No abstract

No abstract

Automated victim notification is often touted as an effective and efficient means for providing victims timely and accurate information of their offenders' court events and status changes at reduced burden to the criminal justice system. Today, 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have some form of automated notification system. Researchers surveyed 1,246 service providers and 723 victims to examine their awareness and use of, satisfaction with, and experiences using automated notification systems. Findings indicate that service providers are aware of and use automated notification; however, less than one-quarter of victim respondents were registered for automated notification services. Service providers and victims who use automated notification services report high overall satisfaction; however, they also report challenges in using these systems. Service providers offer several recommendations for improving automated notification systems.

Surveillance cameras are widely used in correctional settings, but there has been little research on their effectiveness, especially in jail settings. Employing a mixed methods approach, this article examines how implementing closed-circuit television in jail housing units in a large Eastern city influences inmate perceptions of safety and incidents of violence and misconduct. Data collected through surveys with 101 inmates and 68 months (56 months from before and 12 from after camera implementation) of administrative records of inmate infractions, incidents of self-harm and officer use of force were analyzed through χ 2 tests, independent sample t-tests, and structural break (time series) analyses. Semi-structured interviews with 14 correctional staff were analyzed qualitatively to provide contextual information. Findings indicate that while inmate perceptions of safety changed after implementing cameras, analyses of reported incidents did not yield any effect. These mixed results may be because of a combination of deterrence and detection effects or to cameras not being paired with more effective monitoring.

No abstract