The Netherlands endorses a unique criminal record system in which every job applicant can request the government to provide a risk assessment determining whether he or she is fit for a given job,... Show moreThe Netherlands endorses a unique criminal record system in which every job applicant can request the government to provide a risk assessment determining whether he or she is fit for a given job, known as the Certificate of Conduct (CoC). Yet, little is known about how these state-conducted risk and assessments are made. To fill this gap, we systematically analysed all case law on CoCs published online since 2004. We found surprisingly low chances of successfully winning a CoC by appealing against its denial (1.6%). Moreover, although judges have ample room for discretion and individualised assessment, only exceptional personal circumstances may lead to a reversal of the denial. In particular, cases with only one offence committed a long time ago or involving a professional assessment stating a low recidivism risk. These findings indicate a strong focus on risk prevention, oftentimes favouring public protection above the individual’s rehabilitation and socio-economic interests. This puts due process at stake, especially since very few applicants (0.6%) appeal the denial of a CoC. Show less
Emerging and developing states are home to powerful corporations capable of deploying economic activities internationally through the rapid pace of technological change and globalisation. But such... Show moreEmerging and developing states are home to powerful corporations capable of deploying economic activities internationally through the rapid pace of technological change and globalisation. But such corporations have to date been largely overlooked in the field of business and human rights. Treatment of such corporations has typically been in the context of supply chain studies, as subsidiaries of corporations from economically developed Western states. This book takes a radically different approach. It aims to investigate the conditions under which the European Union and its Member States regulate and remedy human rights violations by corporations from emerging and developing states. Stemming from the hypothesis that the EU intends to play a central role, Aleydis Nissen explores how the EU and its Member States attempt to ensure that EU-based businesses are not undercut by emerging competition, drawing on global examples to illustrate this developing phenomenon. Show less
The nature of prison visits is likely to explain differences in visitation effects, but has received little research attention. Unique survey data of the Dutch Prison Visitation Study enable us to... Show moreThe nature of prison visits is likely to explain differences in visitation effects, but has received little research attention. Unique survey data of the Dutch Prison Visitation Study enable us to provide a first systematic account of the nature of visits, by describing the topics of conversation and experienced feelings of both incarcerated individuals (n = 787) and visitors (n = 662). Results indicate much variation in feelings (positive and negative) and topics of conversation (emotional and problem-solving topics), a strong link between topics and feelings, and show that visitors have more negative visitation experiences than incarcerated individuals. These insights into the nature of visits help to uncover the black box of prison visitation and provide directions for future research. Show less
The geographic concentration and diffusion of crime and deviancy are longstanding criminological inquiries, yet few studies have examined how certain illicit behaviors transcend neighborhood... Show moreThe geographic concentration and diffusion of crime and deviancy are longstanding criminological inquiries, yet few studies have examined how certain illicit behaviors transcend neighborhood borders and connect neighborhoods in patterns of crime and deviancy. A structural neighborhood interdependence may account for the enduring nature and spread of crime, making it critical to understand how neighborhoods are connected in crime patterns to guide crime prevention and disruption efforts. This study examines neighborhood interdependence through the case of repeat buyers of commercial sex in illicit massage businesses in a metropolitan city in the United States. By frequenting venues for illicit commercial sex in multiple neighborhoods, buyers create inter-neighborhood connections through which the demand for an illicit market can spread across neighborhoods. Using online review data about buyers of commercial sex, this study analyzes this neighborhood interdependence as a network comprised of nodes (“neighborhoods”) and edges (“connections between neighborhoods”). Exponential random graph models were used to analyze how characteristics of neighborhoods, the space between neighborhoods, and the overall network of neighborhoods explain inter-neighborhood connectivity in an illicit market for commercial sex. The implications for research, policy, and practice will be discussed. Show less
ObjectivesThis study tests the relative timing of inmate infractions in the weeks before and after a visit.MethodOur sample is a cohort of 823 male inmates who participated in the Dutch Prison... Show moreObjectivesThis study tests the relative timing of inmate infractions in the weeks before and after a visit.MethodOur sample is a cohort of 823 male inmates who participated in the Dutch Prison Visitation Study (DPVS) (2017) and had visitation and misconduct data. Using two-level random effects logistic regression models, we examined week-to-week associations between infractions and prison visits, including visits from partners, family, friends, and official visitors.ResultsThe probability of an infraction is comparable to average levels in anticipation of visits, increases up to 18 percent in the weeks immediately following visits, and then returns to baseline levels. This pattern is found for contraband infractions, but no effects were found for aggressive infractions. Strongest effects were found for family and official visits. When inmates are visited frequently, the risk of infractions postvisit is similar to average levels.ConclusionsThe findings show that visits can have harmful effects on inmate infractions. These effects seem to stem from increases in contraband infractions. More research is needed to further understand the mechanism behind visits’ effects. Show less