Digital Commons Network^™

Considering The “Special Considerations”: The Treatment Of Female Inmates In The People’S Republic Of China Since 1994, Niklas Berry

Madison Historical Review

The purpose of this paper is to historicize contemporary gendered legal practices in the People’s Republic of China and to demonstrate that, despite rhetoric to the contrary, paternalistic assumptions rooted in Confucianism still inform the treatment of female prisoners today. Though China underwent massive political and economic shifts after the formation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, certain longstanding societal principles were preserved in modern China, including long-held paternalistic stereotypes about the physical and mental fragility of women. These precepts undergirded the PRC’s reforms of its judicial and criminal systems …

A Most Despicable Hoax: Women, Crime, And Newspapers In Depression-Era St. Louis, Nancy Stiles

Theses

This paper delves into the captivating saga of Nellie Muench, a St. Louis housewife whose life intersected with the burgeoning celebrity culture, evolving media landscape, and shifting gender dynamics of the early 20th century. Muench's involvement as a co-conspirator in the 1931 kidnapping for ransom of a wealthy doctor propelled her into the spotlight, where she navigated media manipulation to attempt to craft her own narrative. Secretly obtaining a baby and passing it off as her own child to gain jury sympathy and blackmail a rich paramour took interest in her case to sensational tabloid (and legal) heights. Drawing from …

Bearing The Moral Weight: What's Lost When Ai Decides, Christine Susienka

Midwest Ethics Symposium

No abstract provided.

Let My People Go: A Biblical Theology Of Liberation In The Exodus Motif, Lou Ann Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Liberation theologians view political liberation as the central theme of the historical Exodus event due to their interpretation of the text through the perspective of the oppressed and the oppressor. I reject the postmodern stance of liberation theologians, which overemphasizes political liberation and fails to consider the links between Yahweh’s supernatural actions on behalf of the Hebrews in light of Yahweh’s covenantal obligations to Abraham’s descendants. This study argues against the use of liberation theologies as the paradigm for interpreting the historical Exodus event and asserts that a biblical theology of the Exodus motif reveals “covenant” as the interpretive key …

Behind Bars, Beyond Means: Why Incarceration Is The Ultimate Form Of Poverty In The U.S., Samuel Bohn, Ella Paligo, Benjamin White

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

This Fulton Mentored Student Research Conference poster examines the relationship between incarceration and poverty in the United States, where currently over 2 million individuals are imprisoned, constituting 20% of the global prison population. Comprehensive analysis reveals that incarceration exacerbates poverty in the United States through the stigmatization of ex-felons and intergenerational poverty— both perpetuated by systemic exclusions. Drawing on Christian and Islamic principles, this poster highlights the universal call for justice and compassion for these marginalized individuals. The proposed reforms emphasize investment in rehabilitation programs, sentencing reform, and addressing structural inequities. Ultimately, by integrating research-based policies and collectively advocating for …

A Note From The Editors And Author Biographies

FUSION

This document contains a note from the journal's editors, as well as biographies of the authors published in this issue.

After-School Care Centers, Annalise Vasquez

Student Research Symposium

The current educational landscape highlights significant disparities in funding, with schools in predominantly Black or Hispanic areas receiving less funding compared to those in predominantly White areas, largely due to disparities in property tax revenue. Biased appraisals and devaluations of homes in Black neighborhoods further exacerbate this issue. This lack of funding leads to fewer resources for Black youth, increasing their likelihood of economic struggles and involvement in the criminal justice system, perpetuating a cycle of inequity. To address these challenges, many states are focusing on legislation to secure and increase funding for afterschool programs. Efforts include allocating state resources, …

U.S. Government Agency Podcasts, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Presents podcasts from U.S. Government agencies which can be discovered through the U.S. Government Publishing Office's Catalog of Government Publications. Agencies whose podcasts are presented include the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Peace Corps, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Government Accountability Office (GAO), National Park Service, Department of Justice, Federal Reserve System, and U.S. Naval War College.

Predictive Policing, Emily Musgrove

Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics

Currently, machine learning and artificial intelligence are still somewhat new to the world of law enforcement, however, they appear to be rapidly gaining traction for their usefulness in a variety of manners. In this paper, I will examine how technically useful machine learning-based predictive policing is, the ethical conundrums that come with its practical uses, and how to mitigate the risks of its use.

Unblocked Re-Imagining Incarceration By Restructuring The Cell Block, Carlee Castle

Interior Design Capstones

Prison cell blocks, often overlooked as monolithic structures of confinement, conceal a rich tapestry of complex social environments. This study delves into the interplay between the architectural and interior design of cell blocks and the individuals who reside within them, highlighting the profound impact of built elements on the promotion of privacy, independence, and collaboration among cellmates.

