Crisis-flagged Misdemeanors in Seattle: Arrests, Referrals, Charges, and Case Dispositions
Objective: to study the features of misdemeanor arrests, charges, referrals, and case dispositions of behavioral crisis-flagged incidents in the largest city in the US north-west - Seattle.Methods: the study employs a quasi-experimental design to examine misdemeanor arrests, charges, referrals, and...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Tatar Educational Center “Taglimat” Ltd.
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Russian Journal of Economics and Law |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.rusjel.ru/jour/article/view/148 |
| _version_ | 1797255896518098944 |
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| author | J. B. Helfgott W. S. Parkin C. Fisher |
| author_facet | J. B. Helfgott W. S. Parkin C. Fisher |
| author_sort | J. B. Helfgott |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: to study the features of misdemeanor arrests, charges, referrals, and case dispositions of behavioral crisis-flagged incidents in the largest city in the US north-west - Seattle.Methods: the study employs a quasi-experimental design to examine misdemeanor arrests, charges, referrals, and case dispositions of behavioral crisis-flagged incidents to better understand how individuals who are experiencing behavioral crisis are processed through the misdemeanor justice system. A sample of 505 cases of behavioral-crisis flagged incidents in Seattle from 2016-2018 are compared with a matched random sample of 1053 non-crisis cases examining similarities and differences in arrest, referral, charges, and case disposition.Results: misdemeanor offenses often involve individuals experiencing behavioral crises such as mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction, and homelessness. Little is known about how individuals in behavioral crisis arrested for misdemeanors are processed through the criminal justice system. In 2015, the Seattle Police Department implemented a Crisis Intervention Policy that employed a crisis template enabling systematic identifi of incidents fl by law enforcement as involving “behavioral crisis” to improve data collection and police response to incidents involving individuals in behavioral crisis. Implications for crisis intervention, case processing, and managing individuals who commit misdemeanors while in behavioral crisis are discussed. Scientific novelty: for the first time, the work substantiated the conclusion that individuals involved in crisis-flagged incidents are arrested at a consistently higher rate; are more likely to be charged, taken into custody, and incarcerated; and are more likely to be female.Practical significance: the main provisions and conclusions of the article can be used in scientific, pedagogical and law enforcement activities when considering the issues related to prevention and elimination crimes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:14:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e48a3dbf33f04058ba25c7fd417a642d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2782-2923 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:13:08Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | Tatar Educational Center “Taglimat” Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Russian Journal of Economics and Law |
| spelling | doaj.art-e48a3dbf33f04058ba25c7fd417a642d2024-03-20T08:16:52ZengTatar Educational Center “Taglimat” Ltd.Russian Journal of Economics and Law2782-29232020-06-0114235238010.21202/1993-047X.14.2020.2.352-380147Crisis-flagged Misdemeanors in Seattle: Arrests, Referrals, Charges, and Case DispositionsJ. B. Helfgott0W. S. Parkin1C. Fisher2Seattle University Department of Criminal Justice Crime and Justice Research centerSeattle UniversitySeattle Police DepartmentObjective: to study the features of misdemeanor arrests, charges, referrals, and case dispositions of behavioral crisis-flagged incidents in the largest city in the US north-west - Seattle.Methods: the study employs a quasi-experimental design to examine misdemeanor arrests, charges, referrals, and case dispositions of behavioral crisis-flagged incidents to better understand how individuals who are experiencing behavioral crisis are processed through the misdemeanor justice system. A sample of 505 cases of behavioral-crisis flagged incidents in Seattle from 2016-2018 are compared with a matched random sample of 1053 non-crisis cases examining similarities and differences in arrest, referral, charges, and case disposition.Results: misdemeanor offenses often involve individuals experiencing behavioral crises such as mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction, and homelessness. Little is known about how individuals in behavioral crisis arrested for misdemeanors are processed through the criminal justice system. In 2015, the Seattle Police Department implemented a Crisis Intervention Policy that employed a crisis template enabling systematic identifi of incidents fl by law enforcement as involving “behavioral crisis” to improve data collection and police response to incidents involving individuals in behavioral crisis. Implications for crisis intervention, case processing, and managing individuals who commit misdemeanors while in behavioral crisis are discussed. Scientific novelty: for the first time, the work substantiated the conclusion that individuals involved in crisis-flagged incidents are arrested at a consistently higher rate; are more likely to be charged, taken into custody, and incarcerated; and are more likely to be female.Practical significance: the main provisions and conclusions of the article can be used in scientific, pedagogical and law enforcement activities when considering the issues related to prevention and elimination crimes.https://www.rusjel.ru/jour/article/view/148misdemeanorcrimeadministrative legal procedurecrisis intervention policybehavioral crisislegal procedure |
| spellingShingle | J. B. Helfgott W. S. Parkin C. Fisher Crisis-flagged Misdemeanors in Seattle: Arrests, Referrals, Charges, and Case Dispositions Russian Journal of Economics and Law misdemeanor crime administrative legal procedure crisis intervention policy behavioral crisis legal procedure |
| title | Crisis-flagged Misdemeanors in Seattle: Arrests, Referrals, Charges, and Case Dispositions |
| title_full | Crisis-flagged Misdemeanors in Seattle: Arrests, Referrals, Charges, and Case Dispositions |
| title_fullStr | Crisis-flagged Misdemeanors in Seattle: Arrests, Referrals, Charges, and Case Dispositions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Crisis-flagged Misdemeanors in Seattle: Arrests, Referrals, Charges, and Case Dispositions |
| title_short | Crisis-flagged Misdemeanors in Seattle: Arrests, Referrals, Charges, and Case Dispositions |
| title_sort | crisis flagged misdemeanors in seattle arrests referrals charges and case dispositions |
| topic | misdemeanor crime administrative legal procedure crisis intervention policy behavioral crisis legal procedure |
| url | https://www.rusjel.ru/jour/article/view/148 |
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