The journey to crime and victimization

The offender’s journey to crime has attracted much attention in mobility triangle research, whereas the journey to victimization and the spatial distance between the offender’s and the victim’s residences have been relatively less examined. This research fills this gap in the literature by examining spatial comparisons of variations in journey to crime, journey to victimization, and the distance between victim’s and suspect’s residences for five types of offenses. Crime data from the Houston Police Department from 2010 to 2013 were used to analyze the mobility triangle in five types of crime. The results show that the dynamics of travel pattern vary by demographic characteristics of the suspects and victims. It is also contingent on the types of crime. The proximity of offender’s and victim’s residences is closely related to the chance of crimes. The findings provide important implications for theory, policy and policing practice.

A Scoping Review of Serial Homicide Geographic Mobility Literature and Four Typologies

The study of geographic mobility through geospatial analysis and journey-to-crime approaches has made progress in environmental criminology, finding most offenders commit crime close to their residence. However, extant literature on serial homicide and geographic mobility is scarce, specifically lacking a comprehensive appraisal of relative research. To gain a better understanding of the geographic mobility patterns of serial homicide offenders, we must determine the current status of literature in this area, to figure out where to go in terms of future research. Therefore, the following study is a scoping review of existing literature on geographic mobility and serial homicide and four associated typologies (Holmes & DeBurger’s Geographic typology, Hickey’s Mobility typology, Canter’s Circle typology, and Rossmo’s Hunting Style typology) to achieve the following: (1) Comprehensively evaluate literature regarding serial homicide geographic mobility and four associated typologies to establish the current status of research; (2) uncover potential literature gaps; and (3) provide future research recommendations. Literature sources ( N = 43) on serial homicide and geographic mobility (1985–2018) were examined. While findings recognize the relevance of mobility functions in serial homicide investigations, gaps in literature were evident regarding serial homicide geographic mobility and the four associated typologies. Findings also reveal that systematic research in this field is limited. Policy implications and future research recommendations are discussed.

“Taking a Walk on the Wild Side”: Exploring Residence-to-Crime in Juveniles

Although evidence regarding the journey-to-crime in juvenile offenders is available for some areas of the world, little is known about their mobility patterns in Southern Europe. Variables such as prosocial facilities, transport stations, or socioeconomic backdrop have been proved to influence the traveled distance. Therefore, we aimed to confirm previous findings in the journey-to-crime literature using data provided by the Juvenile Justice Department of the Basque Country (Spain). Although some results are in line with those of previous studies, emphasizing the relevance of environmental factors for better understanding crime patterns in the juvenile population, other specific patterns also emerged that suggest the need to replicate research across countries and to consider specific behavior patterns and styles of spatial design in each study setting.

“If Someone Would Have Showed Me”: Identifying Pivotal Points in Pathways to Crime and Incarceration Through Prisoner Self-Narratives

Criminologists and correctional administrators are continuously interested in understanding criminal career trajectories, including desistance, particularly to further develop correctional programming. One program that seeks to promote successful reentry by triggering desistance for youth and adults is the IF Project, founded in 2008 in Washington State. A central component of the IF Project program requires participants to write narratives that ask them to reflect on their journey to crime and to think about what they would have needed to break away from their criminal career trajectory. This research reports on a content analysis of 171 of these writings by adult prisoners in Washington State. Results from the content analysis reveal distinct and overlapping themes for both men and women that highlight the identity change process. Research and policy implications are discussed.

Journey-to-Crime Distances of Residential Burglars in China Disentangled: Origin and Destination Effects

Research on journey-to-crime distance has revealed the importance of both the characteristics of the offender as well as those of target communities. However, the effect of the home community has so far been ignored. Besides, almost all journey-to-crime studies were done in Western societies, and little is known about how the distinct features of communities in major Chinese cities shape residential burglars’ travel patterns. To fill this gap, we apply a cross-classified multilevel regression model on data of 3763 burglary trips in ZG City, one of the bustling metropolises in China. This allows us to gain insight into how residential burglars’ journey-to-crime distances are shaped by their individual-level characteristics as well as those of their home and target communities. Results show that the characteristics of the home community have larger effects than those of target communities, while individual-level features are most influential. Older burglars travel over longer distances to commit their burglaries than the younger ones. Offenders who commit their burglaries in groups tend to travel further than solo offenders. Burglars who live in communities with a higher average rent, a denser road network and a higher percentage of local residents commit their burglaries at shorter distances. Communities with a denser road network attract burglars from a longer distance, whereas those with a higher percentage of local residents attract them from shorter by.