Digital Commons Network^™

Mental And Physical Health In Prison: How Co-Occurring Conditions Influence Inmate Misconduct, Daniel C. Semenza, Jessica M. Grosholz

Criminology Sarasota Manatee Campus Faculty Publications

Background: Research has shown that inmate misconduct is related to a range of demographic factors and experiences with the criminal justice system. Poor mental and physical health has also been associated with inmate misconduct, although no research has examined the relationship between co-occurring conditions and misconduct in prison populations.

Methods: We rely on data from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities (N = 14,499) and use negative binomial regression models to examine the relationship between types of co-occurring mental and physical conditions and misconduct.

Results: The results demonstrate that people in prison dealing with concurrent mental and …

Traditional Regression Methods Versus The Utility Of Machine Learning Techniques In Forecasting Inmate Misconduct In The United States: An Exploration Of The Prospects Of The Techniques, Fawn T. Ngo, Ramakrishna Govindu, Anurag Agarwal

Criminology Sarasota Manatee Campus Faculty Publications

In the U.S., prison administrators often rely on risk assessment instruments to place and supervise inmates, as well as manage, plan and allocate resources. Hence, any improvement in the accuracy performance of risk assessment instruments is likely to result in significant benefits for offender classification and rehabilitation, management systems, and public safety. To date, researchers have explored the relative predictive performance between regression and non-regression methods and the overall evidence is inconclusive. In this study, we seek to advance the debate regarding the efficacy of traditional regression methods versus the utility of machine learning techniques in forecasting inmate misconduct by …

Investigating A Macro Level Trial Tax: An Analysis Of The Relationship Between A Circuit's Plea Proportion And Median Sentence Length In U.S. Federal Courts, Denise Lafontaine

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

This study investigates the relationship between the proportion of cases resolved by plea in the federal court circuits and the median sentence length of those circuits. Through OLS regression, this study models the relationship, controlling for variation in circuits, year, and violent crime proportion. With an understanding of two common theoretical frameworks surrounding the trial tax discussion, this study theorized under a focal concerns perspective that as the proportion of cases resolved by plea in a circuit increases, the median sentence length of that circuit would decrease. The results of this study are consistent with results of prior research showing …

Family Instability As A Turning Point In The Life-Course : An Examination Of Whether And How Family Instability And Specific Types Of Family Instability Directly And Indirectly Influence Delinquency, Walter Shelley

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

“A family’s resources and the doors they open cast a long shadow over children’s life trajectories…This view is at odds with the popular ethos that we are makers of our own fortune.” (Alexander, Entwisle, & Olson, 2010, pg. 1). Perhaps no aspect about an individual’s life is not shaped in some way by their family. In fact, it could be surmised that families set the stage for all later outcomes in the life-course. An event in a family such as family instability could play an important role in shaping an individual’s behavior and outcomes in their life course. However, heterogeneity …

Human Error In Police Involved Shootings, Paul L. Taylor

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Police use of deadly force has become one of the most contentious and controversial aspects of the U.S. criminal justice system. Yet, the vast majority of police shootings never rise to the level of public consciousness (Zimring, 2017). Instead, the public discourse and controversy tends to center on a handful of cases that appear excessive and/or are difficult to understand (Pickering & Klinger, 2016). As a result, these cases have a disproportionate impact on the public’s perception of police legitimacy and competence, particularly when it comes to their use of deadly force (Gua, 2014). The outcomes of many of these …

"What's Past Is Prologue" : Exploring Confinement As A Setting For Change In Social Support And Criminal Activity, Audrey Opal Hickert

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Confinement is a major part of the criminal justice apparatus worldwide. Despite its widespread use, research is just beginning to address the mechanisms by which confinement could change individuals and impact post-release outcomes. In prior research, examinations of average effects of confinement may mask considerable and important heterogeneity. Therefore, variation within confinement samples should be explored on numerous life dimensions, including collateral consequences and metrics of criminal activity beyond simple “yes” or “no” recidivism. Confinement is a life-course event, meaning it can broadly shape future trajectories for those who experience it (Pettit & Western, 2004; Sampson & Laub, 2016). Building …

