to have sexual contact with a child, and visiting pedophilic chat forums online. In the subset sample, almost half (218, 47.5 %) viewed CSAM again intentionally after first exposure. Predictors of subsequent intentional viewing of CSAM after adjusting for age and country of residence were being male, ever experiencing loneliness, searching for CSAM intentionally at first exposure, being likely (self-reported) to have sexual contact with a child, and visiting pedophilic chat forums online. CONCLUSIONS: The findings have strong implications for prevention of first exposure to CSAM, and of continued CSAM use after exposure does occur.

An out-of-court community-based programme to improve the health and well-being of young adult offenders: the Gateway RCT.

Background: Young adults represent a third of the United Kingdom prison population and are at risk of poor health outcomes, including drug and alcohol misuse, self-harm and suicide. Court diversion interventions aim to reduce the negative consequences of criminal sanctions and address the root causes of offending. However, evidence of their effectiveness has not yet been established. The Gateway programme, issued as a conditional caution, aimed to improve the life chances of young adults committing low-level offences. Participants agreed not to reoffend during the 16-week caution and, following a needs assessment, received individual support from a Gateway navigator and attended two workshops encouraging analysis of own behaviour and its consequences. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Gateway in relation to health and well-being of participants compared to usual process (court summons or a different conditional caution). Design, setting and participants: Pragmatic, multisite, parallel-group, superiority randomised controlled trial with two 6-month internal pilots and a target sample size of 334. Randomisation between Gateway and usual process was on a 1 : 1 basis. Four Hampshire Constabulary sites recruited 18- to 24-year-old residents of Hampshire and Isle of Wight who were questioned for an eligible low-level offence. Semistructured interviews were also held with a sample of Gateway programme participants, staff and police study recruiters. Main outcome measures: Primary outcome was the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale score at 12 months. Secondary outcomes included health status, alcohol and drug use, recidivism and resource use. Results: Recruitment commenced in October 2019 and the trial stopped in April 2021. A total of 191 participants were recruited, with 109 randomised to Gateway and 82 to usual process. Due to an initial overestimation of potentially eligible young people and low retention rates, recruitment targets were adjusted, and a range of mitigating measures introduced. Although recruitment broadly met study progression criteria [35/50 (70%) Pilot 1: 64/74 (86%) Pilot 2], retention was low throughout (overall: data collected at week 4 was 50%: at week 16 it was 50%: 1-year 37%). Low retention was multifactorial, with one of the main barriers being difficulties contacting participants. It was therefore not possible to complete the randomised controlled trial or the health economics analyses. Qualitative interviews held with 58 individuals yielded rare insights into the benefits and limitations of this type of intervention, as well as barriers and facilitators in relation to recruitment in this setting. Limitations: Despite close collaboration with the police to address recruitment and consent issues, expansion of the inclusion criteria and recruitment area and introducing other measures, the researchers were unable to collect sufficient data within an acceptable timeframe. Conclusions: The Gateway study was a unique endeavour to gather evidence for a potentially life-changing intervention for an underserved population. The experience gained indicates that randomised controlled trials of interventions, with a health-related outcome, are possible in this setting but point towards the need for conservative recruitment and retention estimates in this target population. Other study designs should be considered. The qualitative evaluation provided a range of valuable lessons for those seeking to design similar interventions or conduct research in similar settings. Study registration: This study is registered as ISRCTN11888938. Funding: This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme (NIHR award ref: 16/122/20) and is published in full in Public Health Research; Vol. 12, No. 7. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Young adults who commit low-level offences often have many health and social needs, making them vulnerable to physical and mental health problems. The Gateway programme was a conditional caution developed to address the underlying causes of low-level offending in young people aged 18­24 years and hence improve their life chances. In Gateway, a mentor assessed the young person's needs and supported them, signposting to healthcare, housing or other services as required. The young people also participated in two workshops, analysing the causes and consequences of their behaviour. To find out if Gateway improved health and reoffending rates, a group of those who received a Gateway conditional caution were compared with a group of those receiving a court summons or a different conditional caution. Of the 191 participants recruited to the study, 109 were randomised to Gateway and 82 to the usual process. However, the researchers had significant difficulties getting hold of the study participants on the phone and they were unable to collect enough information from them to be able to say whether Gateway worked. The researchers introduced various changes to overcome this, but in the end had to stop the study early. As part of the study, the researchers interviewed 28 Gateway programme participants, 17 Gateway project staff and 13 police officers and staff who had been recruiting into the study. From the interviews the study discovered the perceived benefits of Gateway, how programmes like this could be improved and which factors helped or got in the way of doing research in the police setting. The Gateway study aimed to provide evidence for a potentially life-changing intervention for vulnerable young adults. Although it proved impossible to complete the study, the lessons learnt from running it should help colleagues design similar programmes or plan research studies with similar populations or in similar settings.

