Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Wrongful Convictions As A Result Of Public Defender Representation., Annie Elizabeth Ross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Our criminal justice system works very hard to prevent criminals from harming other individuals; however, unfortunately mistakes happen. One wrongful conviction is one too many. There are multiple factors that can be assumed to be the cause of wrongful convictions. However, due to the lack of directly related research, the determents are not well established. The following research addresses wrongful convictions as a result of public defender representation. Through the process of theory construction, the research uses critical race theory and social disorganization theory to show the relationship between court appointed representation and wrongful convictions. A new theory is also …

Religiosity And Fear Of Crime, Jonathan Bolen

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Previous research investigating fear of crime has returned little universal agreement as to what exacerbates and what reduces an individual’s level of fear of crime. In this thesis the researcher seeks to add to the mountain of literature on fear of crime and to include a novel independent variable, religiosity, in effort to better inform the fear of crime debate. Analyzing survey data collected from students at an urban university, the researcher finds that (1) females are far more fearful than their male counterparts; (2) religiosity is not informative on varying levels of fear of crime in the sample. An …

Minority Group Threat And Racial Profiling: An Analysis Of Pretextual Traffic Stops And Outcomes In Missouri Municipalities, Pernell Witherspoon

Dissertations

Racial profiling remains a controversial societal issue due in part to difficulties in determining its prevalence. Some analysts have proposed that criminological theories should be used to explain racial profiling. Using the minority group threat hypothesis, this dissertation analyzes the effects of Black population increases on race-based pretextual stops in 113 Missouri municipalities with sizable Black populations. The research also analyzes the effects of the growth and size of the Black population on traffic stop outcomes, including searches, contraband found, arrests, and citations. Other variables that might explain pretextual stops and traffic stop outcomes, including violent crime rates and socioeconomic …

Juvenile Recidivism Based On Length Of Incarceration : A Pilot Study In Elmore, Minnesota, Michelle Lynn Jurkovski

Culminating Projects in Criminal Justice

How to handle juvenile offenders has been an issue that goes back and forth from rehabilitation to holding juveniles accountable with incarceration. Recidivism or re-offending rates have been studied to get a better picture into how effective treatment interventions are. This pilot study seeks to determine if juveniles incarcerated in Elmore Academy, a private correctional residential treatment facility, for shorter lengths of time (1-3 months) recidivated at higher rates than their peers who were incarcerated longer (4-9 months). The sample consisted of Ramsey County, Minnesota juvenile males ages 16-18 that were released from Elmore Academy between August 1, 2005 and …

A Guide To Drug Dealing, Scott Thomas Jacques

Dissertations

The goal of this dissertation – A Guide to Drug Dealing – is to move scientists toward a deeper conceptual and theoretical understanding of illicit drug markets. What behaviors are experienced in the course of drug dealing? Why do some customers get a better price than others? What are the circumstances that result in retaliation? Why do some victimized drug dealers respond with peaceful social control rather than violence? What leads to the termination of drug dealing? When does the law handle drug market conflict? In short, this is a guide to drug dealing that – chapter by chapter – …

An Analysis Of The Influence Of Sampling Methods On Estimation Of Drug Use Prevalence And Patterns Among Arrestees In The United States: Implications For Research And Policy, Janine Kremling

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using data from the Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) and the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) programs collected by the National Institute of Justice the question whether the drug estimates of DUF, using a non-probability sample, and the drug use estimates of ADAM, using a probability sample, yield substantially different results will be explored. The following main questions will be addressed using equivalence analysis: Are there substantial differences in the DUF and ADAM samples with regard to the drug use information obtained from arrestees at nine sites across the United States? The analysis suggests that the drug use information contained in …

Assessing The Legality Of Solitary Confinement, Steven Debraccio

Criminal Justice

No abstract provided.

Factors Influencing Attitudes Towards Prostitution, Brian Robert Brehman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence attitudes towards prostitution. Students from University of Nevada, Las Vegas and University of British Columbia (N=591) were compared based on their responses to the Attitudes Towards Prostitution (ATP) Scale and by demographic differences. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) identified significant differences in ethnicity, religiosity, and certain sexual experiences. Regression analysis revealed location of students and religiosity were significant predictors of attitudes.

