Digital Commons Network^™

Investing In Maryland Safety: Engaging Public Resources And Community Partnerships To Prevent Crime And Violence, Jeffrey A. Butts, Rebecca Balletto, Patricia A. Cobar

Publications and Research

The Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice conducted a review of two innovative initiatives developed by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services: The Thrive Academy (TTA) and the Safer Stronger Together (SST) intervention strategy. The study involved document analysis, online resource review, and interviews with agency staff and leadership. These efforts aimed to understand the design, implementation, and alignment of TTA and SST within Maryland’s broader public safety and crime prevention strategy. Key themes included program effectiveness, operational progress, and community-level impact, providing valuable insights into the Department’s evolving approach to juvenile justice and public …

Religious Bodies Crime Control Strategies In Lagos Slums, Nigeria, Lateef Adeyemo

The Journal of Social Encounters

In Lagos' slum areas, where crime and social instability are rampant, religious bodies are uniquely positioned to influence positive change. This study adopted a qualitative, cross-sectional approach, guided by social disorganisation and stakeholder theories, to examine their impact. Purposive sampling was used to select 61 participants for in-depth interviews and key informant interviews. Findings indicate that religious bodies primarily engage youth through sermons and occasional events but lack structured crime control mechanisms. Key challenges include community resistance, limited police collaboration, resource constraints, and threats from violent youth. Furthermore, doctrinal concerns and fear of backlash hinder interfaith collaboration, with some …

Is There A Relationship Between Drug Addiction And Incarceration?, Lindsey M. Lopez

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The connection between drug addiction and incarceration has been widely debated. Many individuals who struggle with substance abuse will end up in the criminal justice system, mainly due to drug-related crimes or offenses committed under the influence like DUI’s. This study examines whether incarceration is effective in solving substance abuse issues or if alternative approaches such as rehabilitation, offer better results. The analysis explores the balance between punishment and treatment programs to determine what the most effective strategy is in reducing recidivism and addressing why drug addiction is high in the justice system.

Perceptions Toward Wrongful Convictions And Needed Reforms In The Criminal Justice System: Does Working Experience In Law Enforcement Matter?, Natalia Ermasova, Aubrey Adams, Lisa Jackson

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"This study proposes to investigate how public views on the wrongful conviction issue are connected with the perceived need for criminal justice reform and whether the professional experience in law enforcement influences these perceptions. This study employs a qualitative research design, deriving its conclusions from the comparative analysis of the survey responses concerning the issue of wrongful convictions and the criminal justice system collected from 45 law enforcement professionals and 35 individuals without such experience. The comparative results reveal that for the respondents without working experience in law enforcement, racial/ethnical bias was one of the most substantial issues of wrongful …

Community Safety Investments: Violence Prevention Initiatives Across New York State, Rebecca Balletto, Jeffrey A. Butts, Sheyla A. Delgado, Justice D. Evans, Gina Moreno, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Kathleen A. Tomberg, Michael Rempel, René Ropac

Publications and Research

At the request of New York State's Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), researchers from John Jay College of Criminal Justice conducted an assessment of over a decade of state-funded violence prevention initiatives implemented at the county level. Beginning in 2010 and expanding significantly after 2021, these initiatives were adopted by nearly two dozen counties by 2014. Research teams from the Research and Evaluation Center (JohnJayREC) and the Data Collaborative for Justice (DCJ) analyzed county-level trends in serious and violent crime between 2010 and 2023 to assess the potential impact of these investments on community safety outcomes. The study aimed …

Does Treatment Setting In Ati Matter? An Examination Of Completion Rates And The Role Of Violent Charges Among Individuals With Co-Occurring Disorders, George J. Anderson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Despite the proliferation of alternatives to incarceration (ATI) for individuals with co-occurring disorders in recent decades, little is known about comparative styles of treatment used in this context. The following study uses data from a case management service in a large urban city (n=273) where several types of treatment are utilized in the ATI landscape. Specifically, this study compares ATI completion rates and time to completion or failure for several styles of treatment: clinic-based outpatient, residential, assertive community treatment (ACT) and personalized recovery-oriented services (PROS) programs. Results of a logistic regression indicate that individuals initially referred to residential treatment had …

Enhancing Emergency Response To The Active Shooter With Nims, Edwin A. Vazquez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the following study is to identify components of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) that can be used to improve first responder deployment in critical incidents, such as in the occurrence of an Active Shooter (AS) and Active Deadly Threat (ADT). The Incident Command System (ICS), a component of NIMS, is the on-scene emergency management organization designed to aid in managing resources during planned and unplanned catastrophic events. An AS/ADT incident is typically planned by the perpetrator and unexpected to first responders, leaving them with limited time to respond to and neutralize this type of threat effectively. …

Statistical Abstract, Fiscal Year 2025, Tennessee. Department Of Correction

Annual Statistical Abstract

This document is the annual statistical report for the Tennessee Department of Correction during the fiscal year.

