Digital Commons Network^™

Investigations Of Fraud, Waste, Abuse, And Corruption In The Public Sector: A Survey Of Organizational And Software-Based Aids And Obstructions, Lawrence Kom

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Fraud, Waste, Abuse, and Corruption present significant challenges to the efficient use of public resources and stifle government service improvement by detracting from policy development and undercutting funding for important initiatives. The purpose of this study is to better understand the aids and impediments to investigations of these offenses and provide a generalizable definition for the mission of Inspectors General, the group tasked with monitoring and addressing these offenses. This study also sought to identify the material role of software in investigations of Fraud, Waste, Abuse, and Corruption. Through a purposive sampling, 18 Inspectors General from the federal, state, and …

The Freddie Gray Uprising: Persistence And Desistance Narratives Of Community-Engaged Returning Citizens, Maurice Vann

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study explored how selected returning citizens in Baltimore who experienced the Freddie Gray Uprising of 2015 quelled community violence, stopped looting, and cleaned up the community in the aftermath made meaning of their experiences of the unrest. The central purpose of this study was to collect and analyze the life stories of returning citizens in Baltimore who experienced the Uprising. These men who had been incarcerated for between 5 and 20 years responded to government officials who called on them to quell violence in their neighborhoods that stemmed from the in-custody homicide of Freddie Gray.

The informants provided narratives …

Why Do Officers Support Community Policing? A Cross-Departmental And Cross-Temporal Comparison, Mary Shupard, Erin M. Kearns

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Community policing is often seen as a way to repair fractured relationships between law enforcement and the public. Despite its relationship-building promise and widespread department-level adoption, individual officers show varying levels of support for community policing which can harm policy implementation. Why are some officers more supportive of community policing than others? Prior research suggests that demographic factors such as the officer's gender, race, age, and education can explain this variance. Across these studies, however, there are several contradicting or non-replicating findings. Conflicting findings may result from differences by department or differences in methodology or temporal variance – but most …

The Poetry Of Al-Zubair Ben Abdul Mutaleb, Dr. Abd Al-Hamid Al-Mayini

Al-Balqa Journal for Research and Studies البلقاء للبحوث والدراسات

The Poetry of Al-Zubair Ben Abdul Mutaleb

Rejection Manifestations And Creativity Essence Reading In Amal Dongle’S Poetry, Bassam Kattous

Al-Balqa Journal for Research and Studies البلقاء للبحوث والدراسات

This study aims to spell out the underlying principles of Amal Donguls rejectionist and explicate its active role in the process of creativity . Despite the difficulty, if not the impossibility, of separating ideology from art, which are dialectally related in criticism, this study will gave priority to the artistic aspect of rejectionist over the ideological aspect by inquiring into the essence of creativity in rejectionist, because the poeticalness of Amal’s rejectionist was not overridden by ideology or politics; rather it remained throughout his advanced artistic vision a manifestation of creativity.

Inner Control For Basic Levels Students In Amman, Yousef Mahmoud Qutami

Al-Balqa Journal for Research and Studies البلقاء للبحوث والدراسات

As a personality variable, (Loc) is considered an important factor of individual motivation in the learning – teaching setting. It is related to other psychological factors. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of each of variable of Sex,Grade,Level of A Cademic Self – Concept and , Motivation of Learning on the Loc of school student in Amman City . To achieve the objectives of the study the researcher used three Arabized and developed Measures : Measures of Academic self – concept , Measure of Learning Motivation, and Measure of Locus of control. Analysis of variance ANOVA …

Names And Namings The Thematic And Symbolic Significance Of Names In Three Selected Modern American Short Stories_X000d_, Marwan Obeidat

Al-Balqa Journal for Research and Studies البلقاء للبحوث والدراسات

In the modern American short story the name of a character often illuminates certain associations—symbolic and otherwise. As the title reveals, it is the purpose of this paper to briefly analyze the significance of certain names in three selected American short stories written after World short stories written after world war I to see how, and in what capacity, names of characters contribute to the thematic and symbolic subtlety of the works in which they appear, and simultaneously to see how they help us understand the human character themselves. I have thus sharply limited myself to a selected aspect of …

Teaching About The Dark Web In Criminal Justice Or Related Programs At The Community College And University Levels., Scott H. Belshaw, Brooke Nodeland, Lorrin Underwood, Alexandrea Colaiuta