Characteristics Of Adolescent Females Sexually Exploited Through Prostitution, Alanna Robinson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Adolescent females are becoming the fastest growing population amongst juveniles being held in detention and referred to juvenile courts. Unfortunately such increases are linked to a lack of alternative services available for youths during the adjudication process. Upon being arrested, delinquent girls are suffering from a host of health, emotional and social issues for which there is also a lack of programming and detailed research. However, emerging evidence indicates that female delinquency is characterized by a multitude of overlapping problems that distinguish them from male delinquents. Issues include poor mental health, history of child abuse, substance abuse among parents and …

Blameworthiness And Dangerousness: An Analysis Of Violent Female Capital Offenders In The United States And China, Courtney Brooke Lahaie

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United States and China represent two of the leading nations that retain the death penalty in both law and practice. Research suggests that judges' sentencing decisions are based primarily on two factors, blameworthiness and dangerousness. Studies involving gender and sentencing in capital punishment cases tend to provide inconsistent findings. The current study uses case narratives to examine the direct and conjunctive effects of various factors on the sentencing decisions of violent female capital offenders in the United States and China. The findings suggest that the concepts of blameworthiness and dangerousness are distinctly defined in the United States and China. …

Sex, Drug Courts, And Recidivism, Doria Nour Dandan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research studies have identified gender differences in the drug abusing patterns and treatment needs of men and women. Even so, studies on the drug court model have not assessed drug court effectiveness across sex. Using secondary data collected from the Ada County Drug Court, the recidivism rates of drug court participants (n=259) and probationers (n=235) were analyzed. Drug court participants were found to be less likely to recidivate compared to probationers, which supports previous research on drug court effectiveness. Regression analyses failed to find an interaction between group membership and sex, thereby indicating that the effect of the drug court …

Displacement Or Diffusion: A Secondary Analysis Of The Las Vegas Safe Village Initiative, Daniel Duane Swanson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Police initiatives have been implemented by many agencies in an attempt to curtail growing crime rates. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department implemented the "Safe Village Initiative" to address this issue in west Las Vegas. This deterrence based model reduced calls for service in the target area with a diffusion of benefits to the surrounding neighborhoods.

The current study will analyze two research questions pertaining to the "Safe Village Initiative". The first will assess the possibility that a displacement of crime occurred as a result of the treatment. The second research question will address whether, if no displacement occurred, there …

Assessing The Impact Of Police Order Maintenance Units On Crime: An Application Of The Broken Windows Hypothesis, Steven Andrew Pace

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

High levels of violent crime and disorder area concentrated within certain neighborhoods of northwest Las Vegas, Nevada. In April 2009 a police order-maintenance unit designed to reduce minor and major offenses was initiated in these areas. Drawing on the Broken Windows Hypothesis, the unit combined detailed crime analysis with extensive police efforts to address specific community problems. This paper discusses the implementation and impact of the police order-maintenance unit during its operation.

Terrorism Ideology And Perceptions Of Homeland Security In Tennessee Law Enforcement, Adam Baldwin

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Homeland security is a concept that has become firmly embedded in American society since the events of September 11, 2001. While recent research has begun to study the implications of homeland security in state and local law enforcement, few have focused on perceptions of homeland security ideology, policy, and practice. Therefore, this study focuses on the impact that homeland security ideology, policy, and practice has had on the local law enforcement community by examining the varying levels of individual understanding, agreement, and support for the concept. Moderate levels of agreement were found regarding homeland security clarity at federal, state, and …

Crime Is Not Just A Man's World: Perceptions Of Female Offenders Through A Feminist Lens, Marianne Hudson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Using the scale on feminist views developed by Henley et al. (1998), this study adapted and created two survey instruments to measure views on feminism and female offenders: 1) the Societal Perspectives Scale, which measures a respondent’s views of feminism; and 2) the Female Offender Perspectives Scale, which measures a respondent’s views of female offenders. Using these survey instruments and convenience sampling, the current study examined college students’ perceptions of feminism and female offenders. This study sought to investigate the following hypotheses: 1) the reliability of the survey instruments, especially the Female Offender Perspectives Scale; and 2) the predictive value …

Views Of Justification And Blame Of Violent Interpersonal Dating Relationships, Christina Policastro

