Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- Forensic science (14)
- Race (6)
- Incarceration (5)
- Mental health (5)
- Policing (5)
-
- Homelessness (4)
- Police officers (4)
- Confirmation bias (3)
- Deinstitutionalization (3)
- Education (3)
- Mass incarceration (3)
- Mental illness (3)
- Prison (3)
- Recidivism (3)
- United States (3)
- Accountability (2)
- Canada (2)
- Crime (2)
- Crime scene investigation (2)
- Criminal justice system (2)
- Criminalization (2)
- DNA (2)
- DNA analysis (2)
- Daubert (2)
- Death penalty (2)
- Democracy (2)
- Domestic violence (2)
- Ethics (2)
- Housing (2)
- Human rights (2)
- Publication Year
Articles 31 - 60 of 111
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Cognitive And Other Types Of Biases Affecting Forensic Evidence: Research Analysis And Expert Conclusions, Sukhmanpreet Kaur
Cognitive And Other Types Of Biases Affecting Forensic Evidence: Research Analysis And Expert Conclusions, Sukhmanpreet Kaur
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
This paper identifies the issue of cognitive bias, with emphasis on confirmation bias, and its implications within the forensic science field. Biased thinking or processing of forensic evidence can have significant effects on an investigation process. The literature analyzed discusses the consequences of providing contextual or irrelevant ancillary information to forensic experts. Following this discussion, the opinions held by forensic professionals with regards to confirmation bias and erroneous conclusions will likewise be evaluated. It is important that the forensic science field continues to listen to its experts in order to develop solutions for dealing with and preventing instances of confirmation …
Justice In Hybrid-Democracy: Blood Feuds And Albania Post Communism, Isabella Mahan
Justice In Hybrid-Democracy: Blood Feuds And Albania Post Communism, Isabella Mahan
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
In 1991, Albania shifted from severe communist rule to a regime claiming to be democratic. However, to this day, Albania maintains undemocratic elements. This paper analyzes the impact of hybrid state capacity in the context of state-led justice and the implications for citizen compliance. Albanian culture possesses a deep history of reliance on Kanun and traditional justice in conjunction with the state's inconsistency and unreliability. It further establishes the disconnect between people and the state. Despite attempts to progress towards modernity, traditions of blood feuds reemerged with the movement away from communism. The failure to properly transition from authoritarianism to …
The Efficacy Of Us-Mexico Border Enforcement In Relation To Crime Prevention, Samuel Klopstock
The Efficacy Of Us-Mexico Border Enforcement In Relation To Crime Prevention, Samuel Klopstock
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
The Trump Administration brought substantive changes to United States immigration policies, and labeled undocumented immigrants as predisposed towards criminal behavior. This paper presents a brief historical perspective of three major waves of Mexican immigration to the United States: The Early 1900s – Before World War I, Post-World War I – World War II, End of Bracero Accord – Present, and considers the relationship between immigrants and crime. The author explores contemporary immigration enforcement, both conservative and liberal attitudes towards immigrants, and their effects on policy. Consequences of border enforcement policies and the efficacy of border enforcement in preventing crime are …
The Lasting Impact Of Deinstitutionalization: Policing And The Mental Health Crisis, Ruqayyah Sorathia
The Lasting Impact Of Deinstitutionalization: Policing And The Mental Health Crisis, Ruqayyah Sorathia
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
Society is combating the detrimental effects of the deinstitutionalization policy, which transferred the treatment of mentally ill patients from state-run psychiatric hospitals to community-run psychiatric facilities. These patients frequently fall into relapses and are more likely to experience risky encounters with law enforcement officials who have no formal training in dealing with them. The paper analyzes the criminalization of mentally ill people, many with substance abuse and alcohol addictions, receiving treatment in jails and state prisons. Incarcerating people with mental illness, though reducing the homeless population from the street and disturbances faced by the public, still does not address the …
The Rise Of Police Militarization And Impact On Civilians, Araceli Marquez
The Rise Of Police Militarization And Impact On Civilians, Araceli Marquez
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
Across the country, police are using aggressive, military-style policing tactics to enforce the law. These aggressive tactics disproportionately affect minorities and residents of lower-income communities. Recent protests by the Black Lives Matter movement have taken place in response to the deaths of individuals such as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Aggressive police presence at these demonstrations has been prominent, despite protesters’ peaceful intent. The police are not only present at rallies and protests but also at celebratory events like major cities' sports celebrations. This paper examines militarization as a result of the War on Drugs, the 1033 program, racial politics, …
