The present study was conducted in order to determine if the amount of justification for a crime and the physical attractiveness of a defendant would influence the severity of sentence imposed on the defendant by subjects who were asked to act as jurors. Subjects were 240 male and female undergraduate students who volunteered from introductory psychology classes. Forty subjects were assigned to each of six treatment conditions produced by three levels of attractiveness: attractive, unattractive, and no-picture; and by the two levels of justification: high and low. Subjects read a short vignette of a crime and were asked to determine a length of sentence. Additional, related ratings were also made. Those defendants in the high justification condition were handed less severe sentences than those in the low justification condition. However, the results did not support the second hypothesis which stated that the attractive defendant would be sentenced to fewer years imprisonment than would the unattractive defendant. The final hypothesis predicted that there would be an interaction between the attractiveness and justification variables, i.e., that the attractive defendant would be punished less severely than the unattractive defendant when justification for committing the crime was low, and for the high justification condition, the effect of the attractiveness would be attenuated. Results did not support this hypothesis. However, related findings provided by the additional scales yielded data which could be interpreted as indirect support for the main hypotheses.

Despite the overwhelming amount of research conducted on forensic risk assessments in the last twenty years there has been a distinct lack of information on the use of the professional override to adjust actuarial scores. The current study was designed to fill the gap in the research literature examining the effects from using the professional override in the Level of Service Inventory – Ontario Revision (LSI-OR). While there has been recent research conducted indicating that overrides or adjusted actuarial risk assessments are not as accurate as purely actuarial methods (Gore, 2007; Hanson et al., 2007; Hogg, 2011; Wormith, Hogg, & Guzzo, 2012) there is a lack of research conducted solely on the use of professional overrides in forensic risk assessment. This study analysed data from 40,539 provincial offenders in Ontario, Canada. The sample was primarily male (83.9%), White (63.0%), and was comprised of violent (53.0%), sexual (3.3%), and non-violent offenders (43.7%). Predictive validity analyses were conducted to determine the effects of the override for the total sample and then stratified by gender and ethnicity. Special attention was paid to the effects of the override compared between violent, sexual, and non-violent offenders. Results showed that the General Risk/Need score was most strongly correlated with non-violent recidivism over violent and sexual recidivism and that the General Risk/Need was significantly more correlated with non-violent recidivism for female offenders compared to male offenders. Correlation analyses showed that the initial risk levels appeared to be better predictors of general, violent, and non-violent recidivism whereas the final risk levels appeared to be better predictors of sexual recidivism in some cases. For violent and sexual offenders, the initial risk levels were significantly stronger predictors of general, violent, and non-violent recidivism than the final risk levels yet the final risk levels were non-significantly stronger predictors of sexual recidivism. There were no significant differences between the initial and final risk levels’ prediction estimates of the recidivism outcomes for non-violent offenders. Further, there were many more overrides used to increase risk levels than to decrease risk levels overall; sexual offenders had more overrides used to increase risk levels than violent and non-violent offenders combined. Risk level matrices indicated that there were many discrepancies between the number of offenders overridden and their corresponding recidivism rates. Regression analyses indicated additional discrepancies between the significant predictors of recidivism and the significant predictors of the override. Though there were certain methodological limitations to the current study the results still provide important information on the use of the override in a sample of male and female Ontario offenders. The results showed that the override resulted in decreased predictive validity of multiple recidivism outcomes. The conflicting information between the prediction of sexual recidivism and general, violent, or non-violent recidivism prevents a clear message being drawn from this study, yet the equivocal results provide further doubt and criticism of the use of adjusted actuarial practices in forensic risk assessment. Training assessors for how to use the override and examinations of the effects of the override for various offender groups must be improved and more frequently monitored. Further research should also focus on the reasons why overrides are used and if there are any biases concerning certain offender types. Misuse of the override has far-reaching ethical and legal implications that must be limited to ensure the future of forensic risk assessment is as accurate and appropriate as possible.