Individuals With Developmental Disabilities And Criminal Incompetence : An Analysis Of Predictors To Restoration, Ashley Cahill

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Competency to stand trial is a concept of jurisprudence preventing the adjudication of individuals who lack the capacity to understand the proceedings against them and which prevents them from assisting in their own defense because of mental disease or “defects”. In the criminal justice system, defendants found incompetent to stand trial are remanded to the care of the mental health system for a period of time to restore their competence. The determination of competency to stand trial is by far the most common psychiatric evaluation requested by criminal courts, and is especially critical for defendants with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Stereotypes And Phenotypes : Using Machine Learning To Examine Racial Implicit Bias In Sex Offender Criminal Case Processing, Christine M. Walsh

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The role of offender race/ethnicity and potential bias in criminal case outcomes is a popular topic both culturally and academically. Although a common research subject, the existing literature remains inconsistent and limited when focusing on sex offender sentencing outcomes. This dissertation uses data collected from the New York State public sex offender registry on white, black, and Hispanic males to examine the effect of offender racial/ethnic phenotype on two sentencing outcomes: sentence type and sentence length. Offender phenotype is measured through three facial features: nose width, lip fullness, and eye shape. These facial features were chosen from existing literature, however, …

Statement From The Indiana Academy Of The Social Sciences And Board Of Directors, Mssj Staff

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Colombian Trade Agreements From 2007 To 2013, Ryan Lee

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

I analyze the firm-level effects on Colombia entering into Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) between 2007 and 2013. The combination of detailed firm-level data and PTAs make this article unique. In particular, I look at two separate potential trade-promotion effects of the agreements. The first result deals with how exporting firms in Colombia respond to the tariff cuts in the agreements. The tariff cuts from the agreements increase the size of exports by Colombian firms (the intensive margin); however, tariff cuts do not increase the number of exporting Colombian firms (the extensive margin). The second result deals with how the signed …

Race And Racism In The Historical Imagination: Slavery And Civil Rights In Popular Culture, Denise Lynn, Sakina Hughes, Aimee Adam

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Because Hollywood films often lack black representation, films on slavery and civil rights often fail to recognize the roles that black Americans have played in their own emancipation from slavery and in the civil rights movement. Our contention is that historically inaccurate films perpetuate inaccurate understandings of Black history and thus inform contemporary race relations. We selected a more and a less accurate film about slavery and about the civil rights movement, discussing these four films in terms of their historical context.

We also conducted an experiment. After watching one of the four movies, or after viewing no movie, participants …

The Impact Of Perspective In Identifying And Responding To Potential Sexual Misconduct: A Study Of University Students, Nichole Maki Weller, Kathy Parkison, Steven R. Cox, Michael Plummer

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Recent events have demonstrated a divergent understanding of sexual harassment and other forms of sexual misconduct. Although sociocultural standards regarding sexual misconduct have changed over time, including improved social and workplace standards and protections, it is clear that not everyone views these events through the same lens. The lens is even less clear when potential misconduct is viewed from the distinct perspectives of a “victim” and a “perpetrator.” We surveyed 424 undergraduate and graduate students at Indiana University Kokomo to identify the impact of perspective and various sociodemographic characteristics that may influence perceptions of what is, and is not, sexual …

Police Chiefs' Perceptions Of Supervisors' Membership In Subordinate Officers' Unions, Mark P. Derosia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police supervisors who enjoy membership in their subordinates' police union may contribute to organizational discord by failing to enforce organizational policy among their subordinates. The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine the perceptions of 9 municipal chiefs from a west coast state in the United States regarding how supervisors' membership in their subordinates' police union affects policy enforcement and how supervisor enforcement of policy may impact police officer discipline. The conceptual framework was based on dual-commitment conflict theory. Data were collected using semi structured interviews and e-mail questionnaires. Data were member checked and cross-interpreted through coded analysis. …

