Digital Commons Network^™

Decriminalizing The Mentally Ill In America: An Examination Of The Overrepresentation Of Mentally Ill Citizens Behind Bars And A Proposal To Combat This Injustice, Geraghty Alch

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Profile Evidence, Fairness, And The Risks Of Mistaken Convictions, Collin O'Neil, Marcello Di Bello

Publications and Research

Many oppose the use of profile evidence against defendants at trial, even when the statistical correlations are reliable and the jury is free from prejudice. The literature has struggled to justify this opposition. We argue that admitting profile evidence is objectionable because it violates what we call “equal protection”—that is, a right of innocent defendants not to be exposed to higher ex ante risks of mistaken conviction compared to other innocent defendants facing similar charges. We also show why admitting other forms of evidence, such as eyewitness, trace, and motive evidence, does not violate equal protection.

Addressing The High School Sexual Assault Epidemic: Preventive And Responsive Solutions, Carolyn Haney

Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality

No abstract provided.

Families Belong Together: The Path To Family Sanctity In Public Housing, Mckayla Stokes

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

In its 2015 landmark civil rights decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court finally held that the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the United States Constitution guarantee same-sex couples’ marital equality. The Court’s unprecedented declaration that the right to marry is a fundamental right under the Due Process Clause strengthened married couples’ right to privacy because it subjects government actions infringing on marital unions to heightened scrutiny. The Supreme Court has the option to minimize the impact of Obergefell by interpreting the right to marriage very narrowly—as only encompassing the right to enter into a state-recognized union …

The Aftermath : Perceptions Of Employment And Livelihood Among Former Crack Cocaine Dealers In Upstate New York, Charletta Latrice Robinson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Starting in the 1980s, the crack cocaine epidemic disproportionately affected African American males. The justice system incarcerated thousands of African American males, often multiple times for selling crack cocaine during their adolescence and adult lives. On release from prison, this population often does not fit well with the environment to which they return, leading to subsequent incarceration. Using the ecological theory as a lens, this study concerns the goodness of fit between African American males incarcerated repeatedly for selling crack cocaine and the home environment within an Upstate New York community after their release. In this study, I explored the …

An Exploration Of Recidivism Based On Education And Race, Michael Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, with over 2,200,000 individuals in jails and prisons. From 1970 to 2000, the U.S. prison population increased by 500%. African American men are rearrested 72.7% of the time within 3 years of their release from prison. African Americans have a higher incarceration rate than any other racial group in the United States; nearly 1,000,000 African Americans are in jail or prison. Moreover, 60% of African American men who drop out of school are incarcerated by the age of 30 years old. Researchers have demonstrated that education can reduce …

Effects Of Laws, Policies, And Rehabilitation Programs On African American Male Juvenile Recidivism In Southwest Georgia, Kizzie Donaldson-Richard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The laws, policies, and rehabilitation programs of Georgia’s juvenile justice system need to be revisited, especially given the documented rates of recidivism of African American male juveniles in southwest Georgia. The primary purpose of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate youthful offenders and to ensure that recidivism, defined as 3 or more arrests within 3 years after release, does not occur. Data have suggested that corrective behavior sanctions, rehabilitation programs, and lenient sentencing have escalated African American male juvenile recidivism rates, particularly in Dougherty and Tift Counties, Georgia. The purpose of this qualitative methodological study was to explore the …

Differentiating Instruction To Prepare African American Males For High School Accelerated Courses, Monique Carson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Differentiating instruction is important in helping students with diverse backgrounds and learning styles understand curricula; however, this can be challenging for educators. The educators at the study site reported that teachers’ instructional practices could be affecting African American males’ preparedness for accelerated courses. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how rigorous, differentiated instructional practices were being used in the classroom to prepare African American male students for accelerated courses at an urban, Title I school in the Southwest United States. The study was guided by Tomlinson’s differentiated instruction framework. Research questions addressed the types of instructional …

African American Sibling Survivors Of Homicide Victims: A Phenomenological Study, Terra Natia Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American bereavement experiences are underrepresented in the literature in comparison to Caucasian experiences. Due to cultural differences, the available literature may be misleading and unhelpful to African Americans dealing with grief. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to fill the void in the literature regarding African American bereavement. Guided by attachment theory and social constructivism as the theoretical frameworks, this study explored the lived bereavement and grief experiences of 12 African American siblings bereaved by homicide. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to gain firsthand knowledge of the siblings’ bereavement experiences via semi-structured interviews, which allowed the participants …

Narratives Of Black Male Law Enforcement Officers Racial Profiling Experiences, Dujuan Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem and purpose of this study was to examine the personal narratives of Black male law enforcement officers with racial profiling and police violence. It was believed that narratives would reveal the existence and negative effects of duality victims and possible offenders for the participants in this study. The theory of social behaviorism by Mead was used as a lens for theoretical foundation and conceptual framework. Mead asserted that racial profiling and police violence acts are forms of social behaviorism and assimilation into law enforcement for Black male officers. The research question for the study inquired about the …

