Ronald Helms | Western Washington University (original) (raw)
Papers by Ronald Helms
Social Science Research Network, 2012
Known cases of cyber-attacks on sovereign powers are rare, thus examination of cyber-terror remai... more Known cases of cyber-attacks on sovereign powers are rare, thus examination of cyber-terror remains somewhat anecdotal. Terrorism discourse itself remains mired in ambiguity as little agreement exists as to thresholds that would make unambiguous distinctions between criminal and terror attacks. In this article, we examine a composite of cyber-terror that highlights symbolism and public sentiment and delineates between real and perceived threats. An objective analysis of historical incidents would indicate that fi rst-world powers ' adaptive technologies and sophistication have provided adequate protection against ' cybergeddon '. However, this reality must be juxtaposed with the mythos that popular media has conjured regarding digital doomsday. In examining this dichotomy between real and perceived threats, we visit the idea that the current direction of cyber-legislation risks heightening international inequality. As the world evolves toward more cyber-dependent relations, dominant economic powers have the ability to be more inclusive as they work toward global law enforcement legislation.
Security Journal, Apr 11, 2011
Known cases of cyber-attacks on sovereign powers are rare, thus examination of cyber-terror remai... more Known cases of cyber-attacks on sovereign powers are rare, thus examination of cyber-terror remains somewhat anecdotal. Terrorism discourse itself remains mired in ambiguity as little agreement exists as to thresholds that would make unambiguous distinctions between criminal and terror attacks. In this article, we examine a composite of cyber-terror that highlights symbolism and public sentiment and delineates between real and perceived threats. An objective analysis of historical incidents would indicate that fi rst-world powers ' adaptive technologies and sophistication have provided adequate protection against ' cybergeddon '. However, this reality must be juxtaposed with the mythos that popular media has conjured regarding digital doomsday. In examining this dichotomy between real and perceived threats, we visit the idea that the current direction of cyber-legislation risks heightening international inequality. As the world evolves toward more cyber-dependent relations, dominant economic powers have the ability to be more inclusive as they work toward global law enforcement legislation.
Homicide Studies, Jun 11, 2012
This study contributes to the body of research examining why city-level violence rates peaked in ... more This study contributes to the body of research examining why city-level violence rates peaked in 1993. Taking homicide data from that year, we introduce an indicator for active street gangs along with indicators derived from common structural explanations of homicide rates. We assess whether gang presence is empirically associated with homicide variation across 154 U.S. central cities. Consistent with conceptual claims, correlational evidence demonstrates that active gangs were a significant source of homicides across this sample of cities. As a secondary concern, we assess structural conditions that were likely to predict gang formation within cities during the crime peak.
SAGE Open, 2014
Economic research has firmly established that energy consumption is closely linked to economic gr... more Economic research has firmly established that energy consumption is closely linked to economic growth patterns. The subtext of such research is that disruptions to stable supplies of affordable energy could adversely affect quality of life and interrupt patterns of social cohesiveness. This article investigates a hypothesized link between patterns of energy consumption and instrumental violence across 868 U.S. counties. Tobit regression results confirm an inverse association between a global indicator of energy consumption and robbery rates, after statistically holding constant numerous theorized correlates of crime. Results support calls for increased contingency planning in anticipation of energy-related social control challenges and continued efforts to research and develop alternate and affordable energy.
Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice
Social Science Quarterly, 2020
Objectives. To assess the extent to which crime, Hispanic-to-white population changes, black-towh... more Objectives. To assess the extent to which crime, Hispanic-to-white population changes, black-towhite population changes, and conservative political appeals affect gun permit application rates across Texas counties. Methods. This article uses spatial lag regression and robust regression with county-level data to assess structural sources of variation in handgun permitting across Texas counties in 2016. Conclusions. Spatial and robust regression model results confirm that median incomes, Republican votes, and rising rates of Hispanic-to-white populations are significant predictors of handgun permit application rates. The results call attention to the centrality of Hispanic threat and the prevalence of partisan politics in aggregate permit-seeking processes.
International Journal of Social Science Research, 2016
Prisoner reentry is an important contemporary policy concern as many ex-convicts reenter communit... more Prisoner reentry is an important contemporary policy concern as many ex-convicts reenter communities uneducated and unprepared to compete in local labor markets. This study uses data from the 2003 National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP) for the states of California, Illinois and Washington to examine contextual correlates of reentry patterns. The analyses reveal systematic correlates of releases from both incarceration and community supervision that highlight a diverse array of difficulties for offenders returning to their home community. The results of this study underscore the often-difficult transitions facing reentering offenders and support policy implications for those who oversee reentry processes.
