Digital Commons Network^™

Spectre Of Justice: Russian Reform In The Courtrooms Of Dostoevsky And Tolstoy, Abby Moore

Senior Theses

The Great Reforms of Alexander II are regarded as transformative policies in the history of Tsarist Russia, drastically changing the empire’s social and political fabric. The judicial reforms of 1864 in particular addressed longstanding issues within the existing criminal justice system, yet they also liberalized the institution at large. Following in the West’s footsteps, the reforms introduced an unprecedented level of democracy into Russia’s courtroom. Among the critics of these changes were renowned authors Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy, both of whom used the realm of fiction to explore their respective concerns with reformed Russian jurisprudence. Both authors bring distinct …

The Effects Of Mental Health Literacy And Perceived Social Support On Mental Health Stigma Across Racial And Ethnic Groups In The United States: A Survey-Based Analysis, Isabel R. Jordan, Dan Cooper, Jayxa Alonzo

Senior Theses

The goals of this study were to determine a) whether minoritized groups in the United States had lower levels of mental health literacy (MHL) and higher levels of stigma, b) whether people with higher rates of MHL and social support had lower rates of stigma and c) whether MHL and perceived social support were stronger predictors of stigma levels depending on racial group membership. I hypothesized that people with both high levels of MHL and high levels of social support would have lower levels of mental health stigma, minoritized groups would have lower levels of MHL and social support and …

Analyzing African American College Student Willingness To Participate In Clinical Trials, Caitlin B. Ulmer

Senior Theses

Previous studies regarding African American participation in clinical trials have found that African Americans participate at a significantly lower rate than other ethnic/racial groups. Scholars argue that this lack of participation in clinical trials is a direct result of historical trauma linked to unethical experiments and African American distrust in the healthcare system. However, there is a gap in the literature because these studies focus on African American individuals above the age of 30. This study aimed to fill the gap by examining clinical trial participation among African American college students within the ages 18 to 23. This study also …

Black And Battered: The Impact Of The Violence Against Women Act On Women Of Color, Antonia D. Adams

Senior Theses

Domestic violence is the intentional act of someone exerting control to harm another person. Domestic violence can impact individuals of all genders, ethnicities, and backgrounds. However, domestic violence has a disproportionate impact on Black women over their white counterparts. By analyzing raw SLED data, as well as peer-reviewed articles and personal interviews, this paper will explore whether the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) helped Black women, or if it failed to protect them. The hypothesis is that VAWA did not address the unique needs that Black women faced in domestic violence. Due to the myriad of circumstances that Black women …

The Americans Progress Forgot? An Interdisciplinary Study Of The Role Of Media In Opiate Politics, Rachael M. Erickson

Senior Theses

The most recent opioid crisis in the United States was largely described, by politicians, the media, and subsequently members of the voting public, as being an issue primarily affecting rural White communities. This phenomenon is shaped by the fact that the rate at which White Americans use opiates is outpaced by the frequency with which White American use of opiates is described as an issue of human interest in opinion or editorial articles in news media. In this thesis I aim to understand how the racialized public and political perception of opiate use is shaped by local media.

The following …

The Economics Of Mass Incarceration: How Imprisonment Due To Drug Offenses Impacts The Economy Of Texas, Leah N. Letterhos

Senior Theses

I begin by addressing drug use and how it impacts individuals’ economic outcomes, through psychological substance abuse disorders, income, and employment, where I discuss how each factor is impacted by drug use. Next, I undergo the same process for how incarceration and how it affects economic outcomes of individuals, through the debt cycle, the drain of household resources, limited/lack of pay while in prison, and difficulty in finding employment after release from prison. I follow this by connecting incarceration to drug use by writing about the background on the United States’ incarceration rates and link to drug enforcement and systemic …

The Future Of Bail Reform In The United States, Mary Gorham

Senior Theses

This thesis examines bail reform, specifically cash bail reform, across several jurisdictions in the United States. The goal of this research is to provide a synthesis of the literature and reform efforts at the state and federal levels. Importantly, this thesis will examine recent modifications to the cash bail systems in four states. in order to get a balanced perspective on the success of these reform efforts. In the pages that follow, there will be a presentation of the literature review and a discussion of the reforms that have been undertaken since 2015. Additionally, this thesis will discuss how the …

The White Man's Crime: White-Collar Crime, Gender, Race, And Age, Ashton N. Albert

Senior Theses

This paper investigates the population of white-collar crime offenders with special emphasis on race, gender, and age. Through extensive literature review, the ambiguities and evolving definitions of white-collar crime and its offenses are explored in depth. Further review of the body of research available on the topic was conducted to investigate the ‘typical’ white collar crime offender in relation to individual characteristics and explore possible explanations. Data analysis was conducted on various datasets available through the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Data Explorer regarding the race, gender, and age of white-collar crime offenders in FY 2020. The analysis concluded that …