From Preschool To Prison: How School Resource Officers Produce Criminality, Brenda Vargas Tapia
From Preschool To Prison: How School Resource Officers Produce Criminality, Brenda Vargas Tapia
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
Police officers were introduced in the American school system to provide White communities with a sense of safety. However, these police officers are not well trained to provide students with support and instead are trained to deal with situations with force. The implicit bias of police officers criminalizes and punishes Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students unfairly. School shootings have continued to enforce the idea that officers are needed. However, this notion is untrue. Policing in schools builds a school-to-prison pipeline that is now, in the online schooling era, translating to the Zoom-to-prison pipeline, which reveals that BIPOC …
Valuing Mental Health In The Justice System, Anabel Lugo
Valuing Mental Health In The Justice System, Anabel Lugo
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
Mental health is an issue that needs more recognition, especially within inmates and law enforcement. The mental health of incarcerated inmates, as well as law enforcement officials, has been overlooked and negatively impacted our criminal justice system. Ignoring mental health has helped create negative depictions and stereotypes about these communities. Law enforcement tends to ignore its mental health due to masculinity and police culture, feeding into the stigma that lingers around it. Although mental health has become a recurring topic in recent years, little has been done to help restore it within our justice system. Recently, there have been numerous …
Policing And Mental Health: The Current Criminal Justice Approach To A Public Health Issue, Jacklyn Spatzer
Policing And Mental Health: The Current Criminal Justice Approach To A Public Health Issue, Jacklyn Spatzer
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
One source of unrest in modern society is the traditional criminal justice approach towards mental health issues, made evident by public protests and media highlights of police brutality. While public perceptions of mental health issues evolve, law enforcement interactions show failures to implement nuanced avenues to protect people undergoing crises. This paper examines the relationship between law enforcement and public health issues to develop more efficient avenues than those currently in place. All involved parties experience negative consequences when police departments bear the responsibility for addressing public health issues. Lack of police training in mental health disturbances and scarcity of …
The Rhetorical Devices Of The Keepers Of State Secrets, Stephane Lefebvre
The Rhetorical Devices Of The Keepers Of State Secrets, Stephane Lefebvre
Secrecy and Society
This article examines a set of rhetorical devices forming a linguistic practice that are used repeatedly by secret keepers in the United States and the United Kingdom when legally and popularly arguing against the disclosure of state secrets. Each of these devices (using lists, using the future conditional, arguing from ignorance and authority, arguing from consequences, and arguing by analogy) play a role in shaping our social understanding of state secrecy. More importantly, these devices provide secret keepers a means by which to assert their knowledge and expertise, and to legitimize, if judges agree with them, the nondisclosure of state …
Current Applications And Limitations Of Forensic Entomology, Helena Volckaert
Current Applications And Limitations Of Forensic Entomology, Helena Volckaert
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
Forensic entomology is the study of arthropods concerning their application in crime scene investigation as a method of predicting postmortem interval (PMI) in deceased or missing individuals. PMI is determined by the life stage of insects present on-scene. Insects used in criminal investigations are primarily beetles, flies, or moths; this may also include various scavenging insects and hitchhiking mites. These creatures help colonize decayed tissue, providing crime scene personnel with live specimens collected and examined for biological evidence. Forensic entomology is currently a niche application in most investigations—as qualified entomologists are often needed—and proper analysis of collected evidence can be …
Invisible Harm: Verbal Sexual Coercion Among College Students, Char Chezanne
Invisible Harm: Verbal Sexual Coercion Among College Students, Char Chezanne
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
This paper provides a review of literature and research on verbal sexual coercion on college campuses by focusing on heterosexual dynamics. The studies involved explore the factors that influence sexually coercive behavior, including parenting styles, heteronormative beliefs, and risk-taking behaviors. Furthermore, this paper reviews current informal and formal responses to campus sexual coercion by focusing on the overlooked power dynamics that influence sexual consent. This paper concludes that restorative justice serves as an alternative to traditional justice for campus-based sexual coercion because of its flexibility and applicability to nuanced sexual assault cases.
