Brian Forst | American University (original) (raw)
Papers by Brian Forst
Theory in Action, Jul 31, 2022
Theory in Action, Apr 30, 2023
Cambridge University Press eBooks, Oct 20, 2008
This paper proposes a tool for evaluation of potential changes in the system for the delivery of ... more This paper proposes a tool for evaluation of potential changes in the system for the delivery of health care. Starting with a definition of a community health production function, the paper introduces the concept of "nested production functions" in health care. The production function approach is seen as providing a mechanism for explicit consideration of the substitution and optimal input combination questions which are the basis of all evaluations of changes in the health care delivery system. The discussion of this technique is followed by an application to intensive care monitoring. While actual data has not been gathered, we formulate a model for evaluating the effect of computerization of certain intensive care monitoring procedures.
Preface 1. The problem 2. Errors of due process 3. Errors of impunity 4. Frameworks for analyzing... more Preface 1. The problem 2. Errors of due process 3. Errors of impunity 4. Frameworks for analyzing the incidence of justice errors 5. Assessing the cost of justice errors 6. Standards of evidence 7. Police-induced errors 8. Prosecution policy and justice errors 9. The jury 10. Sentencing and corrections 11. Homicide 12. A matter of legitimacy Bibliography.
Georgetown University Press eBooks, 1999
Georgetown University Press, Washington, DC © 1999 by Georgetown University Press. All rights res... more Georgetown University Press, Washington, DC © 1999 by Georgetown University Press. All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America 10 987654321 1999 THIS VOLUME IS PRINTED ON ACID-FREE OFFSET BOOK PAPER Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication ...
Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Jun 1, 1997
This article attempts to illustrate the utility of isoquarrt map analysis from the field of produ... more This article attempts to illustrate the utility of isoquarrt map analysis from the field of production theory in microeconomics for the analysis of criminal justice data. Cross-national comparisons of aggregate crime and justice data are used to demonstrate the ability of this technique to reveal important patterns that are often obscured by simple rate comparisons and multivariate treatments such as pooled time-series analysis. For each jurisdiction, aggregate trends in criminal justice processing rates are systematically analyzed as a sequence of two-input production processes: gross imprisonment rates (prison population divided by resident population) can be partitioned in terms of the crime rate and punitiveness (prison population divided by the number of offenses) ; punitiveness can, in turn, be partitioned in terms of severity and certainty of punishment; certainty of punishment can then be partitioned, seriatim, in terms of the incarceration rate, the conviction rate, and the arrest or clearance rate and the rate at which citizens report crimes. Cross-national data collected by Farrington, Langan, and Wikstr6m are used to illustrate the utility of the method for displaying comparisons of the decomposition of aggregate criminal justice data for the United States, England, and Sweden.
Criminology and public policy, Feb 1, 2017
Homicide Studies, Dec 20, 2017
This study investigates the extent of reporting and nature of biases in open-source (OS) terroris... more This study investigates the extent of reporting and nature of biases in open-source (OS) terrorism databases. We compare OS accounts with official accounts on terrorism events in Turkey (1996-2012). Results indicate (a) substantial systematic discrepancy between OS and official accounts, which we attribute primarily to underreporting in OS accounts; (b) the discrepancy is not random—incident characteristics (victim/target, offender, and incident types, temporal and spatial factors) and rational factors (especially newsworthiness) matter; and (c) severity is the strongest predictor of the probability of OS coverage.
Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 1983
BRIAN FORST* I. INTRODUCTION Until 1975, belief in the deterrent value of capital punishment had ... more BRIAN FORST* I. INTRODUCTION Until 1975, belief in the deterrent value of capital punishment had no authoritative empirical support. The studies widely cited prior to that time, most notably those of Sellin' and Schuessler, 2 had in fact found evidence consistent with the theory that the death penalty has no deterrent effect. Then Isaac Ehrlich reported results of a complex econometric analysis of aggregate United States times-series data, results indicating that capital punishment is an effective deterrent. 3 While Ehrlich's study has received a considerable amount of criticism, 4 it has also received some support, 5 and was even cited by the United States Solicitor General in briefs to the Supreme Court supporting the death penalty. 6 With the publication of his second major empirical study on the
Operations Research, Feb 1, 1974
Normative decision theory has been applied ti.) the problem of evaluating alternative diagnosi..t... more Normative decision theory has been applied ti.) the problem of evaluating alternative diagnosi..t. treatment strategies. The courts rely upon a 11ifferent set of doctrine in performing the same sr):t of evaluation. This paper investigates the dil.xt'rences. It is suggested that the alleged "malpracti4Ce crisis" results largely from the application of a 5et of ambiguous and mutually inconsistent medico-,!egal principles suich as "reasonable medical certainty," "standards of good medical practice in the community," and "proximate cause." The expected utility criterion of decision analysis is proposed as an alternative to this melange, both for the purposes of establishing the existence of negligence and for determining the proper amount of compensation.
