Digital Commons Network^™

Streamlining Client Information For Post-Conviction Relief In Monterey County, Selena Lopez Arizmendi

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project addresses barriers to record clearing services that impact recidivism and reentry outcomes in California. Individuals with criminal records often face challenges in securing employment, housing, and stability, increasing the likelihood of continued justice system involvement. The Clean Slate Program at the Monterey County Public Defender’s Office provides post-conviction relief services to help reduce these barriers. Although Proposition 47 funding ended in February 2026, program services have continued. This project identified a need for a standardized, client-friendly informational resource, as key information has historically been communicated verbally, limiting understanding and retention. To address this gap, a concise Clean …

"Death Without A Funeral", Holly Prince

Seton Hall Journal of Legislation and Public Policy

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Impact Of Childhood Trauma On Recidivism Among Justice-Involved Youth, Jasmine Valencia, Karina V. Garcia, Genaro Fabela

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are especially common among youth involved in the juvenile justice system, and research has consistently linked these early traumatic experiences to a variety of negative behavioral and developmental outcomes. Still, we do not fully understand how strongly cumulative ACE exposure predicts whether detained youth will reoffend, or whether trauma-informed rehabilitation programs can help reduce that risk. This proposed quantitative study explores the relationship between ACE scores and recidivism among youth ages 11–18 detained at the San Bernardino County Juvenile Detention Center. Grounded in trauma theory and ecological systems theory, the study focuses on two primary questions: …

Arrest Rates And Police Presence In East Bay Area Counties Of Northern California, Christiana M. Tyler

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In this research study, we discuss the social phenomenon of mass incarceration in the United States. Previous research has evidenced clear racial disparities within this social issue, but has yet to make a connection between high incarceration rates and the sheer volume of police officers in many communities. This descriptive study sets out to discover whether there is a difference in incarceration rates based on the level of police presence in select counties in Northern California. The study will measure police presence by the number of police officers, using secondary data from U.S. government and nonprofit agencies. The researcher hypothesizes …

The Historical And Systemic Effects On Racial Disparities In Incarceration Rates Among Black Individuals, Vanessa Valentine

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Racial disparities in incarceration rates within the United States have existed for decades. This paper will examine these disparities in order to understand how Black individuals and communities are disproportionately affected by the criminal justice system. By exploring historical and systemic factors that have contributed to these disparities such as structural racism, discriminatory policing, and unequal sentencing policies this research will highlight how these practices have reinforced racial inequality within the criminal justice system. The significance of the presenting issue will be explored by analyzing how these disparities affect the incarcerated individual and their family and community. Using a mixed …

Analyzing Social Implications Of The Gender Wage Gap, Jessie A. Clarke

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The researcher seeks to understand the gender wage gap in the United States. The research question studied is “Why do women in the United States on average earn less income than men?” Women gain less power and resources as they earn less income than men. The researcher explores the phenomenon in this paper. This research proposal utilizes qualitative methods via interviews, and analysis through coding. In previous research, there is a lack of inclusion on the gender wage gap regarding various identities such as sexual orientation, other gender identities, and race/ethnicity. The researcher hopes to fill in these gaps in …

Occupational Stressors Correlated With Depression And Burnout Among Criminal Defense Attorneys, Fay Frances Spence

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No prior studies have compared occupational stressors of criminal defense lawyers by practice setting (public defender, court-appointed, or retained). In this mixed-method study, the goal was to identify occupational stressors perceived by criminal defense lawyers in different settings and to determine if those stressors were correlated with depression, anxiety, and burnout, using Maslach’s burnout-engagement continuum as the theoretical framework. Based on stressors identified in semistructured interviews with 15 criminal defense lawyers, the Criminal Defender Stress Survey (CDSS) was created to measure the frequency and perceived intensity of identified stressors. The CDSS was incorporated into an online survey, along with the …

