Digital Commons Network^™

The Use Of Familial Dna Searches: A Policy Analysis, Caroline O. Moorman

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Many cases go unsolved every day in the United States; some due to a lack of technological advancement in forensic science. When a person is killed, raped, or in danger of physical harm, it is the responsibility of law enforcement and their collaborative agencies to find and apprehend the responsible parties. The use of familial DNA searches in the United States is a relatively new investigative technique. Traditionally, DNA samples found at a crime scene are run through a national Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) to look for possible matches. When a sample does not return a positive hit, investigators …

The Constitutionality Of The Occupy Movement, Yoe Lopez

HIM 1990-2015

The Occupy movement has spread over hundreds of cities nationwide and over 1,500 cities around the world. The movement is formed around a common goal, which is to protest the way government actions or inactions have rooted widespread discontent. The Occupy movement has encountered opposition from the cities and counties where it is located. Arrests have been made for a number of violations of city and county codes including resistance to police orders and disorderly conduct charges. In our country, freedom of speech and the right to protest have been regarded as inalienable rights. The question becomes how to balance …

Restorative Justice And Recidivism: A Meta-Analysis, Kristin Bain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Restorative Justice is an approach to resolving conflict that has become increasingly relevant as both financial and social costs associated with crime have continued to rise. As alternative methods of managing crime are being considered and implemented there is a call from policy makers for evidence that those programs are indeed the best practice. Although there is a significant amount of research on restorative justice, synthesis of that information is lacking which impedes full understanding of the potential of the impact and role of this approach. A central argument is that restorative based programs produce benefits because they reduce recidivism …

A Profile Of Women Released Into Cook County Communities From Jail And Prison, Gipsy Escobar, David Olson

Criminal Justice & Criminology: Faculty Publications & Other Works

This testimoney presented at the Cook County, Illinois Commission on Women's Issues hearing on incarceration summarizes the characteristics of women admitted to the Cook County, Illinois, Jail, how these compare to male detainees, and the criminal history and specific communities detainees resided in before their incarceration.

Mass Incarceration: Triple Jeopardy For Women In A "Color-Blind" And Gender-Neutral Justice System, Sandra Enos

Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Thought

This article will explore the growth in the incarceration of women over the past three decades. Recent scholarship has examined the impact of the war on crime on men, the poor and persons of color and characterized this movement as the New Jim Crow. This strain of research has focused on men. In this article, I will explore the impact of the war on crime on women, their families and their children. I will also explore the so-called gender neutral sentencing reforms and demonstrate the impact of these protocols on women. Finally, I will map the array of social control …

An Insight Into The Wrongly Convicted: Going Beyond The Perceptions And Beliefs Of The Causes, Chermaine Cribb

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

This study examined the number of wrongful convictions that were exonerated from January 1, 2004 to September 1, 2012. Four hundred forty seven exoneration cases were examined to obtain the factors that contributed to wrongful convictions, the most common offenses related to wrongful convictions, the evidence that led to a new trial, and the outcome of the exoneration based on dismissal of charges, acquittal, or pardons. Interviews were conducted to obtain exoneration case representation criteria, challenges faced in handling exonerations, and the factors found that contributed to wrongful conviction cases worked on. This study revealed that the most common offenses …

Accountability And Evidence-Based Approaches: Theory And Research For Juvenile Justice, David Myers

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

As part of the ‘accountability movement’ in juvenile justice, policy-makers, funding agencies, and the general public have called for greater accountability from agencies and organizations involved with youthful offenders. Within this context, performance measurement and monitoring, and use of evidence-based programs and practices, have emerged as recommended aspects of juvenile justice system operations nationwide. Little is known empirically, however, about the actual performance of juvenile justice systems or the real changes brought by contemporary reforms, and theory and research on the implementation and sustainability of evidence-based approaches have been slow to emerge. This paper will review the key aspects of …

Community Reentry Programs And Their Effect On Recidivism:: A Study Of Life Skills Clients At The Denver County Jail, Valerie M. Gantzler