The Journal of Legal Studies, 1977
IN all the volumes that have been written about crime and the system that has evolved to deal wit... more IN all the volumes that have been written about crime and the system that has evolved to deal with it, a surprisingly small portion is devoted to the role of the prosecutor. A student of criminology is likely to read considerably more about offenders and their characteristics, or about police and prisons and their respective characteristics, or even about juries and their characteristics, than about the district attorney. One might infer from this relative lack of scholarly attention to the prosecutor that his role is not as important as that of the other principals in the system. A few, however, have recognized that the opposite may be nearer the truth. An especially bold acknowledgment of the extensive authority of the American prosecutor was offered by a former U.S. Attorney General: "The prosecutor has more control over life, liberty, and reputation than any other person in America."' More recently, a prominent criminologist has written "By legal authority and by practice, U.S. prosecutors have the greatest discretion in the formally organized criminal justice network."2 Economists have joined in the analysis of the prosecutor, following the pioneering work of William Landes. This approach consists, typically, of a mathematical theory that is often tested empirically with the use of advanced forms of regression analysis. Landes postulated that the prosecutor's decision
Oxford University Press eBooks, Apr 1, 2014
Cambridge University Press eBooks, Oct 20, 2008
Cambridge University Press eBooks, Oct 20, 2008
Cambridge University Press eBooks, Nov 10, 2003
Prosecution and courts are at the heart and center of our criminal justice system. They serve as ... more Prosecution and courts are at the heart and center of our criminal justice system. They serve as stages of case processing that follow the police arrest and precede the delivery of convicted defendants to correctional authorities. The prosecutor, usually a politically elected official, is the chief law enforcement officer in a jurisdiction (county, state, federal) yet carries out an administrative function within the executive branch of government. To put the prosecutor and court in perspective, it is useful to think about the two million or so felony arrests made in the United States annually. About a million end in conviction and sentencing each year. What happens between arrest and sentencing is driven by the prosecutor and court adjudication system. Yet remarkably little scholarly attention is paid to prosecution and adjudication, relative to the stages before (offending and policing) and after (corrections and subsequent offender behaviors). The information that follows aims to help interested people to learn about prosecution and adjudication and the forces that shape practices in these two critical and largely hidden-from-view stages of the criminal justice process.
Cambridge University Press eBooks, Nov 10, 2003
Theory in Action, Jul 31, 2022
Theory in Action, Apr 30, 2023
Cambridge University Press eBooks, Oct 20, 2008
This paper proposes a tool for evaluation of potential changes in the system for the delivery of ... more This paper proposes a tool for evaluation of potential changes in the system for the delivery of health care. Starting with a definition of a community health production function, the paper introduces the concept of "nested production functions" in health care. The production function approach is seen as providing a mechanism for explicit consideration of the substitution and optimal input combination questions which are the basis of all evaluations of changes in the health care delivery system. The discussion of this technique is followed by an application to intensive care monitoring. While actual data has not been gathered, we formulate a model for evaluating the effect of computerization of certain intensive care monitoring procedures.
Preface 1. The problem 2. Errors of due process 3. Errors of impunity 4. Frameworks for analyzing... more Preface 1. The problem 2. Errors of due process 3. Errors of impunity 4. Frameworks for analyzing the incidence of justice errors 5. Assessing the cost of justice errors 6. Standards of evidence 7. Police-induced errors 8. Prosecution policy and justice errors 9. The jury 10. Sentencing and corrections 11. Homicide 12. A matter of legitimacy Bibliography.
Georgetown University Press eBooks, 1999
Georgetown University Press, Washington, DC © 1999 by Georgetown University Press. All rights res... more Georgetown University Press, Washington, DC © 1999 by Georgetown University Press. All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America 10 987654321 1999 THIS VOLUME IS PRINTED ON ACID-FREE OFFSET BOOK PAPER Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication ...
Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Jun 1, 1997
This article attempts to illustrate the utility of isoquarrt map analysis from the field of produ... more This article attempts to illustrate the utility of isoquarrt map analysis from the field of production theory in microeconomics for the analysis of criminal justice data. Cross-national comparisons of aggregate crime and justice data are used to demonstrate the ability of this technique to reveal important patterns that are often obscured by simple rate comparisons and multivariate treatments such as pooled time-series analysis. For each jurisdiction, aggregate trends in criminal justice processing rates are systematically analyzed as a sequence of two-input production processes: gross imprisonment rates (prison population divided by resident population) can be partitioned in terms of the crime rate and punitiveness (prison population divided by the number of offenses) ; punitiveness can, in turn, be partitioned in terms of severity and certainty of punishment; certainty of punishment can then be partitioned, seriatim, in terms of the incarceration rate, the conviction rate, and the arrest or clearance rate and the rate at which citizens report crimes. Cross-national data collected by Farrington, Langan, and Wikstr6m are used to illustrate the utility of the method for displaying comparisons of the decomposition of aggregate criminal justice data for the United States, England, and Sweden.
