Digital Commons Network^™

Sustaining Boys' Motivation Over The Transition To Middle School: Can Interpersonal Resources Protect Boys From Engagement Declines Across Sixth Grade?, Brandy Anne Brennan

Dissertations and Theses

Recent research has highlighted the challenges boys face in school. Boys are overrepresented on indicators of negative academic outcomes, such as detention, suspension, and dropout, as well as underperformance on state and national tests. Moreover, these effects may be long lasting: Compared to females, male students are less likely to graduate high school, enroll in college, and complete a college degree, and they may be particularly vulnerable in middle school. As students enter middle school, their motivation and engagement normatively decline, and these losses may be especially problematic for boys. Nevertheless, research documents the importance of close relationships with parents, …

Is More Always Better? A Look At Visitation And Recidivism, Teriin Lee

Dissertations and Theses

The body of literature on prison visitation provides empirical support that visitation may influence the likelihood of recidivism. However, the literature is limited in both size and geographic representation, as more than half of studies originate from samples in Florida or Minnesota. Moreover, inconsistency in the use of measures further complicates generalizability of the findings. The following study utilizes data collected from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission to examine the relationship between visitation and recidivism in Oregon. Using a sample of 29,312 adults in custody (AICs) who were released between 2011 and 2017, we test the associations of seven distinct …

Bridging The Gap Between Clients And Public Defenders: Introducing A Structured Shadow Method To Examine Attorney Communication, Christopher M. Campbell, Kelsey S. Henderson

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

A growing body of scholarship argues that representing clients in an effective and quality manner should be a critical goal for public defenders, emphasizing the need to be client-centered. Beyond this call, recent research emphasizes that client-centered approaches hinge on good communication as it can contribute to a more effective attorney–client relationship. However, to identify and improve communication and client-centered relationships, major obstacles must be overcome which involve conceptualizing and operationalizing quality representation and communication. In this article, we introduce a two-phase, structured shadowing method as a way to overcome these obstacles. Phase I consists of a survey of public …

Creating Academic-Community Partnerships To Jointly Enhance Advocacy And Research On Violence And Disability: Two Case Examples, Emily M. Lund, Rosemary B. Hughes, Katherine E. Mcdonald, Sandra Marie Leotti, Marsha Katz, Leanne Beers, Christina Nicolaidis

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective: This article describes the use of community-based participatory research (CBPR) to foster bidirectional and equitable academic-community partnerships in two studies related to interpersonal violence and disability. Method: We analyzed our methods and experiences in conducting these studies to focus on the ways in which CBPR methodology was used to jointly promote and enhance research and advocacy surrounding violence and disability in the research processes themselves and the resulting assessment and intervention products. Results: Our use of CBPR methodology allowed us to identify and address critical issues related to violence in the disability community, such as disability-related forms and experiences …

Judicial Involvement In Plea-Bargaining, Kelsey S. Henderson, Erika N. Fountain, Allison D. Redlich, Jason A. Cantone

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

The topic of judicial involvement in plea negotiations is a controversial issue, with potential benefits (e.g., ensuring that the process is fairer) and risks (e.g., inducing an innocent defendant to plead guilty). Currently, 20 jurisdictions explicitly prohibit judicial involvement in plea negotiations, whereas eight permit some type of involvement. We surveyed state court judges about judicial involvement in plea bargaining (colloquy and negotiations) and their perceptions on judicial participation. We expected judges in states that prohibit judicial involvement in negotiations to have a more negative view of judicial participation compared with judges in states that permit involvement or those in …

A Profile Of Freshman Inquiry Students Fall 2021, Portland State University. University Studies Program, Rowanna L. Carpenter

University Studies Assessment Research

In order to better understand the students who enroll in Freshman Inquiry (FRINQ) courses and identify areas where they may need support, University Studies (UNST) began collecting and compiling data on these students. This report presents a profile of FRINQ students from Fall 2021. It presents an overview of all students enrolled in FRINQ during Fall 2021 and then summarizes information from the Prior Learning Survey. It is organized around three areas that contribute to student success: academic preparation and concern; financial and physical wellbeing; and connectedness to campus.

A Profile Of Sophomore Inquiry Students Fall 2021, Portland State University. University Studies Program, Rowanna L. Carpenter

University Studies Assessment Research

In order to better understand the students who enroll in Sophomore Inquiry (SINQ) courses and begin to identify areas where they may need support, University Studies (UNST) began collecting and compiling data on these students. This report presents a profile of SINQ students from Fall 2021. It presents an overview of all students enrolled in SINQ during Fall 2021 and then summarizes information from the Prior Learning Survey. It is organized around three areas that contribute to student success: academic preparation and concern; financial and physical wellbeing; and connectedness to campus.