Qualitative Analysis Of Luminol Efficacy On Bleach-Cleaned And Paint-Concealed Blood, Adam Wykoff
Qualitative Analysis Of Luminol Efficacy On Bleach-Cleaned And Paint-Concealed Blood, Adam Wykoff
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
The presence of blood at a crime scene can provide investigators with a treasure trove of information regarding the nature and circumstances of a particular crime and aid in crime scene reconstruction; however, attempts at concealing blood are common scenarios. The development of chemiluminescent and fluorescent-based presumptive tests, such as the luminol and fluorescein tests, have made it more challenging to definitively remove or mask blood on a surface. The purpose of this experiment was to qualitatively measure the overall efficacy of luminol, concerning its ability to positively detect small bloodstains found on common household floor surfaces (wood, carpet, and …
Frequency Of Lip Print Patterns Among Females And Males At San Jose State University, Daniela Zopiyactle
Frequency Of Lip Print Patterns Among Females And Males At San Jose State University, Daniela Zopiyactle
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
Lip prints have distinct forms of wrinkles and grooves unique to an individual much like fingerprints, footprints, and palm prints. Cheiloscopy, or the study of the grooves and wrinkles on the labial mucosa, helps classify, document, and evaluate lip print patterns. This article utilizes cheiloscopy to analyze students from the San Jose State University population; including 25 participants: 15 females and 10 males of ages between 18-45 years. Print collection utilized a matte lipstick, evenly applied on the lip, to create an impression using tape and white bond paper. Then, using the Suzui and Tsuchihashi method, researchers classified the lip …
With Liberty And Justice For Some: How Felony Disenfranchisement Undermines American Democracy, Kiley Staufenbeil
With Liberty And Justice For Some: How Felony Disenfranchisement Undermines American Democracy, Kiley Staufenbeil
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
This paper examines the damaging effects of felony disenfranchisement on American democracy. The premise of American democracy is to include citizens in government processes, thus, felony disenfranchisement is inherently anti-democratic. The first section analyzes the historical timeline of the origins and prominence of felony disenfranchisement dating back to Ancient Greece. The paper considers the legal standing of felony disenfranchisement by examining relevant court cases, such as Richardson v. Ramirez (1974). Following this, a case study of the states that practice distinct levels of felony disenfranchisement, ranging from the most punitive states to the most permissive, is presented. The paper then …
The Black Woman's Burden: A Discussion Of Race, Rape Culture, And Feminism, Rawabi Hamid
The Black Woman's Burden: A Discussion Of Race, Rape Culture, And Feminism, Rawabi Hamid
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
Current feminist and anti-rape movements in the United States seek to amplify the voices of women regarding sexual assault. Unfortunately, within this amplification, the voices of Black women are often excluded, which is a direct effect of historically ignoring the abuses of Black women and rarely ever bringing their abusers to justice. These injustices, often committed by white men and perpetuated by white women, create a destructive rhetoric in stereotyping Black women while also silencing them throughout modern movements, especially those of feminist and anti-rape causes. This essay will examine the consequences of three problematic aspects of US history and …
The Problematic Nature Of Execution By Lethal Injection In The United States And People’S Republic Of China, Franchesca Fanucchi
The Problematic Nature Of Execution By Lethal Injection In The United States And People’S Republic Of China, Franchesca Fanucchi
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
The United States and the People’s Republic of China perceive the death penalty as a fundamental feature of the criminal justice system. Lethal injection procedures provide these countries with the humane disguise necessary to preserve capital punishment in an environment of evolving societal standards. However, this essay examines the highly problematic nature of execution by lethal injection due to numerous medical, procedural, and bureaucratic concerns often concealed from the public and press. The low-visibility nature of lethal injection in the United States and China has become troublesome, especially since it prevents public, academic, and medical evaluation on the procedure's humaneness …
The Ability Of Vitreous Metabolite Concentration To Determine Time Of Death, Victoria Wiggins
The Ability Of Vitreous Metabolite Concentration To Determine Time Of Death, Victoria Wiggins
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
This paper analyzes the ability of vitreous fluid to determine time of death. The high variability in current methods used to establish post-mortem interval (PMI), or the amount of time between death and post-mortem examination make it difficult to obtain an accurate estimation. The concentration of metabolites found within vitreous fluid, such as potassium (K+), hypoxanthine (Hx), and magnesium (Mg), are the most researched alternatives to traditional methods in PMI determination because of the relative isolation of vitreous within the body and its ability to withstand degradation. There is no clear consensus on which metabolite provides the most accurate data …
Gun Control In America: A Global Comparison, Lee Spieller
Gun Control In America: A Global Comparison, Lee Spieller
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