Forensic social work is a new field in South Africa. Forensic social work is regarded as a speciality, but has not been registered as such by the South African Council for Social Service Professions. There is a growing need to utilize experts in South African courts. Social workers are not trained to provide in this need. Social workers in private practice have recognized this need and equipped themselves to render this service to courts. The South African Police Service employs forensic social workers to assist the Child Protection Units. Despite this there was no formal training available in forensic social work, until recently. This study aims at investigating the availability of forensic training for social workers in order to develop guidelines for forensic training programmes. Universities agree that statutory social work forms part of the duty of every social worker and that training in this regard is needed. They also indicate that existing training does not prepare the social worker for effective services to the courts. It is clear that universities regard forensic social work as a specialised field and do not believe that under-graduate training is realistic. All participating institutions agree that a need exists for post-graduate forensic training. / Thesis (M.A. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Volume crimes such as burglary and street robbery present an enormous cost to the Australian community each year. These ubiquitous crimes traditionally have a low resolution rate, but the use of information gathered through DNA databases provides another avenue of investigation. The forensic response to these crimes could be increased with the use of trace DNA; however the lack of awareness of forensic science as a holistic discipline focusing on the study of traces, often leads to a lack of knowledge into the trace evidence characteristics of DNA. This problem is compounded by practical and interpretive difficulties. The main hypothesis tested through this study is that, with an increased understanding into the criminalistic properties of trace DNA, it may prove to be more useful and effective evidence in the investigation of volume crime than is currently the case. The project encompassed three parts. The first component was a detailed survey sent to every jurisdiction in Australia and New Zealand to benchmark methods and protocols, education and training of personnel, and opinions and uses of trace DNA. The second involved the analysis of the results of 250 trace DNA swabs collected from New South Wales crime scenes, in order to provide a comparison point to the experimental work. The final section comprised preliminary experimental work to investigate the abundance, transfer and persistence of trace DNA within the context of residential burglary and street robbery offences. The methods survey helped to identify methods to be used in the experimental component of the project, but also highlighted issues in the field including a lack of training and proficiency testing. The absence of data collation across the jurisdictions was also a point for concern, and prevented the identification of factors that may affect trace DNA success rates. The pervading outcome of the survey was the need for effective data management systems and strong communication lines to facilitate best practice. From the analysis of the casework data a success rate in the order of 15- 20% was identified for New South Wales trace DNA swabs, with an average of 1.7ng of DNA recovered. Subsets of the data were used to directly compare to the experimental results in terms of transfer and persistence. The experimental work gave an insight into the behaviour of trace DNA in crime scene scenarios. The level of background DNA on surfaces encountered in forensic investigations was varied; for example residential doors were found to hold more background DNA than windows. Whilst the level of DNA on personal items such as bags and wallets was found to be relatively high, DNA from the offenders of simulated robberies could still be detected in usable quantities on these items. DNA was found to persist in sheltered locations for at least six weeks,but declined more rapidly in outdoor environments, with profiles not recovered after two weeks. This information may help to assist the interpretation and presentation of trace DNA evidence when the judicial question is one of activity, rather than source. The data also may be used in the education of crime scene examiners to assist them to target the most probative evidential samples. With further work in this field, trace DNA will be more easily applied to investigations. Trace DNA may be a useful tool in volume crime investigations, but individual jurisdictions should assess their capacity to manage the evidence to ensure results can be disseminated and actioned in a timely manner, otherwise the investment may prove to be fruitless. Effective and ongoing training programs and functional data management systems should be implemented to maximise both the investigative and intelligence value of trace DNA evidence. A holistic approach to the implementation of forensic evidence, encompassing the groundwork of theoretical analysis, review of capabilities and logistical and technical improvements, would greatly increase its value in policing and the criminal justice system.