The Economics Of Crime: Exploring The Impact Of Psychedelics, Gun Liability Insurance, And Zero-Bail Policies On Crime, Victor Olu Kilanko

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the intersection of public health and criminal justice by empirically evaluating the effects of three distinct policy reforms: psychedelic decriminalization, firearm liability mandates, and zero cash bail, on crime outcomes in California. It aims to inform evidence-based policymaking by leveraging quasi-experimental methods to identify the causal impact of each intervention. A growing number of U.S. jurisdictions have decriminalized psychedelic substances, and there are attendant theoretical expectations that such reforms could promote desistance from crime through the rehabilitative potential of psychedelics. This study examines the causal impact of psychedelic decriminalization on violent and property crime rates using monthly …

Digital Community Policing: Using Social Media To Engage Students And Enhance Campus Safety, Dathan C. Jackson

Dissertations of Practice

Campus police increasingly rely on social media to reach students, yet little is known about how these efforts influence trust, collaboration, and perceptions of safety. This qualitative case study examined how one public research university’s police department uses social media to support community-policing goals. Data came from student interviews, departmental policy analysis, and a review of social media content.

Findings showed three central patterns. First, top-down, compliance-oriented messaging limited connection and failed to meet students’ expectations for open, two-way communication. Second, consistent and authentic engagement, online and in person, helped build shared responsibility and strengthened trust in campus safety efforts. …

Legislatures And Localized Resentencing, Ronald F. Wright, Kay L. Levine

Faculty Articles

Recent legislation, exemplified in statutes from California and Washington, creates new methods for resentencing defendants in old cases. These laws place controlling authority for resentencing in the hands of local officials, especially local prosecutors, and invite variation at the county level.

While some new procedural channels for reducing the sentences of people convicted of past crimes are mandatory, in that they entitle certain defendants to resentencing if they were convicted of certain crimes or were subject to certain penalty enhancements that are no longer valid, other statutes create discretionary resentencing channels. In the discretionary channels, the chief local prosecutor has …