Caseworkers' Perspectives On Female Juvenile Delinquent Rehabilitation Based On Age Groups, Cynthia Stephens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The incidence of female juvenile delinquency is increasing and, along with it, the need for effective age-appropriate rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to address the lack of research regarding age-appropriate rehabilitation programs for female juvenile delinquents. This basic qualitative approach was used to uncover the perspectives of experienced caseworkers on the best practices and success of age-differentiated rehabilitation programming for female juvenile delinquents. Data were collected to answer the following guiding research question: What are the perspectives of caseworkers on rehabilitation programming for female juvenile delinquents, taking into account the age differences among the incarcerated youth population? Bronfenbrenner’s …

First Generation African American College Student-Athletes And Their Lived Experiences, Ikenna Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

First-generation African American male student-athletes are faced with challenges when attending a four-year institution of higher education. Many of these individuals are leaving their family and hometown for the first time, which can cause them to feel lonely and as if they are an impostor. Using the imposter syndrome lens as the conceptual framework, this case study sought to understand the experiences of first-generation African American male student-athletes at a primarily Caucasian NCAA Division III campus. Three participants responded to recruitment flyer for the face to face interviews. Themes derived from the analysis of individual interviews with 3 participants and …

Comparison Of Gpa And Act Reading And Math Scores For African American Males In Afrocentric Versus Mainstream High Schools, Marissa Irene Prince

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, the academic achievement of African American males is not at the same level as their peers from other ethnic backgrounds. There are negative social and financial implications for African American males who do not experience positive educational outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative study, based on critical race theory, was to compare the effectiveness of traditional high school education and Afrocentric high school education on the educational outcomes of African American males. Three measures of educational outcomes were examined: GPA at graduation, ACT reading score, and ACT math scores. The participants were 143 African American males, …

The Effectiveness Of African American Male Faith-Based Juvenile Delinquency, Dewaun C. Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Southeast region of the United States is experiencing an increase in the amount of crime in the African American community particularly among juveniles. Furthermore, the rate of African American juveniles being arrested is higher than arrest rates among other races. This problem reveals the need for reformation and rehabilitation programs to reduce recidivism in the juvenile justice system. Research indicates that juveniles who have attachments to a conventional institution commit fewer delinquent acts. Although attachments to sports and other programs are positively associated with the social bond theory, it was unclear what aspects of the church program might influence …

Clinicians’ Perspectives On Distinguishing Between Religious/Spiritual And Psychotic Phenomena, Jessica K. Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychosis is a central concept in mental health, yet the concept is unclear. Clinicians are challenged with the task to be able to distinguish psychotic phenomena; however, little is known about how clinicians are able to distinguish religious/spiritual phenomena from psychotic phenomena, as both may be similar in presentation. The focus of this dissertation was on understanding the perspectives and distinguishing processes of mental health professionals when distinguishing between religious/spiritual and psychotic phenomena. Taking a generic qualitative framework approach, the study included face-to-face and telephone interviews with 10 licensed mental health professionals recruited through social media and snowball sampling. Interviews …

Child Welfare Workers' Perceptions Of The Effective Black Parenting Program, Kharmynn M. Bullock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The child welfare system (CWS) serves around half a million families each year in America. Of those, in Texas, hundreds of thousands of African American families represent the greatest percentages of families in the CWS when compared with their respective numbers in the general population. In 2013, African American children made up about 13.9% of the overall population of children in the United States; however, these children represented close to 26% (or 101,938) African American children in the system with CWS. Child Protective Services (CPS) has various programs and services, including parent education referrals to social services agencies that carry …

African American Law Enforcers’ Perceptions About Crime In Minority Communities, Shantae Coppock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a problem with law enforcement and the African American community in the United States, and African American law enforcement employees perpetuate more tension in these communities. The aim of this qualitative study was to learn how African American law enforcement personnel perceived high-crime or poor urban communities and the bond shared among law enforcement agencies, as seen through African American supervisors’ viewpoints. Twelve African American law enforcement supervisors from a Philadelphia County law enforcement agency completed questionnaires. Bureaucratic representation and the racial threat or minority threat framework grounded the study. Participants were evaluated based on supervisory level or …

Suffrage Over Suffering: How Disenfranchisement Erodes The Legitimacy Of Democratic Punishment, Kendall Hollimon

CMC Senior Theses

In this thesis I analyze both retributive and consequentialist justifications for punishment to understand the foundation for disenfranchisement as punishment. I then argue that although some of these justifications can condone disenfranchisement, the practice of disenfranchising criminals damages the democratic process, thus delegitimizing the punishments that societies democratically decide to impose.

