Digital Commons Network^™

The Legislations And Regulations Of Social Media- A Study Of 2 Countries – United States, Canada, Laura Mircea

Research Papers

In today’s society, social media is widely popular to use for many different reasons such as communicating, marketing, networking etc. However, with social media rapidly expanding and the usage growing exponentially, it can become dangerous. Some of these dangers include privacy exposure, invasion of privacy, cyberbullying, harassment, exploitation etc. One of the bigger challenges faced is protecting children and minors on social media, and preventing false news and rumors from circling. While some countries have stricter social media laws and rules implemented by the government, other countries rely on the social media platforms themselves to regulate and protect users from …

The Effects Of Police Officer Education And Academy Training Methods On Fair Decision Making, Benjamin Chapman

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

They're Just Not Ready Yet: A Developmental Argument For Abolishing Juvenile Transfer, Taylor Gerry

Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to examine and identify the core issues of juvenile transfer laws, arguing for abolishment. This paper utilizes a comprehensive overview of the literature on juvenile transfer laws to explain the history of the juvenile justice system and provide an overview of juvenile transfer laws and their core issues. The justification for the use of juvenile transfer is based on the idea that they will deter individual juvenile offenders along with those that may become juvenile offenders in the future, and because of that deterrence, juvenile transfer laws are said to reduce recidivism rates. In …

Cop In New York City, Los Angeles, And Chicago: Assessing The Adherence To The President's Task Force On 21st Century Policing, Hayden Allen

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Mediating Mechanisms Of Social Learning, Social Control, And Strain, Linking Unemployment And Crime, Babatunde Soyege

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

2022-2023 Annual Report, Southern Illinois University Board Of Trustees

Annual Report

No abstract provided.

The Blue Wall Of Conformity: The Experiences Of Marginalized Police Officers, Jamie Stephens

Research Papers

Intersectionality describes the lived experiences that are uniquely shaped by an individual’s intersecting identities. Understanding these experiences and how they vary from context to context can be insightful for society in understanding mechanisms of oppression. Police departments have historically upheld toxic masculine standards that lead to discrimination against society and those within their walls. This paper seeks to understand why marginalized officers commit to the police subculture and behave in similar fashions as their privileged counterparts despite being discriminated against on and off the job and experiencing job stress and dissatisfaction. I argue that marginalized officers commit to the culture …

An Examination Of The Complex Interplay Of Criminal Risk And Mental Health Functioning, Maris Adams

Research Papers

The undeniable overrepresentation of individuals with serious mental illness in the criminal justice system is a complex matter. Despite persistent assumptions that mental illness is the source of criminal behavior, research has continued to find a weak relationship between mental illness and criminal behavior. As a result, researchers have contended that the seeming link between mental illness and violence is misleading and distracts from the presence of other factors (such as criminogenic risk) that have an established relationship to criminal behavior. The current review of literature will investigate serious mental illness among justice-involved persons, touching on the historical context, theorized …

The Evaluation Of Juvenile Rehabilitative Approaches, Rylie Wheeler

Research Papers

The current research seeks to evaluate current juvenile rehabilitative approaches and analyze their effectiveness in reducing juvenile offending behaviors. The juvenile justice system is analyzed from a historical perspective beginning prior to the establishment of the juvenile justice system in the 19^th century and leading to the current approaches of the 21^st century. Developmental research has found that most juveniles will desist from delinquency on their own by naturally growing out of their offending behavior. However, when juveniles become involved in the justice system the opportunity to age out of offending behavior is limited. Recognizing this, the juvenile …

The Lethal Impact Of Defendant And Victim Characteristics On Capital Punishment, Mackenzie Meyer

Research Papers

The current paper reviews the key points of research on the impact of defendant race, victim race, and victim gender on capital sentencing decisions. Each of these factors, as well as a theoretical framework applicable to the factors of defendant race, victim race, and victim gender on capital sentencing decisions, are explored and examined in this effort. All of the sections are intended to complement each other and provide a more comprehensive look into how and why demographic characteristics may shape capital punishment outcomes and where to go from here. It is important to understand disparities in capital punishment because …