การก่อแรงร่วมสร้างเมืองปลอดภัยเชิงรุกเพื่อป้องกันอาชญากรรม : กรณีศึกษา ต.บ้านโพธิ์ อ.เมือง จ.สุพรรณบุรี, กฤติ ม่วงศิริ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การสร้างเมืองปลอดภัยเพื่อป้องกันปัญหาอาญากรรม ยังประสบสภาพปัญหาช่องว่างเชิงนโยบาย (Gaps for Policy Formulation) การกำหนดตัวชี้วัดให้สอดคล้องในพื้นที่ (Contextual Index) และสภาพปัญหาด้านการคำนึงถึงผู้มีส่วนได้เสีย (Stakeholders Concern) ส่งผลให้การกำหนดนโยบายขาดความชัดเจนและอาจไม่สอดคล้องกับบริบทในพื้นที่ ผู้วิจัยจึงมุ่งศึกษาสภาพปัญหาและนำเสนอนโยบาย “เมืองปลอดภัยเชิงรุก (Pro-Active Safe City)” เพื่อแก้ไขปัญหาช่องโหว่ของการตีความและการกำหนดเป้าหมายผ่านตัวชี้วัด โดยนำร่องการศึกษาในพื้นที่ศึกษา ต.บ้านโพธิ์ อ.เมือง จ.สุพรรณบุรี โดยดำเนินการวิจัยแบบผสมผสานระหว่างการเก็บข้อมูลเชิงปริมาณ - เชิงคุณภาพ การออกแบบเชิงบูรณาการตามหลัก 4D Design Thinking และการวิเคราะห์เชิงพื้นที่ (Spatial Analysis) โดยริเริ่มสำรวจด้วยดัชนีตัวชี้วัดความปลอดภัยเชิงกายภาพรายพื้นที่ (Crime Vector Index: CVI) จากการสำรวจออนไลน์ ประชากรจำนวน 382 ราย เพื่อประเมินความเสี่ยงและความต้องการ และการเก็บข้อมูลเชิงคุณภาพผ่านการสัมภาษณ์เชิงลึกผู้บริหารและผู้แทนท้องถิ่นจำนวน 7 ราย และการจัดอภิปรายกลุ่มสำหรับภาครัฐ-ภาคประชาชนจำนวน 25 ราย ทั้งนี้ ผลการศึกษาวิจัย พบว่า ประชาชนในพื้นที่มีความต้องการให้เน้นย้ำกลไกการสร้างพื้นที่ส่วนกลางสำหรับการใช้ชีวิตร่วมกันและการพักผ่อน (ร้อยละ 25.13) การติดตั้งเสาไฟส่องสว่าง (ร้อยละ 21.20) และการสร้างอาสาสมัครชุมชนช่วยลาดตระเวนในพื้นที่ (ร้อยละ 14.66) และประชาชนในพื้นที่มีความกังวลต้องรับมือความเสี่ยงของอาชญากรรม โดยต้องการมุ่งเน้นการปกป้องความปลอดภัยในชีวิต การแก้ไขปัญหาพื้นที่เสี่ยง สกัดกั้นความเสี่ยงจากภัยภายนอก ในขณะที่ความเข้มแข็งทางสังคมและการสร้างแนวร่วมเฝ้าระวังภัยอาชญากรรมเป็นกลไกสำคัญ และการสร้างพื้นที่ส่วนกลาง ขยายโอกาสในการใช้พื้นที่ร่วมกันและเศรษฐกิจในพื้นที่ ฉะนั้น แนวทางการสร้างเมืองปลอดภัยสำหรับพื้นที่ จึงนำเสนอในรูปแบบเมืองปลอดภัยเชิงผสมผสาน โดยออกแบบมิติความปลอดภัยเชิงกายภาพผ่านการติดตั้งอุปกรณ์และเทคโนโลยีเฝ้าระวังจุดเสี่ยงบริเวณพื้นที่รอยต่อ และมิตินามธรรมผ่านกลไกสร้างชุมชนเข้มแข็งให้เป็น “หุ้นส่วนความปลอดภัยสาธารณะ (Strategic Partnership for Public Security)” และสร้างความสมดุลระหว่างสังคม - เทคโนโลยีโดยเน้นย้ำการมีส่วนร่วม (Engagement) จากผู้มีส่วนได้เสียทุกภาคส่วน (Stakeholders) สร้างความตระหนักการรู้สึกเป็นเจ้าของพื้นที่ (Sense of Belonging) เป็นพลเมืองตื่นรู้ (Active Citizen) เพื่อป้องกันอาชญากรรมพื้นฐาน (Street Crimes) และยาเสพติด และยกระดับสู่การสร้างข้อเสนอแนะเชิงปฏิบัติการ เพื่อแนะนำกระบวนการและขั้นตอนการปฏิบัติ และธรรมาภิบาลด้านเมืองปลอดภัย ด้านกฎ …