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Increasingly, criminal justice practitioners have been called on to help solve breaches in cyber security. However, while the demand for criminal justice participation in cyber investigations increases daily, most universities are lagging in their educational and training opportunities for students entering the criminal justice fields. This article discusses the need to incorporate courses discussing the Dark Web in criminal justice. A review of existing cyber-criminal justice programs in Texas and nationally suggests that most community colleges and 4-year universities have yet to develop courses/programs in understanding and investigating the Dark Web on the internet. The Dark Web serves as the …

Gender Differences In Confidence In Jury Decision Making, Rachel Silverthorn

2020 Symposium Posters

Men tend to be more overconfident than women in settings typically perceived as masculine (Lichtenstein et al, 1982; as cited in Baldiga, 2014). Women are also more likely to defer to men in mixed-sex group situations than men are to women (Hopcroft, 2009) Deference is correlated with women having lower self-esteem and lower confidence than men, both beginning to show around puberty. In same sex situations, deference is related to social ranking and physical features, but in mixed-sex situations it tends to be sex-based. Propp (1995) found that in mixed-sex groups men tend to verbally contribute more than women, whereas …

2020 Annual Campus Security And Fire Safety Report, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, University Police, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University Police

2020 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 2019 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.

Effects Of Different Types Of Forensic Evidence On Arrest Probability: Toward A New Typology Of Evidence, Morgan Steele Ph.D.

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Forensic evidence is an important component in criminal justice decision - making. Yet, few studies have examined the effectiveness of the various macro - types of forensic evidence in facilitating arrest. This article analyzed over 4000 case files from five cities to determine how the collection and analysis of three macro - types of forensic evidence (Classification, Identification, and Progenitor) affect the probability of arrest across five different crime types. The results of several sets of logistic regression analyses suggest that forensic evidence affects the probability of arrest, but that the impact is not consistent across different types of crime …

The Broad Scope And Variation Of Monetary Sanctions: Evidence From Eight States, Sarah Shannon, Beth Huebner, Alexes Harris, Karin Martin, Mary Patillo, Becky Pettit, Bryan Sykes, Christopher Uggen

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Works

Monetary sanctions have long been a part of the U.S. criminal justice system but have received increasing attention from the public as well as legal scholars and social science research in recent years. This essay describes initial findings from the Multi-State Study of Monetary Sanctions, a multi-method study designed to build on the prior research on legal financial obligations (LFOs) by examining the multi-tiered systems of monetary sanctions operating within eight states representing key regions of the United States (California, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Texas and Washington). Our research explores the constantly changing legal environment and documents how …

The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program's Impact On Academic Self-Efficacy, M Storm Spencer, Katie Owens-Murphy, Yashica Williams, Christopher W. Purser

Inside Out Prison Exchange

Building on the work of Sarah Allred, a faculty/student research team studied the impact of an Inside-Out course on academic self-efficacy at a maximum-security men's prison on North Alabama. Attention was also given to the demographic backgrounds of the students so that researchers could examine what, if any, role demographics played in the results.

Impact Of The Csi Effect And Authority Bias On Juror Decisions, Meredith Scruggs

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The recent increase in number of crime drama television shows raises the issue that these fictional portrayals may impact real proceedings in the justice system. This phenomenon has become known as the CSI effect. This includes the concept of authority bias, by which laypeople place higher value on information provided by those that they perceive to be in positions of authority. 289 college students completed a survey comparing their likelihood to match an unknown fingerprint to a suspect’s, after actors portraying evidence technicians either confirm the match or provide no conclusion. Results showed no significant interaction between the confirmation condition …

Why Prison Dental Care Matters: Legal, Policy, And Practical Concerns, Anne S. Douds, Eilenn M. Ahlin, Nicholas S. Fiore, Nicholas J. Barrish

Public Policy Faculty Publications

Even when controlling for demographic characteristics, prisoners are far more likely than people in the general population to suffer from periodontal disease, to have unresolved oral health issues, to have decayed teeth, and/or to be missing teeth. Correlates of poor oral health, such as poor nutrition and smoking, are more prevalent among people of lower socioeconomic status, and this same population is at a higher risk than others for offending and incarceration. For some, prison is the only time in their adult lives when they will have seen a dentist. There are few free dental clinics in communities, regardless of …

A Longitudinal Examination Of Risk Factors, Antisocial Outcomes, And Transition Patterns Across Bully Profiles, Sara Bryson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The current research focuses on the risk factors for bully profiles, antisocial behavior across profiles, and patterns of bullying behavior over the span of four school years. The sample was comprised of 1,817 middle school students from seven school districts. Latent profile analysis, multivariate regression techniques, and latent transition analysis were used to meet the five objectives of this study: 1) identify unique subgroups of youth based on responses to different bully experiences, 2) determine similarities and differences in risk factors that are associated with bully experiences, 3) examine antisocial behavior across identified bully profiles, 4) determine if membership in …