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

There is an abundant amount of literature dedicated to examining perceptions of domestic violence. Despite the substantial amount of literature, few studies have focused on attitudes toward domestic violence in dating relationships. This study uses a large convenience sample of college students to investigate how college students assign responsibility when presented with two domestic violence scenarios that vary contextually. One scenario depicts a conventional male on female case of intimate partner violence while the other is a more ambiguous scenario involving behaviors that could be construed as “mutual violence.” Bivariate and multivariate analyses were employed to analyze the effects of …

Childhood Animal Cruelty Methods And Their Link To Adult Interpersonal Violence, Brandy B. Henderson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Recent research has begun to establish a relationship between childhood acts of animal cruelty and later violence against humans. However, few studies have focused on the influence of animal cruelty methods on later interpersonal violence. In a replication of a study by Hensley and Tallichet (2009) and based on a sample of 180 inmates at medium- and maximum-security prisons in a Southern state, the present study examines the relationship between several retrospectively-identified animal cruelty met hods (drowned, hit, shot, kicked, choked, burned, and had sex with) and interpersonal violence committed against humans. Four out of five inmates reported hitting animals. …

How Do Idaho’S Lineups Line Up? An Exploratory Study On Congruence To Nationally Recommended Practices In Eyewitness Identification Procedure, Nichole Jolein Gerhard

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The following research is an exploratory study into the level of congruence of Idaho law enforcement agencies to nationally recommended best practices in eyewitness identification procedure. Based on a series of questions relating specifically to the use of recommended procedures in eyewitness identification, law enforcement agencies were graded and assessed an individual score within two different levels of congruence: overall and functional. With three possible groups, desirable, average, and poor, the majority of Idaho departments received scores placing them in average standing for both overall and functional congruence. Three dominant themes in the research (agency type, written procedure, and officer …

Libel In Mississippi, 1798-1832, Muriel Ann Everton

Dissertations

The Mississippi Territory officially became part of the United States in 1798. The territory was to be governed under the rules of the Northwest Ordinance, but those who went to govern the area found a culture that required the use of common law to settle the disputes arising from prior governments under other nations. With no precedents on which to rely, disputes led, at first, to dueling and then to libel cases. Both common law and common sense prevailed while many of the disagreements were aired publicly in newspapers. Mississippi’s first printer, Andrew Marschalk, using his First Amendment rights, wrote …

Is There An "Innocent Female Victim" Effect In Capital Punishment Sentencing?, Amelia Lane Kirkland

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disparities in the administration of capital punishment are a prominent social and political issue. While the focus of death penalty disparity research initially lay with the defendant and how the defendant’s race or ethnicity affects sentencing outcomes, only marginal support for offender effects has been found. A consistent finding, however, is that victim race has a significant effect on capital sentencing outcomes. Recent examinations of the joint effects of victim characteristics indicate that victim gender also has some influence in capital sentencing decisions. While these prior studies have examined the interactive effects of victim gender and victim race the current …

With Liberty And Justice For All?: An Examination Of Racial Differences In Perceptions Of The Criminal Justice System, Rhea Ashley Evans

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Caudill College of Humanities at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Rhea Ashley Evans on April 14, 2010.

Adjustment To Correctional Confinement: Investigating The Correlates Of Violence And Disorder In A Jail Environment, Fred W. Meyer Iii

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examines the individual- and institutional-level variables that are correlated with violence and disorder within a jail facility. Previous research indicates that deviant behavior is one of the main challenges that negatively impacts the safe and effective management of correctional facilities. While many studies have been conducted on prison populations, few studies have focused upon jail populations. Using official institutional data, this study explores the factors associated with general infractions and violent misconduct among a stratified random sample of inmates (n=447) incarcerated during a one year period in a large county jail facility. The logistic regression and conjunctive analyses …

Attitudes Towards Megan's Law And Juvenile Sex Offenders, Debra Lee Cochrane

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sex offender registration laws are very controversial. All fifty states require adult sex offenders to register. Twenty-eight states have extended registration and community notification requirements to juveniles (Hiller, 1998). These states seem to have failed to look at the uniqueness of juvenile sex offending. Juveniles have a very low recidivism rate and complex issues of culpability from age-of-consent laws. Applying Megan's Law to juveniles could have considerable negative consequences for juveniles' social development, particularly because one of the main stipulations of the law requires the juvenile to notify their school. Rehabilitation is a key factor of the juvenile justice system …