Corrigendum: The transition of Chilean adolescents from the child welfare system to the adolescent justice system: a continuation or an accumulation of adverse factors?

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1194294.].

Convergent and Divergent Validity of the Child Pornography Offender Risk Tool (CPORT) in a Clinical Sample From California.

The Child Pornography Offender Risk Tool (CPORT) is a seven-item actuarial risk assessment tool that is used to estimate the potential for sexual recidivism among men convicted of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM; legally referred to as child pornography) offenses. In the current study, we examined the convergent and divergent validity of the CPORT in a clinical sample of 224 men on federal probation in the United States who were convicted of at least one type of CSEM offense. CPORT scores were significantly, moderately, and positively correlated with scores on another sexual offense risk assessment tool, the Risk Matrix 2000 (RM2000/S), showing broad evidence of convergent validity, and was nonsignificantly associated with scores on a general offense risk assessment tool, the Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI), showing evidence of divergent validity. There was also evidence of specific convergent validity; for example, the CPORT item reflecting prior criminal history was most strongly related to the Criminal History domain of the LS/CMI, and CPORT items reflecting sexual interest in children were significantly and strongly associated with self-reported sexual interest in children from the clinical evaluation. We also examined the impact of including clinical information in the scoring of the CPORT. Including this information reduced the amount of missing scores, but the impact on predictive accuracy is not yet known. Implications for clinical practices are discussed.

Comparison of two suicide screening instruments for identifying high-risk individuals in prison.

Increased suicide rates in prison are a serious concern. Early identification of inmates at risk is a component of effective suicide prevention. The present study examined two suicide screening instruments in a sample of men in the Berlin, Germany, prison system (n = 289). The Screening for Initial Risk Assessment (SIRAS) identified significantly more high-risk inmates than the Vienna Instrument for Suicidality in Correctional Institutions (VISCI) (66 vs. 24). The results further show that the agreement in the classification was evident only in inmates with suicidal ideation, but was otherwise quite low. This can be explained by the fact that the instruments differ in terms of the risk factors taken into account. Finally, it was found that inmates classified as high risk received more monitoring and psychiatric or psychological support, which supports the construct validity of the instruments. As there were no deaths by suicide in the sample, no statistical information on the predictive validity of the instruments could be provided. Although research in this area is challenging, methodologically sound studies are needed to inform practice.

Developing an initial programme theory for a model of social care in prisons and on release (empowered together): A realist synthesis approach.

Many people are living in prison with a range of social care needs, for example, requiring support with washing, eating, getting around safely, and/or maintaining relationships. However, social care for this vulnerable group is generally inadequate. There is uncertainty and confusion about who is legally responsible for this and how it can best be provided, and a lack of integration with healthcare. We used realist-informed approaches to develop an initial programme theory (IPT) for identifying/assessing social care needs of, and providing care to, male adults in prison and on release. IPT development was an iterative process involving (a) an initial scoping of the international prison literature; (b) scoping prison and community social care policy documents and guidelines; (c) full systematic search of the international prison social care literature; (d) insights from the community social care literature; (e) stakeholder workshops. Information from 189 documents/sources and stakeholder feedback informed the IPT, which recommended that models of prison social care should be: trauma-informed; well integrated with health, criminal justice, third-sector services and families; and person-centred involving service-users in all aspects including co-production of care plans, goals, and staff training/awareness programmes. Our IPT provides an initial gold standard model for social care provision for people in prison and on release. The model, named Empowered Together, will be evaluated in a future trial and will be of interest to those working in the criminal justice system, care providers and commissioners, local authorities, housing authorities, voluntary groups, and service-users and their families.

Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Young Adults and Adults: A Systematic Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Investigations have shown the different impacts that ACEs have on an individual's adult life, on both physical and mental health, but they have not yet shown the issue of the influence of ACEs on adults and young adults. Objective/Participants and Setting: This systematic review, performed according to the PRISMA norms and guidelines, intended to understand the most frequent outcomes of adverse childhood experiences in the life of young adults and adults. METHODS: Studies were identified through multiple literature search databases at EBSCOhost, Web of Science, and PubMed April 2023, and a total of 279 studies, published between 1999 and 2002, were excluded, 256 because of multiple factors: being duplicates, showing statistical analysis with correlations only, being systematic reviews or case studies, comprising individuals under the age of 18, and not meeting the intended theme; ultimately, we selected for the review a total of 23 studies. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The impacts of the various articles are subdivided into three main themes: antisocial and criminal behaviour; sexual Behaviour and intimate partner violence; and attachment, quality of life, and therapeutic alliance.

Association between the Big Five personality traits and suicide-related behaviors in Japanese institutionalized youths.