Social Studies and the Young Learner, 1999
Problems and Challenges, 2012
Policing and Society, 2009
The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with p... more The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms &
Police Quarterly, 2010
This article addresses the effects of weed and seed zoning operations on arrests and calls for as... more This article addresses the effects of weed and seed zoning operations on arrests and calls for assistance in New Britain, Connecticut, during the 24-month before and 36-month after the inception of operations. Data are taken from New Britain police dispatch statistics and applied to a study of arrests and citizen calls for assistance across 738 U.S. Census block collection units (BCUs). The article employs tests of significance to assess the overall effects of zoning on these police activities across pre- and post-intervention periods and uses both weighted displacement quotient (WDQ) and exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) models to test for possible displacement associated with zoning. Results indicate that weed and seed zoning was significantly associated with displacement of arrest activity in pre- and post-intervention time periods but displayed no relationship with displacement of calls for assistance (CFAs). Though WDQ analyses do not indicate proximity effects, local in...
Journal of Criminal Justice, 2009
The empirical sentencing literature has focused intensively on racial equity concerns, but this r... more The empirical sentencing literature has focused intensively on racial equity concerns, but this research added to the literature by analyzing political-contextual sources of punishment. This study developed a functional model of court decision making and used ordinal logit to assess court punishment decisions in 387 counties across seven states. The findings supported established assumptions about individual level punishment determinants, but showed that political environment indicators also predicted sentence severity. Interactions were present as well. In law and order environments Black defendants received enhanced sentences, but in jurisdictions with the largest Black populations, Black defendants faced reduced punishments. With individual and state level effects held constant, the findings from this research reinforced claims that punishment is intensely political.
Homicide Studies, 2012
This study contributes to the body of research examining why city-level violence rates peaked in ... more This study contributes to the body of research examining why city-level violence rates peaked in 1993. Taking homicide data from that year, we introduce an indicator for active street gangs along with indicators derived from common structural explanations of homicide rates. We assess whether gang presence is empirically associated with homicide variation across 154 U.S. central cities. Consistent with conceptual claims, correlational evidence demonstrates that active gangs were a significant source of homicides across this sample of cities. As a secondary concern, we assess structural conditions that were likely to predict gang formation within cities during the crime peak.
Criminal Justice Review, 2010
This study uses Tobit to assess contextual punishment determinants for a large sample of felony d... more This study uses Tobit to assess contextual punishment determinants for a large sample of felony drug cases that reached final disposition in 1990. After statistically holding constant ascribed and legal variables, the authors find that punishments for African American defendants in drug-related cases varied by social and political context. African American defendants adjudicated in jurisdictions characterized by a large Black population received reduced punishments; but in jurisdictions that were characterized by strong law-and-order political support, Black defendants received longer sentences. After introducing these interactions, Blacks faced on average reduced penalties for drug crimes. Blacks were the recipients of adjusted sentencing but not in the uniformly harsh direction proposed by much of the sentencing research. In sum, the results of this research add to the growing literature documenting the political foundations of punishment patterns in the U.S. criminal courts.
International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, Jan 10, 2015
U.S. county jails hold large populations of mentally ill inmates but have rarely been researched ... more U.S. county jails hold large populations of mentally ill inmates but have rarely been researched quantitatively to assess their collective capacity for providing mental health treatment. This research uses ordinal logit and a partial parallel slopes model and a large sample of U.S. counties to assess conceptualized links between local institutional and structural indicators and jail mental health resourcing. Strong church networks and high rates of adult education completion are associated with enhanced jail mental health resourcing. Urbanized areas and areas with deep economic ties to manufacturing appear supportive of a strong jail mental health system. Conversely, conservative political environments and areas with strong medical and mental health networks based in the community are correlated with reduced jail mental health resourcing. Evidence from this research adds to a growing understanding of the need for enhanced community mental health service and diagnostic capabilities i...
Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice
Recent high profile killings of civilians at the hands of law enforcement have drawn attention to... more Recent high profile killings of civilians at the hands of law enforcement have drawn attention to questions about the determinants of these violent encounters. The literature is replete with studies focused on individual characteristics and situational exigencies. This paper takes a structural approach to assess alternative explanations. Results show that race, criminal violence, and general conditions of economic inequality are strong predictors of police killings of civilians across 3,081 US counties. The empirical findings from this research provide a broad foundation for conceptualizing a structural model of police lethal violence against citizens.
