Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Investigative Genetic Genealogy In The Field Of Criminal Justice, Chloe Haas

Honors Projects

Investigative genetic genealogy is an investigative method used by law enforcement to solve crimes. It involves the uploading of DNA found at a crime scene to genealogy databases to narrow down the suspect pool. The research question for this study is: Is law enforcement’s use of investigative genetic genealogy ethical? I conducted ten interviews with individuals who had a background in the Criminal Justice field, the legal field, the forensics field, and the field of genealogy to see their opinions on this topic. A majority of the participants in this study stated that they believe that law enforcement should be …

Controlling The Narrative: The Effects Of Media Coverage On Fear Of Crime And Socio-Political Ideology, Andrew Koppelman

Theses

Several decades of study have established an understanding that media have a unique power to influence the perspectives and worldviews of audiences. This phenomenon has been explored through the lenses of Social Learning and Cultivation theory, wherein media appeal to base human tendencies of self-preservation and teaches audiences how to maximize rewards for their actions by acting as a sort of instructor or friendly warning from members of the community. While prior studies have suggested the presence of this effect, little research has been devoted to understanding the ways that this may influence behaviors in viewers. My research seeks to …

Redistributing Justice, Benjamin Levin, Kate Levine

Scholarship@WashULaw

This article surfaces an obstacle to decarceration hiding in plain sight: progressives’ continued support for the carceral system. Despite increasingly prevalent critiques of criminal law from progressives, there hardly is a consensus on the left in opposition to the carceral state. Many left-leaning academics and activists who may critique the criminal system writ large remain enthusiastic about criminal law in certain areas—often areas where defendants are imagined as powerful and victims as particularly vulnerable. In this article, we offer a novel theory for what animates the seemingly conflicted attitude among progressives toward criminal punishment—the hope that the criminal system can …

What Are The Causes And Remedies Of Wrongful Convictions?, Audree Alick

The Mid-Southern Journal of Criminal Justice

Wrongful convictions, also known as miscarriages of justice, are very common in the criminal justice system today. With the first known wrongful conviction in 1872, to the most recent in 2023, researchers have similarly identified three causes of wrongful convictions: false confessions, eyewitness errors, and investigative misconduct. Wrongful convictions can cause many physical and mental effects on post-exonerees and currently incarcerated individuals, including but not limited to, clinical anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Analyses of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) have proven instrumental in cases of wrongful convictions. Each exoneree should have access to the DNA database to test against the DNA evidence …

Do Frameworks Matter? Testing The Framing Effect On Public Support For Prison Pell Grants, Natalie Miles Burke

Dissertations and Theses

Postsecondary college education (PSCE) services are a rehabilitative program that offers adults in custody (AICs) the opportunity to earn a college degree while incarcerated. Research has shown that AICs participating in PSCE services reduce the likelihood of future incarceration as well as higher self-esteem and confidence levels. In 2015, President Obama’s Second Chance Pell Pilot program reinstated federal financial aid for AICs to access PSCE services. Although the Second Chance Pell Pilot program has continued to grow since then, little research has been done on public perceptions toward prison Pell Grants.

This thesis studies how offender crime type and sentence …

Developing Qualitative Research Questions For Illinois Post-Release Prison Analysis, Kiera Eckhardt

Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development—Student Research

The Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council (SPAC) partnered with Dr. Kathryn Bocanegra of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) to conduct a two part research study examining the impact of long term prison sentences in Illinois state facilities. This study is unique, in that it incorporates both quantitative and qualitative methodologies in its data collection and analysis. The purpose of this report is to exemplify the process used to develop the qualitative research interview questions for the UIC study. Components of this process, including relational meetings, and recommendations provided by stakeholders in the criminal legal system for conducting post-release …

Legitimate And Deceptive Media: An Analysis Of Sources Used In Conjunction With #Defundingthepolice Using Twitter Api, Isabel Tilford

Honors Theses

The idea of defunding the police has been circulating on social media for the past few years. This thesis seeks to analyze what types of sources people use in conjunction with the #DefundthePolice hashtag to define their understanding of defunding the police. Using Twitter API to search for #DefundthePolice, Tweets were analyzed and rated based on the credibility of links embedded within each post. Each link was assigned a credibility rating of one through three, one meaning not credible, two meaning somewhat credible, and three meaning credible. Each link was classified into one of eight categories: news, statements, advertisements, advertisements/propaganda, …