Aristotle And Mutual Accountability: A Just Theory Of Punishment, Dina Rosin

CMC Senior Theses

How can citizens of a moral community both be held accountable and be accountable for their actions and their character? What is the role of both the state and the citizen in restoring accountability? In this thesis, I apply Aristotle’s conception of virtue to Stephen Darwall and William Darwall’s mutual accountability framework for punishment. I present a theory of punishment that creates an obligation on both the state and the citizen to uphold virtue and be accountable, and posits rehabituation of character as a necessary component of maintaining mutual accountability. I then apply this theory to a paradigmatic case that …

Populism: An Exploration Into The American Case Through The Academic Literature, Data Analysis, And Fiction, Maxwell Knowles

CMC Senior Theses

The twenty-first century has seen a rise in populist leadership and rhetoric throughout the globe, with the United States standing as one powerful case. This thesis hopes to develop the “story” of populism from multiple perspectives, attempting to not only inform but change the way we approach the populist movement in America, and perhaps, the world. In Part I, I summarize and blend much of the core literature written on populism and economic change, developing the story that populism in America today has its roots in the significant techno-economic and cultural paradigmatic shifts of the 1970s. Social media and an …

Harm, Earth Jurisprudence And Human/Nonhuman Relationships, Tanya Wyatt

Animal Sentience

To prevent the next pandemic and to protect the environment and non-human animals, there needs to be a clear definition of harm and a legal system grounded in Earth Jurisprudence. Drawing on evolutionary principles to redefine harm and to radically alter the legal system to be Earth-centred will help ensure that harmful actions like certain wildlife trade, wildlife trafficking, and intensive farming do not threaten the survival of any life.

Drag Artist Interviews, 2019, Ezra Temko, Adam Loesch

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

This public dataset contains transcripts of 22 in-depth semistructured interviews with drag artists. Students conducted these interviews during Spring 2019.

Constructions Of Prostitution In Berlin, 1914-45: Lessons In Understanding Sex Work, Legalization, And Decriminalization, Falen Wilkes

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Resilience In Female Sex Trafficking Victims, Petra Torri

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study is aimed at exploring the resilience of human trafficking victims. More specifically, this research study focuses on the experience of female sex trafficking victims through the lese of practitioners who work with them. By understanding the causes that make females vulnerable to be recruited by traffickers, the way they get exploited, as well as how they are able to leave the trafficking situation, this dissertation provides an understanding about the factors that promote healing and resiliency from the trafficking experience. Feminist theory was used to illuminate existing literature on the subject, and data analysis was conducted using …

"May We Be Buried Alive Together": Towards An Intersectional Feminist True Crime Praxis, Alexandra White

Pomona Senior Theses

Most mainstream true crime narratives revolve around a corpse. It is usually the body of a woman. The body is most often white. Not always, but in the cultural imaginary, she is blonde. She comes from a good family. She was a sweet girl. What happened to her? While this question haunts the general public, it also animates true crime communities as the victim becomes a symbol of innocence, a site of spectacular violence, and evidence of the incomprehensible extreme of human behavior. The question brings (primarily) white, cis women true crime fans together in the name of fascination, fear, …

2020-2021 Graduate Program Catalog, Nova Southeastern University

Halmos College of Arts and Sciences Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

They Have Names, Too: A Case Study On The First Five Victims Of The Green River Killer: Examining The Construction Of Society And Its Creation Of Victim Availability, Natalie V. Castillo

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

This case study follows the example of Rubenhold (2019) to examine the lives of the first five women killed by the Green River Killer, to give the victims a voice to tell their stories that Ridgway robbed from them, and to identify the social constructs that influence victim availability. To explore this issue, the study analyzed multiple sources of information: archival sources, monographs, articles, websites, and newspapers. In analyzing the effects of their upbringing—family history, educational backgrounds, and personal lives—this research will clarify the role that these factors played regarding where they spent their last day alive.

Using an intersectional …

Evil As Privation Justifying Restorative Justice, Josh Shrader-Perry

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

No abstract provided.

We Live In A Society: Violence And Radicalization In The Internet Manosphere, Emily Price

Capstone Showcase

In a world of incels, pick-up artists, and other Men’s Rights Activists, friction between the so-called Manosphere and contemporary feminist thought has led to documented violence with regards to American mass shootings. Starting with the violent outbursts of disaffected young men, I will work backwards to the point of contact between the man and the Manosphere. This piece seeks not to draw a connection between radical MRAs and violence – the mass shooters draw that connection themselves in their manifestos by outlining their dissatisfaction with society as it is, and particularly with what they perceive as a politically correct and …

Benevolent Feminism And The Gendering Of Criminality: Historical And Ideological Constructions Of Us Women's Prisons, Emma Stammen

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis aims to connect and analyze primary sources that contain untold histories and experiences of people incarcerated in women’s prisons in the US and Britain, from the Victorian period to the modern era. By exploring, compiling and sharing various secondary and primary texts as evidence, I hope to contribute to a better understanding of the historical and ideological constructions of the American women’s prison as we know it today. In this thesis, I argue that analyzing and understanding the historical and ideological constructions of the modern women’s prison are critical practices for theoretical and activist frameworks that seek prison …