The Aftereffects Of Corporal Punishment On Adults: Association Of Childhood Spanking With Adult Stress Levels, Marie Sanyang

Senior Theses

Spanking has been an acceptable form of punishment for centuries. Previously thought as effective, studies have now shown the detriments of spanking, including increased aggression, drug abuse, and stress levels. This exploratory study sought to observe the stress levels of adults who experienced childhood spankings. It was hypothesized that those who experienced frequent spankings would report increased anxiety, reduced socialization, and decreased emotional regulation in times of stress. It was also hypothesized that those who reported being spanked would report lower emotional and physical health regulation and higher mental health diagnosis. Fifty-four participants were composed of undergraduate and graduate students …

The Problem With Dissociative Identity Disorder In The Media: Misrepresentation, Or Inadequate Diagnostic Criteria?, Rebecca Cortez

Senior Theses

The highly popularized portrayal of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) in mainstream media has often been dubbed inaccurate; blamed on misrepresentations, bad applications of the diagnostic criteria, and the tendency to sensationalize mental illness. Through the analysis of five different depictions of DID in film, I find that all five characters met the minimum criteria for diagnosis according to the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (2013). Some depictions of DID predate the publication date of the current diagnostic manual by over 50 years, portraying symptoms that are widely recognized today but were neither accepted nor identified back …

Slow Violence And Racial Capitalism: Understanding Mass Incarceration Through A Case Study Of The California Prison System, Mason Joiner

Senior Theses

This thesis will analyze the growth of the California prison system, situating it in the national context of mass incarceration in the United States. In Ruth Wilson Gilmore’s book Golden Gulag: Prisons, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing California, Gilmore utilizes the theory of racial capitalism to explain the history and development of the California prison system. By analyzing Gilmore’s arguments about racial capitalism and integrating them with Rob Nixon’s theory of slow violence from his book Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor, this thesis provides a new perspective in the current discourse around mass incarceration. …

The Eviction Landscape In South Carolina, Ethan Magnuson

Senior Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to describe and analyze the South Carolinian eviction crisis from the perspective of radical geography. South Carolina was chosen for the severity of its crisis and the lack of research at a sub-state level. Court records of eviction filings from 2019 were geocoded and tested for spatial clustering, which was clearly visible. Plaintiff names were used to identify the most frequent filers and distinguish landlords by type. At the census tract level, eviction filing counts were compared with neighborhood characteristics using negative binomial regression, and most were found to be significant in South Carolina. …

Justice For All? An In-Depth Look At Sexual Assault Kit Testing In The Carolinas, Jessalynn C. King

Senior Theses

Within the last few decades, technological advancements and an improved understanding of biological materials have led to an increase in evidence that can be submitted for forensic testing in criminal justice investigations. In a sexual assault investigation, a sexual assault kit (SAK) is often collected and contains the evidence found on the victim’s or suspect’s person. While the true total is unknown, it is estimated that several hundred thousand untested SAKs remain in the custody of law enforcement and forensic crime laboratories across the United States. Whether these SAKs were neglected due to law enforcement bias, the prioritization of other …

The Effects Of Racialization On Sikhs In America: An Intersectional Approach, Harsirjan K. Roopra

Senior Theses

Sikhs have been largely ignored in the literature surrounding social justice and religious tolerance. The many pressures Sikhs face, and the social assumptions that lead to them, must be brought into the broader conversation on these issues so that educators and politicians might help support the well-being of the Sikh community. Sikh identity has been misinterpreted and redefined in modern day American society. The lack of cultural and religious literacy of many Americans, coupled with Sikhs’ distinct visible identity, has led to xenophobic violence against Sikhs since their arrival in the U.S. more than a century ago. The root of …

Political Theatre: Entertainment Or Instrument Of Social Change?, Olivia M. Matthews

Senior Theses

This paper explores political theatre as a means of conveying information and inspiring action regarding socio-political issues. Through a staged reading of The Exonerated, and subsequent audience discussion and survey, the effectiveness of theatre as a means of commenting on political problems was explored. The conclusion was reached that theatre is uniquely suited for this role due to the emotional human connection forged by seeing examples of real people dealing with the addressed issues.