Who We Are: Focus On… Student Identity, Yarina Aguilar Becerra, Cecilia Diojuan, Jasmine Walker, Neera Malhotra, David Peterson Del Mar, Vicki Reitenauer

University Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

In short

• Increasingly, professionals in higher education are acknowledging the short- and long-term impacts on individuals and communities of institutional failures to create welcoming, inclusive, and caring environments for traditionally underrepresented students.
• Student voices, reflecting on their lived and felt experiences in college, have been less frequently present in the discussions about inclusion in higher education.
• Listening to students from underrepresented groups has the potential to redefine and renew how we understand education and ourselves, offering a template and a foundation for the dense network of relationships that a student-focused institution of higher education ought to aspire to and build …

Using The White Space To Center Blackness--A Conversation With Guest Editor, Dr. Amir Gilmore, Amir A. Gilmore, Maika Yeigh

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

In anticipation of the NWJTE Antiblackness Special Issue, the Editorial Board interviewed guest editor, Dr. Amir Gilmore.

Zero Tolerance Policies Are Anti-Black: Protecting Racially Profiled Students From Educational Injustice, Jonathan Lightfoot

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

When students are tracked from their schools into the juvenile and adult criminal justice system, primarily because of zero-tolerance policies, they fall victim to a practice that is now widely known as the school-to-prison pipeline. President Obama urged educators to abandon severe disciplinary policies that criminalize students for offenses that could be handled without law enforcement (Du, 2015). A review of the literature indicates a disproportionate number of Black students are at a greater risk of being adversely impacted by such policies thus increasing their chances of having a negative educational experience. Research shows that Black students receive higher rates …

Reflections On The Politics Of Professionalism: Critical Autoethnographies Of Anti-Blackness In The Ela Classroom, Stephanie P. Jones, Robert P. Robinson

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

As Black educators, we are implanted with testimonies of how our pedagogies remained in close proximity to whiteness. We employ antiblackness and critical race theory frameworks. Through what we call vignettes of repair we address ourselves and our students to first, repair the harm we caused and second, to engage in collective witnessing that makes room for (re)claiming and (re)membering our own knowledge. From our critical reflection, we propose that teacher educators engage in a similar practice for their prospective teachers.

Pdx Protests, Summer 2020: A Syllabus And Timeline, Francheska Cannone, Nate Belcik, Macy Franken, Kelly Green, Sarah Harris, Philippe Kerstens, Vicky White, Katrine Barber

PDXOpen: Open Educational Resources

This syllabus and timeline of the protests organized in Portland throughout the summer and early fall of 2020 was compiled and written by Portland State University students enrolled in Professor Katrine Barber’s HST 4/593, Introduction to Public History in Fall 2020. It was prepared in partnership with the Oregon State University Press and presented to them at the conclusion of the course. It combines local Portland journalism with a number of other scholarly resources to attempt to answer the question: “Why Portland?” The goals of the project at the outset were to correct inaccuracies or oversights in national coverage of …

Exploring The Impact Of Interpersonal Trust On Health Outcomes In Rapidly Gentrifying Neighborhoods In Portland, Oregon, Julie Ha, Yves Labissiere

McNair Symposium

Social determinants have been recognized to be significant factors contributing to the overall health outcomes of individuals. However, there is limited research on how these factors have directly impacted the mental and physical wellness of people in neighborhoods who are experiencing rapid gentrification. The objective of this study is to determine whether the level of interpersonal trust present between individuals in neighborhoods is associated with the mental and physical health outcomes among its residents. This quantitative study uses the Albina-Rockwood Neighborhood Promise Survey, which uses data from a random sample of families living in two rapidly gentrified neighborhoods in Portland, …

Drug Conviction And Employment Restriction: Experiences Of Employees With Drug-Related Criminal Histories, Liana Bernard

Dissertations and Theses

It has been established that there are numerous barriers to obtaining and maintaining employment following a criminal conviction, including background checks, which occur as part of most selection processes. Barriers to obtaining and maintaining employment may be higher for individuals with drug-related criminal histories as they may face particularly severe negative stereotypes. This study examines the experiences of individuals with drug-related criminal histories' integration into the workplace and society. Additionally, because stereotypes about individuals with drug-related criminal histories are contradictory to those of individuals with stable employment, I examine how these individuals are impacted by reductions in the stigma that …

Marijuana-Related Crime In Oregon Following Legalization Of Recreational Use, Ana Alicia Soto

