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The American Prosecutor And The Carceral State: An Analysis To Address Prosecutorial Power And Discretion In An Effort To Reduce Overincarceration In The United States, Olivia Jordan

Honors Theses

There is perhaps no other actor within our legal system that shares more power and control over the carceral state than the American prosecutor. This thesis examines the powers of the prosecutor at every stage of criminal procedure, how these powers contribute to the carceral state, and how prioritizing prosecutorial policy reform can effectively reduce persistent mass incarceration in the United States. This thesis uses three criteria- effectiveness at reducing overincarceration, feasibility of implementation, and ethical impact- to critically evaluate several proposals for addressing prosecutorial power and discretion. Ultimately, the thesis recommends a combination of three proposals for a more …

Looking At Latino Communities: Legal Cynicism, Acculturation, And Their Willingness To Cooperate With Police, Shayla Salais

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Numerous studies have examined how acculturation affects Latino neighborhoods and how legal cynicism affects Latino neighborhoods. Acculturation has been linked with low crime levels, meanwhile legal cynicism is attributed to high crime levels. This study aims to address this contradiction in the literature. Based on 1059 surveys, 46 neighborhood clusters were used to examine how legal cynicism and acculturation to Mexico impact a neighborhoods willingness to cooperate with police. A multivariate ordinary least squares (OLS) regression found that acculturation to Mexico results in higher levels of legal cynicism and less willingness to cooperate with police. The OLS regression also found …

Mental Health Focus As A Deterrent For Justice Involved Youth, Miyah Seckinger

Honors Projects

Tough-on-crime policies regarding youthful offending have resulted in a pendulum swing in which the juvenile justice system has shifted from a rehabilitative focus to one of punishment. The current paper evaluates different mental health program alternatives, as an option to return to a rehabilitative focus for juveniles, with a major focus on the Juvenile Treatment and Support Court in Kent County, Michigan. Through a qualitative analysis, there were findings of initial success with the youthful offenders presented in the court. Recommendations and limitations from the study are presented to aid further policy change and research.

Racialized Mass Incarceration In The United States: Exposing The Facade Of “Liberty And Justice For All”, Emily Wingfield

The Compass

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The New York State Bail Reform Act: What Impact Does It Have On Law Enforcement?, Nicholas Cole

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

No abstract provided.

Protecting Violent Free Speech And Combatting True Homicidal Threats In Cyberspace, Aimee Lillie

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

No abstract provided.

Surviving Child Pornography: Fifty Years On, Jeanette M. Westbrook

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

“Goodbye, My Friencels”: An Analysis Of Incel Suicide Posts, Sarah E. Daly, Albina Laskovsov

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

While an increasing number of researchers, non-profit organizations, and law enforcement agencies have expressed growing concern about the relationship between involuntary celibates (i.e., incels) and violence, no research to date has examined the potential for suicide and self-harm among men who call themselves incels. This study examines suicide posts shared to incel sub-Reddits that were collected by u/IncelGraveyard (N=80). The posts reveal that the notes discuss six subordinate themes, including the method of their planned attempt, the ways they used the internet, the online incel community, failed alternatives and coping, the effects of their suicide on others, and the afterlife. …

Socialization Across The Three Stages Of The Correctional Services Of Canada's Correctional Officer Training Program: An Ethnographic Study, Rosemary Ricciardelli

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

The current ethnographic study reflects my participation in elements of the three stages of the correctional officer training program (CTP) offered by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). Unpacking my experience, I use Van Maanen and Schein (1977) theory of organizational socialization to analyze the formal and informal socialization processes inherent to the structure of the training academy. Thematic reflection on informal socialization processes reveal that the pressures tied to module content and testing reinforce values welcomed by CSC, such as organizational commitment, before the recruit’s arrival at the academy. Moreover, at the academy, where the emphasis remains on organizational …

