Drug courts use sanctions as a form of behavior management and modification, and they are an important structural tool in the treatment of drug offenders by the criminal justice system. This research examined noncompliant behavior being sanctioned in a felony level drug court. The sample consisted of 66 high risk/high needs individuals who were enrolled in a drug court over a two-year period. Sanctionable behaviors were analyzed through a criminal-thinking framework in order to better understand noncompliant behavior in drug court. This study finds support for applying a criminal-thinking framework to noncompliant behavior sanctioned in drug court. The findings from this study illustrate the nuances of noncompliant behavior of a drug court population.

Criminal behavior results in negative, costly consequences for both individuals and society at large. Therefore, researchers have worked to identify variables that predict recidivism, or recurrence of crime. The variables with the strongest predictive power include criminal thinking, personality traits, antisocial peers, and family difficulties, among others. In addition, policy makers and stakeholders are creating interventions which target criminal thinking, to reduce criminal thinking and hopefully reduce future crime. However, little is known about measuring criminal thinking in community youth for the purposes of early intervention and prevention of future behavior problems. Therefore, this study examined a measure of criminal thinking in community youth to examine item-level and measure validity. It also sought to examine if criminal thinking acts as a mediator between other risk factors and subsequent behavior problems. Although some items may need to be revised, results suggested generally good validity for the total score. This study also supports the stability of criminal thinking in community youth, and thus could be used as a measure of change. Finally, results suggest that criminal thinking mediates the relationships between antisocial friends and parenting styles in predicting reactive aggression. The results of the item-level analysis of this study highlight the similarities between psychopathy and criminal thinking. Questions also arise about the relationship between criminal thinking in community youth and more transdiagnostic concepts, such as emotion regulation problems. Overall, criminal thinking appears to be a viable target for assessment and intervention in community youth. / Doctor of Philosophy / Researchers seeking to reduce crime, because of its negative effects on society, have identified some features of a person and situations that are closely related to a person committing future crimes. Specifically, criminals tend to think in certain ways that promote crime, called criminal thinking styles. If those thinking styles are changed, then people may be less likely to commit future crimes. However, the field does not know if these criminal thinking styles are the same for youth in the community. Therefore, this study examined a measure of criminal thinking in community youth. Results show that the measure seems to work appropriately in community youth. Although not all items are the best for these youth, overall, the measure works well in predicting behavior problems, as expected. The measure also shows that criminal thinking in youth generally stays the same over time. Finally, this study shows that some features of youth which predict behavior problems are related to behavior problems because of the presence of criminal thinking. This study shows that a measure of criminal thinking, originally created for use in a justice-involved adult population, can also be used with community youth. It may then be used to assess youth who are on the verge of getting into trouble for criminal thinking styles. Interventions could use this measure to see if the criminal thinking styles are being reduced. Finally, because criminal thinking explains the relationship between other personal factors and behavior problems, interventions can focus on just criminal thinking, and not all the other factors, as a way to reduce future behavior problems.

This study sought to generalize the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) factor structure using the PICTS-Layperson (PICTS:L) in a community sample. The current study also sought to replicate previous findings that criminal thinking mediates the relationship between trauma and criminal behavior. Additionally, this study sought to explore if and/or how experiential avoidance (EA) contributes to the relationships between post-traumatic symptoms (PTS) and criminal thinking, and criminal thinking and criminal behavior. Community members recruited through Mturk, completed online measures of PTS, EA, criminal thinking, criminal behavior, and a demographics questionnaire. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), which was conducted to assess the PICTS:L factor structure in an online community sample, demonstrated the hierarchical second order factor structure was a good fit after problem items were removed. Mediation analyses results found that criminal thinking mediated the relationship between PTS and criminal behavior therefore replicating previous findings. Moderated mediation analyses were conducted to determine if EA moderates the relationships between PTS and criminal thinking, and criminal thinking and behavior. Findings suggest that EA plays a significant role, particularly for women who endorse relatively low EA. These and exploratory findings, limitations, implications, and future directions for work in these areas are discussed.