Dissertations and Theses

In this decade we are seeing the legalization of recreational marijuana occurring across the nation, with new legislation being passed every year. This necessitates research into what works within the regulatory framework of states where MJ has been legalized. This study sets out to look at Oregon's implementation of recreational marijuana and its impact on marijuana-related offenses. Using NIBRS, we examine marijuana-related offenses across 13 counties with crime data from 41 agencies in Oregon from pre-legalization to post-legalization (2010 to 2019). This study uses elements of legalization, licenses, and production to analyze the association between these aspects and offenses that …

Incarceration And Suicide: Do The Risk Factors Differ For Civilians And Veterans?, Rheannon Gail Ramsey

Dissertations and Theses

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in United States jails and prisons. Many researchers have looked at suicides in prisons and what can potentially cause suicidal ideation but there are conflicting findings among civilian incarcerated populations and United States military veteran incarcerated populations.

The intent of this study is to examine which risk factors are most prevalent among adults in custody, with a focus on mental health and substance use or abuse and how these risk factors differ between incarcerated civilians and incarcerated veterans. Using survey data from the 2002 Survey of Inmates in Local Jails conducted …

The Effects Of Mental Illness On Capital Sentencing In The State Of Oregon, Mirtill E. Csikos

University Honors Theses

There is emerging awareness on the potential arbitrariness and unconstitutionality of executing persons with mental illness. Most states with current death penalty laws have little to no protection for severely mentally ill defendants during capital trials. The present paper looked at the effectiveness of sentencing statutes serving the purpose of protecting defendants with severe mental illness in the state of Oregon. Through a careful meta-analysis this research focused on determining how mental illness plays into death penalty decisions and if Oregon’s Guilty Except for Insanity defense provides sufficient protection. Furthermore, the question of mental illness as a mitigating factor was …

The Psychedelic Renaissance: A Convergence Of Indigenous Knowledge And Science, Ronan K. Peck

University Honors Theses

In recent times, psychedelics have come back into the public eye, mostly through scientific intrigue about their healing potential. In the past decade, hundreds of studies have been conducted to explore the possible benefits, or risks, that these substances could bring to people – and there is great potential being found. This is the psychedelic renaissance, and with this phenomenon in full swing, it is important to take a step back and look at the full picture of our history with these substances. By doing so, it starts to become clear that psychedelics have guided human perception and understanding of …

Social Determinants Of Health And Care Outcomes Among People With Hiv In The United States, Timothy W. Menza, Lindsay K. Hixson, Lauren E. Lipira, Linda Drach

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

Fewer than 70% of people with HIV (PWH) in the United States have achieved durable viral suppression. To end the HIV epidemic in the United States, clinicians, researchers, and public health practitioners must devise ways to remove barriers to effective HIV treatment. To identify PWH who experience challenges to accessing health care, we created a simple assessment of social determinants of health (SDOH) among PWH and examined the impact of cumulative social and economic disadvantage on key HIV care outcomes.

Globalizing Noncitizen Detention, Jaye Balentine

Anthós

This inquiry seeks to establish that the global expansion in regimes of noncitizen detention represents a contemporary expression of imperial subjectification under Western liberalism and that such regimes serve a key role in maintaining the capitalist social order. While several efforts have been made to explain the globalization of noncitizen detention practices stemming from the United States, there exists serious shortcomings in the proposed analyses. Namely, existing literature on the subject has failed to adequately account for the history of Western imperialism and the centrality of liberalism as a political ideology in this imperial project. By intervening in the existing …

The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experience (Aces), Future Adult Incarceration, And Poor Mental Health- A Literature Review, Letasi M. Burgess

University Honors Theses

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's) study is about childhood experiences with abuse, neglect, household challenges, and adult life mental and physical well-being. ACE's that were identified and studied were substance abuse; domestic violence; emotional and physical neglect; physical, emotional, and sexual abuse; mental illness; divorce/separation; and members of the home who have been incarcerated. This paper will be about how adults who have been or are incarcerated, as well as have or have had mental health issues, were impacted by adverse childhood experiences.

Crime Patterns In Bend, Oregon Over A Twenty-Year Period, Holly Schorr

University Honors Theses

Most of the public's understanding of crime is based on mainstream media coverage, which is often tainted by sensationalism and oversimplification. News coverage tends to focus on shorter-term trends that can exaggerate crime patterns and obscure important contextual details. Although there are large quantities of data that can be used to analyze crime over long periods of time and in great detail, long-term analyses are often overlooked due to the ever-present need for shorter-term analyses to inform local policies and policing strategies. In this report, we will utilize UCR and NIBRS data to analyze both the nature of individual offenses …

Automated Decision Making And Machine Learning: Regulatory Alternatives For Autonomous Settings, Alyssa Heminger