Incarceration, by its nature, places inmates in close proximity, fostering interactions that range from cooperation to conflict. However, the prison environment is not equivalent in different countries, and the layout of cell blocks varies widely. By examining these variations, it becomes evident that …

Bearing The Benefit: An Evolution Of Passing To Trespassing & How We Got Here, Kennedi J. Williams

Honors College Theses

In recent years, we have seen a shift in the social treatment of white people in America. The desire to be politically correct at all times, in hopes of avoiding becoming the next viral “Karen” or racist has become imperative. The following thesis will explore the latest trend of white women buying racial capital by producing mixed-race children. At first glance, this idea can be a bit problematic. How can we assume the reasoning behind a woman choosing to bear a child? With this in mind, I would like to emphasize that individuals do not have to consciously be racist …

Spectre Of Justice: Russian Reform In The Courtrooms Of Dostoevsky And Tolstoy, Abby Moore

Senior Theses

The Great Reforms of Alexander II are regarded as transformative policies in the history of Tsarist Russia, drastically changing the empire’s social and political fabric. The judicial reforms of 1864 in particular addressed longstanding issues within the existing criminal justice system, yet they also liberalized the institution at large. Following in the West’s footsteps, the reforms introduced an unprecedented level of democracy into Russia’s courtroom. Among the critics of these changes were renowned authors Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy, both of whom used the realm of fiction to explore their respective concerns with reformed Russian jurisprudence. Both authors bring distinct …

Mythos And Logos: Foucauldian Subjectivities Of Virginia Woolf's Orlando, Hayley R. Cisney

Student Publications

Virginia Woolf’s Orlando: A Biography details a centuries-long battle between Orlando and the sexual structures of repressive power in England. The biographical framework of the novel implies its contribution to objective, historical fact, while the miraculous nature of Orlando’s sexual transformation directly conflicts with constituted epistemologies of being. This paper examines these contrasting forces through Michel Foucault’s post-structuralist considerations of knowledge, power, and sexuality, in addition to the incorporation of other scholarship on Woolf’s conceptions of gender. I specifically follow the timeline of Foucault’s interpretation of the repressive hypothesis as it unfolds throughout the course of Woolf’s novel. By establishing …

What Figures Lurk On Madame Elysé’S Path? Reflections On Philippe Sands’ The Last Colony, Diane Marie Amann

Scholarly Works

One person’s life forms the core around which Philippe Sands’ The Last Colony explores the events leading up to the advisory opinion on the Legal Consequences of Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965. That person is Liseby Bertrand Elysé, who was born in 1953 in Chagos, then forcibly removed to Mauritius in 1973. Her efforts to return home eventually brought her to a 2018 hearing at The Hague, where she spoke to the International Court of Justice bench by means of a subtitled video. This essay, which appears in a symposium issue on Sands’ book, investigates the ethics, the effectiveness, …

Innocence Through An Intersectional Lens: An Examination Of Women And Wrongful Convictions, Briana Paige

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

According to The National Registry of Exonerations (2022), nearly 40% of all exonerations involve a no-crime wrongful conviction. While women make up less than 10% of all exonerees, nearly 73% of exonerated women were originally convicted of crimes that never happened, compared to only 38% of exonerated men. Despite their prevalence, the topic of no crime wrongful convictions is extremely understudied in the wrongful conviction literature.

Additionally, since prior research on wrongful convictions has been primarily male centered, the likelihood that a woman’s case will be accepted to be reviewed for innocence is significantly lower than men (Free and Ruesink, …

From Covenants To Classrooms: Uncovering The Impact Of Racial Segregation On Education In St. Paul, Minneapolis, And Duluth, Alexis C. Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Minnesota's history contains a narrative of segregation that not only shaped the physical landscape of its cities but also entrenched disparities in education and fractured communities. The racial covenants that first emerged in 1910 built the bedrock of housing segregation that led to segregated neighborhoods. The consequences of this systemic segregation extended beyond residential boundaries and infiltrated the corridors of education, where the harsh realities of racial imbalance often betrayed the promise of equal opportunity. By examining the interconnectedness of housing policies, school integration efforts, and community development, this study uncovers the roots of inequality and proves how Minnesota failed …

Everyday, Alyssa Martinez

Floodwall Magazine

No abstract provided.

Sweet Home Jacksonville: How A Florida City Produced An Early Generation Ofafrican American Civil Rights Lawyers, Richard Brust

Florida Historical Quarterly

Thinking back to his days ofgrowing up in Jacksonville in the late nineteenth century, James Weldon Johnson recalled that "[l]ong after the close of the Reconstruction period Jacksonville was known far and wide as a good town for Negroes." Johnson, an African American lawyer and educator who became a writer in the Harlem Renaissance, remembered that "[w]hen I was growing up, most of the city policemen were Negroes; several members of the city council were Negroes; one or two justices of the peace were Negroes." Indeed, African Americans from all over the country regarded what was then Florida's largest city …

On The Power Of Transformation And Becoming Human, Ken Flores

Intersections

No abstract provided.

Mug Of Adoration, Savana Middleton

Floodwall Magazine

No abstract provided.

Mentoring Matters! Designing Mentoring Programs For Misbehaving Black Boys, Tina D. Nelson-Jackson

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Statistics indicate that Black males who continue to experience progressive disciplinary action in school eventually suffer academic failure, which inevitably leads to the school-to-prison pipeline. However, research proves that mentoring programs that are specifically designed for misbehaving Black males can be a viable option for improving behaviors, decreasing disciplinary occurrences, improving grades, and thereby increasing their chances of academic success in the classroom setting.