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Recidivism, or repeat offending, is prevalent among misdemeanants. Their sentences are usually short and become even shorter with mandates to keep county jails from overcrowding. These misdemeanants are then released from jail and go back to the same environments they were in before. Many of these people go on to commit the same or similar crimes and end up back in jail. Jails across the U. S. have begun implementing transitional programs in the hopes that providing repeat offenders with case management, counseling, and other services might enable them to break the habit of repeat offending and make better choices …

Leadership Traits: An Analysis Of Perceived Leadership Qualities In Law Enforcement And Work Production, Joshua T. Hotchkiss

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Leadership is immensely important to most organizations, and its development is a recognized key to organizational success. Leadership, as a construct, has been researched in boundless depth and has been a focal point to establishing increased productivity and success. Law enforcement has placed a special interest in developing leadership as it relates to performance, productivity and succession planning. Although leadership development is a seminal part of law enforcement objectives, it is difficult to implement clear strategies for doing so. This study examines the gap in research as it pertains to leadership traits and work production by analyzing officers' perceptions of …

Chasing Until The Wheels Fall Off: Developing A Typology Of High-Risk Police Pursuits In Georgia, Lee Miller Wade

Dissertations

The goal of this research project was to examine the potential variables associated with high-risk police pursuits in the state of Georgia. The objectives of the research project were to develop a typology of high-risk pursuits, ascertain the usage of pursuit termination techniques, and inform on the current status of pursuits amongst accredited agencies in the state of Georgia. The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police (GACP) initiated data collection of pursuits among accredited agencies as a result of the decision in Scott v. Harris 2007. A sample of 2,155 pursuit reports from 2007 to 2009 was analyzed using descriptive …

Oregonians Nearly Unanimous In Support Of Reentry Services For Former Prisoners, Jody Sundt, Renee Vanderhoff, Laura Shaver, Sarah Lazzeroni

Criminal Justice Policy Research Institute Research Briefs

The vast majority of Oregon prisoners — 94% or more — are released to the community after serving a median sentence of five and a half years. Most former prisoners struggle to resume their family relationships, find employment, secure housing, and access healthcare. The Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) estimates that close to 60% of inmates are addicted or drug dependent, two thirds have an education need such as adult basic education or a GED, and half of inmates have a mental health need. Finally, close to 30% of those released will be convicted of a new felony within three …

Perceptual Framing Of Homeland Security, Linda Kiltz, James D. Ramsay

Security Studies & International Affairs - Daytona Beach

This article analyzes the phenomenon of homeland security through the development of four conceptual lenses that were created out of the existing literatures in criminal justice, public administration, organization behavior, risk management, international relations, and the overlap between them. Using terrorism as a proxy for the homeland security enterprise, these conceptual lenses include: (1) homeland security as a criminal justice problem which views terrorism as a crime; (2) homeland security as a international relations problem which views terrorism as a war; (3) homeland security as an organization design problem which views terrorism as a network of sub-state transnational actors; and …

Perceptual Framing Of Homeland Security, Linda Kiltz, James D. Ramsay

Applied Aviation Sciences - Daytona Beach

This article analyzes the phenomenon of homeland security through the development of four conceptual lenses that were created out of the existing literatures in criminal justice, public administration, organization behavior, risk management, international relations, and the overlap between them. Using terrorism as a proxy for the homeland security enterprise, these conceptual lenses include: (1) homeland security as a criminal justice problem which views terrorism as a crime; (2) homeland security as a international relations problem which views terrorism as a war; (3) homeland security as an organization design problem which views terrorism as a network of sub-state transnational actors; and …

Remarks Of President Jeremy Travis On Receipt Of The Maud Booth Correctional Services Award From The Volunteers Of America, Jeremy Travis

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

The Walls Are Closing In: Comparing Property Crime Victimization Risk In Gated And Non-Gated Communities, Nicholas Branic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, a growing proportion of the population has moved into gated communities in response to an increasingly pandemic fear of crime. While a sizable body of research has addressed fear of crime and perceived safety in gated communities, few studies have investigated actual rates of victimization. The studies that do compare victimization in gated and non-gated communities tend to be localized assessments and present mixed findings on the effectiveness of community gating as a form of protection from crime.