The Church And Michael Brown: The Influence Of Christianity On Racialized Political Attitudes In Ferguson, Missouri, Tyler Chance

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

This study examines whether the Christian faith played a pacifying or inspiring role in racialized politics following the death of Michael Brown and subsequent uprisings in Ferguson, Missouri. To evaluate the role of religion in responding to racialized crisis, the author examines both the attitudes of individual citizens and the actions of faith leaders. Using data gathered from two exit polls conducted by the author in Ferguson and the surrounding area during the period between the death of Michael Brown and the decision not to indict the officer who killed him and then again after the grand jury decision, the …

Federal Sentencing Guidelines: The Continuous Line Between Unwarranted Disparities And Institutional Discretion In Federal Sentencing, Miaya Scott

Research Papers

In 1984, the Federal Sentencing Reform Act was signed into law. This act of reformation set a new standard of mandatory minimum federal sentencing guidelines for anyone who was convicted of an unlawful crime. Under the Federal Sentencing Reform Act, Congress created a new agency, the United States Sentencing Commission. As a bi-partisan, independent agency, the United States Sentencing Commission set the standard of guidelines with the objective to decrease unwarranted disparities within the federal system. Federal Supreme Court cases like United States v Booker overturned federal guidelines moving them mandatory to advisory based on a Sixth Amendment violation. With …

The Impact Of Police Unions On The Prosecution Of Officers, Legitimacy, And Reform, Jacob T. Halvorson

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of A Tactical Dispatcher Team: The Critical Incident Support System, Kaitlin Durband

Research Papers

A Tactical Dispatch Team is comprised of highly skilled and trained 911 telecommunicators with experience in police, fire, and EMS dispatching. Tactical Dispatch Team members will participate in various training courses and in real-life staged scenarios. Tactical Dispatchers know what and when to document vital information and what data could later be needed in court (Tactical Dispatcher, n.d.). Any incident can turn from calm and simple to chaotic and complex. The Tactical Dispatch Team is a major support system for first responder personnel.

Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Effective For Reducing Recidivism In Offenders?, Jordanne Miller

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Exit Essay: A Reflection On More Than 50 Years Of Media Coverage In The Illinois Statehouse, Steven E. Brown

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

For nearly 40 years, Steve Brown has directed a public relations practice that served clients ranging from Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan to small, struggling not-for-profits like the Transitional Living Program. He has seen journalism and the media evolve from the days of Royal manual typewriters to 24-hour news channels and smartphones capable of delivering broadcast-quality video in an instant.

Before going into PR, Brown was an award-winning political writer, investigative reporter, and the first full-time Statehouse Bureau chief for the Daily Herald newspapers. He also served as director of intergovernmental affairs for the City of Chicago during Mayor Jane …

2020-2021 Annual Report, Southern Illinois University Board Of Trustees

Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Mediating Effects Of Gang Membership And Negative Emotions On The Link Between Negative Life Events And Delinquency: An Integrated Approach Of General Strain And Social Learning Theories, Maliyah Wooten

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Legalization Of Recreational Cannabis In Illinois, Stephanie Chambers-Baltz

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

In 2019, the Illinois House passed the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act that legalized the recreational use of cannabis. The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act became law in the state of Illinois as of January 1, 2020, making Illinois the first state to establish such a law via state legislation, as opposed to a ballot measure approved by voters. This law allows adults aged 21 and older to legally purchase cannabis for recreational purposes. This law has significant implications for social equity and for public health. The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act was intentionally designed to address and repair some …

Pinball Wars: Slot Machines, Pinball Games, Racketeering, And Murder In Mid-Twentieth Century Rural Illinois, Benjamin Bradley

Research Papers

Pinball was seized upon by organized crime for its ability to pass as an amusement device rather than a gambling mechanism. Pinball inherited this role from slot machines, which were often disguised as novelty toys or vending machines to circumvent increasingly strict anti-gambling laws in early twentieth century America. Pinball uniquely filled the role as a gambling device because of its ability to appear as a game of skill and amusement rather than of chance and speculation.

