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Full-Text Articles in Criminology
Reforming United States Prisons: A Cross-Cultural Analysis, Alex Henkel
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 …
A Model For Understanding Structure Versus Agency In The Participation Of Minors In The Commercial Sex Market, Courtney Thrash
A Model For Understanding Structure Versus Agency In The Participation Of Minors In The Commercial Sex Market, Courtney Thrash
Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
In 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act defined any sex worker under the age of eighteen as a victim of sex trafficking and exploitation, while requiring evidence of coercion for those eighteen and over for the same charge. This definition makes explicit a common conception concerning CSEC, namely, that their status as participants in the sex economy rests upon a lack of personal and legal agency. Research on female sex workers often focuses on their victimization, such as childhood sexual abuse and neglect. Conversely, research on male sex workers often ignores their possible victimization and instead emphasizes their drug use, …
Predicting Police Discretion: A Traffic Stop Analysis, Andrew Girard
Predicting Police Discretion: A Traffic Stop Analysis, Andrew Girard
Honors Projects
Examines Donald Black's (1976) theory of pure sociology with data from traffic stops collected over eight months during seventy hours of "ride alongs" with eight different police departments in Rhode Island. Posits that the social structure of each traffic stop is predictable based on observable characteristics of the parties involved and that distance in social space increases the likelihood of a police officer issuing a citation to a driver, while social characteristics similar to that of the police officer reduces the likelihood of a driver receiving a citation. Twenty-one variables throught to impact a police officer's discretion are analyzed. As …
Domestic Violence Blame Attributions In The State Of Rhode Island, Kyle Gamache
Domestic Violence Blame Attributions In The State Of Rhode Island, Kyle Gamache
Honors Projects
Focuses on domestic violence blame attitudes in the State of Rhode Island. Using the Domestic Violence Blame Scale (Petretic-Jackson, 1994) and additional variables generated by a survey designed by the researcher, examines the attitudes of domestic violence shelter care workers, police officers, and students.