The present study utilizes a cross-section of National Crime Victimization Survey data to investigate the micro-level effects of living …

An Examination Of Factors Affecting Information Sharing Among Law Enforcement Agencies, Scott Driskill Bransford

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to investigate using survey data to find factors or barriers which contributed to local law enforcement participation and support of intelligence information sharing. Following the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York City and Arlington, Virginia, new homeland security initiatives and directives were created from the legislative and executive branches of the federal government. Several new initiatives and directives provided new communication opportunities for partnerships between all levels of law enforcement to combat the future threat of domestic terrorism.

The evaluation literature indicated that a majority of post-9/11, initiatives, including the creation of …

Cuba's Deepwater Drilling Operations United States Relations, Legalities, And Future, Olivia Walker

HIM 1990-2015

After the calamitous and environmentally devastating occurrence of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, the sobering realities of the United States' failure to successfully protect its ocean waters have caused several modifications in policy, legislation, and overall direction ofthe entire nation. Although there has been a general shift towards ecological safety and away from the pursuit to drill, oil-drilling explorations have continued to take place in internationally. This research will focus on the future operations of Repsol YPF, S.A., a Spanish oil company stationed in Cuba, whose drilling ambitions have caused a myriad of …

Recidivism Rates Of Committed Youth, 2006 - 2009, Becky Noreus, Robyn Dumont

Justice Policy

The Maine Department of Corrections (MDOC) Division of Juvenile Services (DJS) collaborates with the Muskie School of Public Service in a state‐university partnership to analyze juvenile recidivism rates. DJS measures juvenile justice outcomes to guide policy and program development geared toward recidivism reduction. Reduction of youth recidivism in Maine increases public safety.

This report uses multiple recidivism measures: re‐arrest, re‐adjudication/conviction, and recommitment. To be consistent with other reports, most analysis focuses on re‐adjudication/conviction.

This report measures DJS impact on youth who have been committed to a MDOC facility by examining rates of recidivism.

Propaganda Exposed A Glimpse Into The Truth Of Hidden Agendas, Carolyn Park

HIM 1990-2015

Government propaganda has been a topic of interest since America was founded, and today is no exception. Every recent Presidential Administration has been accused of using taxpayer dollars to fund propaganda. Although the funding of propaganda has been prohibited by the Consolidated Appropriations Act since 1951, it still occurs frequently. There is no entity that reviews government correspondence before it is released to the public, so government agencies are free to produce what they feel is appropriate even if it is prohibited by the Act. Furthermore, there is no law that specifically forbids government propaganda, and the current punishments amount …

Florida's Medical Malpractice Tort Reform A Cognitive Analysis Of Litigious, Legislative Promulgation And Jurisprudence, Joseph Formoso

HIM 1990-2015

Public opinion in recent years has been seemingly manipulated by superfluous stories, bad press, and negative commentaries regarding the perceived "Medical Malpractice Crisis." It has initiated a political attack on Florida's tort system which has resulted in making valid medical malpractice claims even more so difficult for victimized plaintiffs to pursue. After months of diligent research, and with the loyal aid of my university advisors and the dedicated law librarians I've had the honor to work with, I have thoroughly analyzed Florida's past and present medical malpractice tort reforms and governing procedural laws; in addition to arguing, by virtue of …

Immigration Law And Enforcement The Role Of States And Local Authorities, Yisell Rodriguez

HIM 1990-2015

Immigration law and its enforcement are controversial and highly debated topics. States are increasing their role in the enforcement of immigration law by enacting laws that allow local law enforcement to function as immigration officers with the intent of decreasing the illegal alien population within their jurisdiction. The primary focus of this thesis is to determine whether state and local police have the legal power to enforce immigration laws that have been the jurisdiction of the Federal Government for decades. There are two sides that are discussed in this thesis, the proponents who are in favor of increased participation and …

An Examination Of The History And Effect Of American Sex Offense Laws And Offender Registration, David Shabat-Love

HIM 1990-2015

America's Sex Offense statutes and cases are some of the most controversial sections of modern law, both for the extreme sensitivity of their subject matter as well as the scope and application of those laws. This thesis is an analysis and overview of both the objective and subjective issues posed by the current state of those very laws: the subjective portion explored the development of current laws and the diverse attendant legal issues such as over-broadness and excessive or misdirected effect as compared to the Legislative and public intent which directly led to the development of these laws. Additionally a …

The Duality Of Florida's Criminal Pretrial Diversion Programs A Separate Treatment Court For Veterans, David Vanzandt

HIM 1990-2015

This thesis examines two issues facing Florida's young and fledgling Veteran Treatment Courts. First is whether or not a separate hybrid court of already existing mental health and drug courts is needed exclusively for veterans; and second, funding and efficiency of such courts as compared to traditional criminal institutions.

