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The Role Of Therapeutic Communities In The Process Of Desistance: A Figurational Analysis, Darragh Farrell

Dissertations

The therapeutic community (TC) is predominantly used for the treatment of substance users. Its approach, which focuses on a strong sense of community, relies on the peer group itself as an agent of change. In one Irish TC, desistance from crime appears to be an unintended outcome of the social processes and cultural forces existing there. The current study utilises qualitative data collected from a small cohort of seven male therapeutic community graduates. All participants had histories of involvement in serious crime and had desisted to varying degrees. Using a figuarational approach, concerned with social processes, analysis of the data …

Predicting Violent Crime Reports From Geospatial And Temporal Attributes Of Us 911 Emergency Call Data, Vincent Corcoran

Dissertations

The aim of this study is to create a model to predict which 911 calls will result in crime reports of a violent nature. Such a prediction model could be used by the police to prioritise calls which are most likely to lead to violent crime reports. The model will use geospatial and temporal attributes of the call to predict whether a crime report will be generated. To create this model, a dataset of characteristics relating to the neighbourhood where the 911 call originated will be created and combined with characteristics related to the time of the 911 call. Geospatial …

A Decade Of Desistance: An Exploratory Study In Desistance Theory, Brendan Marsh

Dissertations

The purpose of this research paper is to explore the lived experience of five ex-offenders who have not offended for a minimum period of ten years. How, and why, these individuals have maintained their crime free status shall be explored in detail in an attempt to understand the causal process that permits successful long term desistance from crime. Furthermore the desisting ex-offenders in this study are also ex-drug addicts. Exactly how criminal offending and drug addiction interacted in the past lives of the people is documented, as is the impossibility of abstaining from one of these behaviours only. This necessitates …

An Exploratory Study Of Jury Representativeness In Ireland, Josephine Mulherin

Dissertations

This research explores the representative nature of jury pools in Ireland and examines how the various stages involved in the jury selection process have the potential to compromise the achievement of a representative jury. Specifically this research addresses how the categories of those who failed to respond to their jury summons, those who were deemed ineligible or disqualified, and those who were excused as of right and for good reason shown, impact the achievement of a representative jury. The headings under which representativeness were examined included age, gender, occupation and nationality. The study was conducted using mixed methodologies and involved …

Investigating The Role Of Alternative Education Provision In Supporting Pathways Out Of Crime For Young People., Bronagh Fagan

Dissertations

Interest in the study of desistance has increased dramatically since the 1970s and 1980s and has become the focus of much criminal justice policy, practice and research. Strong evidence suggests that individuals with a history of difficulties at school and low levels of educational attainment are more likely to offend, continue offending and become entangled in the criminal justice system. However, vast numbers of children continue to fall through the cracks of mainstream education in Ireland every year. The principal aim of this study is to investigate the role of alternative education provision (AEP) in supporting pathways out of crime …

Cop Culture: The Impact Of Confrontation On The Working Personality Of Frontline Gardai, Paul Williams

Dissertations

The unofficial, internal culture of An Garda Siochana is an area where there has been a deficit of academic research and scrutiny despite it being existential to the public discourse on garda reform, especially in recent years. It has been pointed out that the lack of data on the organisational value system of the Irish police is due in part to the nascent state of criminological research in Ireland and a reluctance on the part of the Garda authorities to co-operate in research studies. The primary objective of this study was to explore one aspect of police culture: the impact …

An Exploration Of The Factors That Support Improved Pro-Social Outcomes For Young People In Detention: Social Care Practitioners' Perspectives., Emer Loughrey

Dissertations

Youth detention facilities like many other services funded by public money need to be able to demonstrate the difference it makes to the lives of the small cohort of young people who are detained. In a world which has become more security and safety conscious, evidencing the difference made to the lives of these ‘troubled youths’ is of particular interest to society today. This study aimed to explore the factors that support improved pro social outcomes for young people detained. As key agents of change having access to a formative time in young people’s lives while in detention, social care …

Ex-Prisoners’ Perspectives On Prison Drug Treatment In Ireland, John M. Duggan

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore ex-prisoners’ perspectives on prison drug treatment in Ireland. Prison drug treatment has increased across Europe over the last 20 years both in availability and modality. However, the delivery of drug treatment services in a prison setting is not without its challenges. The prison population is a multiply disadvantaged group, which experiences a disproportionate level of health inequality and social exclusion. Substance misuse is prevalent for a high proportion of prisoners. This research is based on seven semi-structured qualitative interviews with ex-prisoners who have had experience of prison drug treatment. The perspectives of …