The United States has a high number of gun-related deaths compared to the rest of the world. Many approaches attempt to help mitigate these deaths, but few have proven ultimately successful on a national level. The purpose of this paper is to establish the need for gun reform by determining the relationship between guns and fatalities and covers how the US and foreign countries approach gun control. More specifically, this paper will examine each of the different approaches: firearm access restrictions, licensing restrictions, carry restrictions, and issuing parameters for concealed weapon permits. This examination will include firearm homicide rates as …
The Accumulation Of Wear On Footwear Pattern Analysis, Sarah Pawloski
The Accumulation Of Wear On Footwear Pattern Analysis, Sarah Pawloski
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
Wear is defined as the erosion of a shoe’s outsole or the loss of tread pattern, and it happens gradually over time with use. After a shoeprint is collected from a crime scene, it is questioned whether an individualization can be made if an exemplar is created after additional use of the shoe. The shoes of ten volunteers at San Jose State University were analyzed over a period of 40-45 days. Wear and Randomly Acquired Characteristics (RACs) were analyzed over time to determine if there were any observable changes or additions to the already present wear. It was hypothesized that …
Novice Ideas: Handwriting Comparisons Conducted By An Untrained Individual, Maia Lister
Novice Ideas: Handwriting Comparisons Conducted By An Untrained Individual, Maia Lister
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
Forensic analysis of questioned documents includes chemical analyses of paper and ink as well as handwriting comparisons. Several elements affect handwriting analyses, including the presence of discriminatory factors that can individualize a handwriting sample and whether the handwriting has been disguised. Five handwriting samples were gathered from six individuals comprising of one reference, three natural unknowns, and one disguised sample per person. A novice conducted analyses on every collected sample and conducted comparisons of the reference sample to the unknown and disguised samples in an attempt to correctly source the unknown and disguised samples. The novice showed a high level …
Decomposition Of Pig Carcasses At Varying Room Temperature, Jacqueline Abad Santos
Decomposition Of Pig Carcasses At Varying Room Temperature, Jacqueline Abad Santos
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
The goal of this study is to assess the qualitative scoring of decomposition scales with statistical analysis while also determining which indoor environment will decompose the fastest. When comparing the three indoor environments, water decomposition appears to be the fastest, but the method of analysis for this study determines that using decomposition scales to analyze such environments may produce statistically insignificant results. For this study, piglets were put in a dry steel tub, a water filled steel tub, and a suitcase. These were recorded using photographs for 25 days and then scored using decomposition scales. The total score was divided …
Scientific Evidence Admissibility: Improving Judicial Proceedings To Decrease Erroneous Outcomes, Leica Kwong
Scientific Evidence Admissibility: Improving Judicial Proceedings To Decrease Erroneous Outcomes, Leica Kwong
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
In the United States, Federal Rules of Evidence 702, the Frye and Daubert standards govern the admissibility of scientific evidence in the courtroom. Some states adopted Frye while others adopted Daubert, causing varying judicial outcomes. The verdicts in some cases may be erroneous due to a nationally used standard. Frye has broad criteria of requiring scientific evidence to be generally accepted. While Daubert contains more requirements for the evidence to be admissible, such as peer review, publication, and scientific principles. Daubert, alongside FRE 702, provides a thorough guideline for trial judges who have the gatekeeping role to decide admissibility aiming …
Justifying Justice: Six Factors Of Wrongful Convictions And Their Solutions, Colby Duncan
Justifying Justice: Six Factors Of Wrongful Convictions And Their Solutions, Colby Duncan
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
There have been over 300 post-conviction DNA exonerations in the history of the United States. While this number may initially seem significant, there is still an unfathomable population of wrongfully convicted prisoners who have yet to be considered for retrials. Unaddressed wrongful conviction cases highlight the unacceptable weaknesses in the U.S. justice system, weaknesses that include poor investigative tactics and the acceptance or allowance of inaccurate and unreliable evidence. This paper will dutifully analyze the causes that lead to wrongful convictions and amply discuss potential solutions, all of which includes eyewitness misidentification, improper forensics, false confessions, informants, government misconduct, and …
Physical Match: Uniqueness Of Torn Paper, Marilyn Aguilar
Physical Match: Uniqueness Of Torn Paper, Marilyn Aguilar
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
In the forensic science field, it is generally accepted that all tears and fractures are unique; however, there is limited scientific evidence to support this. This study tests the claim that all tears are unique, focusing on paper. One-hundred Office Depot brand 3” x 5” blank, white index cards were torn in half by hand. Six halves were randomly removed; the remaining 94 halves were mixed and then matched by a novice using end-match analysis. The removal of the 6 random halves left 44 matching pairs. Of the remaining halves, all 44 pairs were correctly matched. The results show that …
Medical Apartheid: A Book Review, Carmen Kennedy
Medical Apartheid: A Book Review, Carmen Kennedy
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
No abstract provided.
