Research supports repeat misdemeanant assertion
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Editor,
I am writing to add to David L. Coffman’s Oct. 11 contribution “Misdemeanor anarchy: the real costs.”
I worked with a broad variety of offenders for 20 years in Michigan, California, and Montana. I had contact with thousands of offenders and a good deal of my work involved conducting risk assessments of offenders for parole bodies; so I believe I can speak to one very important item contained in Mr. Coffman’s article that needs a bit of clarification.
What Mr. Coffman says about the increased likelihood of the occurrence of more serious or violent crimes on the part of repeat misdemeanants is on the money. I’d like to add though that such a statement cannot simply be considered the result of common sense, observations of media accounts, or law enforcement experience (though this is certainly worth a great deal)—there are literally decades of published empirical risk assessment research from many different government and non-government sources that can be relied upon to back up Mr. Coffman’s statement.
Unfortunately, many courts do not rely on this information in the decision- making process (if it can be called a process at all). To be fair, though, some jurisdictions simply do not have the resources to make the shift from revolving door, bailbased, or subjective “catchand- release” systems to a risk-based decision-making system. Administration of a risk-based system would require adequate jail space, an expanded probation/parole structure, and expanded diversion programs which Lake County does not have.
Whatever the county’s resources, the main concern here - and one Mr. Coffman rightly points to - is consideration of risk of victimization to current and future victims, including law enforcement personnel.
Eric Lanes
Polson