Criminology and public policy, Feb 1, 2017
Homicide Studies, Dec 20, 2017
This study investigates the extent of reporting and nature of biases in open-source (OS) terroris... more This study investigates the extent of reporting and nature of biases in open-source (OS) terrorism databases. We compare OS accounts with official accounts on terrorism events in Turkey (1996-2012). Results indicate (a) substantial systematic discrepancy between OS and official accounts, which we attribute primarily to underreporting in OS accounts; (b) the discrepancy is not random—incident characteristics (victim/target, offender, and incident types, temporal and spatial factors) and rational factors (especially newsworthiness) matter; and (c) severity is the strongest predictor of the probability of OS coverage.
Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 1983
BRIAN FORST* I. INTRODUCTION Until 1975, belief in the deterrent value of capital punishment had ... more BRIAN FORST* I. INTRODUCTION Until 1975, belief in the deterrent value of capital punishment had no authoritative empirical support. The studies widely cited prior to that time, most notably those of Sellin' and Schuessler, 2 had in fact found evidence consistent with the theory that the death penalty has no deterrent effect. Then Isaac Ehrlich reported results of a complex econometric analysis of aggregate United States times-series data, results indicating that capital punishment is an effective deterrent. 3 While Ehrlich's study has received a considerable amount of criticism, 4 it has also received some support, 5 and was even cited by the United States Solicitor General in briefs to the Supreme Court supporting the death penalty. 6 With the publication of his second major empirical study on the
Operations Research, Feb 1, 1974
Normative decision theory has been applied ti.) the problem of evaluating alternative diagnosi..t... more Normative decision theory has been applied ti.) the problem of evaluating alternative diagnosi..t. treatment strategies. The courts rely upon a 11ifferent set of doctrine in performing the same sr):t of evaluation. This paper investigates the dil.xt'rences. It is suggested that the alleged "malpracti4Ce crisis" results largely from the application of a 5et of ambiguous and mutually inconsistent medico-,!egal principles suich as "reasonable medical certainty," "standards of good medical practice in the community," and "proximate cause." The expected utility criterion of decision analysis is proposed as an alternative to this melange, both for the purposes of establishing the existence of negligence and for determining the proper amount of compensation.
The Journal of Legal Studies, 1977
IN all the volumes that have been written about crime and the system that has evolved to deal wit... more IN all the volumes that have been written about crime and the system that has evolved to deal with it, a surprisingly small portion is devoted to the role of the prosecutor. A student of criminology is likely to read considerably more about offenders and their characteristics, or about police and prisons and their respective characteristics, or even about juries and their characteristics, than about the district attorney. One might infer from this relative lack of scholarly attention to the prosecutor that his role is not as important as that of the other principals in the system. A few, however, have recognized that the opposite may be nearer the truth. An especially bold acknowledgment of the extensive authority of the American prosecutor was offered by a former U.S. Attorney General: "The prosecutor has more control over life, liberty, and reputation than any other person in America."' More recently, a prominent criminologist has written "By legal authority and by practice, U.S. prosecutors have the greatest discretion in the formally organized criminal justice network."2 Economists have joined in the analysis of the prosecutor, following the pioneering work of William Landes. This approach consists, typically, of a mathematical theory that is often tested empirically with the use of advanced forms of regression analysis. Landes postulated that the prosecutor's decision
Oxford University Press eBooks, Apr 1, 2014
Cambridge University Press eBooks, Oct 20, 2008
Cambridge University Press eBooks, Oct 20, 2008
Cambridge University Press eBooks, Nov 10, 2003
Prosecution and courts are at the heart and center of our criminal justice system. They serve as ... more Prosecution and courts are at the heart and center of our criminal justice system. They serve as stages of case processing that follow the police arrest and precede the delivery of convicted defendants to correctional authorities. The prosecutor, usually a politically elected official, is the chief law enforcement officer in a jurisdiction (county, state, federal) yet carries out an administrative function within the executive branch of government. To put the prosecutor and court in perspective, it is useful to think about the two million or so felony arrests made in the United States annually. About a million end in conviction and sentencing each year. What happens between arrest and sentencing is driven by the prosecutor and court adjudication system. Yet remarkably little scholarly attention is paid to prosecution and adjudication, relative to the stages before (offending and policing) and after (corrections and subsequent offender behaviors). The information that follows aims to help interested people to learn about prosecution and adjudication and the forces that shape practices in these two critical and largely hidden-from-view stages of the criminal justice process.
Cambridge University Press eBooks, Nov 10, 2003