Contraceptive Education In South Carolina Women's Jails, Sarah B. Johnson

Senior Theses

Women in jail, which is currently a growing population, are at risk of unplanned pregnancy due to their potential exposure to alcohol and drug use, history of living in an abusive environment, and potential practice of prostitution(Clarke et al., 2012; Clarke et al., 2006; Kelly, 2012). The majority of female inmates are between the ages of 17-30, the peak reproductive age, which increases the importance of jails providing education to improve inmates’ reproductive health (Hale et al., 2009). Many females arrested will be released from jail back into society, making jails an opportune place to provide information to improve the …

Sex Work Decriminalization And Feminist Theory, Gabriella Mesce

Senior Theses

This thesis explores the history and nuances of sex work and feminist philosophy, especially within the context of commercial sex and feminist legal theory. Through an analysis of four different feminist philosophies that stemmed from the “sex wars” of the 1980s such as abolitionism, neo-abolitionism, decriminalization and legalization and their perspectives on sex work, the belief systems of these perspectives and their relation to feminist jurisprudence, as well as a comparative study of decriminalized sex work in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands and Juárez, Mexico, this research shows the ramifications of decriminalization of sex work on progressive feminism.

An Intersectional Analysis Of Structural Racism And Police Violence Against Black Women, Ceylin H. Ucok

Senior Theses

Structural racism in the United States affects racial and ethnic minorities in many areas of life. The Black community, specifically, faces the highest risk of police violence and brutality. In particular, this paper explores the ways in which adverse police violence experiences affect Black women. Black women often face marginalization in movements for racial justice and gender equality, so this paper investigates the intersectionality of how Black women experience police violence. They often face overlapping forms of discrimination and racialized gender violence at the hands of police. The negative ways in which Black women are stereotyped are discussed to further …

A Policy Analysis Of South Carolina Drug Court Legislation: H. 3322 § 302: Drug Court Program Act (2019), Mae Chinnes

Senior Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine a piece of drug court legislation currently being considered by the South Carolina Legislature, H. 3322 § 302. An overview of drug criminalization in the United States, its impact, and drug courts are provided. This is followed by a review of the literature on the key programmatic components of drug court best practices, including: target population, incentives and sanctions, management team, and duration. An example analysis of Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Drug Court Program policies proceeds the analysis of H. 3322. Parameters of successful drug court legislation and program outcomes are defined …

Assessing Columbia's Homeless Court, Andrew Wilson

Senior Theses

This report provides relevant background information on the state of homelessness in Columbia and describes the problems that criminal offenders who are homeless faced under traditional modes of correction. It then outlines the concept and history of the homeless court model and explains how these programs are intended to improve legal outcomes for individuals facing homelessness. The collection of perspectives from government and nonprofit stakeholders and homeless court participants brought together in the thesis form a qualitative framework for considering how successful the homeless court has been in accomplishing its goals and what opportunities exist for improving it. Additionally, this …

Advancing Professional Development Strategies For Chemistry And Biochemistry Undergraduates, Christian A. Brown

Senior Theses

In the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina (the Department), most curriculum-driven professional development is reserved for third- and fourth-year students. Classroom learning occurs at all levels, but the context comes late. Early exposure to career options and hands-on training is imperative for undergraduates to obtain maximum experiential learning. The purpose of this project is to advance the current professional development strategies of the Department, specifically targeting second- and third-year students. The study surveyed students' current involvement in professional development activities. The data on extracurricular experience and post-graduation interest was used to design a workshop …

Introductory Guide To Forensic Accounting: A Synthesis Of Scholarly Research And One Student’S Experience, Kayla Miles

Senior Theses

Introductory Guide to Forensic Accounting, found in Appendix A, was created to provide a concise blueprint for building a career in forensic accounting. It provides a lot of useful information for those seeking to gain a better understanding of the profession or learn how they can join it. The idea for this guide came as a result of my own journey to becoming a forensic accountant. I was initially introduced to the forensic accounting profession during a brief conversation with a forensic accountant working for the FBI while I was in high school. Following that conversation, I sought to …

Pilot Program To Provide Hiv Pep To Sexual Assault Survivors, Ellen Stahlman

Senior Theses

Currently, South Carolina has no standardized guidelines for the prescription and financial obligations for HIV prophylactic treatment post sexual assault. With South Carolina’s high rates of sexual assault and HIV/AIDS, there should be implementation of a program to address these issues. In 2014, South Carolina Office of Victim Assistance (SOVA) contacted the USC Immunology Clinic along with Palmetto Health Richland hospital in order to implement a pilot program in order to provide funding for sexual assault survivors’ treatment preventing HIV. Much communication had to take place in order for all aspects of the process to work efficiently. Emergency departments first …

A New Hope: South Carolina's Struggle With Domestic Violence, Riley Anne Bearden

Senior Theses

South Carolina has come into the national spotlight over the past 10 years over it’s consistent issue with domestic violence. With domestic homicide rates consistently over the national average, journalists and researchers have examined everything from the causes of domestic violence, it’s impetus within a person and its cultural influences, to the way that law enforcement and the judicial system handle cases presented to them. South Carolina’s patriarchal background and traditional perspective on gender relations certainly play a role in the high rates of domestic violence in the state, and other cultural factors that could affect the prevalence of abuse. …