ข้อพิจารณาการปฏิบัติต่อผู้ต้องขังป่วยระยะสุดท้าย, สุชัญญา คันศร

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อ 1) ศึกษาระบบข้อพิจารณาในการปล่อยตัวผู้ต้องขังที่ป่วยในระยะสุดท้าย 2) ศึกษาระบบการดูแลผู้ต้องขังที่ป่วยในระยะสุดท้าย และ 3) เสนอแนะแนวทางระบบการปฏิบัติต่อผู้ต้องขังที่ป่วยในระยะสุดท้าย การวิจัยเป็นการวิจัยเชิงคุณภาพ โดยใช้การสัมภาษณ์แบบกึ่งโครงสร้าง (Semi-structured Interview) กับผู้ให้ข้อมูลสำคัญ จำนวน 6 คน ที่มีประสบการณ์เกี่ยวข้องกับระบบราชทัณฑ์และการดูแลผู้ป่วยระยะสุดท้าย ได้แก่ นักทัณฑวิทยา เจ้าหน้าที่ราชทัณฑ์ นักทัณฑปฏิบัติ นักสังคมสงเคราะห์ พยาบาลวิชาชีพ จากทัณฑสถานโรงพยาบาลราชทัณฑ์ และศูนย์มิตรอาทร โรงพยาบาลตำรวจ ข้อมูลที่ได้ถูกวิเคราะห์ด้วยวิธีการวิเคราะห์เชิงเนื้อหา (Content Analysis) ผลการวิจัยพบว่า 1) ระบบการพิจารณาการปล่อยตัวผู้ต้องขังที่ป่วยระยะสุดท้าย มีความสำคัญอย่างยิ่งต่อผู้ต้องขังที่ป่วยระยะสุดท้าย หลักเกณฑ์นี้ช่วยให้ผู้ต้องขังได้รับโอกาสกลับไปอยู่กับครอบครัวและชุมชน ขณะเดียวกันก็ยังคงรักษาเป้าหมายด้านความปลอดภัยของสังคมผ่านกระบวนการคัดกรองและประเมินความเสี่ยงอย่างเหมาะสม 2) ระบบการดูแลผู้ต้องขังที่ป่วยระยะสุดท้าย มีเป้าหมายหลักในการบรรเทาความทุกข์ทรมานของผู้ป่วยทั้งทางร่างกาย จิตใจ สังคม และจิตวิญญาณ การดูแลนี้ครอบคลุมตั้งแต่ผู้ป่วยได้รับการวินิจฉัยจนถึงวาระท้ายชีวิต และยังรวมถึงการดูแลครอบครัวในช่วงการสูญเสีย แต่ยังเผชิญกับข้อจำกัดในเชิงโครงสร้าง ทรัพยากรบุคคล 3) แนวทางระบบการปฏิบัติต่อผู้ต้องขังที่ป่วยในระยะสุดท้าย ในด้านกายภาพของสถานพยาบาลในเรือนจำ ออกแบบจัดสรรพื้นที่เฉพาะสำหรับผู้ป่วยระยะสุดท้าย (Palliative Care Zone) ปรับรูปแบบการเยี่ยมที่มีความยืดหยุ่นมากกว่าผู้ต้องขังทั่วไป และการสร้างทีม Palliative care ให้แข็งแรงในการดูแลแบบประคับประคอง (Palliative Care)

Examining Disparities In Pre-Conviction Detention: A Race And Gender Analysis Of Criminal Charging And Detention Practices In Ramsey Countyention Practices In Ramsey County, Gabriel P. Exman

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

Race and gender disparities in the U.S. criminal justice system are well documented, primarily in sources of national post-conviction data. However, localized and pre-conviction studies remain limited. This study examined race and gender disparities in pre-conviction detention outcomes and charge severity in Ramsey County, Minnesota, between 2017 and 2019. Using a descriptive, exploratory quantitative design and a retrospective single-cohort analysis, the researcher analyzed trends in arrests, charge severity, and pre-conviction incarceration duration across race and gender groups. Findings indicate disparities in both charge rates and pre-conviction detention durations, with Black men and Native American women experiencing longer periods of incarceration. …

Analyzing Car Theft Trends In Central Texas: A Comparative Study Of Waco, College Station, And Killeen, Daniel Njogu

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study examines motor vehicle theft (MVT) trends from 2019 to 2023 in three Central Texas cities—Waco, College Station, and Killeen—using temporal analysis, geospatial hotspot mapping, and make/model data. In Killeen, thefts generally rose over the period, with notable peaks in October and on Mondays. College Station saw an overall decline in thefts but experienced a seasonal spike each March, and Waco’s thefts increased until around 2021 before beginning to fall. Local festivals—such as the Spirit of Texas in College Station and the Heart O’ Texas Fair in Waco—appear to coincide with these seasonal upticks. Hyundais and Kias were most …

News Mediated Reporting And Governmental Narratives About The Enforcement Of Elite Criminality: Exploring The Social Construction Of Financial Frauds And Discrepancies In Punishment, Dominic J. Zicari

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how financial crime enforcement decisions are socially constructed through a qualitative content analysis of news articles and government communications pertaining to two specific cases: the Enron scandal of 2001 and the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008. The study was guided by a theoretical framework that utilizes Barak’s (2017) theory of state-routinized crime control. The rigorous analysis of 394 news articles and government communication documents revealed that the media and the state rarely framed the subprime mortgage crisis as a criminal issue. Although the Enron scandal was frequently described as financial crime, journalists and government communicators were often …

Victim-Offender Relationships And Their Influence On Crime Brutality And Sentencing Outcomes In Capital Homicide Cases, Samantha Jane Trowbridge

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This study examines capital murder cases in Missouri from 1976 to 2022 to explore how victim-offender relationships relate to both the brutality of homicides and sentencing outcomes. It addresses three main questions: What are the different types of victim-offender relationships in these cases, and how frequently does each type occur? How do these relationships influence sentencing outcomes, particularly the likelihood of receiving the death penalty versus life without parole? And which types of relationships are associated with the highest and lowest levels of brutality? The study uses official court records and applies a coding process to analyze relationship type, sentencing …