Survey Of U.S. Undergraduate Self-Reported Opioid Diversion And Heroin Use, Motives, Sources, And Collective Efficacy As Mediating Factors, Mark Francis Plaushin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Epic morbidity and mortality, and intractability make prescription opioid diversion a wicked problem. Meanwhile, college undergraduates are vulnerable to opioid misuse and its consequences. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess U.S. undergraduate students' opioid misuse and the relationship between mediating factors. The study's theoretical framework rested on Wakeland's et al. opioid system model and Shaw and McKay's social disorganization theory. This study bridged the gap, measuring collective efficacy and testing its relationship to undergraduate decisions to regulate misuse. Thus, research questions focused on gauging the problem's scope and assessing relationships between factors that drive or potentially regulate …

Relationship Between Race, Gender, And Elder Abuse Awareness, James Earl Burrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of elder abuse awareness and underreporting is an increasing problem in the United States in that only 1 in 14 cases of elder abuse is reported. The failure to report incidents of elder abuse and suspected elder abuse allows further abuse of elders and for elder abusers to go unpunished. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to understand the relationship between race, gender, and elder abuse awareness and fill the gap in elder abuse literature. Research questions tested mean differences between race and gender, respectively, and elder abuse awareness. The theoretical frameworks for this study were the …

Perceptions, Lived-Experiences, And Environmental Factors Impacting The Crime-Reporting Practices Of Private College Students, Kelly Lynn Arney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was assessing the perceptions of student's on how the campus climate impacts their likelihood of reporting crime. Victimization studies have been conducted at large universities and community colleges; however, there remains a lack of research regarding private colleges. This study was designed to examine the reasoning behind students' crime-reporting behaviors and the influencers that impact their decisions. Cohen and Felson's routine activity theory along with the collective-efficacy theory were used as frameworks to analyze the crimes that occur to college students as well as to explore the reasons for not reporting some crimes to law …

Psychological Characteristics Of Sex Offenders, Patrick Mcmunn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current therapeutic treatment methods are ineffective in identifying at-risk sex offenders and reducing recidivism of known offenders, likely due to inadequate identification of specific traits of sex offenders. Previous research and prominent theories in the area of sex offender treatment, in terms of the biological foundation of substance abuse, behaviors of sex offenders, and the presence of aggression, helped to guide this research. Data about sex offenders were collected, as reported by mental health professionals who treat them and focused on three characteristics: maladaptive interpersonal behaviors, impulsivity, and antisocial behaviors, on which the research questions were formed to detect commonality. …

Certainty Versus Suspicion: Incapacitated Sexual Assault On Campus, Amanda Ellen Quade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One in four women experience sexual assault during college. With rates of sexual assault on college campuses continuing to increase, the need for advanced analysis utilizing contemporary variables is justified. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare two groups of female college-attending students. One group was certain and the other suspected that they were sexually assaulted while incapacitated (independent variables). Dependent variables compared between groups were offender type (interest on offenders with fraternal affiliations), law enforcement reporting decisions, and barriers to reporting sexual assault. Four research questions measured whether there was a statistically significant difference amongst the dependent …

The Geography Of Crime: Placing Geographers In The Space Of Criminologists, Anthony Wv Piscitelli

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The Geography of Crime consists of five articles. The first article, Exploring opportunities for geographers to explain the spatial distribution of crime, serves as a key conceptual link between each of the other four articles. This paper provides a broad introduction to the dissertation showing what gaps in the crime literature exist, especially those ripe for analysis by geographers. Three primary directions emerged as a focus of this dissertation: overarching theoretical contributions, specialized geographic quantitative techniques, and qualitative approaches centred on the concept of place.

