Digital Commons Network^™

Personality Dimensions Of Male And Female Law Enforcement Recruits Related To Academy Success, Chantel Duda

Honors Theses

Research has found that male and female law enforcement recruits complete academy training at different rates, with female recruits typically completing at lower rates than male recruits. While the literature on the topic demonstrates a variety of training characteristics that explain some of the difference, it is possible that typical personality differences between men and women play a role in some of the unexplained disparities in academy passing rates. This study attempted to discern differences between personality characteristics among male and female academy recruits using survey data from two major metropolitan law enforcement academies. It was hypothesized that male cadets …

Eyewitness Identification, Alley Chan

Honors Theses

Eyewitness identification often plays a crucial role in the criminal justice system. It can be used to make an arrest, both exonerate and convict suspects, fuel police interrogation, and influence a plea bargaining decision. In the meantime, eyewitness misidentification has contributed to approximately 69% of the wrongful convictions, making it the leading factor in wrongful convictions nationwide. Hence, the central question that will be explored in this thesis is: Why eyewitness testimony is so powerful despite it is prone to error? To answer this question, this thesis will examine the role of eyewitness identification played in the criminal justice system …

A Case For The Decriminalization Of Simple Possession Of Narcotics In Mississippi, Stroud Tolleson

Honors Theses

Through its incarceration of simple possession offenders, Mississippi is failing to acknowledge the severity of addiction and importance of mental health. In this paper, I will examine Mississippi’s history of opinion and policy on drug use. In order to gain a better understanding of addiction and Mississippi’s criminal justice system, I interview several individuals with experience in varying aspects of these issues. Mississippi has one of the highest rates of incarceration in the United States, with stringent laws regarding the possession of narcotics. Mississippi’s mental health resources have been deemed unconstitutionally deficient on more than one occasion, and addicts are …

Reforming United States Prisons: A Cross-Cultural Analysis, Alex Henkel

Honors Theses

This paper examines the United States prison system and its standing among peer countries, as well as potential reforms to improve this system and its effectiveness. The incarceration statistics of many different countries show that the United States incarcerates significantly more of its population than similar countries. I turn to an examination of how penal policies are formed across the world to evaluate their impact on the U.S. prison rate compared to other countries. Additionally, I look at recidivism to determine the effectiveness of United States incarceration. This analysis aims to highlight the differences between the U.S. and other countries …

Childhood Trauma And Substance Use: Differences By Race And Sex In Juvenile Justice Prevention Programs In Nebraska, Sophie Holtz

Honors Theses

This study seeks to analyze whether demographic factors such as gender and race have a relationship to the reporting of trauma symptoms in juveniles. This study also examines whether higher substance use has a relationship to higher reports of trauma symptoms. To gather this data, surveys were administered to juveniles involved in juvenile justice prevention programs across the state of Nebraska. Overall, we found that juvenile girls reported significantly higher amounts of trauma symptoms than boys do. There was also a significant difference in how much juvenile girls report using cannabis compared to juvenile boys. Furthermore, there was not a …

Hbo’S "The Wire" And Its Portrayal Of Baltimore Politics, Schools, And The Judicial System In Season 4: Was It Accurate Then And Does It Stand The Test Of Time?, Josephine Klingeman

Honors Theses

This thesis is a content analysis of HBO’s fourth season of The Wire. After conducting an in-depth analysis of the content in the thirteen episodes of season four, I then assessed the level of accuracy in the show’s portrayal of two major topics discussed throughout the season: Witness protection and police informant harassment. I did so by conducting several interviews with professionals who have several decades of experience working in the criminal justice system. I compared their personal experience with witness protection programs, witness harassment, and police informant harassment with the content presented in The Wire on these topics. …

"Gone, But Never Forgotten:" Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women And Girls In The United States, Julianna Kramer

Honors Theses

Native women and girls in the United States are twice as likely to be sexually assaulted compared to white women, and murder rates on certain reservations can be tenfold higher than the national average. This pervasive violence traces back to colonialism. Native women have historically been abused, exploited, and neglected by America’s institutions, and lasting prejudice against Native peoples endures.