Shame And Justice: Partners Of Individuals On Sex Offender Registries Encourage Policy Reform, Kristan N. Russell, Katie M. Snider, William P. Evans, Shawn C. Marsh

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Sex offense registration and notification (SORN) policies can contribute to stigma and negative consequences for partners of registered individuals. The present study utilized a self-report questionnaire to ask these partners what they would say to policymakers if given the opportunity. A thematic analysis of the responses revealed three themes which highlight the distinct issues related to registries, describe direct consequences experienced by the partners, and propose changes to existing policy. This study provides valuable insight into the experiences of a hard-to-reach population and can help generate critical discussion around the sweeping impacts SORN policies have on individuals they were not …

Social Supports For Community Corrections Clients: Risk Factors Or Protective Factors?, Lacey Schaefer, Gemma C. Williams, Tenille Ford

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

The significance of social supports throughout an individual’s life-course has been widely documented. However, there is ambiguity about whether social supports are likely to encourage or discourage reoffending. The current study qualitatively examines the kinds of support offered to a sample of probationers and parolees by their social support networks through a thematic analysis of transcripts gained from semi-structured interviews with 15 clients and 16 of their “PoPPs” (parents/partners/peers of probationers and parolees). Results indicate that there are several forms of support provided by correctional clients’ loved ones. These forms of support were well-received by the clients who considered them …

Criminal Justice Update - April 2022, Autumn R. Chassie

Criminal Justice Updates

The Criminal Justice Update is a monthly newsletter created by the Adams County Bar Foundation Fellow providing updates in criminal justice policy coming from Pennsylvania's courts and legislature as well as the US Supreme Court.

Contents:

• Updates from PA Governor's Office: No new updates this month
• Updates from the PA Legislature
• Updates from the Courts
• U.S. Supreme Court
• PA Supreme Court
• PA Superior Court

Native Americans And The Criminal Justice System, Kenneth Foster

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

How does Native American culture affect policing and victim services? There are many contributors, including awareness and past traumas such as historical oppression and forced removal from homelands. Even though the people responsible for those actions are not around today, mistrust is still prevalent in the community. Ethical considerations must be incorporated into practice to bridge the gap with the shortcomings in the Native American community, such as trust, policing, and victim services. This is done by implementing utilitarianism, deontology, and administrative oversight. The inception of the Tribal Police is unique, as it started in 1800 and grew into modern-day …

Opioid‐Specific Medication‐Assisted Therapy And Its Impact On Criminal Justice And Overdose Outcomes, C. Clare Strange, Sarah M. Manchak, Jordan M. Hyatt, Damon M. Petrich, Alisha Desai, Cory P. Haberman

Criminal Justice & Criminology: Faculty Publications & Other Works

Background

The overlap between justice system involvement and drug use is well-documented. Justice-involved people who misuse opioids are at high risk for relapse and criminal recidivism. Criminal justice policymakers consider opioid-specific medication-assisted therapies (MATs) one approach for improving outcomes for this population. More research is needed that explores the impacts of opioid-specific MATs for justice-involved people.

Objectives

This study sought to assess the effects of opioid-specific MAT for reducing the frequency and likelihood of criminal justice and overdose outcomes for current or formerly justice-involved individuals.

Search Methods

Records were searched between May 7, 2021 and June 23, 2021. We searched …

The War On Drugs And Its Legal Effects On Black Americans, Alexia L. Howard-Mullins

2022 Symposium

The differences in treatment between Black and white Americans in the past fifty years has been a topic of thought in the minds of political and sociological scholars since the inception of the War on Drugs in 1971. These differences in treatment may lead to discrimination legally, resulting in longer prison sentences and a higher proportion of Black Americans in prison. This study analyzes the results of the War on Drugs that led to disproportionate imprisonment of Black Americans, including mandatory sentencing laws, drug classifications, and discrimination within law enforcement and the legal system. This study will use primary sources …

2022 Annual Campus Security And Fire Safety Report, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, University Police, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University Police

2022 Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Safety and security information for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, including crime and fire statistics for the 2021 calendar year, and the information required by the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989. All data are submitted to the United States Department of Education according to law.

