SENIOR CLASS: OLDER HOMICIDE OFFENDERS

• NCJ Number: 146897
• Author(s): H H Brownstein; P J Goldstein; B J Spunt
• Date Published: 1992
• Length: 21 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2R01DA4017-03
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Sale Source: New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services; National Institute of Justice/; University of Illinois, Chicago Circle; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Paper prepared for presentation at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology, 1992, New Orleans

Annotation

Qualitative data were obtained from a sample of older inmates sentenced to New York State prisons for homicides committed in 1984; the involvement of older persons in homicides was explained in terms of their disengagement from society.

Abstract

Interviews were conducted at 37 different correctional facilities. Questions were asked about the homicide event and prior respondent experience with drugs, drug treatment, criminal behavior, and the criminal justice system. The analysis included 13 inmates aged 45 years or older. Seven reported having been arrested prior to the homicide, only three said they had been in jail or prison prior to their current term, three denied involvement in the homicide despite having been convicted and sentenced to prison, and four said the homicide was drug-related. In four cases, the respondent was incarcerated for killing his spouse. Data suggested that most older homicide offenders experienced some level of disengagement from social life. The authors recommend that criminal justice practices, policies, and institutions adapt to the special needs and concerns of older arrestees. Research and theoretical perspectives on older homicide perpetrators are reviewed. 26 references and 1 table