Social Science Research Network, 2012
Known cases of cyber-attacks on sovereign powers are rare, thus examination of cyber-terror remai... more Known cases of cyber-attacks on sovereign powers are rare, thus examination of cyber-terror remains somewhat anecdotal. Terrorism discourse itself remains mired in ambiguity as little agreement exists as to thresholds that would make unambiguous distinctions between criminal and terror attacks. In this article, we examine a composite of cyber-terror that highlights symbolism and public sentiment and delineates between real and perceived threats. An objective analysis of historical incidents would indicate that fi rst-world powers ' adaptive technologies and sophistication have provided adequate protection against ' cybergeddon '. However, this reality must be juxtaposed with the mythos that popular media has conjured regarding digital doomsday. In examining this dichotomy between real and perceived threats, we visit the idea that the current direction of cyber-legislation risks heightening international inequality. As the world evolves toward more cyber-dependent relations, dominant economic powers have the ability to be more inclusive as they work toward global law enforcement legislation.
Security Journal, Apr 11, 2011
Known cases of cyber-attacks on sovereign powers are rare, thus examination of cyber-terror remai... more Known cases of cyber-attacks on sovereign powers are rare, thus examination of cyber-terror remains somewhat anecdotal. Terrorism discourse itself remains mired in ambiguity as little agreement exists as to thresholds that would make unambiguous distinctions between criminal and terror attacks. In this article, we examine a composite of cyber-terror that highlights symbolism and public sentiment and delineates between real and perceived threats. An objective analysis of historical incidents would indicate that fi rst-world powers ' adaptive technologies and sophistication have provided adequate protection against ' cybergeddon '. However, this reality must be juxtaposed with the mythos that popular media has conjured regarding digital doomsday. In examining this dichotomy between real and perceived threats, we visit the idea that the current direction of cyber-legislation risks heightening international inequality. As the world evolves toward more cyber-dependent relations, dominant economic powers have the ability to be more inclusive as they work toward global law enforcement legislation.
Homicide Studies, Jun 11, 2012
This study contributes to the body of research examining why city-level violence rates peaked in ... more This study contributes to the body of research examining why city-level violence rates peaked in 1993. Taking homicide data from that year, we introduce an indicator for active street gangs along with indicators derived from common structural explanations of homicide rates. We assess whether gang presence is empirically associated with homicide variation across 154 U.S. central cities. Consistent with conceptual claims, correlational evidence demonstrates that active gangs were a significant source of homicides across this sample of cities. As a secondary concern, we assess structural conditions that were likely to predict gang formation within cities during the crime peak.
SAGE Open, 2014
Economic research has firmly established that energy consumption is closely linked to economic gr... more Economic research has firmly established that energy consumption is closely linked to economic growth patterns. The subtext of such research is that disruptions to stable supplies of affordable energy could adversely affect quality of life and interrupt patterns of social cohesiveness. This article investigates a hypothesized link between patterns of energy consumption and instrumental violence across 868 U.S. counties. Tobit regression results confirm an inverse association between a global indicator of energy consumption and robbery rates, after statistically holding constant numerous theorized correlates of crime. Results support calls for increased contingency planning in anticipation of energy-related social control challenges and continued efforts to research and develop alternate and affordable energy.
Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice
Social Science Quarterly, 2020
Objectives. To assess the extent to which crime, Hispanic-to-white population changes, black-towh... more Objectives. To assess the extent to which crime, Hispanic-to-white population changes, black-towhite population changes, and conservative political appeals affect gun permit application rates across Texas counties. Methods. This article uses spatial lag regression and robust regression with county-level data to assess structural sources of variation in handgun permitting across Texas counties in 2016. Conclusions. Spatial and robust regression model results confirm that median incomes, Republican votes, and rising rates of Hispanic-to-white populations are significant predictors of handgun permit application rates. The results call attention to the centrality of Hispanic threat and the prevalence of partisan politics in aggregate permit-seeking processes.
International Journal of Social Science Research, 2016
Prisoner reentry is an important contemporary policy concern as many ex-convicts reenter communit... more Prisoner reentry is an important contemporary policy concern as many ex-convicts reenter communities uneducated and unprepared to compete in local labor markets. This study uses data from the 2003 National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP) for the states of California, Illinois and Washington to examine contextual correlates of reentry patterns. The analyses reveal systematic correlates of releases from both incarceration and community supervision that highlight a diverse array of difficulties for offenders returning to their home community. The results of this study underscore the often-difficult transitions facing reentering offenders and support policy implications for those who oversee reentry processes.