Assessment research of forensic populations has largely dealt with finding differences within criminal types. Fourteen of the studies reviewed found no significant differences between types of criminals on test performance. Two of these fourteen found no differences between criminals and noncriminals . The Criminal Thinking Model developed by Yochelson and Samenow proposed a continuum of criminality with every person falling somewhere between the two poles of responsibility and irresponsibility. Perhaps one reason previous research failed to discriminate differences was because they had failed to first establish if criminals differed from noncriminals.

L’élaboration de programme d’interventions propres aux fraudeurs soulève la question de la particularité de leur personnalité. Des écrits suggèrent que la personnalité des fraudeurs présenterait des similitudes avec les traits psychopathiques. L’objectif de l’étude est donc de décrire et d’explorer ces traits chez des fraudeurs spécialisés incarcérés, et ce, à l’aide des questionnaires Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) et Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS). Trois groupes de détenus (35 hommes, 17 femmes) ont rempli les questionnaires: fraudeurs spécialisés (n=23), autres délinquants sans crimes violents (ASV, n=19) et autres délinquants avec crimes violents (AAV, n=10). Un groupe d’étudiants (n=430) a aussi complété le PPI, permettant ainsi d’ajouter un groupe de comparaison. Les analyses ont permis de constater que le groupe de fraudeurs diffère peu des autres groupes quant à leurs traits psychopathiques. Cependant, ils sont moins enclins que le groupe d’AAV à adopter des pensées criminelles, fréquentes chez les psychopathes. / Developping specific intervention programmes for frauds raises the issue of personality characteristics. Studies suggest that the personality of fraudsters presents certain similarities with psychopathic traits. The goal of the study is to describe and explore the personality of incarcerated specialized fraudsters by using psychometric tests such as the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) and the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS). Three groups of inmates (35 men, 17 women) completed the questionnaires: fraud specialists (n = 23), offenders who committed non-violent crimes (n = 19) and offenders who committed violent crimes (n= 10). A group of students (n = 430) also completed the PPI, thereby adding a comparison group. Analyses revealed few differences between the psychopathic traits of fraudsters and those of the other groups' respondents. However, it was revealed that fraudsters were less likely to adopt criminal thoughts, common in psychopaths, than are the respondents from the AAV group.

Criminal thinking or attitudes constitute a concept that has received considerable research attention in foreign countries especially because of its proven relationship to antisocial behavior and potential for changing it through elimination of these attitudes (e.g. Blud et al., 2003; Henning & Frueh, 1996; Walters, 2005c). Nevertheless criminal thinking still remains almost undescribed in the Czech Republic. The present work is investigating criminal thinking on a sample of 202 offenders currently imprisoned for robbery or burglary. The primary method used was the Czech version of American self-report inventory titled "Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles". The Czech version was developed in the Institute of Criminology and Social Prevention (Blatníková, Faridová, & Zeman, manuscript in preparation). This thesis was implemented under auspices of the Institute. The data suggest specifically highlighted sentimental style of thinking in our research sample. Positive correlation between intensity of criminal thinking and serious criminal history was demonstrated as well as the decline of intensity with increasing age and educational attainment. The strengths and weaknesses of our research, experiences with method, its possible applications and numerous suggestions for follow-up...

Researchers have documented the high prevalence of crime in society and the need for programs to assist in the reduction of crime. Social cognitive and criminal lifestyle theories were the two major theoretical frameworks applied to this study due to their focus on the influence of cognitive change on behavioral modifications. A lifestyle approach in such programs reshapes criminal thoughts and transforms criminal behaviors. The efficacy of a lifestyle program in a community correctional facility outside of federal prison walls, modified to run 3 months with parolees and probationers, lacks evidenced research. Using a 2x3 between groups factorial ANCOVA, archival data, which had not previously evaluated, was used to assess whether there were any treatment or cohort differences in criminal thinking. Archival pre and posttest data from The Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles were collected from 3 cohort groups who participated in 5 weeks of the criminality program as compared to 5 weeks of primary group programming. Pretest scores on the criminal thinking inventory were controlled to assess the presence of any posttest differences between treatment conditions and cohorts. This study's findings reported statistically significant differences in posttest scores for the criminality program as compared to the primary group program. Using study's findings, clinicians can develop programs that assist in changing an individual's worth, values, and thinking process, which may assist in building outcomes of lower recidivism rates. These lifestyle changes can promote positive social change within the social structure of offenders, the community, and society.