The Effectiveness Of Wellness Programs On Public Safety Personnel, Thomas T. Nguyen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Stressful situations have become a common theme that many first responders have encountered while on the job. As more studies have surfaced regarding the causes of stress, the ability to reduce stress while minimizing any adverse reactions that result from them have been minimal. Just as the catalysts for stress are not the same for everyone, the reactions to treatments that are offered will vary in effectiveness. Since not all agencies have programs in place to deal with the mental and physical traumas that affect first responders, the focus will be on one agency that has recently implemented multiple treatment …

Good Faith And The Ministerial Exception, Kailey Hopkins, Nathan Gurr

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Following the Supreme Court’s decision in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC, lower courts, in attempting to adhere to the ruling, have largely disregarded the Court’s explicit instruction to avoid adopting a “rigid formula” for determining ministerial status. Instead, they have repeatedly relied on the factors identified in that decision as a functional test. When the Court revisited the ministerial exception, it reaffirmed that no definitive legal standard governs the designation of a “minister,” while modestly broadening the doctrine by emphasizing that formal titles are less significant than functional considerations. This Comment argues that the lower courts’ …

Consensus Ad Artificialis: Contract Theory Meets The Genai Mind, Katie Szilagyi, Marina Pavlovic´

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

The advent of generative AI (GenAI) has generated shockwaves across industries. Many established professions are grappling with how GenAI’s functionality transforms their daily activities, staying power, and raison d’eˆtre. GenAI’s newfound facility with words and language has rapidly encroached upon the purview of lawyers, whose trade has long been expertise with words. While some worry about lawyers’ place in a GenAI-oriented future economy, others are optimistic about the transformative potential GenAI offers as a tool to the practicing lawyer. Legal service providers have been quick to adopt GenAI tools in the name of efficiency, harnessing its generative power for tasks …

Beyond The Individual: Exploring Structural Explanations Of Homelessness Through Thematic Analysis Of Extant Research, Madison R. Mcclain

Senior Theses

This thesis examines how homelessness is defined, explained, and addressed within contemporary U.S. research using Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Intersectionality as guiding frameworks. Through a qualitative, deductive thematic analysis of 16 peer-reviewed articles, this study identifies six key themes related to structural causation, policy governance, measurement practices, racial inequality, dominant narratives, and intersecting systems of disadvantage. Findings reveal that while structural explanations of homelessness are widely acknowledged, they are inconsistently defined and often insufficiently theorized. Institutional systems primarily function to manage rather than resolve homelessness, while measurement practices and definitions actively shape who is recognized and prioritized. Additionally, structural …

Listening To Survivors: A Community Conversation, Jonathan Jackson

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Core Elements Of Policy Solutions, Audrey Morrissey

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Child Welfare Upholds Black Family Separation While Denying Essential Constitutional Protections, Samantha Nichol

UC Law Journal of Race and Economic Justice

This note examines the refusal to expand constitutional protections to include proceedings concerning child welfare. A system that largely mirrors and works in tandem with the criminal system, which enjoys robust constitutional safeguards. Important to the analysis of the rejection of these protections is an acknowledgement that child welfare, or welfare more broadly, is a system that upholds racial power structures and a tradition of family separation. Just as the overincarceration of Black people has been acknowledged by legal scholars to be a particular badge and incident of slavery, the child welfare system should also be critiqued as a system …

การปฏิรูปงานแก้ไขฟื้นฟูผู้กระทำผิด: การประเมินผลกระทบจากการแปรรูปรัฐวิสาหกิจแบบบางส่วนในงานคุมประพฤติของสหราชอาณาจักร (Transforming Rehabilitation: Evaluating The Impact Of Part-Privatisation In The Probation Services Of The United Kingdom), Suphat Phoophanichjaroenkul