The United States government has stripped tribal governments of their ability to seek justice for their women. The Major Crimes Act of 1885, Proclamation 280, and the Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe (1978) decision place responsibility for investigating and prosecuting …

No One Is Above The Law: Public Perception Of Prosecutorial Misconduct's Influence On Wrongful Convictions, Amanda N. Pappas

Honors Theses

Wrongful convictions pose a large threat to the integrity of the United States criminal justice system. While there are many known causes of wrongful convictions, such as eyewitness misidentification, ineffective counsel, and false confessions, the most egregious cause is prosecutorial misconduct. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, prosecutorial misconduct has been found in roughly half of the exonerations listed in the registry. Prosecutors have a tremendous amount of power in the criminal justice system through determining plea deals, obtainment of evidence, disclosure of evidence to the defense, and many more. Studies have been conducted that reveal the occurrence of …

Race And Social Class As Factors Associated With Sentence Disparities: A Survey Of Potential Jurors, Amanda Rickett

Honors Theses

Prior research has found that bias, along with other extralegal factors, leads to the sentencing disparities in the criminal justice system throughout the United States. The criminal justice system has implemented reforms to address these disparities. Furthering research on this issue, I analyze previous studies that tried to determine the effects of bias on the decisions made by judges and juries. Most importantly, the present study aimed to determine the effects of race and socioeconomic class of the defendant on the decisions on potential jurors using a vignette based survey with randomized assignment. The results suggest that the potential jurors’ …

The Commercialization Of Crime Solving: Ethical Implication Of Forensic Genetic Genealogy, Hannah Lee

Honors Theses

With the advancement of DNA technology and expansion of direct-to-consumer DNA services, a growing number of cold cases have been solved using a revolutionary new investigative method: familial DNA mapping. While the technique has been lauded by law enforcement as revolutionizing criminal identification, others are concerned by the privacy implications and impact on the family structure. In this thesis I will draw on communitarian, liberal rights, utilitarian, and social justice arguments for and against the practice. I conclude that this method has the potential to increase security and provide justice for victims and families, but absent comprehensive regulation and privacy …

Trading Addiction: An Analysis Of Prescription And Non-Prescription Opioid Abuse, Jordan Brock, Lisa S. Middleton

Honors Theses

Opioid abuse, addiction, and overdose is a serious public health concern that has plagued the healthcare system for the last thirty years. The compiled research in the following paper explores the rise of the opioid epidemic, the implications of more recent prescription monitoring and pain management programs, the relationship between non-prescription and prescription opioids, and the current face of the epidemic, illicit opioids. Kentucky has, unfortunately, been at the forefront of this epidemic with regard to both prescription and illicit opioids. Policy reformation and preventative action must be taken into consideration in regard to the relationship between prescription and non-prescription …

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind: Analyzing Inhumane Practices In Mississippi’S Correctional Institutions Due To Overcrowding, Understaffing, And Diminished Funding, Ariel A. Williams

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to examine the political, social, and economic factors which have led to inhumane conditions in Mississippi’s correctional facilities. Several methods were employed, including a comparison of the historical and current methods of funding, staffing, and rehabilitating prisoners based on literature reviews. State-sponsored reports from various departments and the legislature were analyzed to provide insight into budgetary restrictions and political will to allocate funds. Statistical surveys and data were reviewed to determine how overcrowding and understaffing negatively affect administrative capacity and prisoners’ mental and physical well-being. Ultimately, it may be concluded that Mississippi has high …

The Harmful Prioritization Of “Sex Trafficking” In U.S. Anti-Trafficking Discourse, Spencer Pennybacker

Honors Theses

In recent years, the issue of “human trafficking,” or what some have deemed “modern slavery” has become increasingly salient in the United States. No doubt, human trafficking is a major humanitarian crisis, with the International Labor Organization estimating some 5.4 victims caught in trafficking networks for every 1,000 people in the world. And yet, the dominant discourse in the US tends to allude solely to the sex trafficking of women. This sex trafficking hysteria in the United States is the backdrop of my research.

This Senior Thesis examines how anti-trafficking organizations leave out survivors by addressing human trafficking through selective …

An Examination Of The Themes Of Invisibility And Hypervisibility In Black Women’S Experiences Within The Prison System, Sarah N. Kuhns

Honors Theses

Using Kimberlee Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality, the author argues that how incarcerated Black women are treated because of how others perceive their identities lead to certain traits of theirs being rendered invisible or hyper-visible. Their humanity and needs are rendered invisible while stereotypes of criminality, insanity and hyper-sexuality are hyper-visible. Because their humanity is not fully seen, while their criminality is seen as hyper-visible, state violence is used against them as a tool of control and domination. Due to the fact that incarceration and the state violence that comes with a prison sentence, prison abolition should be considered as a …

Measuring Perceptions Of Various Forms Of Rehabilitation And Re-Entry Programs On Various Types Of Offenders And Reducing The Likelihood Of Recidivism: A Qualitative Study Of Criminal Justice Professionals In Ohio, Jasmine H. Riechmann

Honors Theses

Research suggests that rehabilitation and reentry programs reduce rates of recidivism for various types of offenders. The study, based on the constructivist paradigm, will use a phenomenological strategy to explain criminal justice professionals’ perceptions of rehabilitation and reentry programs. Participants with experience working with at-risk populations in Ohio were selected for inclusion in the study. Participant experiences and feedback were analyzed to answer the research questions posed in the study. Data collected from each interview and the researcher’s field notes were compared to identify themes.