University Honors Theses

Given growing investment capital in research and development, accompanied by extensive literature on the subject by researchers in nearly every domain from civil engineering to legal studies, automated decision-support systems (ADM) are likely to see a place in the foreseeable future. Artificial intelligence (AI), as an automated system, can be defined as a broad range of computerized tasks designed to replicate human neural networks, store and organize large quantities of information, detect patterns, and make predictions with increasing accuracy and reliability. By itself, artificial intelligence is not quite science-fiction tropes (i.e. an uncontrollable existential threat to humanity) yet not without …

Police Union Contracts And Impediments To Accountability: A Case Study Analysis Of Ppa Bargaining Agreements, Elizabeth Ott

University Honors Theses

Despite a growing widespread recognition that police unions represent a major component of policing and have major influences on aspects of policing such as disciplinary procedures, day-to-day management, and police-community relations, they have until recently been largely ignored by police scholars. In light of significant gaps in knowledge regarding police unions and the impacts that they have on law enforcement behavior and police accountability, this paper utilizes a case study approach to analyze all existing union contracts between the Portland Police Association (PPA) and the City of Portland in order to explore the prevalence of particular contract provisions that critics …

Exploring The Criminal Justice System Through A Case Study Approach: Exploring The Intersections And Interventions Of The Juvenile Justice System Through A Case Study Approach, Adriana Cordova-Perez

University Honors Theses

For my thesis, I used a case study approach to analyze what we can learn about the Criminal justice system by exploring the life history of a juvenile offender. Research data was collected through an interview with a juvenile offender. Secondary sources such as literature review will also be examined to better understand the juvenile justice system. The interview will have several questions to better understand the life of the juvenile prior to them becoming part of the criminal justice system and also the question about life while in the youth correctional facility. Through those questions, I hope to better …

Higher Education For All Law Enforcement Officers, Johana Constantino Madrigal

University Honors Theses

In this brief prospectus, the focus is on the many arguments for why it should be a requirement for all law enforcement officers to have a higher education background. Given light to recent events, the importance for more highly trained and educated officers has become more dire as people call for justice in an attempt to right the wrongs that have been done. The articles found all address the manner in which higher education can help with better judgement calls, analyze and respond to situations better, and the overall perception officers have, who have a form of higher education, on …

When I Was A Young Girl: Gender And Race In The Life Archives Of Criminal Transportation, Nick Townsend

University Honors Theses

In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, the carceral system in England shifted away from corporal punishment and moved towards containing and policing those deemed criminal in different ways. One notable way was transportation, the practice of moving convicts out of the imperial core into a colony. This practice became a way to remove "lesser" populations from England and regulate social behavior while also expanding the British Empire and allowed convicts a new purpose in expanding the carceral state. This developed alongside the broader trends of racialization and colonization in the British Empire, which drew a global color line separating "white" …

Open Crime Maps: How Are Police Departments Doing So Far?, Khaing Sandee Lynn

Dissertations and Theses

In recent years, some police departments have started providing open crime maps depicting select crime-related data. However, there has been no studies so far evaluating map delivery sources, the type of maps delivered, and why agencies might be doing so. Using a random, stratified sample of 1,677 police departments from the 2013 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey, the current study examines how many police departments provide access to online crime maps as well as how they are delivered (externally or internally) and prevalent map types (dot, density, choropleth, etc.). Furthermore, whether or not agencies provided a justification(s) …

Identifying The Cost Of Preventable Chronic Disease In Prison: Can Illness Prevention Of Adults In Custody Save Money?, Molly Bineham

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigates the cost of preventable health problems and ailments when compared to other costs of incarceration. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of imprisonment on the costliest chronic illness. The health of adults in custody related to the general population and the overall fiscal cost of the deadliest chronic illness among incarcerated adults is discussed. Linear regression is used to analyze the occurrence of heart disease and diabetes among adults in custody while controlling for other factors. The results of this analysis provide insight that chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes should be …

Claiming Miscommunication To Justify Rape: The Role Of Liking The Perpetrator, Alyssa Marie Glace Maryn

Dissertations and Theses

In this dissertation, four experiments tested whether sharing an ingroup with a sexual violence perpetrator (vs not sharing an ingroup) makes individuals more likely to view the survivor's consent refusal as insufficient. Although most people communicate sexual consent indirectly and nonverbally, individuals often report that indirect and nonverbal consent refusals are an insufficient form of non-consent. These claims of consent miscommunication might be used to justify instances of sexual violence when an individual is motivated to do so. I hypothesize that sharing an ingroup identity with a perpetrator might motivate individuals to justify sexual violence, leading them to report that …