Chulalongkorn University Law Journal

บทความนี้วิเคราะห์ผลลัพธ์ของนโยบาย “Transforming Rehabilitation” ซึ่งเป็นการปฏิรูปโครงสร้างงานคุมประพฤติในสหราชอาณาจักรโดยให้ภาคเอกชนเข้ามามีส่วนร่วมในการดำเนินงาน ภายใต้ความประสงค์ในการลดอัตราการกระทำผิดซ้ำ เพิ่มประสิทธิภาพในการปฏิบัติงาน และเสริมสร้างนวัตกรรมในการบริหารจัดการผู้กระทำผิด การปฏิรูปนี้ได้มอบหมายหน้าที่โดยให้บริษัทเอกชนที่เป็นผู้รับผิดชอบในการดูแลผู้กระทำผิดที่มีความเสี่ยงต่ำถึงปานกลางผ่านวิสาหกิจเพื่อการแก้ไขฟื้นฟูผู้กระทำผิดในชุมชน (Community Rehabilitation Companies) ในขณะที่หน่วยงานคุมประพฤติแห่งชาติ (National Probation Service) ยังคงรับผิดชอบผู้กระทำผิดที่มีความเสี่ยงสูง การประยุกต์ใช้เครื่องมือทางการเงิน เช่น “ค่าตอบแทนตามการให้บริการ” และ “การจ่ายเงินตามผลลัพธ์” ถูกนำมาใช้เพื่อดึงดูดการลงทุนจากภาคเอกชนและคาดหวังว่าจะเกิดนวัตกรรมด้านเทคโนโลยี จากการศึกษาพบว่าผลการดำเนินงานตามแผนปฏิรูปไม่เป็นไปตามเป้าหมายที่กำหนด ผู้ให้บริการเอกชนไม่สามารถจัดทำบริการเพื่อสนับสนุนการกลับคืนสู่สังคมได้อย่างเพียงพอ ส่งผลให้ผู้กระทำผิดที่ได้รับการแก้ไขฟื้นฟูไม่ได้รับความช่วยเหลือ การให้บริการงานคุมประพฤติขาดความคิดริเริ่มใหม่ และมาตรฐานงานและคุณภาพลดลง ซึ่งสาเหตุหลักเกิดจากการขาดการทดลองนำร่องที่เพียงพอก่อนการขยายผล รวมถึงข้อบกพร่องในกระบวนการประเมินความเสี่ยง ปัญหาทางการเงินทำให้วิสาหกิจเพื่อการแก้ไขฟื้นฟูผู้กระทำผิดในชุมชนหลายแห่งล้มละลาย ผลกระทบต่อเสถียรภาพของงานคุมประพฤติและความเชื่อมั่นของประชาชนที่ลดลง จนกลายเป็นปัจจัยให้แนวคิดการลงโทษได้รับความนิยม ขณะที่แนวทางการแก้ไขฟื้นฟูผู้กระทำผิดในชุมชนถูกลดบทบาทลง บทความเสนอแนวทางแก้ไขที่สำคัญ ได้แก่ การจำกัดบทบาทของภาคเอกชนให้เป็นเพียงผู้สนับสนุนงานคุมประพฤติ เสริมสร้างความแข็งแกร่งให้กับหน่วยงานคุมประพฤติแห่งชาติในฐานะผู้ให้บริการในการจัดทำงานคุมประพฤติ และการออกแบบเครื่องมือทางการเงินใหม่ที่สร้างแรงจูงใจและส่งเสริมการมีส่วนร่วมของภาคีเครือข่ายและภาคประชาชน นอกจากนี้ บทความยังเสนอแนะให้มีการนำร่องอย่างเป็นระบบเพื่อให้สามารถประเมินความเสี่ยงได้อย่างแม่นยำ และสร้างกลไกการกำกับดูแลที่มีประสิทธิภาพ เพื่อรักษาคุณภาพบริการและสร้างความเชื่อมั่นต่องานคุมประพฤติอย่างยั่งยืน

Fragmented Responses: Variability In Law Enforcement And Prosecutorial Approaches To Sexual Assault Cases, Veronica Gonzalez

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Sexual assault (SA) remains a pervasive issue in the United States, marked by low reporting rates, inconsistent investigations, and limited convictions. In response, researchers and practitioners have promoted a range of best practices aimed at improving law enforcement and prosecutorial responses. This qualitative study draws on interviews with 13 law enforcement agencies and 12 prosecutors' offices to explore how recommended practices—such as victim advocacy, specialized units, interagency collaboration, and case reviews—are interpreted and operationalized in the field. Findings reveal substantial variability, shaped not only by resource availability but also by leadership priorities, organizational culture, and the ambiguity of guidance documents. …