The Inequity Of Education, Kaylee J. Hernandez

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

The Educational institution in the United States has become a contentious issue inprevious and ongoing elections, with terms ranging from CRT to the “Don’t Say Gay” movement brought up more frequently, social issues have become more prevalent in discussions correlating with how we educate our future generations. However, despite all the discussion, we fail to recognize the core issue of all these ongoing conversations: discrimination. This track addresses the inherent biases within the current educational system impacting the learning experiences of marginalized people, as well as how this affects their lives. This track focuses on a widely known issue: the …

“They’Re Always Actin Up”: Exploring The Impacts Of In-School Disciplinary Policies In Out-Of-School Spaces., Nakisha Whittington

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

In an effort to shed light on the experiences of Black girls in an after-school program, this study captures how their peer and teacher relationships were impacted by in-school suspension(s). Over the course of eight weeks, an ethnographic case study was conducted with two kindergarten Black girls who attended a predominately white after-school program. Using critical race theory and critical race feminism, this study adds to existing literature that reveals the harmful nature of in-school disciplinary practices on Black and Brown students in general, and Black girls in particular. The results of this study reveal how in-school punishment spills over …

Are U.S. Schools Obsolete?: Examining An Anti-Black Carceral System Of Schooling, Re’Nyqua Farrington

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

When studying the link between U.S. prisons and schools, educational research widely relies on the school-to-prison pipeline (STTP) to understand how students are funneled from the schoolhouse to the jailhouse. However, this track critiques the STTP framework for its limitations in understanding how schools operate like prisons for Black students. Further, this track applies a prison abolitionist perspective to analyze the function of schooling for Black students and suggests that Black educational justice and liberation exist outside of the modern-day schoolhouse. Thus, this track begins by specifying the connections between U.S. schools and prison abolition. It goes on to explicate …

Review Of No Guilty Bystander: The Extraordinary Life Of Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Tom Cordaro

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Institutional Legacy As Trigger Of Armed Violence Against The Police: Manifestations And The Underlying Factors In African Countries, Usman A. Ojedokun, Muazu I. Mijinyawa

The Journal of Social Encounters

Armed violence targeting police personnel and police facilities has conspicuously emerged as one of the dominant challenges confronting many police agencies in Africa. Consequently, police officers in African countries are increasingly becoming vulnerable to violent deaths and attacks in the line of duty. In view of this prevailing situation, this paper critically interrogates the nexus between institutional legacy and armed attacks targeting the police in African countries. Tom Tyler’s theory of procedural justice was employed as the conceptual framework for the discourse (Tyler,1990; 2003). The paper argues that the negative labelling that is generally associated with policing and police image …

Engaging Students In Writing With Nonfiction Social Justice Texts, Tracy Spurlin-Saravanan

Virginia English Journal

Getting students engaged in writing in a high school setting is usually challenging and often elicits complaints of boredom. However, the utilization of texts that focus on the experiences of marginalized people and that educates about social injustices can get students interested. When students read texts that inform them about such issues that they might otherwise never hear about and when they are invited to share their views through writing, the door to learning to become critical thinkers and global citizens is opened for them.

Childhood Discipline Disparities For African American And Latinx Students, Cierra Townsend

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

African American and Latinx students are disproportionality impacted by punitive discipline models including suspensions, detention, and expulsions. This disproportionality removes students from the education setting creating adverse social emotional, academic, and economic outcomes. Students who are suspended and expelled are more likely to have contact with the juvenile justice system and or to be pushed out of school into alternative settings. Therefore, punitive discipline leads to increased school-based pathways to the juvenile justice system (SPJJ), also known as the school the prison pipeline (STPP). Despite knowledge of these adverse outcomes, schools continue to utilize punitive discipline practices. School psychologists are …

Black Girls Youth Participatory Action Research & Pedagogies, Kimberlé W. Crenshaw, Venus E. Evans-Winters

Faculty Scholarship

More than a decade ago, as a group of anti-racist and feminist researchers, including one of the authors, set out to survey the landscape of the schooling experiences of Black girls, we encountered a pronounced knowledge desert that threatened research-informed policy interventions that served to protect Black girls. Most research at the time focused on the educational experiences of male, female, or Black students. There was hardly any readily available data on the school-based outcomes of Black girls as a specific group of students with a unique set of experiences. In Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, Overpoliced, & Underprotected (Crenshaw, …

The Grizzly, February 29, 2024, Marie Sykes, Sidney Belleroche, Sophia Kumar, Ellie Burns, Kate Horan, Renie Christensen, Andrew J. Perez, Dan Bass, Adam Denn

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Dr. Harold Dean Trulear Talks Theology and Mass Incarceration • Newly Created Performing and Visual Arts Design and Technology Major • Ursinus Crossword Puzzle • Reimagine Ursinus-Collegeville: Planting a Seed of Change • Spring at Ursinus College Word Search • Meme Corner • Taco Tuesday! • UCWB Playoff Run Comes to an End in Baltimore • "Pool Party at Gettysburg!" Bears Accept Invitation