In January of 1960, Bunice Tyner, a resident of Marion, Illinois was murdered in what the local press dubbed a pinball war. His …

Stop The Madness! An Examination Of Mental Health Stigma And Proposal To Implement Widespread Efforts For Its Reduction, Karon Donahue

Research Papers

Many people in the United States are affected by mental health conditions. Mental health stigma is a social problem characterized by negative representation in the media, numerous barriers to obtaining treatment, and feelings of shame for those affected by a mental health disorder. While there is evidence of positive outcomes to some anti-stigma campaigns, there has been a failure for these programs to become widespread, covering all parts of American society. This paper has been created to present recommendations for widespread initiatives at the federal and state level. Recommendations for training and sensitivity programs targeting places of employment and schools, …

2019-2020 Annual Report, Southern Illinois University Board Of Trustees

Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Opioid Epidemic: The Disparate Impact On Black And White Communities, Markida Roper

Research Papers

The Opioid Epidemic is a trending topic in the United States. Due to the skyrocketing numbers of deaths and overdoses of all races, society has stepped up and identified that there is a problem and something must be done. There is much research being conducted to determine what can be done to resolve what has been defined as a public health concern. Current research tends to be focused on how the drug is entering our country and the role that fentanyl plays in causing death and addiction. However, a somewhat overlooked issue is how individuals in the black community are …

Law Enforcement Understanding Their Impact And Building A Better Rapport With People With Disabilities (Pwd), Tashara Mccoy

Research Papers

For years, law enforcement didn’t have adequate training in knowing how to handle cases that involved people with disabilities (PWD). As an ending result, it left PWD either traumatized or dead. Officers negative impact have loved ones fearing and uncertain if calling officers would be the best decision for the situation. Several cases show where officers acted out in violence and excessive force due to fearing the unknown of what would happen. Officers approach and interactional styles are poor and in need of improvement.

Appropriate training courses are now enforced upon certain states, cities, and counties due to too many …

Athletic Identity, Greg Camillone

Research Papers

Limited data exists in college athletics about mental health conditions, while physical health remains the higher priority. In order to contribute to the limited understanding of student-athletes’ cognitive behavior, a documentary on collegiate student-athletes is produced, utilizing athletic identity as its main theme. Furthermore, the documentary shares personal experiences of how athletes have handled the transition from athletic role to an alternate identity, and how that change effected them mentally.

The purpose of this study is to present evidence from a Division I athletic program to contribute towards answering the following questions:

1. Are collegiate student-athletes struggling mentally with life after …

Race And The Criminal Justice System, Karissa Murphy

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Firearm Bans And Gun Violence, Jake Burns

Research Papers

Tackling the problem of gun violence in the United States is a major challenge facing society. Many different policies have been created in order to address annual gun violence rates including bans on firearm importation, purchase, sale, and possession. Assault weapons, handgun, and Saturday night special bans are the most common firearm bans aimed at combatting gun violence. This systematic review of the literature examined these three different firearms bans and provided an overview of the effectiveness of these interventions. Firearm bans must be weighed against the constitutionality of such acts. Each one of these firearm bans are impacted by …

Helping People With Substance Use Disorders: Drug Court And Care Farms, Carolynne Jorgenson

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Objectification Of Women In Rap Music Videos, Jamie O. Broadnax

Research Papers

Misogyny in the hip-hop culture has played a major role in the representation of women in society, and their glorification as sex objects in music videos is becoming popular and inevitable. Women are often objectified in Hip Hop music and this research project presents how women are being used as targets for objectification in music videos and the violent treatment by men in these videos are analyzed. Author Murali (2010) mentions that black womanhood has become more closely connected to postmodern identity and resistance. The post hip-hop era, feminists and media critics brought up the idea of who controls the …

Exploring The Impact Of Discrimination On The Quality Of Life Of African Americans In America, Jariah Henderson

Research Papers

No abstract provided.