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Studies considering perceptions of the police have traditionally focused on very broad outcome measures (e.g., global views of the police). In an era of community policing, it is imperative to consider how the public perceives the police and police services using measures reflecting this alternative paradigm of policing. In addition, recent research suggests that perceptions of the police are formed within the context of respondents’neighborhood cultures and contexts. This research examines factors predicting citizen perceptions of police services in a Midwestern community, incorporating variables reflecting respondents’ demographic traits, experiences, and neighborhood contexts. The analysis tests the predictive power of these factors using both traditional outcome measures and perceptions of police services based on community-policing criteria. The findings demonstrate the need for multidimensional constructs of citizen perceptions of police services and highlight important dimensions of public perceptions of community policing.

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We use data from pre‐sentence investigations and official parole board records to study the correlates of parole release among a sample of men incarcerated for sexual offenses. Cox proportional hazard models are used to estimate change in the likelihood of parole over time, and the focal concerns theory provides the theoretical framework for the analyses. The findings suggest a complex interplay of legal and extralegal factors in understanding parole release decisions. Parole officials weigh heavily offense seriousness, institutional misconduct, and parole readiness scores in making release decisions. In addition, study results reveal that victim and offender age is a salient factor in determining parole judgments. Overall, the current analysis provides a baseline for future research on parole decision making in general, and sexual offenders, in particular.

Chronic school absenteeism has been identified as a precursor to undesirable outcomes in adolescence, including academic failure, school dropout, and juvenile delinquency. In spite of its effect on adolescent functioning, little research has been conducted to identify effective methods of truancy reduction, particularly among elementary-aged students. This article presents the assessment of an initiative developed to reduce truancy in three elementary schools. Findings suggest that the program was successful in substantially reducing absenteeism among those with chronic attendance problems. Implications for future programs targeting at-risk youth are discussed.In recent years, juvenile crime has become a major social concern in the United States. As such, attempts have been made to address juvenile delinquency at early stages of development. One domain commonly studied in relation to deviant behavior is school problems, which includes such factors as school achievement, school commitment, attendance, and dropout. As part of a constellation of school problems, poor school attendance has been linked with diminished academic performance

Prior research has produced inconsistent findings regarding the relationship between race and secure detention of juveniles. Many previous studies were conducted in single jurisdictions, had limited measures of offense seriousness, often did not examine the influence of social factors, and experienced sample selection problems. Using data on felony offenses in five counties, this study examined detention at three stages in the juvenile justice process: police detention, court intake detention, and preliminary hearing detention. Data were collected from case files in police agencies and juvenile courts to reflect actual offense behavior and the youths' family and social situations. Bivariate and logistic regression techniques were used to explore the issue of racial disparity. Findings indicated that African American and Latino youth were more likely to be detained at each decision point, even after controlling for the influence of offense seriousness and social factors.

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