An Exploratory Study Of The Role An Equine- Assisted Learning Programme Plays In Diverting Young People From Criminal Pathways, Francisca O'Kelly

Dissertations

Interest in the potential of equine-assisted therapy and learning, where horses are incorporated in therapeutic, rehabilitative and educational interventions to ameliorate emotional, behavioural and social issues, has increased in the past half century. More recently, equine-assisted therapy and learning has been utilised in social work and penal contexts, such as in the rehabilitation and support of at-risk youth and young prisoners. However, there is a dearth of empirical research and published evaluative studies examining the effectiveness of these emerging programmes. The purpose of this study is to explore the role that a Dublin-based equine-assisted learning programme plays in diverting young …

A Study Of Serious Violent And Sexual Offenders Released On Supervised Licence In Northern Ireland Between 2010 And 2013., Alexandra Delimata

Dissertations

Extended Custodial Sentences for serious offenders were introduced under the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2008. Recall rates for these offenders appear disproportionately high compared with other types of public protection sentenced offenders in Northern Ireland. Guided by life-course theories and using mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative research, the study investigates the outcomes for ECS offenders released into the community between 2010 and 2013. Content analysis developed profiles of all (N=57) ECS offenders released under supervised licence by 31 December 2013 and examined characteristics of recalled (N=31) and non-recalled (N=26) offenders to identify possible contributing factors to recall. The …

The Garda Youth Crime Case Management Programme – A Garda Perspective On The Role And The Relationship Dynamics Involved When Managing Cases Of High-Risk Young Offenders Appearing Before The Children Court., Jonathan O'Brien

Dissertations

An Garda Síochána have rolled out a national programme for managing young offenders. The programme aims to provide a child centred, family inclusive, multi-agency approach to manage young people who are before the Courts. The programme has been in operation since 2007 but to date there has been no published research on it. To address that gap this research examines the perspectives of six Garda case managers to gain an insight into the development and evolution of the specific relationship that exists between a Garda case manager and a young offender. The research centres on a number of key questions …

Advocates Of The Peace, A Qualitative Study Of Former Politically Motivated Female Prisoners And Conflict Resolution In Northern Ireland, Mary Mccourt

Dissertations

The Good Friday Agreement is extensively recognised and acknowledged as a successful model of conflict resolution. Prior to its implementation and in the aftermath of the agreement, former politically motivated female prisoners have been instrumental in securing support for the agreement and also sustaining the agreement in the grassroots communities in Northern Ireland. This study explores the roles in which former politically motivated female prisoners have undertaken in micro levels of conflict resolution and presents a gendered perspective of conflict resolution. Findings within this study reveal the grassroots activities of participants, which is aligned with preventing violence within interface communities …

Plural Policing: The Multifaceted World Of Irish State “Policing” Authorities, Thomas Talbot

Dissertations

aim of this research was to explore the rather undocumented world of the wider policing community acting in an official capacity on behalf of the Irish state in 2013 and to produce a comprehensive empirical mapping of these governance entities. This group was defined as those operating in a coercive manner at the most extreme end of the social control spectrum and the research therefore focused on those organisations actively prosecuting cases in the Irish courts.

A mixed method design was used to maximise both quantitative and qualitative information. As this mapping exercise was the first of its kind, a …

The Great Epoch: An Exploration Of The Psychology Of Desistance From Offending., Triona O'Sullivan

Dissertations

This research is an exploratory study aimed at examining the psychological processes underlying desistance from offending based on the lived experience of seven ex-offenders. A phenomenological approach was chosen and the research used qualitative semi-structured interviewing in order to collect rich data regarding the self-narratives of participants. Research findings confirmed several themes already prominent in the desistance literature including the importance of psychological maturation, the role of choice, the importance of the individuals’ self concept, the role of ‘making good’ and cognitive change in the area of thought processes and attitudes to offending. In addition several themes emerged which are …

Policing And Social Influence: Procedural Justice And Compliance Dynamics In The Work Of Garda Juvenile Liaison Officers, Eoin Morrison

Dissertations

This study investigates the role of social influence, in the context of the professional relations between Garda Juvenile Liaison Officers (JLOs), and the young people they work with. Of specific importance is the concept of procedural justice, and its relation to perceptions of legitimacy and compliance dynamics. The aim of the research was to investigate whether the particular interaction patterns, enabled in the context of the JLOs professional role, could be found to have a positive impact upon young people’s levels of compliance with legal authority, in and of themselves. In order to examine this element of lived experience, five …

Booklet Of Selected Theses From The Ma In Criminology, Ma In Law, Ma In Child, Family And Community Studies, And The International Masters In Early Childhood Education, 2010-2012, Matt Bowden, Carmel Gallagher, Kevin Lalor

Dissertations

This booklet highlights and celebrates the research work of graduates from taught Masters programmes in the School of Social Sciences and Law:

• the MA in Criminology

• the MA in Law

• the MA in Child, Family and Community Studies

• the International Masters in Early Childhood Education, co-delivered with Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (Norway) and the University of Malta (Malta).