Social Studies and the Young Learner, 1999
Problems and Challenges, 2012
Policing and Society, 2009
The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with p... more The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms &
Police Quarterly, 2010
This article addresses the effects of weed and seed zoning operations on arrests and calls for as... more This article addresses the effects of weed and seed zoning operations on arrests and calls for assistance in New Britain, Connecticut, during the 24-month before and 36-month after the inception of operations. Data are taken from New Britain police dispatch statistics and applied to a study of arrests and citizen calls for assistance across 738 U.S. Census block collection units (BCUs). The article employs tests of significance to assess the overall effects of zoning on these police activities across pre- and post-intervention periods and uses both weighted displacement quotient (WDQ) and exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) models to test for possible displacement associated with zoning. Results indicate that weed and seed zoning was significantly associated with displacement of arrest activity in pre- and post-intervention time periods but displayed no relationship with displacement of calls for assistance (CFAs). Though WDQ analyses do not indicate proximity effects, local in...
Journal of Criminal Justice, 2009
The empirical sentencing literature has focused intensively on racial equity concerns, but this r... more The empirical sentencing literature has focused intensively on racial equity concerns, but this research added to the literature by analyzing political-contextual sources of punishment. This study developed a functional model of court decision making and used ordinal logit to assess court punishment decisions in 387 counties across seven states. The findings supported established assumptions about individual level punishment determinants, but showed that political environment indicators also predicted sentence severity. Interactions were present as well. In law and order environments Black defendants received enhanced sentences, but in jurisdictions with the largest Black populations, Black defendants faced reduced punishments. With individual and state level effects held constant, the findings from this research reinforced claims that punishment is intensely political.
Homicide Studies, 2012
This study contributes to the body of research examining why city-level violence rates peaked in ... more This study contributes to the body of research examining why city-level violence rates peaked in 1993. Taking homicide data from that year, we introduce an indicator for active street gangs along with indicators derived from common structural explanations of homicide rates. We assess whether gang presence is empirically associated with homicide variation across 154 U.S. central cities. Consistent with conceptual claims, correlational evidence demonstrates that active gangs were a significant source of homicides across this sample of cities. As a secondary concern, we assess structural conditions that were likely to predict gang formation within cities during the crime peak.
Criminal Justice Review, 2010
This study uses Tobit to assess contextual punishment determinants for a large sample of felony d... more This study uses Tobit to assess contextual punishment determinants for a large sample of felony drug cases that reached final disposition in 1990. After statistically holding constant ascribed and legal variables, the authors find that punishments for African American defendants in drug-related cases varied by social and political context. African American defendants adjudicated in jurisdictions characterized by a large Black population received reduced punishments; but in jurisdictions that were characterized by strong law-and-order political support, Black defendants received longer sentences. After introducing these interactions, Blacks faced on average reduced penalties for drug crimes. Blacks were the recipients of adjusted sentencing but not in the uniformly harsh direction proposed by much of the sentencing research. In sum, the results of this research add to the growing literature documenting the political foundations of punishment patterns in the U.S. criminal courts.
International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, Jan 10, 2015
U.S. county jails hold large populations of mentally ill inmates but have rarely been researched ... more U.S. county jails hold large populations of mentally ill inmates but have rarely been researched quantitatively to assess their collective capacity for providing mental health treatment. This research uses ordinal logit and a partial parallel slopes model and a large sample of U.S. counties to assess conceptualized links between local institutional and structural indicators and jail mental health resourcing. Strong church networks and high rates of adult education completion are associated with enhanced jail mental health resourcing. Urbanized areas and areas with deep economic ties to manufacturing appear supportive of a strong jail mental health system. Conversely, conservative political environments and areas with strong medical and mental health networks based in the community are correlated with reduced jail mental health resourcing. Evidence from this research adds to a growing understanding of the need for enhanced community mental health service and diagnostic capabilities i...
Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice
Recent high profile killings of civilians at the hands of law enforcement have drawn attention to... more Recent high profile killings of civilians at the hands of law enforcement have drawn attention to questions about the determinants of these violent encounters. The literature is replete with studies focused on individual characteristics and situational exigencies. This paper takes a structural approach to assess alternative explanations. Results show that race, criminal violence, and general conditions of economic inequality are strong predictors of police killings of civilians across 3,081 US counties. The empirical findings from this research provide a broad foundation for conceptualizing a structural model of police lethal violence against citizens.