Testing Environmental Criminology: A New Question and A Neglected Population

• In Event: Risk Factors for Mental Illness

Abstract

Extant literature from the environmental criminology perspective has long demonstrated that offenses are not erratic and offender behavior is not random. However, it is unclear whether offending by persons with mental illness, a group presumed to be erratic and random, follow the established patterns. We utilize data on home and offense address from participants in an urban mental health court to directly test the tenets of environmental criminology. Our findings provide support for this theoretical perspective and we discuss our results in conjunction with theory and policy, as well as provide suggestions for future research in this area.

Authors

• Thomas Zawisza, Texas A&M International University

• Kelly Frailing, Loyola University New Orleans