Aim: Inmates in correctional institutions experience higher rates of suicide attempt (SA), suicidal ideation (SI), and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) than the general population. This study aimed to examine the association between the Big Five personality traits and suicide-related behavior, and to estimate the prevalence rate of such behaviors among Japanese institutionalized youth. Methods: The participants were 436 youths who had been admitted to four juvenile classification homes (JCHs) between September 2021 and March 2023; they were asked to respond to a self-report questionnaire after obtaining informed consent. Results: A total of 8.1% and 19.3%, 29.4% and 44.7%, and 46.3% and 75.3% of males and females had experienced SA, SI, and NSSI in their lifetime, respectively. Females reported significantly higher instances of suicide-related behaviors than males considering all suicide-related behaviors. Logistic regression analyses revealed that neuroticism significantly increased the odds ratios for SA, SI, and NSSI on controlling for sex, age, and number of admissions to JCHs. For NSSI, the odds ratio for agreeableness was significantly lower than 1, indicating a lower probability of NSSI. Conclusion: The findings of our study demonstrate that neuroticism, one of the Big Five traits, was consistently and significantly associated with all suicide-related behaviors, including SA, SI, and NSSI, among youth offenders, while agreeableness was found as a protective factor only against NSSI. The results of this study might help correctional officers identify justice-involved youth at higher risk for suicide and allow the development of early interventions to prevent suicide.

Testing a hybrid risk assessment model: Predicting CSAM offender risk from digital forensic artifacts.

BACKGROUND: Recent research argues for a formalized hybrid risk assessment model that combines the current online child sex abuse risk measures with digital forensics artifacts. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a feasibility study as an initial step toward formalizing the hybrid risk assessment model by identifying high-level digital forensic artifacts that have the potential to be valid and reliable indicators of risk, with a focus on CPORT Items 5, 6, and 7. DATA: Law enforcement investigators from a High Tech Crime Unit (HTCU) randomly selected seven closed cases; selection criteria included: male offender over 18, mobile device, child sexual abuse material (CSAM) offense, and 2019-2023 index offense. Investigation details related to probable cause, final charges, conviction, and offender risk were not disclosed. Statistical information (f, %) for the following digital forensics artifacts was examined: 1) pornography collection (e.g., % of media, content type, gender ratio) and 2) evidence of networking/grooming and other problematic online activities (e.g., number of native messages vs. application messages; type of installed apps). METHOD: The analysis predicted whether the offender was a CSAM-only or dual offender and if our findings agreed with the level of risk for reoffending suggested by CPORT Items 5, 6, and 7. Results were shared with the HTCU and scored for accuracy. RESULTS: The hybrid model was accurate in 6 of 7 cases. CONCLUSION: We conclude a hybrid model is feasible, and the findings illustrate the importance of analyzing app artifacts for context. Study limitations and future research recommendations are discussed.

Eligible offender samples are missing in CODIS: A statewide approach to performing a lawfully owed DNA census.

In 2019, the Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS) Texas Ranger Division (TRD) identified approximately 3300 registered sex offenders (RSOs) from whom a "lawfully owed" DNA sample was missing from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Lawfully owed DNA (LODNA) is defined as a DNA sample from a qualifying offender who should have had their sample entered into CODIS, but for unknown reasons did not. As a result of those findings, TXDPS then applied for and was awarded a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative to collect DNA specimens from these RSOs, and to perform a statewide LODNA census. TXDPS TRD sought to determine: Are the missed DNA collection problems limited to RSO's or are they occurring among individuals with a qualifying arrest or conviction as specified by state law too? What processes are used to identify individuals who are eligible for DNA sample collection? How is an individuals' DNA collection eligibility conveyed to external agencies? The findings from TXDPS' LODNA census, identified 43,245 individuals who were likely eligible for DNA collection between 1995 and 2020, therefore indicating statewide DNA collection issues. Over 4 years, collection efforts pertaining to the aforementioned lawfully owed census, have yielded 5183 LODNA sample collections, and 276 CODIS hits. This manuscript aims to create an awareness within other agencies of the importance of implementing best practices to ensure the collection and upload of LODNA from every eligible individual.

Crime-scene and offender characteristics in conventional and nonconventional stranger homicides committed by male offenders in Sweden.

