Interviewing Offenders: The Active vs. Inmate Debate

Copes, Heith; Jacques, Scott; Hochstetler, Andrew; Dickinson, Timothy

doi:10.21428/7b6d533a.c1512c60

Cited by 7 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…At the same time, surveys and interviews of incarcerated offenders have produced valuable insights on a variety of criminological phenomena. Moreover, they often produce results that are similar to those based on surveys and interviews of active offenders in the community (Cook et al, 2018;Copes et al, 2015). Methodological concerns about interviews and inmate surveys highlight the importance of triangulating findings from research that relies on different methodologies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Nature and Structure of MS-13 in Los Angeles County

Nuño

Maguire

2021

Criminal Justice Review

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Recent descriptions of Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) by senior U.S. government officials suggest that the gang is highly organized, has significant transnational capacity, and is heavily involved in violence. Arguably, these depictions have created moral panic among the public and have fed xenophobic attitudes toward Latin American immigrants. However, little is known from empirical research about the nature and structure of MS-13 in the United States. In this article, we draw on data from interviews with incarcerated MS-13 members in Los Angeles County, the birthplace of MS-13. We examine three key aspects of MS-13: its organizational characteristics, its transnational capacity, and its involvement in criminal behavior, including violence. Our findings provide a useful descriptive summary of MS-13 in Los Angeles County, where the gang originated. Our findings also suggest that while there are good reasons to take MS-13 seriously as a threat to public safety, much of the public discourse on the gang is based on inaccurate assumptions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Nature and Structure of MS-13 in Los Angeles County

Nuño

Maguire

2021

Criminal Justice Review

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“…The story of criminology cannot be told without offenders. The field has a strong tradition in “offender-based research,” with a particularly rich qualitative tradition (Copes et al, 2015). This method is classic, exemplified in Shaw’s (1930) The Jack-Roller and Sutherland’s (1937) The Professional Thief.…”

Section: The Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This method is classic, exemplified in Shaw’s (1930) The Jack-Roller and Sutherland’s (1937) The Professional Thief. The premise of the approach is that offenders know things that other people, such as victims and police, don’t know, positioning them to provide unique insight (Copes et al, 2015; Jacques, 2019). Within offender-based research is the niche of active offender research.…”

Section: The Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Toleration by Victimized Coffeeshops in Amsterdam

Jacques

Møller²

2023

Crime & Delinquency

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Dutch coffeeshops are quasi-illegal. Their sale of cannabis is de jure prohibited but de facto permitted. In this sense, their criminal acts are tolerated. Less often explored, and less well understood, is that coffeeshops also tolerate crimes against them. “Doing nothing” is a common way to manage conflict. Why and how does it occur? In this article, we use the opportunity and rationality perspectives to analyze qualitative data obtained during interviews with 50 personnel of coffeeshops in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. After presenting our findings, we discuss their general implications for tolerant, and intolerant, ways to manage conflict.

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“…Offender-based research involves analyzing information collected directly from lawbreakers (Bernasco, 2010;Copes et al, 2015). There are several methods of obtaining such data.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeing the Offenders’ Perspective through the Eye-Tracking Device: Methodological Insights from a Study of Shoplifters

Jacques

Lasky

Fisher

2015

Preprint

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This article examines the utility of a novel tool for conducting offender-based research: the "eye-tracking device" (ETD), which is designed to identify what a person sees in the center of his or her vision. First, we review prior research using the ETD. Second, we detail the advantages and troubles we encountered when using it to study simulated shoplifting in retail outlets among 39 active offenders. Benefits of using the ETD include video recording what participants look at, which may serve as quantitative or qualitative data, and, when coupled with a questionnaire, the video footage may be used as a memory prompt and source of verification. Thus, using the ETD should reduce two sources of measurement bias: participants' limited recall and intentional fabrication. However, limitations of the ETD are that it may inaccurately record what participants see in their peripheral vision and its physical structure makes some participants feel more inconspicuous than usual, both of which are pertinent to criminals' attempts to avoid apprehension. The peripheral vision problem limits the quantitative output's validity, whereas the physical structure concern potentially diminishes the generalizability of results. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for theory and research.

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Interviewing Offenders: The Active vs. Inmate Debate

Cited by 7 publications

References 17 publications

The Nature and Structure of MS-13 in Los Angeles County

The Nature and Structure of MS-13 in Los Angeles County

Toleration by Victimized Coffeeshops in Amsterdam

Seeing the Offenders’ Perspective through the Eye-Tracking Device: Methodological Insights from a Study of Shoplifters

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