L’élaboration de programme d’interventions propres aux fraudeurs soulève la question de la particularité de leur personnalité. Des écrits suggèrent que la personnalité des fraudeurs présenterait des similitudes avec les traits psychopathiques. L’objectif de l’étude est donc de décrire et d’explorer ces traits chez des fraudeurs spécialisés incarcérés, et ce, à l’aide des questionnaires Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) et Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS). Trois groupes de détenus (35 hommes, 17 femmes) ont rempli les questionnaires: fraudeurs spécialisés (n=23), autres délinquants sans crimes violents (ASV, n=19) et autres délinquants avec crimes violents (AAV, n=10). Un groupe d’étudiants (n=430) a aussi complété le PPI, permettant ainsi d’ajouter un groupe de comparaison. Les analyses ont permis de constater que le groupe de fraudeurs diffère peu des autres groupes quant à leurs traits psychopathiques. Cependant, ils sont moins enclins que le groupe d’AAV à adopter des pensées criminelles, fréquentes chez les psychopathes. / Developping specific intervention programmes for frauds raises the issue of personality characteristics. Studies suggest that the personality of fraudsters presents certain similarities with psychopathic traits. The goal of the study is to describe and explore the personality of incarcerated specialized fraudsters by using psychometric tests such as the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) and the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS). Three groups of inmates (35 men, 17 women) completed the questionnaires: fraud specialists (n = 23), offenders who committed non-violent crimes (n = 19) and offenders who committed violent crimes (n= 10). A group of students (n = 430) also completed the PPI, thereby adding a comparison group. Analyses revealed few differences between the psychopathic traits of fraudsters and those of the other groups' respondents. However, it was revealed that fraudsters were less likely to adopt criminal thoughts, common in psychopaths, than are the respondents from the AAV group.

The purpose of this study is to analyze a relationship between adult, male inmate's criminal attitudes and reading level. Data is derived from the secondary assessments, Criminal Sentiments Scale-Modified (CSS-M) and the reading scores from the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE). The sample size is 112 adult, males incarcerated at California State Prison, Solano (CSP-SOL). A general understanding of an association between reading level and criminal attitudes, and how age and race may influence this association, provides insight into the interaction of risk factors associated with programming and treatment needs, as well as general and specific responsivity. This study examines the association and variance between reading level, criminal sentiments, and race and age. Based on the results, there is insufficient evidence to support that reading level and criminal sentiments are associated, or that reading level or criminal sentiments vary with race or age, even when a moderation analysis is conducted. The relationship between criminal sentiments and reading level; however, approaches statistical significance for those under 29 years of age, suggesting that as reading levels increase, criminal sentiments decrease for this age group.

The thesis deals with the concept of criminal thinking which has attracted attention mainly of foreign forensic psychologists in the last few years, primarily for its proven relation with antisocial behavior and for the possibility of being influenced by changing the antisocial attitudes and because it also seems to be an effective recidivism predictor. The thesis aims to map the specifics of criminal thinking by using PICTS-cz in violent crime offenders and to deepen the understanding of the concept of criminal thinking in our conditions. The goal of the theoretical part is to introduce and broadly outline the area of the entire criminal thinking phenomenon which does not have a uniform definition. For a complex understanding of the issue, attention is paid to definition of the most important concepts related to the topic, its relations with sociodemographic characteristics, characteristics of committed crimes and other psychological phenomena, and also the issue of violent crime is introduced. Research survey is implemented in 138 convicted violent crime offenders. The results present their specific characteristics of criminal thinking which are then compared mainly with foreign samples for a demonstration of their most significant differences. Attention is also paid to the specifics of criminal...