The second article, Connecting social disorganization theory to broken windows and routine activities proposes …

Parents Who Kill: Media Constructions Of Male And Female Filicide Cases, Mary Mccluskey

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Often, mothers who murder their children are portrayed as “bad mothers”, as “the news media creates monsters out of [those] who transgress what is considered appropriate maternal behavior” (Goc, 2009, p. 42). This is especially important, as the media has created portrayals of females as murderers which are different from portrayals of males who murder their children. Previous research has addressed the association of motherhood in female offenders, however, there is a lack of research that compares the portrayals of females and males who murder their children, formally known as filicide. Using a social constructionist lens, this research analyzes filicide …

"I Heard It Through The Grapevine": A Randomized Controlled Trial On The Direct And Vicarious Effects Of Preventative Specific Deterrence Initiatives In Criminal Networks, Barak Ariel, Ashley Englefield, John Denley

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

A rich body of literature exists on deterrence, yet little is known about how deterrence messages are communicated through social networks. This is an important gap in our understanding, because such communication gives rise to the possibility that social institutions can utilize the vicarious effect of the threat of punishment against one individual to reduce the rate of reoffending amongst their criminal associates. To test this, we identified criminals with an extensive offending history (prolific offenders) and their co-offenders using social network analysis and then conducted a randomized controlled trial to measure the effect on both prolific offenders and their …

The Rise Of American Extremism: An Exploratory Analysis Of American Religious And Political Extremism From Presidents Jimmy Carter To Barack Obama: 1977-2016, Alwyn J. Melton

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative case study was to address the problem of domestic terrorism facing the United States. This concern led to a comprehensive examination of historical documents that focused on the temporal evolution of the problem beginning with the Carter administration and continuing through the Obama administration. The conceptual foundation centered on resolving the research question and validating three hypotheses directed at qualifying the escalation of domestic incidents of terrorism. This led to developing a behavioral model to assist law enforcement agencies in combating the issue of domestic terrorism. Bivariate and clustering statistical analysis validated the data while …

การขับเคลื่อนข้อกำหนดกรุงเทพด้านแม่และเด็กติดผู้ต้องขังในประเทศไทย, ดนัยกันต์ จงเฟื่องปริญญา