The Lasting Impact Of Deinstitutionalization: Policing And The Mental Health Crisis, Ruqayyah Sorathia

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Society is combating the detrimental effects of the deinstitutionalization policy, which transferred the treatment of mentally ill patients from state-run psychiatric hospitals to community-run psychiatric facilities. These patients frequently fall into relapses and are more likely to experience risky encounters with law enforcement officials who have no formal training in dealing with them. The paper analyzes the criminalization of mentally ill people, many with substance abuse and alcohol addictions, receiving treatment in jails and state prisons. Incarcerating people with mental illness, though reducing the homeless population from the street and disturbances faced by the public, still does not address the …

“Stay Home, Save Lives": A Study On Covid-19 And Intimate Partner Violence, Grace E. Messina

Honors Undergraduate Theses

With the introduction of COVID-19, preliminary data suggests that the forms and frequency of abuse relating to intimate partner violence (IPV) have changed. Most of society was unaware of the arising silent pandemic which was happening to the individuals in abusive relationships who were being quarantined with their abuser. The IPV resources were extremely aware of this silent pandemic due to large numbers of individuals seeking emergency shelter. However, there was only a priority for public safety due to COVID-19 when in hindsight, there needed to be a balance of public safety as well as increased aid for the individuals …

Fines, Fees, Race, And Socioeconomic Disadvantage, Joshua D. Houy

Dissertations and Theses

Fines and fees for legal violations finance American criminal justice systems but often at a severe cost to those incurring fines and fees. While fines and fees are a long-standing feature of the United States criminal justice system, the use of fines and fees recently captured attention of scholars in the wake of questions prompted by recent social, political, and legal developments. The central question is: What, if any, association is there between race, socioeconomic disadvantage, and county fine and fee issuance? The main hypothesis is: Fine and fee issuance of the most populous counties positively and significantly associate with …

Impact Of Departmental Procedural Fairness On Officer Psychological Well-Being And Engagement In Organizational Citizenship Behaviors, Jennifer Mehnert

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Abstract

The present study investigated the impact of departmental procedural fairness on officers' psychological well-being and engagement in citizenship behaviors. An additional variable considered was the mediating impact of psychological safety on officers' psychological well-being and citizenship behaviors. The findings of this study identify internal operations of police departments as fertile ground for systemic improvements within policing.

Models Of Bail Reform, Brandon L. Garrett

Faculty Scholarship

Bail reform is an urgent topic in the United States and internationally, but what constitutes reform and how to accomplish reform goals is contested. Jails are a modern epicenter of incarceration, with a stunning growth in American jail populations over the past four decades despite declines in both arrests and crime. As many as sixty percent of the half million people currently in jails have not been convicted but are instead detained pretrial. Prior waves of bail reform produced a system largely reliant on secured bonds, which require up-front cash payments to avoid jail time before trial. More recent reform …

Impact Of Counsel Type On Initial Release Decisions And Case Outcomes, Nefertari Elshiekh

Honors Undergraduate Theses

When a defendant is arrested, they can choose to either hire a private attorney to represent them, have appointed counsel such as a public defender, or have no representation. While the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to counsel regardless of a defendant’s ability to pay, this counsel is not always required at first appearance. In fact, only 14 states have made it a requirement to have counsel at first appearance, and even in those states, counsel is not always appointed immediately. However, at first appearance, the judge determines whether to release the defendant pending trial, and if the defendant is …

Annual Report 2022, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

Mission Statement The Nebraska Center for Justice Research’s (NCJR) mission is “to develop and sustain research capacity internal to the State of Nebraska, assist the Legislature in research, evaluation, and policymaking to reduce recidivism, promote the use of evidence-based practices in corrections, and improve public safety.” Our research focus is to use data, research, and evaluation to reduce recidivism, promote the use of evidence-based practices, and improve public safety in Nebraska with an emphasis on reducing prison overcrowding