Protection Or Control? – The History & Impact Of The Major Crimes Act On Native Americans And Its Future In Criminal Law, Cameron A. Garrow

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In this thesis, I traced the history of the Major Crimes Act of 1885, focusing on United States Supreme Court cases regarding the Act's enforcement and its constitutionality. In particular, analysis focused on how the USSC's decisions affected Native Americans within the field of criminal law, both as defendants and victims, and how these decisions prove to be contradictory or unjustly detrimental in nature. There is also focus on the ongoing issues in the state of Oklahoma resulting from the Major Crimes Act's enforcement that have begun to spread from a state-level crisis into a nationwide problem. The thesis concludes …

A Commentary On Qualified Immunity In The Aftermath Of City Of Tahlequah V. Bond, Delores Jones-Brown, Paul Reck, Richard C. Helfers, Henry F. Fradella

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this Article, we argue that the Bond decision continues a line of judicial decisions that make it difficult for plaintiffs to seek civil redress against officers who cause serious injury or death to private citizens. We note that this judicial trend runs counter to public demand for police accountability and thwarts the legislative intent behind the enactment of 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983. We suggest that police practice, policy, standards and training-not judicial opinions ­should govern whether officers will be immune from the conse­quences of their actions, especially in areas where a substantial amount of empirical evidence exists to alert …

After The Criminal Justice System, Benjamin Levin

Scholarship@WashULaw

Since the 1960s, the “criminal justice system” has operated as the common label for a vast web of actors and institutions. But, as critiques of mass incarceration have entered the mainstream, academics, activists, and advocates increasingly have stopped referring to the “criminal justice system.” Instead, they have opted for critical labels—the criminal legal system, the criminal punishment system, the prison industrial complex, etc. What does this re-labeling accomplish? Does this change in language matter to broader efforts at criminal justice reform or abolition? Or, does an emphasis on labels and language distract from substantive engagement with the injustices of contemporary …

“Progressive” Prosecutors And “Proper” Punishments, Benjamin Levin

Scholarship@WashULaw

After decades of relative inattention to prosecutorial elections, academics and activists recently have focused on “progressive prosecutors” as a promising avenue for criminal justice reform. That said, the growing literature on progressive prosecutors reflects little clarity about what makes a prosecutor “progressive.” Recent campaigns suggest disparate visions of how to operationalize “progressive prosecution.” In this chapter, I describe four ideal types of progressive prosecutor: (1) the progressive who prosecutes, (2) the proceduralist prosecutor, (3) the prosecutorial progressive, and (4) the anti-carceral prosecutor. Looking to sentencing policy as a case study, I examine how these different ideal types illustrate different visions …

Prosecuting The Crisis, Benjamin Levin

Scholarship@WashULaw

Over the past decade, activists and academics have celebrated the rise of the so-called “progressive prosecutor” movement. District attorney candidates—often former public defenders or civil rights lawyers—have promised to use prosecutorial discretion to address the injustices of the criminal system. A proliferation of such campaigns, and the electoral successes of some of these candidates have raised questions about progressive prosecution: what does it actually mean to be a progressive prosecutor? Does progressive prosecution work? Do progressive candidates follow through on campaign promises? And, how enthusiastic should defense attorneys, reformers, and critics of the carceral state be about progressive prosecution? The …

Criminal Law Exceptionalism, Benjamin Levin

Scholarship@WashULaw

For over half a century, U.S. prison populations have ballooned and criminal codes have expanded. In recent years, a growing awareness of mass incarceration and the harms of criminal law across lines of race and class has led to a backlash of anti-carceral commentary and social movement energy. Academics and activists have adopted a critical posture, offering not only small-bore reforms, but full-fledged arguments for the abolition of prisons, police, and criminal legal institutions. Where criminal law was once embraced by commentators as a catchall solution to social problems, increasingly it is being rejected, or at least questioned. Instead of …

Victims’ Rights Revisited, Benjamin Levin

Scholarship@WashULaw

This Essay responds to Bennett Capers's article, "Against Prosecutors." I offer four critiques of Capers’s proposal to bring back private prosecutions: (A) that shifting power to victims still involves shifting power to the carceral state and away from defendants; (B) that defining the class of victims will pose numerous problems; C) that privatizing prosecution reinforces a troubling impulse to treat social problems at the individual level; and (D) broadly, that these critiques suggest that Capers has traded the pathologies of “public” law for the pathologies of “private” law. Further, I argue that the article reflects a new, left-leaning vision of …

