NCJ Number
215409
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Volume: 48 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2006 Pages: 573-607
Date Published
July 2006
Length
35 pages
Annotation
This study examined the effectiveness of the Canadian National Flagging System (NFS), which was created to identify offenders who qualify for receiving the label of "dangerous offender" (DO) or "long-term offender" (LTO).
Abstract
Analyses that compared the characteristics of 256 flagged offenders and 97 known high-risk, violent offenders found that the flagged offenders generally showed less serious and persistent criminal behavior than known high-risk, violent offenders; however, scores on actuarial measures of risk showed that both groups consisted of particularly high-risk offenders. The violent and/or sexual reconviction rates of the flagged offenders were significantly higher than those of the typical Canadian male Federal offender population. Compared with researchers' expectations, the base rate of DO/LTO designations among the violent/sexual recidivist flagged offenders was much higher than estimates for the general high-risk, violent offender population in Canada. Overall, the findings indicate that the NFS was successful in identifying offenders who posed a risk to the community and in subsequently responding to the threats they posed by facilitating the use of the DO/LTO provisions. Recommendations are offered for the development of guidelines to assist criminal justice professionals in screening, monitoring, and processing high-risk, persistent offenders. The NFS began operating on March 10, 1995, under the goal of providing better protection for children and other vulnerable citizens from violence and sexual abuse. The objective of the NFS is to track high-risk, violent offenders and assist crown attorneys in dealing more effectively with those offenders when they are prosecuted. Through the NFS, prosecutors can obtain information on an offender's risk of violence based on convictions in other Canadian jurisdictions. An offender is placed in the NFS if he/she is a reasonable prospect for a DO or LTO designation under Canadian law. 7 tables, 6 notes, and 47 references