The Cyberworld And Human Trafficking: A Double-Edged Sword, Bridget Dukes

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

This report examines the advantages and disadvantages associated with the growth of technology within the United States, specifically how technology, digital literacy, and cybersecurity can be used to both facilitate and combat sex trafficking and sexual exploitation on the Internet. The first part of the report addresses trafficking statistics in the United States, as well as legal intervention the country has taken against this epidemic, including an explanation of the Trafficking Victims Prevention Act and the FOSTA-SESTA bill. The second part of the report addresses the online recruitment of buyers and sellers, as well as how the use of open-source …

Reproductive Justice Disrupted: Mass Incarceration As A Driver Of Reproductive Oppression, Crystal M. Hayes, Carolyn B. Sufrin, Jamila B. Perritt

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

We describe how mass incarceration directly undermines the core values of reproductive justice and how this affects incarcerated and nonincarcerated women.

Mass incarceration, by its very nature, compromises and undermines bodily autonomy and the capacity for incarcerated people to make decisions about their reproductive well being and bodies; this is done through institutionalized racism and is disproportionately done to the bodies of women of color. This violates the most basic tenets of reproductive justice—the right to have a child, not to have a child, and to parent the children you have with dignity and in safety.

By undermining motherhood and …

Judicial Elections, Public Opinion, And Their Impact On State Criminal Justice Policy, Travis N. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

This dissertation explores whether and how the re-election prospects faced by trial court judges in many American states influence criminal justice policy, specifically, state levels of incarceration, as well as the disparity in rates of incarceration for Whites and Blacks. Do states where trial court judges must worry about facing reelection tend to encourage judicial behavior that results in higher incarceration rates? And are levels of incarceration and racial disparities in the states influenced by the proportion of the state publics who want more punitive policies? These are clearly important questions because they speak directly to several normative and empirical …

Anti-Lgbtq Hate: An Analysis Of Situational Variables, Jill Kehoe

Publications and Research

The current study aimed to augment the scant body of literature on anti-LGBTQ hate by providing an in-depth examination of anti-LGBTQ hate incident situational characteristics including offender substance use, number of offenders, crime location, and victim-offender relationship. Analysis of situational dynamic variables provided support for the notion that anti-LGBTQ hate is a distinct type of criminal incident. Significantly increased levels of offender substance use, crimes perpetrated by multiple offenders, crimes perpetrated by acquaintances, and crimes taking place in open spaces substantiates the theory that anti-LGBTQ hate is qualitatively unique, typified by different characteristics than other forms of crime. The data …

Mandatory, Fast, And Fair: Case Outcomes And Procedural Justice In A Family Drug Court, Melanie Fessinger, Katherine Hazen, Jamie Bahm, Jennie Cole-Mossman, Roger Heideman, Eve Brank

Center on Children, Families, and the Law: Faculty Publications

Objectives: Problem-solving courts are traditionally voluntary in nature to promote procedural justice and to advance therapeutic jurisprudence. The Family Treatment Drug Court (FTDC) in Lancaster County, Nebraska, is a mandatory dependency court for families with allegations of child abuse or neglect related to substance use. We conducted a program evaluation examining parents’ case outcomes and perceptions of procedural justice to examine whether a mandatory problem-solving court could replicate the positive outcomes of problem-solving courts. Methods: We employed a quasi-experimental design that compared FTDC parents to traditional dependency court parents (control parents). We examined court records to gather court orders, compliance …

Conceptualizing The Unspeakable: A Conceptual Metaphor Theory Analysis Of Sexual Assault Trauma In Creative Nonfiction, Ariana Ciamaricone

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This paper explores the use of conceptual metaphors (CMs) in two works of creative nonfiction, namely Laurie Halse Anderson’s (2019) Shout and Elissa Washuta’s (2014) My Body is a Book of Rules. Anderson’s (2019) poetic memoir centers on her experiences with sexual assault throughout her childhood and the process of writing her young adult novel Speak (1999). Washuta (2014) writes on her experiences with rape and mental illness via prose. Both memoirs detail their authors’ reckoning with the experience of sexual assault, and this paper investigates how trauma narratives attempt to “resolve what cannot be resolved, to generate meaning, …