Adultification And Criminalization Of Young Black Girls: Using Culturally Responsive Education To Empower Adolescent Girls In Urban Schools, Jordan Bailes

Honors Theses

Within the education system and society, Black girls face higher levels of discipline and criminalization than students of other races or genders. The African American Policy Forum found that during the 2011-2012 school year in Boston, Black girls made up only 28% of enrollment, but faced 61% of all discipline, while white females made up 15% of enrollment and only 5% of all discipline (Crenshaw 19). This inequity can be credited to higher expectations for young black girls due to societal adultification. In her book Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools, Monique W. Morris defines adultification as “Black …

Mental Health And Its Impact On The School-To-Prison Pipeline: A Look At Tennessee Schools, Briana Brady

Honors Theses

This project sought to examine if and how school-based mental health service accessibility affected long-term student interactions with the criminal justice system. The study is both quantitative and qualitative; it researched existing literature and theories on the subject matter and also sourced over 750 data points published by varying organizations and agencies. By using proxy data including school guidance counselor-to-student ratios, out of school suspension rates, and juvenile court referrals, this research tested whether or not a direct relationship existed between the number of school counselors and both out of school suspensions as well as juvenile court referrals. The findings …

Race, Sex, Exoneration, & Compensation: How Do They Relate? What Is Done? And What Needs To Be Done?, Sarah Emily Still

Honors Theses

Previous literature has noted multiple causes of wrongful conviction including mistaken eyewitness identification, false confessions, ineffective assistance of counsel, crime lab error, and prosecutorial misconduct. Over time, more wrongful convictions caused by these factors are overturned through the help of organizations such as the Innocence Project. With these increasing exonerations comes the increased needs of exonerated people. The previous literature has exemplified that exonerees have unique needs (Simms, 2016), but these needs are often not met by the compensation that is available (Chunias & Aufgang, 2008; Mandery et. al, 2013). This occurrence is problematic given that exonerees had to lose …

How To Defend Those Who Defend: An Examination Of The Underfunding Of The Public Defender System, Selma M. Newbill

Honors Theses

The public defender system in the United States is in an indigent defense crisis because it is often unable to provide adequate representation to the citizens that the United States Constitution requires them to give. The growing attention on the system today is shedding light on public defenders’ stifling caseloads and on the people who are failing to receive the legal representation to which they are entitled by the constitution. The lack of political prioritization, the systemic inequities throughout the criminal justice system, and the underfunding of the public defender system has often rendered public defenders unable to provide their …

Qualified Immunity: How Mississippi’S District Courts Have Shown Why The Doctrine Should Be Done Away With, Hannah E. Sawyer

Honors Theses

Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine created by the Supreme Court that has allowed police officers to violate people’s rights without fear of consequences. This doctrine protects all but the completely incompetent or those who violate people’s rights knowingly. The original intent of the Supreme Court was to prevent overdeterrence of police officers because of insubstantial lawsuits from being brought against them. This has backfired and now it seems that officers are under deterred because they are often simply placed on administrative leave with little to no consequences. The United States has seen numerous protests in just the last year …

Emotional Intelligence As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Psychopathic Personality Traits And Relational Aggression, Aria T. Smith

Honors Theses

Psychopathy is a robust predictor of aggressive behavior and psychopathic personality traits have been shown to predict relational aggression in non-clinical samples of college students. Given the manner in which emotional intelligence appears to be useful in navigating complex social interactions, some have suggested that it may be involved in certain forms of deceitful or manipulative behavior, including those that may be part of relational aggression. The current project evaluated the role of psychopathic personality traits and emotional intelligence in the prediction of relational aggression among college students. In addition to examining the direct relationship of these variables to relational …

A Systematic Review Of Factors That Impact College Student Stress, Cailyn Papp

Honors Theses

Over the past few years, the effects of college student stress have received increased attention. Even so, there is still no unified model for addressing and understanding its impact. The purpose of this study was to systematically review and analyze the literature on college student stress to discover what factors have the most impact on it. A literature search using EBSCOhost yielded 20 eligible articles to include in this research. The results of this study demonstrate a need for a more unified model of college student stress. Further, results identify the factors that significantly influence college student stress and highlight …

Unraveling The Mummy: The Effects Of Natural Mummification On The Recovery And Degradation Of Dna, Marissa Gandolfo-Muller

Honors Theses

As demonstrated through casework and research studies (Hawass et al., 2010; Gielda & Rigg, 2017), anthropogenic mummification and modern-day embalming can expedite degradation of DNA. Current research in the field of forensic mummification is sparse and little research has been done on quantifying naturally mummified DNA (Leccia et al., 2018; Shved et al., 2014). This research focuses on observing and quantifying the differences in the recovery and degradation of DNA from specimens that have been naturally mummified. This research on natural, forensic mummies is a blend of experimental archeology and postmortem DNA analysis.