Pre-Migration Victimization And Fear Of Violent Crime Among New Arrivals In Chicago / Victimización Y Miedo Al Crimen Violento En El País De Origen De Los Migrantes Recién Llegados A Chicago, Cristian L. Paredes, Keyla Navarrete, Anna E. Bullock, Brianna Hernandez, Raymond A. Akumbilim

Sociology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This project explores the situations and experiences of new arrivals/asylum seekers who have recently arrived in Chicago. Chicago has experienced a significant increase in the number of newcomers, due to Operation Lone Star, launched by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in March 2021. Since August 2022, Governor Abbott has bused more than 30,000 migrants to Chicago. The City of Chicago has acknowledged its responsibility to welcome everyone regardless of immigration status, adopting a proactive stance toward this humanitarian emergency. However, newcomers still struggle to get access to basic needs in the city. We have conducted a face-to-face, cross-sectional survey to collect …

Philosophers On Prison Abolitionism: Theory Versus Practice, Piero Moraro

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Philosophers have long been debating the moral justifiability of punishment. However, they have seemingly ignored the adjacent question concerning the moral justifiability of incarceration, as demonstrated by the dearth of philosophical work on prison abolitionism. This silence is puzzling, given that, on closer examination, many philosophers implicitly (or even explicitly) endorse the core assumptions of prison abolitionism. By discussing some examples in the recent literature in philosophy of punishment, I argue that philosophers support prison abolitionism in practice, but not in theory. They endorse the practical strategies in the abolitionist agenda, yet refuse to engage with the normative assumptions that …

Assessing The Predictive Validity Of The Network Inventory Of Risk, Victories, And Needs Assessment (Nirvana) For Youth Receiving Prevention Services., Michael T. Baglivio, Kevin T. Wolff, Katherine Jackowski

Publications and Research

The current study assesses the predictive validity of a newly-developed holistic risk/needs assessment for youth receiving prevention services. Employing a multiyear statewide sample of over 17,000 prevention youth, multivariate and Area Under Curve techniques are used to examine predictive validity in predicting future formal juvenile justice system involvement (new law violations) across sex, race/ethnicity, and multiple youth age ranges. Furthermore, predictive validity across the severity of the subsequent offense type (misdemeanor, non-violent felony, violent felony) was examined. Findings demonstrate large effect sizes for static risk only, dynamic risk only, and total risk plus protective scores on future offending. Sex and …

Street Outreach And Reentry: The Role Of Community Violence Intervention In The Reintegration Of Returning Citizens, Hilary Jackl

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Amidst ongoing efforts to reduce the nation’s prison population, as well as calls to defund the police and invest in civilianized public safety strategies following the murder of George Floyd, community-based violence intervention (CVI) strategies have been increasingly recognized as a critical means by which to ameliorate the United States’ enduring gun violence problem without exacerbating the harms of overpolicing and mass incarceration. However, most contemporary CVI research has assessed program impacts on neighborhood rates of gun violence and has produced conflicting findings, leading scholars to call for the need to examine a wider range of program-related functions and outcomes. …

Explaining Mass Shooting Motivations: A Case Survey Analysis Of Us Mass Shootings (2006-2024), Isaiah H. Harris

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Research on the motivations behind mass shootings remains inconclusive as these events often lack a singular or explicit cause. The motivations of mass shooters are complex, shaped by the interplay of psychological, social, and ideological factors. While some attacks are clearly driven by extremist beliefs, others appear to stem from less defined forces such as depravity or sadistic intent. Existing typologies, such as Langman’s (2009) analysis of school shooters, offer valuable insight but are limited in scope. This study expands upon previous research by examining U.S. mass shootings from 2006 to 2024 to determine whether such events are more frequently …

Decentralized And Divided: Philadelphia’S Public Assistance System And Community-Based Initiatives, Gianna Casey, Shari Orisich

Honors Theses

Public assistance programs and community-based initiatives have aided Philadelphian’s residents in a cohesive effort to fill the gaps of community-needs. While both are inherently different in their methodologies and executions, their structures are built upon a collective foundation of legislative principles and policy-based ordinances in Philadelphia. These concepts, first began with poor laws and religious organizations in the 19th century, have turned into a complex system that has fallen tremendously short of sufficiently addressing the specialized needs of Philadelphian families. The surrounding laws for public assistance program administration (e.g. TANF and WIC), are founded within the objectives of these poor …