In Sweden, from 1990 to 2013, most homicides occurred between family members, friends or acquaintances: the annual rate of incidents between unacquainted offenders and victims ranged between 8% and 13%. In the majority of these "stranger homicides," three common motives, as defined by the precipitating event, could be identified: homicides resulting from a spontaneous altercation; homicides committed in the context of a robbery or burglary; and homicides committed in the context of a gangland conflict. The remaining minority-with uncommon or indiscernible motives-could, nonetheless, be categorized according to their nonconventional distinguishing feature: homicides characterized by the offender's ostensibly mentally aberrant behavior; homicides committed in the context of a hate offense or politically motivated offense; homicides committed in the context of a sexual offense; and homicides committed in the context of a mass killing or series of homicides. In this registry-based study of 224 incidents, "conventional" stranger homicides, defined by their commonplace motive, were compared with "nonconventional" stranger homicides, defined by their lack of such motive. The former were more often committed with an accomplice, against a male victim, whereas the latter were more often committed in a public place, after contact initiated by the offender. In the latter, offenders were less often intoxicated at the time of the offense and more often adjudged to suffer from a severe mental disorder. The subcategory of nonconventional stranger homicides characterized by the offender's ostensibly mentally aberrant behavior corresponded largely to both the archetypal stranger-homicide construct and the popular notion "act of madness."

Psychology and the lie detector industry: A fifty-year perspective.

Fifty years ago, in a trenchant analysis that challenged applied lie detection theory and science, David Lykken (1974) brought polygraphic interrogation methods to the attention of academia with the hope that these techniques would come under the purview of psychology and psychophysiology. In this perspective, I examine how this application of psychophysiology has evolved over the last half century and how its status has changed for 1) the comparison (control) question test (CQT), used in forensic applications; 2) polygraph screening tests, used to evaluate examinee integrity; and 3) the concealed information technique (CIT), used to assess recognition memory of crime details. The criticisms of the CQT and screening tests advanced by Lykken have been amplified and focused by the academic community over the last half century. However, this has had little effect on how these methods are practiced and has not curtailed their use. Although most private sector employee screening tests are now prohibited, personnel screening of government employees has increased, and screening tests of sex offenders are now commonplace. Even though the CIT has captured the interest of psychophysiologists as a scientifically defensible technique, its field use is negligible. A primary purpose of polygraphic interrogations continues to be the extraction of admissions and confessions. The lack of change in the polygraph testing status quo stems in large part from unwavering government support for the use of these methods. As a result, polygraph theory and research support continues to rest on shaky ground while practice continues unfettered by valid criticism.

Making a Bad Situation Worse: Current and Potential Unintended Consequences of Juvenile Registration for Sexual Offences.

Within the US, children and adolescents who engage in sexually abusive behavior are often subjected to sex offender registration and notification requirements, which contribute to stigmatization and forfeiture of their civil rights without empirical basis (Lancaster, 2011; Pickett et al., 2023; Zilney & Zilney, 2009). To date, 39 states subject children with adjudicated sexual offenses to sex offender registration requirements, with most recent estimates revealing that approximately 200,000 youth have been placed on sex offender registries within the US and many are now on the registry as adults (Pickett et al., 2020). This severe response-by both members of the public and policymakers-toward children who engage in inappropriate sexual behavior is imposed upon children and adolescents with adjudicated sexual offenses in an effort to meet goals of reducing sexual violence and increasing community safety. Within the current discourse, we review the history of registration and notification practices for adolescents with sexual offenses, describe what registration and notification policies entail, and then present empirical and theoretical evidence of the harmful outcomes associated with implementation of registration and notification requirements for sexual offenses. Thus, the predominant aim of this discourse is to encourage thoughtful and critical examination of registration and notification policies and their iatrogenic impacts.

Corrigendum: Individuals under voluntary treatment with sexual interest in minors: what risk do they pose?

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1277225.].

Gender Differences in the Characterization of Child Sexual Abuse.

Research on child sexual abuse (CSA) has increased in recent decades. However, the study of gender differences in this field is still scarce. The aim of this study was to analyze the differences in the characterization of CSA between Spanish adult men and women. The Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire was administered to 162 cisgender victims of CSA aged 18-63. Most of the abuses involved physical contact and were committed by a known person. Twenty percent of the victims indicated that they had developed a mental health problem that they believed was due to the CSA experience. Women suffered more CSA with physical contact and penetration, more types of abuse and more abuse by men, and were abused more frequently by a family member. Compared to women, men suffered more sexual abuse by women. Exploring gender differences in CSA could help to improve preventive strategies and interventions aimed at reducing the occurrence of this type of abuse and sequelae resulting from it.

How to get away with (sexual) murder? Unraveling cold cases in sexual homicide using a hybrid modeling probabilistic approach.

This study examines Sexual Homicide (SH) cases, analyzing the transition to cold cases through a non-discretionary lens. Utilizing the SH International Database, it explores the interplay between offender behavior, victim characteristics, and crime context. Advanced methodologies, including sequential logistic regression and Artificial Neural Networks, identify key predictors of case resolution. Results highlight the critical influence of victim intoxication, high-risk activities, and the location of the victim's body on case solvability. The study also reveals the significant role of offender forensic awareness and the complexity of crime scenes in hindering case resolution. These findings underline the multifaceted nature of SH cases, emphasizing the importance of understanding the nuanced interplay between victim, offender, and contextual factors in solving these challenging cases.