The MA in Criminology and the MA in Law commenced in 2006 and the MA in Child, Family and Community Studies commenced in 2007. Each has quickly become established in its field as a …

Regenerating Out Crime - The Impact Of An Urban Regeneration Programme On Safety And Security In A Dublin Suburb, Jonathan Grant

Dissertations

The regeneration of Turristown was a programme for the economic, social and physical renewal of a suburban town in the north-west of Dublin, which began in 1997 and which remains on-going to this date. The area of Turristown is one which has been blighted by socioeconomic and physical deprivation since its establishment in the late 1960s, and the regeneration programme was therefore formulated to provide much needed housing, social services and economic investment to the area. This study sought to assess the impact of this urban regeneration on security and safety as perceived by the suppliers and consumers of security …

Jury Service: The Verdict An Exploratory Study Of Public Attitudes To Jury Service, Brid Dempsey

Dissertations

Jury service is seen as an integral institution within the Irish criminal justice system, and is dependent on public participation, as such, it should follow that research into public opinion of this institution is vital. The current research explores the public’s attitude to jury service in Ireland. Specifically, the study concentrates on the public’s support for jury service, their knowledge of jury service and their willingness to participate in jury service. Past experiences of jurors are also explored. The study was conducted through quantitative research utilising availability sampling through 74 on-line surveys. The on-line sample was sourced through the use …

Defining Terrorism: A Risky Business?, Helena Kiely

Dissertations

The Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 introduced definitions of terrorist activity, terrorist group and terrorist offences for the first time. These definitions, enacted subsequent to the Good Friday Agreement (1998), were examined to ascertain whether perspectives of crime control or risk influenced their formulation. Evidence of control perspectives were elicited within the definitions but themes of risk or actuarial justice were not found. The policy analysis established that the definitions which emerged through process of coerced policy convergence emanating from the Council of the European Union with Irish legislators having limited influence.

To Cctv Or Not? An Examination Of Community-Based Cctv In Ireland, Aidan Donnelly

Dissertations

Over the last twenty years, there has been a significant increase in the use of closed circuit television (CCTV) systems. Most people are familiar with the use of such systems in locations such as shops, financial institutions, hotels, schools, hospitals, sports stadia and so forth. However, there are also a significant number of public CCTV systems that have been erected and operate in public space areas such as town centres, residential housing estates etc. Some of these CCTV systems are police only or local authority only systems but a growing number are what is termed community-based systems. The principal aim …

Support For Victims Of Crime: Reality Or Rhetoric?, Jennifer Rice

Dissertations

The criminal justice system has drawn the victim of crime from the background to become a major actor in the criminal justice process. Over the last two decades, a considerable number of Irish policies have been drafted to meet the needs of the victim of crime. Whilst Ireland has followed the same path as a number of other jurisdictions such as the UK, it is interesting to consider why particular policies have been enacted. Is the victim of crime being used as a pawn in political game play? Or, are politicians genuinely addressing the needs of Irish victims of crime? …

An Examination Of The Practitioners' Role In Promoting Compliance With Participants In The Irish Drug Treatment Court, James N. O'Sullivan

Dissertations

The study examines the Irish Drug Treatment Court (IDTC) programme and specifically its practitioners‟ role in promoting offender compliance, which is essential to the success of community supervision and community punishment programmes. Existing literature and research was studied extensively, paying particular attention to compliance and legitimacy theory as well as the challenges of addiction and offending in the overall equation of compliance. Qualitative research methods were utilised with non-participatory observation of IDTC team meetings and court sittings, and semi-structured interviews with practitioners. Five IDTC professionals were interviewed and their experience, skills, education and opinion contributed extensively to the study‟s aims …

The Police Caution As A Diversionary Mechanism. An Analysis Of The Garda Síochána Adult Caution Scheme, Graham Tolan

Dissertations

The Garda Síochána Adult Caution Scheme was established in 2006. It is among a range of alternate methods which have been introduced in recent years that are designed to divert adults away from the criminal justice system. The scheme provides a mechanism by which individuals receive a formal police caution in lieu of prosecution before the courts. It is only available to certain persons against whom there is evidence of the commission of a scheduled criminal offence and where the prosecution of such an offence is not in the public interest (An Garda Síochána, 2006:2009). This thesis examines the scheme …