Undocumented Hispanics' Trust In Municipal Law Enforcement, Kendel Cole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of the quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine the extent to which undocumented Hispanic immigrants in the United States trust municipal law enforcement differently based on whether they live in a sanctuary city or a non-sanctuary city. The research question (RQ) asks if there are significant differences in trust in municipal law enforcement among undocumented Hispanic immigrants in sanctuary cities compared to non-sanctuary cities. The Narrative Policy Framework was the theoretical foundation for the study. The study occurred in sanctuary cities and non-sanctuary cities. Sanctuary city status was the independent variable in the RQ, reflecting the self-identification of …

Immigration, Sanctuary Counties, And Crime: A Safety Net For Vulnerable Populations?, Carson Duca

Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses

The literature for the relationship between immigration and crime has been growing in recent decades, but the research on how immigration sanctuary policies are associated with crime is relatively underdeveloped. There is much theory that describes how immigration sanctuary policies could make the police more effective and efficient due to increased correspondence levels, which also has the potential to increase crime reporting rates. The current study advances the extant literature on the relationship between immigration sanctuary policies and crime. To do so, ordinary least squares (OLS) regression techniques are run to analyze how the presence of immigration sanctuary policies along …

Burnout, Stress And Its Effect On The Use Of Deadly Force, Charles Gutshall

School of Criminal Justice Theses and Dissertations

Police officers encounter significant occupational stressors that contribute to heightened levels of burnout and stress, potentially influencing their critical decision-making during deadly force encounters. This dissertation investigates the relationship between selfreported perceived stress, burnout, and the frequency of deadly force application among officers in southeastern Florida. Drawing on the Professional Quality of Life Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Restraint in the Use of Deadly Force Scale, survey responses from 202 officers were statistically analyzed using regression and descriptive techniques.

Contrary to initial hypotheses, findings revealed no significant predictive relationship between perceived stress, burnout, and the likelihood of using …

Exploring The Interactive Effects Of Officer, Subject, And Encounter Factors On Police Use Of Force Outcomes, Jeremy David Barnum

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Police use of force incidents are highly complex events that can be characterized by factors pertaining to the officers, subjects, and immediate encounter. These factors and the dynamic interrelationships between them encompass the situational context of use of force and have been widely studied in the criminological literature (Bolger, 2015). However, extant research has almost exclusively focused on identifying the main effects of situational factors on use of force with little consideration of how effects may vary across specific situational contexts. This limits our understanding of police use of force and complicates efforts to develop policy or training that ensures …

Understanding The Factors Associated With The Targeting Of Prison Gangs By Specialized Gang Units (Sgus) In The United States, Bruno Aldair Zapata

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Specialized gang units (SGUs) are prominent in police departments in the United States with their sole purpose to respond to gang activity across the country. SGUs vary in the types of gangs they target, resources available, officer composition, and the types of enforcement activities they use. SGUs have encountered various controversies such as exaggerating the gang problem in the media, for distorted intelligence in their gang databases, and for racial stereotyping and harassment among Hispanics in particular. Research regarding SGUs is limited in general, but even fewer studies exist on the targeting efforts of prison gangs by SGUs. Prison gang …

Support Services From Prison To Home: Reentry Programs In A Midwestern State, Naima I. Lusane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was a gap in understanding the impact of Ohio-based reentry programs and support services for previously incarcerated offenders. Providing reentry services to ex-offenders before and after release from prison is vital in reducing the likelihood of recidivism. This study was essential because its outcomes provided valuable insights to reentry service agencies and prisons into the impact of support services on successful reentry and reducing recidivism in Ohio. The purpose of this qualitative ethnographic study was to explore how reentry programs addressed the employment, education, and housing needs of ex-offenders transiting back into society. The …

Risk-Contamination And Dilution: Advancing The Rnr Model In Prison Settings, Baylee Allen-Flores, Zachary Hamilton, John Ursino, Alex Kigerl

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The Risk-Needs-Responsivity (RNR) model posits separating lower from higher-risk individuals to avoid “risk contamination.” In a prison setting, policies and restrictions lead to mixing different populations within a housing unit. While this may pose a threat, it may allow higher-risk individuals to gradually promote through security levels, reducing risk. We term this “risk dilution.” The current study compares the infraction behavior of individuals that are over-classified (housed higher than their risk) and those under-classified (housed lower than their risk). Using mixed-effect models with a large (N = 52,000) sample of incarcerated men, findings demonstrate support for both contamination and …