IMPULSIVE AND PREMEDITATED HOMICIDE - AN ANALYSIS OF SUBSEQUENT PAROLE RISK OF THE MURDERER

• NCJ Number: 45767
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 69 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1978) Pages: 108-114
• Author(s): A B HEILBRUN; L C HEILBRUN; K L HEILBRUN
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: Northwestern University; Williams and Wilkins Co
• Sale Source: Institute for Scientific Information
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG RACE, CRIMINAL IMPULSIVITY, VIOLENCE, AND PAROLE BEHAVIORS AND OUTCOME WERE STUDIED IN A SAMPLE OF 164 CONVICTED MALE MURDERERS IN GEORGIA INSTITUTIONS.

Abstract

THE SAMPLE INCLUDED 58 WHITES AND 106 BLACKS AND REPRESENTED ALL PAROLED MURDERERS UNDER THE GEORGIA PRISON SYSTEM FOR WHOM THERE WERE FINAL PAROLE DECISIONS IN THE PERIOD BETWEEN 1973 AND 1976. THE IMPULSIVITY AND PREMEDITATION VARIABLE WAS RATED BY INVESTIGATORS OF DATA GATHERED BY THE ARRESTING AUTHORITIES AT THE TIME OF THE CRIME'S COMMISSION. THE OVERALL SUCCESS RATE FOR THIS SAMPLE WAS 44 PERCENT, WITH THE MEAN AGE FOR SUCCESSFUL PAROLEES BEING 45.81 YEARS AND FOR UNSUCCESSFUL PAROLEES, 40.78 YEARS. MEAN EDUCATIONAL LEVEL FOR SUCCESSFUL PAROLEES WAS 6.69 YEARS, WHILE THAT FOR UNSUCCESSFUL PAROLEES WAS 5.45 YEARS. THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF TIME ON PAROLE PRIOR TO FAILURE WAS 28.2 MONTHS. ANALYSIS OF DATA INDICATES THE FOLLOWING: (1) UNSUCCESSFUL PAROLEES TEND TO HAVE COMMITTED MORE IMPULSIVE MURDERS THAN SUCCESSFUL PAROLEES; (2) THE TENDENCY FOR IMPULSIVE MURDERERS TO FAIL ON PAROLE IS MORE EVIDENT THAN THE TENDENCY FOR PREMEDITATED MURDERERS TO SUCCEED; (3) BLACK AND WHITE MURDERERS DO NOT DIFFER IN DEGREE OF IMPULSIVITY CHARACTERIZING THE MURDER OR IN THEIR RATES OF SUCCESS/FAILURE OF PAROLE; (4) VIOLENT CRIME RECIDIVISM IS HIGHER AMONG BLACK PAROLE FAILURES THAN AMONG WHITE PAROLE FAILURES; (5) BOTH RACIAL GROUPS HAVE RELATIVELY HIGH VIOLATION RATES FOR DRINKING-RELATED PROBLEMS, BUT BLACKS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE OFTEN IN VIOLATION OF PAROLE FOR POSSESSION OF FIREARMS; AND (6) VIOLENT CRIME RECIDIVISTS HAD ENGAGED IN MORE PREMEDITATED ACTS OF HOMICIDE THAN HAD PAROLEES WHO BREACHED PAROLE BY COMMITTING A NONVIOLENT CRIME OR A TECHNICAL VIOLATION. POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS OF THE ASSOCIATION FOUND AMONG CLOSENESS OF THE MURDERER-VICTIM RELATIONSHIP, PREMEDITATION, AND VIOLENT RECIDIVISM ARE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED. (JAP)