Social Learning Theory And Digital Piracy: Explaining Uploading Behaviors Of Digital Pirates, Cydney J. Lowenstein

Theses and Dissertations

Digital piracy has received significant attention in criminological research but almost no studies have explored illegal uploading and how it may differ from illegal downloading. It is important to examine what theories can explain illegal uploading behaviors and their related factors to develop more effective policies to address digital piracy. This dissertation examined whether Akers’ (1998) social learning theory could explain engagement in digital piracy, both illegal downloading and uploading behavior. Additionally, this research examined the relationship between reciprocity and digital piracy. Questionnaires were administered to 398 university students and 315 visitors to several online communities using a combination of …

Leveraging Data To Reduce Gun Violence: The Cincinnati Experience, Matthew G. Hammer, Tamara D. Herold

Criminal Justice Faculty Research

The year 2020 has amplified demands for more equitable policing, more efficient government, and greater transparency. As police leaders around the world attempt to maintain order and safety during a period of large-scale civil unrest, they must also address criticisms that existing law enforcement practices include biased interventions and reinforce systemic racism. Many law enforcement agencies are also responding to increasing numbers of serious crimes that disproportionately affect society’s most vulnerable communities, while simultaneously facing calls to “defund the police” fueled by accusations that challenge the legitimacy of their policing tactics. The strategies used by agencies to manage protests and …

Crime Place Networks In Las Vegas: A New Violence Reduction Strategy, Tamara D. Herold

Criminal Justice Faculty Research

In 2017, the Las Vegas, Nevada, Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) adopted a series of interventions designed to reduce gang and gun violence across Las Vegas. In partnership with the International Association of Chiefs of Police/University of Cincinnati (IACP/UC) Center for Police Research and Policy and with evaluation funding provided by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, the LVMPD implemented three violence reduction strategies: (1) focused deterrence (offender notification session); (2) hot spot patrols; and (3) place network investigations (PNI), also known as place-based investigations of violent offender territories (PIVOT), which is the focus here.

System Disarmed: My Experience As A Pro Se Litigant, Michael Stephan Alexander

University Honors Program Senior Projects

This project introduces and reviews, what is the pro se (representing oneself) litigant dilemma in the legal system. The study of courses originally labeled Criminal Justice, currently titled Justice Studies adds a birds-eye view to this project. That coupled with the inclusions of my involvement in the actual legal system creates my own Global Positioning System on this endeavor to disarm the system.

The paper will examine a brief but interesting novelty from earlier history when it was a privilege to stand on your own two feet and anyone who wanted to represent you was forbidden to accept pay. The …

Law Enforcement Officers As Victims Of Felonious Killings And Assaults: An Analysis Of The Predictors Of Lethality And The Likelihood Of Officer Assault Or Death, Gabriella Mercado

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to explore the predictors of lethality for the outcome of police officer assault with injury and felonious death. Recent news has focused on police brutality and their excessive use of force. Conversely, the inverse relationship has not received much focus. To explore the aforementioned relationship, data from the LEOKA program on 1,375 officers who were feloniously killed or assaulted with serious injury between the years of 2008 and 2017 were examined to determine the statistical significance between several predictor variables and the outcome variable.

Binary logistic regression was used to answer the research questions posed by …

Asd Training: Knowledge, Attitudes & Perceptions Of A South Georgia Police Officer, Heather Banks Mcneal

Theses and Dissertations

This study offered a preliminary look at the evidence to support the benefits of training South Georgia Police Officers on the phenomenon that is autism. Research suggested that there was limited experimental data available regarding why persons with ASD entered the criminal justice system, as well as how to manage them once they are there (Chovanec, 2013). Various regions of the United States embraced the importance of ASD training amongst their law enforcement officers; however, Georgia has only recently taken steps to do the same by the inclusion of a voluntary, online course regarding autism and de-escalation. Participants shared their …

The Second Shift.” Female Police Officers And The Struggle Of Work/Life Balance And Promotion, Ashlyn Decruise-Fortune

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how women in law enforcement maintained a work-life balance with responsibilities such as motherhood, domestic responsibility and other care-taker roles. While there has been some research conducted on female police officers, much of the literature was outdated. Further, many of these studies focused on women’s performance and competence as police officers, and the associated burnout rate of female police officers. Very few studies examined the gender gaps in supervisory positions in relation to the Law Enforcement field within the United States, as well as the continued underrepresentation of women in Law Enforcement. Additionally, previous literature did not …

From The Legal Literature: Automating Police, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.