Volume crimes such as burglary and street robbery present an enormous cost to the Australian community each year. These ubiquitous crimes traditionally have a low resolution rate, but the use of information gathered through DNA databases provides another avenue of investigation. The forensic response to these crimes could be increased with the use of trace DNA; however the lack of awareness of forensic science as a holistic discipline focusing on the study of traces, often leads to a lack of knowledge into the trace evidence characteristics of DNA. This problem is compounded by practical and interpretive difficulties. The main hypothesis tested through this study is that, with an increased understanding into the criminalistic properties of trace DNA, it may prove to be more useful and effective evidence in the investigation of volume crime than is currently the case. The project encompassed three parts. The first component was a detailed survey sent to every jurisdiction in Australia and New Zealand to benchmark methods and protocols, education and training of personnel, and opinions and uses of trace DNA. The second involved the analysis of the results of 250 trace DNA swabs collected from New South Wales crime scenes, in order to provide a comparison point to the experimental work. The final section comprised preliminary experimental work to investigate the abundance, transfer and persistence of trace DNA within the context of residential burglary and street robbery offences. The methods survey helped to identify methods to be used in the experimental component of the project, but also highlighted issues in the field including a lack of training and proficiency testing. The absence of data collation across the jurisdictions was also a point for concern, and prevented the identification of factors that may affect trace DNA success rates. The pervading outcome of the survey was the need for effective data management systems and strong communication lines to facilitate best practice. From the analysis of the casework data a success rate in the order of 15- 20% was identified for New South Wales trace DNA swabs, with an average of 1.7ng of DNA recovered. Subsets of the data were used to directly compare to the experimental results in terms of transfer and persistence. The experimental work gave an insight into the behaviour of trace DNA in crime scene scenarios. The level of background DNA on surfaces encountered in forensic investigations was varied; for example residential doors were found to hold more background DNA than windows. Whilst the level of DNA on personal items such as bags and wallets was found to be relatively high, DNA from the offenders of simulated robberies could still be detected in usable quantities on these items. DNA was found to persist in sheltered locations for at least six weeks,but declined more rapidly in outdoor environments, with profiles not recovered after two weeks. This information may help to assist the interpretation and presentation of trace DNA evidence when the judicial question is one of activity, rather than source. The data also may be used in the education of crime scene examiners to assist them to target the most probative evidential samples. With further work in this field, trace DNA will be more easily applied to investigations. Trace DNA may be a useful tool in volume crime investigations, but individual jurisdictions should assess their capacity to manage the evidence to ensure results can be disseminated and actioned in a timely manner, otherwise the investment may prove to be fruitless. Effective and ongoing training programs and functional data management systems should be implemented to maximise both the investigative and intelligence value of trace DNA evidence. A holistic approach to the implementation of forensic evidence, encompassing the groundwork of theoretical analysis, review of capabilities and logistical and technical improvements, would greatly increase its value in policing and the criminal justice system.

Title page, table of contents and preface only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University of Adelaide Library. / Forensic odontology has been defined as the application of dental science to the administration of the law and the furtherance of justice. It involves the correct handling, examination and presentation of dental evidence in both civil and criminal matters. Its principal role is in the personal identification of the living and the dead that may be the victims of criminal activity, mass disasters or accidental events. It is also concerned with the determination of age of persons and the investigation of tooth marks on skin and any other substance which may have forensic significance. The importance of dental evidence as a means of identification has been recognised for many years. Modern forensic odontology dates back to the tragic fire in the Bazaar de la Charite in Paris on 4th May 1897, resulting in 126 deaths. The problem of identification of the victims was addressed by M. Albert Hans, the Paraguayan Consul, who proposed calling for the assistance of the dentists who had treated the deceased. Subsequently, Dr Oscar Amoedo, a Cuban dentist living in Paris, using the experiences of these dentists, published a thesis entitled 'L'Art Dentaire en Medecine Legale' which soon became recognised as the standard textbook on forensic odontology I first became aware of the potential for identification by means of dental evidence when I was a child. One evening in October, 1939, my dentist father was called out by the police to attend at the city morgue to view the body of a patient who had been decapitated by a train at a suburban level crossing. He was asked whether he could recognise gold inlays he had placed in the victim's mouth and thereby identify him. He was not required to make a formal written report but merely a nod of the head was sufficient at that time. My particular interest in forensic odontology, however, was inspired in 1961 when I attended a lecture arranged jointly by the Dental Board of South Australia and the Law society, presented by visiting Professor Gosta Gustafson, Professor of Oral Pathology at the Dental School, University of Lund, Malmo, Sweden, on the subject "Dental Aspects of Forensic Medicine". I was fascinated by his