Aging On Parole: A Thematic Analysis Of The Parole Officer’S Perspective, Angela Murolo

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"A growing proportion of people leaving prison are over 50 years old and will live at least temporarily under the supervision of a parole officer. While recidivism rates are lower for older people, there are physical, mental, and societal challenges that accompany advancing age that make successful reentry and reintegration a challenging experience compared to their younger counterparts. This presents novel challenges for parole officers who are tasked with supervising and counseling elderly people on parole. Surveys containing closed and open-ended questions were administered to N=25 parole officers to understand the differences in working with, counseling, and supervising older and …

Evaluating The Impact Of A Lend-Based Family Mentorship Program For Pre-Service Professionals, Matthew Bogenschutz, Sarah Lineberry, Jackie Robinson Brock, Flip Grey, Kathryn Flinn

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Family-led pre-professional mentoring programs have been shown in past literature to have multiple positive outcomes, including better provider communication, increased sensitivity to the needs and contributions of family members in clinical settings, and better understanding of disability policy contexts among professionals. Yet there have been relatively few examples of exemplary programs that have developed successful models for family mentoring of pre-service professionals. Using qualitative evaluative data from one such program, a component of a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program, this study shares the experiences of both families and trainees. Common themes shared between these two groups …

Defining The Undefined: Reimagining The “Undue Hardship” Standard In Light Of Its Harmonious Interpretation, C. Sam D’Alba

St. John's Law Review

(Excerpt)

Part I of this Note provides background on the student loan crisis and the history of the nondischargeability of student loan debt. Part II of this Note examines the DOJ’s Guidance on litigating “undue hardship,” the intra-circuit criticism of the Brunner framework, and the need for harmony in understanding “undue hardship” in light of other authority governing student loans. Part III of this Note argues for a shift in the analysis of “undue hardship” based on practical guidance from the DOJ, the DOE, and the courts. This shift focuses on the subjectivities of each bankruptcy case and the need …

Time Out For Transfer: Youth Transfer As Punishment, Kristina Kersey

Nevada Law Journal

The confidentiality of the juvenile court, while laudable in protection of the children charged, often means that people, in general, have little understanding of the inner workings of the court. One of the opaquest practices in juvenile court is how, when, and under which circumstances youth are prosecuted as adults. The cases that do reach the headlines are the most salacious, which leads to a confirmation bias on both the need and the appropriateness of the practice of transfer.

Many scholars have discussed the undeniable impact of adolescent development research on juvenile legal jurisprudence and a general reimaging of diminished …

Religious Higher Education Institutions In Ukraine: The Evolution Of The Problem And The Collision Of The "Secular–Religious" Dichotomy, Serhii Kostiuchkov, Vadym Slyusar, Lesya Chervona, Mykola Slyusar

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article is devoted to institutional, legislative, philosophical and communicative analysis of the activities of religious higher education institutions in modern Ukraine, taking into account political, social, legal, religious and communicative contexts. The authors examine the demand for religious education in modern Ukraine, which demonstrates high internal dynamics and promising prospects for the development of the domestic religious educational space. It is emphasised that the functioning of religious higher education institutions in Ukraine is regulated by the principle of constitutional separation of education from religion, while at the same time basic legal norms create specific conditions for the functioning of …

Parents’ Lived Experiences With Competitive Integrated Employment For Children With Intellectual And Developmental Disability, Dr. Aisha J. Omar

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This phenomenological qualitative study explores the lived experiences of Kentucky parents seeking Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) for their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Guided by the research questions—How do parents experience this process, and what barriers or supports do they encounter?—the study highlights systemic challenges despite legislative efforts such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. In-depth interviews with five parents revealed three themes: (a) parental transformation and the pursuit of meaningful work, (b) systemic challenges in accessing CIE, and (c) overcoming protective instincts: navigating fear, independence, and self-advocacy. Findings suggest a …