Officer-Involved Domestic Violence: The Mediating Factors, Isaac Baron
Officer-Involved Domestic Violence: The Mediating Factors, Isaac Baron
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
Domestic and family violence has been a critical issue in contemporary society. Efforts have been made in researching the causes, effects, and mediating factors of domestic violence in relation to the workplace. Studies demonstrate that a relationship between conflict crossing over from the work to the home environment exist. Additional studies demonstrate that domestic violence does affect the workplace; however, there is little to no scientific data on the reverse relationship. The reverse relationship regards whether the workplace affects the occurrence of domestic violence. This research paper will dive into this topic, and on the lack of data available. Supporting …
Prison Rehabilitation: The Sociological, Physiological, And Psychological Effects Of Animal-Assisted Interventions, Daisy Corleto
Prison Rehabilitation: The Sociological, Physiological, And Psychological Effects Of Animal-Assisted Interventions, Daisy Corleto
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
This paper examines animal-assisted interventions as a new form of rehabilitation in the prison setting. It focuses specifically on the multiple benefits that this form of therapy/intervention can bring to inmates, such as the reduction in recidivism and the acquirement of new skills. Additionally, this paper considers the reasons for which rehabilitation in general is necessary in order to truly transform an individual. The first section provides a brief history of AAI in the prison environment and its effects on the prisoners. The paper then transitions to an account of analyzing the sociological, physiological, and psychological effects of AAI on …
Increasing Police Accountability And Improving Use Of Force Policies In The United States, Leica Kwong
Increasing Police Accountability And Improving Use Of Force Policies In The United States, Leica Kwong
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
Communities, and their respective police departments, have significant impacts on the social and legal matters they are involved with, making it crucial for both parties to strive to maintain strong, collaborative relationships. Positive interactions between police and the public are therefore extremely vital and beneficial to all involved. Police officers should be held accountable for their transgressions and subject to transparency for their on-duty actions through legal records. Several issues lie in the policies and procedures which requires more attention in its analysis. Changing policies and procedure in the United States regarding police use of force to remedy inconsistencies calls …
The Victimization Of The Misconceived: The Mentally Ill In The Criminal Justice System, Margarita Trejo
The Victimization Of The Misconceived: The Mentally Ill In The Criminal Justice System, Margarita Trejo
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
It is unfortunate to say that the number of people who suffer from a serious mental illness has been drastically increasing in the criminal justice system since the late 1960s. This drastic change has captivated the minds of the public, forced them to develop a fallacious stereotype, and labeled the mentally ill population as wrongdoers. This image, however, is inaccurate. In reality, these people are the victims of a broken system. This paper establishes the victimization that a person with a serious mental illness experiences as they are processed through the criminal justice system. The following elaborates how victimization is …
Domestic And International Firearm Laws: Can Implementation Be Used To Nationally Decrease Firearm Violence And Mass Shootings, Kenneth Banuelos
Domestic And International Firearm Laws: Can Implementation Be Used To Nationally Decrease Firearm Violence And Mass Shootings, Kenneth Banuelos
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
The issue of firearm violence in the United States is highly controversial, as there are sound arguments on both sides of the discussion. Advocates of stricter gun laws often refer to both international and domestic examples that highlight the effectiveness of more restrictive firearm policies. Japan and Australia are two such countries that are continually referred to when a tragedy, such as a mass shooting, occurs in the United States and initial reactions often emphasis a need for fewer guns in the general public. Opposition to the proposed reforms of firearm policies cite the importance of the Second Amendment which …