graphic accounts of the cases he had undertaken, particularly those during the second world war when, as Sweden had maintained its neutrality, his expertise in identification had been utilised by both warring sides. I was intrigued by his description of the method he used when called by the German High Command to determine the number of persons who had been present at the time of the explosion of a bomb in the bunker on the occasion of the unsuccessful attempt by a group of high ranking German generals to assassinate Adolph Hitler towards the end of World War II. He gathered all the victims' teeth scattered about the walls inside the bunker, made ground transverse sections of each tooth, compared each section microscopically War II. He gathered all the victims' teeth scattered about the walls inside the bunker, made ground transverse sections of each tooth, compared each section microscopically and matched those which demonstrated the same pattern of enamel development. In 1967, Inspector Ted Calder and Senior Sergeant Barry Cocks, on behalf of the South Australia Police Department, addressed a regular monthly meeting of the South Australian Branch of the Australian Dental Association, and appealed for a group of volunteer dentists to be formed to assist in emergencies requiring dental expertise, particularly in situations involving the identification of victims of major disasters. I was present at that meeting and submitted my name as a volunteer. When some six months had elapsed without hearing anything further about this group, I phoned the secretary of the Dental Association who informed me that since only one member had volunteered, nothing more had been done about the proposal. I then phoned Sergeant Cocks and he invited me to join him next day for lunch at the staff cafeteria at Police Headquarters. Sergeant Cocks urged me to join the South Australian Branch of the Forensic Science Society which was being organised under the chairmanship of Mr Andrew Wells, then Crown Prosecutor and later a Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia. This I did and subsequently became a member of its steering committee. When it became known that I was available as a volunteer to assist in cases requiring expertise in forensic odontology, I soon began receiving requests from the police to assist in cases requiring dental identification. The post mortem material from these cases was usually brought by police officers in person to my surgery, often in buckets carried through the waiting room. I would also receive calls from Dr Manock asking me to call at his office to collect skulls for identification. I would work on these cases at night in my home. In South Australia, services in forensic pathology were originally provided by pathologists from the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science (IMVS) located on the campus of the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Forensic autopsies were carried out in the City Morgue situated in the grounds of the West Terrace Cemetery until December, 1978, when its function was transferred to the new Forensic Science Centre in Divett Place, which included a modern mortuary on the ground floor. The Coroner and his courtroom were situated on the first floor of the same building which was named The Forensic Science Centre. In 1968, Dr Colin Manock, a specialist forensic pathologist from England was appointed to the IMVS, and he was joined by Dr Ross James in 1973. Subsequently both were transferred to State Services at the Forensic Science Centre. In 1973, the Criminal Law and Penal Methods Reform Committee was established by the Government of South Australia under the chairmanship of the Hon Justice Roma Mitchell. She immediately invited submissions on, inter alia, forensic science. Acting on a suggestion by Sergeant Cocks, I prepared a submission on forensic odontology, proposing that a dedicated forensic odontology laboratory be established in the Dental School of the University of Adelaide. This would provide a specialised service to the Coroner and the Commissioner of Police. It would also provide facilities and an environment conducive to education and research in this field. When the Mitchell report was published, it included my submission word for word Since many of the cases that presented required attendance in courts of law, and as I had not received any special training or formal qualifications in forensic odontology, in order to satisfy the requirements of the courts for qualifying as an expert witness, I felt the need for further education in this subject. At that time, however, forensic odontology was not widely recognised in Australia. It had not developed as a special branch of dentistry and there were no courses offered in this field here. My membership in the Forensic Science Society included a subscription to the Journal of the Forensic Science Society, and I also was able to obtain copies of The Scandinavian Society of Forensic Odontology Newsletters. From these sources I learned that forensic odontology was well advanced in Japan, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Britain. I was advised to apply for a Winston Churchill Memorial Fellowship which would enable me to undertake a study tour of relevant institutions in these countries. This I did, and I was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 1976. (see special report: Brown Kenneth A. 1976. The status of forensic odontology in Europe and Japan.) I continued to provide this service in an honorary ad hoc capacity from 1967. This situation was most unsatisfactory because it raised legal issues concerning the security of material evidence taken by myself to work on in my home, and it was most unfair to my family. When this situation came to the knowledge of the State Government at the end of 1979, funds were made available to establish a dedicated forensic odontology service within the Dental School in the University of Adelaide in accordance with the Mitchell Report. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1523307 / Thesis (D.D.Sc.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Dentistry, 2010

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Canterbury, 2006. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves (184-185). Also available via the World Wide Web.