In this study, two control specimens and …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Their Connection To Autoimmune Disease In Adulthood, Emma J. Molden

Honors Theses

Everyday in the United States, a child experiences a traumatic event. Autoimmune disease is one of the top two leading causes of death in the United States. Can these two horrifying events be connected? Autoimmune diseases currently affect millions of Americans and are considered an epidemic because of their prevalence within the adult population. Even with a high number of cases, this possible connection has been largely ignored and under researched for the history of modern medicine. However, two studies have begun to make the connection between adverse childhood experiences and how that affects the onset of autoimmune diseases in …

Analyzing Case Studies And The Different Uses Of Accounting Knowledge, Meghan Foley

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to further my accounting knowledge outside of traditional classroom learning. Throughout my time at Ole Miss, I had not used my accounting class work outside of the classroom. I was able to apply the knowledge to practical real life issues.

I participated in 11 case studies that each targeted a different topic of the accounting profession. The early cases related to my choice of specialty and city, whereas the final cases delved deeper into economic implications of accounting and finance.

I learned a great deal about real world accounting while writing this thesis. I …

The Root Of The Problem: Mississippi And The School-To-Prison Pipeline, Matthew Brennan Hendley

Honors Theses

The Root of the Problem: Mississippi and the School-to-Prison Pipeline is a solutions journalism piece about the “schoolhouse to jailhouse” theory, which represents a phenomenon in which grade school students, the majority of which are minority youth, are funneled into the criminal justice system via schools through policies and procedures that criminalize student misbehavior. The piece is an in-depth analysis of the arrival, history, and current state of the school-to-prison pipeline in Mississippi, featuring one specific effort to dismantle the phenomenon in the Sunflower County Consolidated School District in the Mississippi Delta. In addition to this analysis, the piece explores …

Examining Bystander Blame In Rape And Sexual Assault, Katherine E. Purdom

Honors Theses

The present study investigated the effect of various factors on blame distribution in sexual violence cases. Participants (N = 378) were randomly assigned to either a rape (N = 187) or sexual assault (N = 190) condition and directed to read a scenario that varied only by the terminology indicated by the condition. Participants were provided two pre-filled slots labeled as the perpetrator and victim. Additionally, they were given two blank “free-response” options in which participants could assign blame and indicate a responsible party if they found it necessary. Data was gathered from the male (N = 163) and female …

The Past, Present And Future Of Psychedelics, Helen Claire Mcnulty

Honors Theses

This thesis is a systematic literature review that will articulate the need for psychedelics as a treatment for several mental illnesses and ailments. Starting with the origins of psychedelics used in South American religious ceremonies and their development and early trials in the mid 20^th century as well as the legal battles of psychedelics in American society. Additionally, this thesis examines the chemical structure, pharmacology, and safety of psychedelics. An in-depth examination of psychedelics as a therapy for treatment-resistant depression, depression and anxiety as a result of a cancer diagnosis, nicotine addiction and alcoholism, OCD, PTSD, and cluster headaches …

The Opportunities And Challenges Of Internet Of Things Evidence In Regard To Criminal Investigations, Nathan Mcclaran

Honors Theses

As internet-connected devices become more prevalent, the need for police and law enforcement to be able to utilize these devices when solving crimes steadily increases. Law enforcement agencies are already aware of the opportunities and challenges when interacting with computers and mobile cellular devices, but many agencies are unable to utilize these avenues of evidence because of limited access to resources able to forensically examine computing devices. In addition, the introduction of internet of things devices, such as Amazon Alexa and other microphone or camera connected devices, allows new opportunities for law enforcement agencies to gather digital forensic evidence either …

“Police Perceptions Amid The Black Lives Matter Movement”, Eadoin Grim

Honors Theses

In 2014, following the police-involved deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, researchers focused their attention on the existence of a “Ferguson Effect,” such that rising homicide rates could be attributed to a reduction in proactive policing due to concerns over heightened public scrutiny. While UCR data would eventually refute the existence of such an Effect, previous research has found that there does appear to be evidence of a perceptual belief in the Ferguson Effect among municipal officers. To date, very little research concerning officer perceptions or experiences has been conducted with campus police departments, creating a substantial gap in …