The Weak Registry The Constitutionality And Effectiveness Of Legal Restrictions On Convicted Sex Offenders, Andrea-Li Medina

HIM 1990-2015

Over the last few decades our society has moved towards restricting where sexual offenders can live, work, and overall congregate. This issue has been the focus of great public attention due to the media's role in bringing these offenders to the light. Whether it is through the news, movies, TV series, books, talk shows, newspapers articles, etc., these offenders are constantly being talked about. Every body of government in the United States has moved towards implementing restrictions that are aimed at keeping sex offenders away from places where they are considered a potential danger. However, what it is not talked …

A Failing Correctional System: State Prison Overcrowding In The United States, Susan M. Campers

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

State prison overcrowding has grown into a detrimental problem within our American penal system, such that after decades of being ignored by politicians, media outlets, and the lower court system, it has resulted in an ineffective and overcrowded correctional system that craves reformation.

High Expectations And Some Wounded Hopes: The Policy And Politics Of A Uniform Statute On Videotaping Custodial Interrogations, Andrew E. Taslitz

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

Much has been written about the need to videotape the entire process of police interrogation of suspects. Videotaping discourages abusive interrogation techniques, improves police training in proper techniques, reduces frivolous suppression motions, and improves jury decision making about the voluntariness and accuracy of a confession. Despite these benefits, only a small number of states have adopted legislation mandating electronic recording of the entire interrogation process. In the hope of accelerating legislative adoption of this procedure and of improving the quality of such legislation, the Uniform Law Commission (ULC) ratified a uniform recording statute for consideration by the states. I was …

Understanding The Public Health Challenges In The Era Of Mass Incarceration. President Travis' Keynote Speech At The Fifth Annual Academic And Health Policy Conference On Correctional Health On March 22, 2012 In Atlanta, Ga., Jeremy Travis

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

The Causes And Effects Of Get Tough: A Look At How Tough-On-Crime Policies Rose To The Agenda And An Examination Of Their Effects On Prison Populations And Crime, Cheyenne Morales Harty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The paper analyzes the rise of get-tough crime legislation to the American public policy agenda and examines the effects of these policies on crime and inmate populations. Get-tough policies analyzed include sentencing reform, the War on Drugs and collateral consequences. Because there is no empirical literature on the effect of collateral consequences on crime, the paper employed an OLS regression model partly derived from institutional anomie theory to test for criminogenic effects. The study then employed OLS regression analysis to determine the affect of these independent variables on crime rates in each of the 50 states. The study concluded that …

Joint Task Force In Reducing Human Trafficking, Jessica M. Lopez

Master in Management for Public Safety and Homeland Security Professionals Master's Projects

This Master‟s level thesis paper discusses the important topic of human trafficking. As this paper will explore, human trafficking is a very heinous crime that involves women, children and families and is a crime against humanity. It involves the illegal trading of human beings for personal gain in the form of forced labor, sexual exploitation and even slavery. Each and every year human beings are recruited, tricked, transferred and harbored as slaves. This is an international crime and each country is affected by trafficking, whether it is as a country of destination, transit or origin destination for victims.

Securing Our Community Through The Emergency Medical Services Sector, Michael Linehan

Master in Management for Public Safety and Homeland Security Professionals Master's Projects

Keeping the nation resilient; that is a nation able to withstand any threat or catastrophe is a primary goal of the United States Government. Ever since 9-11 our nation has had to face the reality that we can be vulnerable to threats from forces outside our control. We have had to re-examine the threats that we face and how we can better deal with them in the best way possible.

The following project will explore the many facets connected to making a resilient society. My area of expertise within the emergency services management gives me the unique perspective as a …