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

บทความนี้อภิปรายถึงสถานการณ์การขับเคลื่อนข้อกำหนดกรุงเทพด้านแม่และเด็กติดผู้ต้องขังในประเทศไทย ประเด็นด้านสุขภาพของแม่และเด็ก ด้านสิทธิของผู้ต้องขังแม่และเด็กและด้านการดูแลเด็ก โดยมีวัตถุประสงค์ในการศึกษาเพื่อศึกษาสถานการณ์ของการขับเคลื่อนข้อกำหนดกรุงเทพด้านแม่และเด็กติดผู้ต้องขัง สภาพปัญหา อุปสรรค และแนวทางในการเสนอแนะการขับเคลื่อนข้อกำหนดกรุงเทพด้านแม่และเด็กติดผู้ต้องขังในประทศไทย วิธีปฏิบัติของเจ้าหน้าที่ราชทัณฑ์ที่เกี่ยวข้องเพื่อชี้ให้เห็นถึงสถานการณ์ของการขับเคลื่อนข้อกำหนดกรุงเทพด้านแม่และเด็กติดผู้ต้องขังพร้อมทั้งเสนอแนะแนวทางวิธีการปฏิบัติที่เหมาะสม การวิจัยนี้เน้นการศึกษาเอกสารงานวิจัยที่เกี่ยวข้อง (Documentary research) โดยทบทวนวรรณกรรมที่เกี่ยวข้องแนวคิดทฤษฎี เอกสารงานวิจัยที่เกี่ยวข้องกับข้อกำหนดองค์กรสหประชาชาติและข้อกำหนดกรุงเทพว่าด้วยสุขภาพแม่และเด็กติดผู้ต้องขังหญิง การปฏิบัติต่อผู้ต้องขังหญิงและเด็กติดผู้ต้องขังในประเทศไทย มาตรฐานสากลเกี่ยวกับการปฏิบัติต่อผู้ต้องขังหญิง แนวคิดความผูกพันทางสังคม (Social Bonding) แนวคิดการขัดเกลาทางสังคม (Socialization) ผลการศึกษาพบว่าผู้ต้องขังหญิงที่ตั้งครรภ์ ผู้ต้องขังหญิงที่มีลูกอ่อนและเด็กติดผู้ต้องขัง ยังมีปัญหาในหลากหลายรูปแบบแตกต่างกันไปตามลักษณะของเรือนจำและทัณฑสถานที่ผู้ต้องขังหญิงจองจำอยู่ในแต่ละจังหวัด เนื่องจากอุปสรรคอันเกิดจากงบประมาณรายปีที่อาจไม่เหมาะสมกับจำนวนผู้ต้องขังหญิงที่ตั้งครรภ์ ผู้ต้องขังหญิงที่มีลูกอ่อน และเด็กติดผู้ต้องขัง ปัญหาเรื่องสถานที่อภิบาลทารก ปัญหาสุขอนามัยของผู้ต้องขังหญิง การจัดการเรือนนอนของผู้ต้องขังหญิง สวัสดิการของผู้ต้องขังหญิงที่ตั้งครรภ์ ผู้ต้องขังหลังคลอดและเด็กติดผู้ต้องขัง การขาดแคลนเจ้าหน้าที่ด้านสังคมสงเคราะห์ ด้านจิตวิทยาและการเข้าถึงกุมารแพทย์และพยาบาลผดุงครรภ์ ขาดระบบฐานข้อมูลที่เชื่อมต่อกันระหว่างเรือนจำและทัณฑสถาน การประสานงานและทำงานร่วมกันระหว่างเจ้าหน้าที่ราชทัณฑ์ที่เกี่ยวข้องกับแม่และเด็กติดผู้ต้องขัง ยังไม่สามารถปฏิบัติตามข้อกำหนดกรุงเทพได้อย่างสมบูรณ์ แม้จะมีแนวทางปฏิบัติที่ชัดเจนจากข้อกำหนดกรุงเทพก็ตาม แต่ด้วยข้อจำกัดหลายประการแตกต่างกันไปตามขนาดของสถานที่และการบริหารจัดการของเจ้าหน้าที่ในแต่ละเรือนจำและทัณฑสถาน ทำให้ไม่สามารถขับเคลื่อนข้อกำหนดกรุงเทพด้านแม่และเด็กติดผู้ต้องขังได้อย่างเป็นรูปธรรม ผลการศึกษาในครั้งนี้สามารถนำไปใช้กำหนดนโยบาย เป็นแนวทางการปฏิบัติของเจ้าหน้าที่ราชทัณฑ์ที่เกี่ยวข้องกับแม่และเด็กติดผู้ต้องขัง เพื่อปรับปรุงและพัฒนาการขับเคลื่อนข้อกำหนดกรุงเทพด้านแม่และเด็กติดผู้ต้องขังในประเทศไทย

Examining The Moderating Effects Of Defendant Characteristics On The Relationship Between Crime Type And Prosecutorial Decision Making, Caitlin Marie Howley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The concept of plea bargaining was not compractice until the nineteenth century (Langbein, 1978; Alschuler, 1979). Before that time, criminal defendants lacked representation in the court, leaving the judge to determine sentencing and punishment. Plea bargaining has become the prominent practice, with around 90% of cases, state and federal, resulting in a plea (Rabin, 1972; Lagoy, Senna, & Siegel, 1976; Alschuler, 1979; Alschuler, 1983; Scott & Stuntz, 1992; Schulhofer, 1992; Starkweather, 1992; Ross, 2006; Silveira, 2017). The concept of plea bargaining is inevitably accompanied by discretion, specifically prosecutorial discretion. Prosecutorial discretion grants prosecutors power in deciding what charges they would …

