Background Since individuals with intellectual disabilities are often the only witnesses to alleged crimes, it is important to know their capacity to provide eyewitness testimony. Methods Twenty-two participants with intellectual disabilities and 23 comparison group participants had their photographs taken by a confederate. One to two weeks following the photography session, participants were interviewed about the event and were asked to identify the photographer. Two misleading questions, to test for suggestibility, were asked at the end of the interview. Results Comparison group participants performed significantly better than participants with intellectual disabilities with a target-present lineup, but no significant differences were found between participant groups with a target-absent lineup. Comparison group participants performed significantly better than chance with the target-absent lineup, but participants with intellectual disabilities did not. In the interview, participants with intellectual disabilities provided significantly fewer details than comparison group participants, and the details provided by both groups were mainly accurate. Participants with intellectual disabilities were significantly more likely to acquiesce to one of the suggestive questions than comparison group participants, but the two participant groups did not differ in likelihood of acquiescence for the other suggestive question. Conclusions It seems that individuals with intellectual disabilities may make adequate witnesses if they are interviewed in a non-leading manner. Future research should examine methods to improve their eyewitness identification performance.

No abstract

No abstract

Incarcerated offenders are more likely to experience Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and associated symptoms than the general population. PTSD may develop from a variety of events, including being a victim of violence, witnessing violence, or from committing a violent offense. This study examined symptoms and predictors of PTSD in 150 male violent offenders. Participants recalled acts of reactive and instrumental violence, poorly recalled violence, and subjectively disturbing events (e.g., victim of violence), and rated each event for symptoms of PTSD using the Impact of Events Scale (IES). Subjectively disturbing events were associated with higher IES scores than the acts of violence. Hierarchical linear modeling showed that more recent events were associated with a greater number of trauma symptoms and peritraumatic dissociation was positively associated with trauma symptoms. As well, trauma symptoms were more likely to develop if the victim was a family member or a friend, as compared to a stranger or acquaintance. These results support the need for trauma-informed assessment and treatment for offenders. Knowing more about the predictors of trauma symptoms is a first step in effectively treating PTSD in this population.

This study explored the presence of subgroups of incarcerated offenders using cluster analysis. Subgroups were created based on severity of criminogenic needs, including substance use, from a retrospective cohort of 5,275 Canadian male incarcerated offenders. Five groups emerged: (a) Primarily Drug Users With Stable Employment/Education, (b) Primarily Drug Users with High Needs, (c) Polysubstance Users With Positive Social Supports, (d) Polysubstance Users With Severe Need for Intervention, and (e) Drug Offenders With Good Reintegration Potential. Sociodemographic factors, criminal history, institutional behavior, and rates of recidivism were explored across subgroups. Drug Offenders With Good Reintegration Potential had the lowest rates of institutional charges and recidivism, while offenders in the Primarily Drug With High Needs and Polysubstance With Severe Need for Intervention groups had the highest rates. These findings highlight that classification of offenders is complex and nuanced. Knowing the pattern and severity of substance use and criminogenic needs aids offender management.