Looking Through The Eyes Of A Homeless Prisoner, Exploring Homeless Offender’S Perspectives On Their Transition From Custody To Community., Louise Rowlands

Dissertations

The research study provides a phenomenological approach to investigate individual’s experiences of their journey through homelessness and examining it within the concept of homeless identity. The study was concerned with exploring and acquiring a rich description on what is homeless offenders/prisoner’s perception of their transition from custody to the community and the pathways they endure. The study examined pathways into, through and out of homelessness through available literature and by conducting five interviews with individuals who are currently or have a history of homelessness and offending. Similarly the researcher sought to highlight and develop issues that drew individuals back into …

Partners Against Crime A Review Of Partnerships In Joint Policing Committees, Dermot Harrington

Dissertations

Recent developments of policing in Ireland have seen a shift towards local crime prevention initiatives through local partnerships. The principle aim of this study is to explore the effects of the partnership model of policing with the recent introduction of Joint Policing Committees (JPCs). This dissertation seeks to examine the opinions of members of JPCs towards this model. The research employed a qualitative methodology obtained through semi-structured interviews of JPC members and observational studies. In addition, this thesis reports on literature regarding partnership, security and governance in modern society. While this research project found that informal partnerships between An Garda …

Pulling A Rabbit Out Of A Hat, Where Do Policies Come From? An Examination Of The Criminal Justice Policy Processes Behind The Building Of The Dóchas Centre (Ireland’S Largest Women’S Prison), Eoin Carroll

Dissertations

There is an increasing need to understand the processes in which key decisions are made within the criminal justice system. While women in the Irish prison system are still very much in the minority they are the fastest growing population in prison and are currently experiencing overcrowding unknown in living memory in Irish prisons. It is too soon to comprehensively examine the origins of the recent policy decision to retrofit bunk beds and dormitories in Ireland’s largest women’s prison (Dóchas Centre) and what other possible solutions were explored, for example, why a proposed new facility was cancelled. However, it is …

A Policy Analysis Of The Criminal Justice (Community Service) (Amendment) Act 2011, Fionnuala Lawlor

Dissertations

The Criminal Justice (Community Service) (Amendment) Act of 2011 is legislation which is aimed at encouraging a greater use of community service orders for people convicted of minor offences. It places a requirement on Judges when considering the imposition of a sentence of 12 months or less to consider the alternative sanction of community service first. This is the first legislation for a number of years which is aimed at diverting offenders from prison and very little is known about the reasoning behind its introduction. This thesis will utilise the framework of policy analysis set out by Kingdon (1995) and …

Leisure, Organised Sport And Antisocial Behaviour An Examination Of Youth’S Involvement In Leisure, Organised Sports And Its Effect On Antisocial Behaviour, Ann Meenagh

Dissertations

Over the last ten years national strategies and policies placed youth at the forefront of their developments. Particular attention has been placed on antisocial behaviour and the appropriate punishments and rehabilitation methods. Programmes have been developed with the objective to deter antisocial behaviours with little empirical support to justify them. This study aims to determine whether youth’s involvement in leisure and sport has any effect on their involvement in antisocial or delinquent behaviour. This is mainly achieved through the quantitative research method of a survey. Sixty-five people aged between 14-20 years old from two contrasting educational institutions in Dublin were …

Death In Irish Prisons: An Examination Of The Causes Of Deaths And The Compliance Of Investigations With The European Convention On Human Rights, Colette Barry

Dissertations

Death is a tragic and unfortunately unavoidable aspect of life in a prison. The death of a prisoner raises significant questions in relation to the conditions of confinement and the conduct of the prison authorities. Robust investigations into these deaths can enhance accountability by shedding light on deficits in both institutional and systemic practices, as well as providing families of the deceased with a sense of closure. In Ireland, the investigative responses to prison deaths are neither robust, nor do they allow for significant scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the death. The causes of deaths in custody and the compatibility …

Adolescents Who Sexually Abuse: Exploring The Impact On The Family, Tracey Carroll

Dissertations

This research project considers a frequently ignored dimension of adolescent sexual abuse, the parents and families of the adolescent perpetrator. This study focuses on eliciting professionals‟ views of the impact on the family when an adolescent member has sexually abused. The context for the study is outlined with an account of the prevalence of and explanations for adolescent sexual abuse. The study proceeds to look at legislation and the impact on labelling. Areas relating to the family on the impact of disclosure, parental reactions and the process of engagement are explored.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five professionals working within …