Criminal Justice And Criminal Justice News, Georgia Southern University

Criminal Justice & Criminology News (2012-2023)

• Internship Showcase

Cheating From A Distance: An Examination Of Academic Dishonesty Among University Students, Timothy K. Daty

Doctoral Works at the University of New Haven

Academic dishonesty among college students has been an enduring issue within higher education. While prior research has explored this issue, the recent global pandemic has shifted collegiate demographics dramatically, particularly within online courses. As a result, previous findings may prove less applicable, warranting new research into student cheating within this current educational landscape. Given these new enrollment trends, this study investigated intentions to cheat in traditional and online class settings, and for criminal justice and non-criminal justice majors. Utilizing principles of rational choice theory, other factors related to academic misconduct also were explored.

For this study, original data were collected …

Hate Crimes Across Nations, Amanda Mcvey

Honors Program Contracts

No abstract provided.

Federal Emergency Management Within The Field Of Criminal Justice, Maeve Dubiel

Criminology Student Work

No abstract provided.

The Future Of Policing, Marissa Eastwood

Criminology Student Work

No abstract provided.

An Inside View Of The Child Welfare System, Hana Abualragheb

Criminology Student Work

No abstract provided.

Victim Advocacy, Morrison Kristin

Criminology Student Work

No abstract provided.

U.S. Immigration Policy, Glenda Nieves

Criminology Student Work

No abstract provided.

Incarcerated Veterans Treatment And Services, Victoria Evans

Criminology Student Work

No abstract provided.

Municipal Police Officers: Responsibilities, The Hiring Process, The Challenges They Face, And Possible Solutions, Isabella Palmeira

Criminology Student Work

No abstract provided.

A Career With The Massachusetts State Police, Michael Germano

Criminology Student Work

No abstract provided.

Criminology & Criminal Justice Professional Development Program For Undergraduates, Zinha Andrade

Criminology Student Work

No abstract provided.

Japanese Criminal Justice: A Comparative Legal History Perspective, Koji Fujimoto

Japanese Society and Culture

The Carlos Ghosn case has focused the world’s attention on Japan’s criminal justice system. In particular, the system has been subject to intense criticism, condemning its reliance on confessions in investigation, and for proof of guilt. The investigative approach of using physical restraints on suspects and defendants to coerce confessions is critically referred to as “hostage justice”. While the Japanese Ministry of Justice and the Public Prosecutor’s Office have responded to such criticisms by arguing for the uniqueness of the legal system, the problematic nature of this aspect of Japanese criminal justice cannot be denied, as noted by past false …

Legalizing Marijuana, Psilocybin Mushrooms, And Mdma For Medical Use, Nicholas Duneman

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

Knowing the countries drug history will allow the reader to understand how policies have changed throughout our countries short history. The Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Schedule, the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Department of Defense policies, the Air Force’s drug policies and the Department of Veterans Affairs policies is what is holding back the legalization of medical marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, and Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) for treatment options for federal employees, current military members, and veterans who suffer from chronic pain and Post-traumatic stress disorder. Being a change agent within your organization will help push for drug reform within the federal government. …

Cultivation Theory: Media Effects Toward Consumer Evaluations Of The Criminal Courts, Lindsey Dale Elliott

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

A substantial body of literature connects media effects to consumer perceptions of the criminal justice system. Research on the topic of cultivation theory has highlighted that an increased fear of crime within the general populace, due to an exaggeration of violence and criminal activity in the mass media, has spurred increased support for punitive policing, harsher sentencing, and positive feelings toward capital punishment. However, no research exists to explicate the cultivation of consumer perceptions toward the criminal courts. This study examines the impact of media consumption through television, the internet, and social media on consumer evaluations of the criminal courts. …

Checks And Balances In The Criminal Law, Daniel Epps

Scholarship@WashULaw

The separation of powers is considered essential in the criminal law, where liberty and even life are at stake. Yet the reasons for separating criminal powers are surprisingly opaque, and “the separation of powers” is often used to refer to distinct, and sometimes contradictory, concepts.

This Article reexamines the justifications for the separation of powers in criminal law. It asks what is important about separating criminal powers and what values such separation serves. It concludes that in criminal justice, the traditional Madisonian approach of separating powers between functionally differentiated political institutions—legislature, executive, and judiciary—bears no necessary connection to important values …