Innovation Resistance? Understanding Officer Attitudes Toward Police Innovation, Justin Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Over the years, innovations such as community-oriented policing, problem-oriented policing, and crime analysis have helped police agencies control, reduce, and prevent crime and disorder, and improve police and community relations. However, research shows that some officers are resistant to using these innovations in practice. Few studies have examined the causal mechanisms behind innovation resistance. This doctoral dissertation details a study that utilized a mixed method approach to partially test a framework that encompassed two theories to explain officer resistance to innovation: The Model of Consumer Resistance to Innovation from the consumer psychology and marketing fields (Ram & Sheth, 1989), and …

From The Legal Literature: America’S Paper Prisons: The Second Chance Gap, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

The Expansion Of School Resource Officers In A Florida County: A Mixed Methods Study, Melanie Soderstrom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In the aftermath of school shootings, policymakers presented the expansion of school resource officers (SROs) in the nation's schools as a method for keeping students safe. Recently, policing in the United States has come under increased scrutiny, and several school districts across the country cancelled their SRO contracts with law enforcement agencies. Notably, these contradictory decisions have been made with limited empirical knowledge surrounding, the roles, preparedness, and impact of SROs. A county in Florida substantially expanded its SRO program in the 2016-17 school year creating a new unit within the local sheriff's office and an opportunity to investigate these …

Personality Assessment Inventory Predictors Of Parole For Adults Who Committed Murder As Juveniles, Karlie Rice

Psychology Theses

Previously juveniles as young as 14 guilty of murder were eligible to be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. However, the decision of Miller v. Alabama (2012) declared mandatory life without the possibility of parole (LWOP) unconstitutional. Juveniles sentenced to LWOP were now able to be either resentenced or eligible for possible parole. The current study examined which scales on the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) predict parole outcomes for adult men seeking parole who committed murder when they were juveniles and sentenced to LWOP. The PAI is a 344-item self-report assessment comprised of validity, clinical, interpersonal and treatment …

An Examination Of Street-Level Drug Enforcement Tactics And Court Outcomes, Nicholas Paul

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

While there is a substantial body of placed-based evaluations of drug enforcement strategies, little is known about the nature and effectiveness of the routine tactics used by local police to target individual drug offenders. This study used a mixed-method approach to build on existing research on the efficacy of drug enforcement by documenting the nature and consequences of street-level drug enforcement at the local level. First, a focus group of drug enforcement experts was conducted to identify the tactics used to generate arrests and various types of evidence believed to strengthen drug cases. Next, official data in the form of …

The Risk Protection Order: Protection From Mass Homicide?, Brooke Elvington

Theses and Dissertations

Gun control measures, referred to as “risk protection orders” or “Red Flag” laws, are expanding with widespread public support. Currently, 19 states have similar legislation, varying in procedural approaches and enforcement to reduce firearm-related homicide, emphasizing mass homicide. However, little is known about whether the legislation is effective. The following questions are presented: (1) Is there a difference between rates of firearm related homicide incidences prior to and after the creation of Florida’s “Red Flag” law? (2) Do risk protection orders target individuals demonstrating known mass homicide offender typology characteristics? The study used data derived from open-source resources. An interrupted …

Drugs, Thugs, And Mariachis: An Institutional Response To Mexico’S Drug Cartels, Marshall B. Lloyd

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications (Archived)

Mexico represents a dichotomy of images: first, as a land of sun, surf, and a place of destiny for vacationers, and second, as providing a haven for violent drug cartels operating with virtual impunity from the power of the state that appears unable to provide a fundamental duty - public safety. In the current environment of cartel violence, festive similes of mariachis called narcocorridos are muffling traditional Mexican poems by singing ballads praising drug cartel leaders. Defying the government prohibition against radio stations playing this type of music, narcocorridos are often commissioned by drug cartels as a popular source of …