An Alternative Sacrifice: Religious Arbitration Agreements In Ministerial Employment Contracts, Grace E. Brandt

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

After decades of development in lower courts, the Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the ministerial exception in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. E.E.O.C. (2012) and provided additional guidance in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru (2020). The precise contours of the exception remain uncertain, but the doctrine—grounded in the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment—effectively bars civil courts from reviewing claims against religious institutions that implicate ministerial employment decisions. Thus, ministers are unable to pursue redress for legitimate harms that occur within the scope of their religious employment, even if unrelated to religious doctrine. This …

Under The Guardianship: Experiences Of Mothers In Egypt’S El Nayaba El Hesbaya, Hana Khayry

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the intersectional lived experience of El Nayaba El Hesbaya in Egypt. El Nayaba El Hesbaya, operating under Law 119/1952, is the administrative and judicial body responsible for overseeing the financial and legal affairs of minors whose father or mother had passed. Hundreds of thousands of mothers in Egypt have (had) children under the guardianship of El Nayaba El Hesbaya. This research delves into the experience of mothers whose children are or were under the guardianship of El Nayaba El Hesbaya, examining how it shape(s/d) their everyday life as women, mothers, widows or ex-wives, citizens, and legal subjects. …

Forward Momentum

DePaul Magazine

Mission: Forward, the most ambitious philanthropic campaign in DePaul’s history, is fueling purpose-driven education to solve society’s biggest challenges. Learn and watch videos about DePaul programs and initiatives that exemplify the campaign through academic innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, service-oriented community partnership and activist scholarship.

The Impact Of Central Bank Digital Currencies News On Bank Stability: Evidence From Asean-5 Countries, Firman Hidayat, Raditya Sukmana, Masrizal Masrizal, Rahmat Heru Setianto

Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking

This study constructs an index reflecting Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) news coverage and evaluates its impact on bank stability. The CBDC Attention Index (CBDCAI) is formulated based on more than 533 Reuters Digital News Report articles from 2019 to 2023. Employing the System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) approach with data from 92 banks across ASEAN-5 nations, and implementing quantile regression for robustness checks, the findings demonstrate a significant relationship between the CBDCAI and bank stability, alongside variables such as bank size and capitalization. These results offer valuable guidance for central banks, especially within the ASEAN-5 region, as they …

Vol. 70, No. 4 (February 2, 2026)

Indiana Law Annotated

No abstract provided.

Eugenics And The Carceral State: Progressive-Era Reform & The Creation Of The Modern Criminal Justice System, Laura I. Appleman

Missouri Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Laura And Isaac Perlmutter Foundation Expands Support For The Perlmutter Center For Legal Justice At Cardozo Law Of Yeshiva University, Bringing Their Total Contribution To $16 Million, With Up To An Additional $2 Million Committed, Benjamin N. Cardozo School Of Law

Cardozo Law News Archive

The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Foundation announced an additional $500,000 gift to the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice at Cardozo School of Law, along with a four-year matching commitment of up to $2 million. The expanded support will strengthen the Center's work on wrongful convictions, clemency, resentencing, and experiential legal education while advancing criminal justice reform initiatives.

The Indispensable Role Of The Sister Disability Agencies: Safeguarding Progress And Enhancing Outcomes Through Collaboration, Lesley Cottrell, Susan Given, Christina E. Wiseman

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This manuscript emphasizes the critical importance of having a Disability Network of services—including University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs), State Councils on Developmental Disabilities, and Protection & Advocacy organizations - in promoting systemic innovation and improved outcomes for individuals with developmental disabilities. Highlighting a case study from West Virginia, where collaboration between West Virginia University’s Center for Excellence in Disabilities, Disability Rights of West Virginia, and the West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council has resulted in cost-effective, sustainable improvements, this paper underscores the urgent need to protect and expand these programs amidst current policy threats. The evidence underscores that …