Mission Statement Content And Prevalence Among Local Police Departments And Sheriffs' Offices, Gwendolyn L. Pascoe

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

This descriptive study uses grounded theory approach to investigate the prevalence and content of mission statements among United States local police departments and sheriffs' offices that employ less than 25 sworn personnel. Mixed method research analysis identified the prevalence of mission statements as well as the content and characteristics of mission statement. Mission statements were analyzed with no a priori assumptions, standards, or coding schema. From this study it was found that 80 (37.21%) of the study's sample law enforcement agencies (N = 215) have mission statements that were located through this study's web search and agency participation. The analysis …

The Effect Of The Method Of Execution On Sentencing Determinations In Capital Cases, Adam Fera

Theses and Dissertations

The United States has had different methods of execution throughout its history, some of which are viewed to be more humane by the public. The most recent switch was from electrocution to lethal injection. This study is a look at the effect the method of execution on a juror's decision between life and death in capital cases. To this end, data collected by the Capital Jury Project Phase I were statistically analyzed controlling for case-level and demographic variables. The method of execution was found to have a statistically significant effect on the jurors' decision.

Rape In America: An Empirical Test Of Two Theories, Vaughn Crichlow

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates two macro-social theories of rape-pornography consumption and gender inequality-utilizing state-level data. First, it is argued that media consumption patterns have changed due to the popularity of the internet and increasing household broadband access. In particular, it is contended that men who consume pornography prefer the internet to traditional mediums such as hard-copy magazines and DVDs. To test this assumption, a survey was administered to a convenience sample of nearly 500 male students at Rowan University. The results show evidence that males who intentionally consume pornography prefer the internet and, therefore, the use of broadband access as a …

Black Writing Ink Analysis By Direct Infusion Electrospray Mass Spectroscopy, Christopher M. Moody

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An optimized method of extraction, an instrumental analysis method and data analysis was proposed for black writing inks based on direct infusion electrospray-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The sampling and analysis method is both minimally destructive and able to assess differences in inks from a reference collection of thirty ballpoint, gel, and rollerball inks. The methanol extracts of ink on paper samples were analyzed with three direct infusion (ESI-MS) methods. Each method varied scan voltage negative and positive, ESI fragmentor applied voltage (+120V, +0V, and -120V), and mobile phase additive. Direct infusion ESI-MS analysis, followed by pair-wise comparisons of the observed ion …

Determining The Presence Of An Ignitable Liquid Residue In Fire Debris Samples Utilizing Target Factor Analysis, Kelly Mchugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current fire debris analysis procedure involves using the chromatographic patterns of total ion chromatograms, extracted ion chromatograms, and target compound analysis to identify an ignitable liquid according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E 1618 standard method. Classifying the ignitable liquid is accomplished by a visual comparison of chromatographic data obtained from any extracted ignitable liquid residue in the debris to the chromatograms of ignitable liquids in a database, i.e. by visual pattern recognition. Pattern recognition proves time consuming and introduces potential for human error. One particularly difficult aspect of fire debris analysis is recognizing an ignitable …

Social Disorganization And The Spatial Distribution Of Homicides In El Paso, Nicholas Andrew Emerick

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Recent research on social disorganization theory shows general support for economic and stability measures of disorganization, but spatial dispersions and the disaggregation of homicides of crime have not been fully examined. 1985-1995 homicide data from the El Paso Police Department's detective logs and US Census data are combined to explore social disorganization in El Paso, the impact of ports of entry, and how motive interacts with social disorganization. Findings for total homicides in El Paso support existing social disorganization research. Motive specific homicides displayed distinct relationships to the disorganization measures. The concentrations of homicides near ports of entry can be …

The Insanity Defense: A Comparative Analysis, Kristin Neville

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The topic of my thesis is the insanity defense. The insanity defense is a tactic that is rarely used and rarely successful. Generally states fall into three categories: Those who use the M'Naghten rule of law, those who use the American Law Institute (ALI) Model Penal Code, and those who have abolished the use of the insanity defense. This research compares states from each category to investigate whether or not the type of rule used affects the outcome. In order to determine whether these categories matter, the paper compares similar appellate felony case outcomes in New Jersey and North Carolina, …