Compliance, Noncompliance, And The In-Between: Causal Effects Of Civilian Demeanor On Police Officers’ Cognitions And Emotions, Justin Nix, Justin T. Pickett, Renée J. Mitchell

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Objectives
Police legitimacy can hinge on what happens in police–civilian encounters, yet much remains unknown about the socio-psychological processes involved in these bilateral interactions, especially those affecting officers. We integrate insights from policing research with theories and findings from scholarship on moral psychology, interpersonal strain, and victimization fear to develop hypotheses about the situational effects of civilian demeanor on officers’ cognitions (suspicion and perceived danger) and emotions (anger, frustration, annoyance, and fear).

Methods
We administered a series of three randomized vignettes involving routine police–civilian encounters to 546 officers working in a large city in the southwestern United States. We randomized …

Framing Discrepancies: A Comparison Of Sex Offender Notification Meetings Between Minnesota Sex Offender Program And Minnesota Department Of Corrections., Justina Bakker

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research was to assess if there are similarities and / or in how sex offender notification meetings are conducted by two different agencies who are not legally bound to assist in these meetings, but provide assistance, upon the release of sex offenders from custody. The agencies are the Minnesota Department of Corrections who release sex offender after their completion of custody sentences and the Minnesota Sex Offender Program who release sex offenders upon completion of treatment. Interviews were conducted with professional staff from the both agencies. Analyses of the findings of these interviews, along with an …

Factors Affecting Juvenile Drug Use In Medellín, Colombia, Kendall Miller

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Evidence shows that peer pressure is a strong indicator of juvenile substance use. Oetting and Beauvais (1986) determined that the Peer Cluster Theory was a common phenomenon in which adolescents tend to share the same opinions on substance use as their friends do, namely that juveniles who had friends that abused substances were likely to abuse substances themselves. The present study sought to determine if this phenomenon was true for adolescents in Medellín, Columbia. Data was collected on participants’ demographics, their opinions of their community, their relationship to their families and friends, how they spend their time each week, and …

Exploring Locus Of Control In Offender Cognition And Recidivism Paradigms, Anistasha Lightning, Danielle Polage

All Master's Theses

Working with four Washington State county jails to administer surveys to currently incarcerated inmates, we investigated locus of control and beliefs in the likelihood of continued legal involvement as possible antecedents to criminal recidivism. The surveys examined whether there was any connection between legal involvement frequency and the externalization of locus of control. We investigated external locus of control with specific respect to involvement with the law, the prospect of future incarceration, and feelings concerning the overall cause of original and/or sustained legal involvement utilizing the Revised Causal Dimension Scale (McAuley, Duncan, & Russell, 1992). We identified statistically significant interactions …

The Criminal (In)Justice System Of Virginia: A Critical Reflection And Analysis, Alicia Jiggetts

Student Publications

More often than not, society’s attention is hyper-focused on the criminal justice system at the national level. The United States of America has been called out for leading the world in mass incarceration, and scholars like Michelle Alexander and Angela Davis, lawyer activists like Bryan Stevenson, and filmmakers like Ava DuVernay, have played integral roles in making our society collectively pause and take a critical look at our prison nation and the myriad of social inequities and injustices that manifest within it. Our nation is home to five percent (5%) of the global population but accounts for twenty-five percent (25%) …

Assessing The Model Fit Of Multidimensional Item Response Theory Models With Polytomous Responses Using Limited-Information Statistics, Caihong Rosina Li

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Under item response theory, three types of limited information goodness-of-fit test statistics – M₂, M_ord, and C₂ – have been proposed to assess model-data fit when data are sparse. However, the evaluation of the performance of these GOF statistics under multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) models with polytomous data is limited. The current study showed that M₂ and C₂ were well-calibrated under true model conditions and were powerful under misspecified model conditions. M_ord were not well-calibrated when the number of response categories was more than three. RMSEA₂ and RMSEA_C2 are …