Digital Commons Network^™

Social Media As An Innovative Policy Tool: Lessons And Recommendations From The City Of Austin, Jayce L. Farmer, William A. Costello Jr.

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Social media brings opportunities for local governments to innovatively engage the public to enhance service delivery. Using the City of Austin, Texas as a backdrop, we assess the Austin Police Department’s utilization of social media in its communication efforts around community policing. This assessment develops a practical model to evaluate its community policing communication policies and practices by way of social media. The findings from this assessment provide several lessons and recommendations for practitioners to use in their efforts to integrate social media into public service delivery. These lessons and recommendations drawn from this case can provide an example of …

Nevada System Of Higher Education (Nshe) Administrative Costs, 2019, Olivia K. Cheche, Saha Salahi, Marie A. Falcone, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

The purpose of this Fact Sheet is to examine expenditures of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), particularly expenses allocated to staff salaries. This data is collected from the FY19 State of Nevada operating budget, and Transparent Nevada, a website that posts the salaries of public employees including NSHE staff.

Primary Prevention And The Socioecological Model: An Integrated, Preventative Approach To Combat Sexual Violence, Emma G. Padrick

Student Publications

A growing body of research suggests that sex offense registries, though popular with politicians and the public, are ineffective at reducing victimization. Registries only address the individual who perpetrates after victimization occurs in an effort to prevent recidivism. They do not address the other, broader reasons that victimization transpires; they do not prevent sexual violence, and they do not improve communities’ safety. Using the socioecological framework to design primary prevention practices accounts for the interplay between the individual, relationship, community, and societal factors that lead to perpetration and should be used in place of reactive measures that fail to effectively …

Picking The Lock: A Proposal For A Standard Fee Waiver In Texas For Identification Documents, Gregory Zlotnick

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.

State Of The Latino Non-Profit Sector In Massachusetts, Fabián Torres-Ardila, Phillip Granberry, Krizia Valentino

Gastón Institute Publications

Latinos are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in Massachusetts. Between 1980 and 2017, the Massachusetts Latino population increased by 475%, with many new arrivals coming from Central and South America. In Massachusetts, the top ten Latino subgroups by population size are: Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Brazilians, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Mexicans, Colombians, Cubans, Ecuadorans, and Hondurans. These varied national origins reflect the diversity of the state’s Latino community and its breadth of strengths and needs. The Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy (Gastón Institute) estimates that by 2035, the Latino population will represent nearly 15.3% of the …

Homicide And Drug Trafficking In Impoverished Communities In Brazil, Elenice De Souza Oliveira, Braulio Figueiredo Alves Da Silva, Flavio Luiz Sapori, Gabriela Gomes Cardoso

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Many studies demonstrate that homicides are heavily concentrated in impoverished neighborhoods, but not all socially disadvantaged neighborhoods are hotbeds of violence. Conducted in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, this study hypothesizes that the association between high rates of homicide and impoverished areas is influenced by the emergence of a specific type of street drug-dealing common to favelas (slums). The study applies econometric techniques to police data on homicides and drug arrests from 2008 to 2011, as well as 2010 Census data, to test its hypothesis. The findings provide insight into the development of crime prevention policies in areas of high social vulnerability.

Criminal Justice Updates - September 2020, Haley B. Shultz

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
• Highlights from Executive Order Number: 2019-06: Reducing Gun Violence
• Updates from the PA Legislature
• Criminal Law & Procedure
• Victims Issues
• Updates from the PA Courts
• PA Superior Court: Criminal Law & Procedure

Public Participation In Disaster Mitigation In Cambria, Ca, Erin Lucett

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

Communities throughout the Western United States are threatened by wildfires. Due to years of fire suppression these fires can be more severe and devastating to communities. To reduce the negative effects from wildfires, many communities engage in disaster mitigation. An example of a community that faces significant wildfire threat and is using disaster mitigation techniques is Cambria, Ca. This study investigates the treatments (chipping, limbing, invasive species removal, and prescribed fire) that would be accepted in the community of Cambria as well as identifying common areas of management priorities among Cambrians. We found that there was a general support for …

Characteristics Of Effective Metropolitan Areawide Public Transit: A Comparison Of European, Canadian, And Australian Case Studies, Michelle Derobertis, Christopher E. Ferrell, Richard W. Lee, John M. Eells

Mineta Transportation Institute

This research project investigates the replicable characteristics, policies, and practices of successful metropolitan areawide public transportation networks that contribute to high usage and make transit an effective competitor to the private motor vehicle. The research method involves the qualitative and quantitative analysis of ten international (non-U.S.) case studies. The principal methods employed were web-based research and data collection, as well as telephone interviews with transit agency staff or regional planners as needed. The case studies were limited to developed western countries with similar metropolitan conditions to those in the United States.

This research focuses on key characteristics of highly effective …

Statutory Immunity For Educators: An Analysis Of Decisions By The Texas Commissioner Of Education And Texas Appellate Courts After House Bill 4, Melissa Ballou Kates

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative legal study explored statutory immunity protection provided to Texas educators under the Texas Education Code §22.0511 and §22.0512. The Texas legislature enacted the statutory immunity provisions as part of House Bill 4 and tort reform in 2003. Researchers have called for more balance when providing immunity protections for educators. The researcher limited the study to Texas Commissioner of Education decisions and Texas appellate court cases. The study utilized a legal framework to determine under what circumstances the rulings of statutory immunity shields educators from liability. The findings in this study provide evidence that Texas educators have more immunity …

It's The Little Things: A Community Resource For Strengthening Social Connections, Caitlin Coyle, Shayna Gleason, Cindy Bui

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we prioritize connection for ourselves and the people around us. The global COVID-19 pandemic and the national reckoning with systemic racism has made people more aware and appreciative of their relationships and has made some painfully aware of how distant and disconnected they are. While the evidence is clear that social isolation is bad for health and well-being, the evidence base of solutions is far less so. Thus, this report sought to harness the energy, creativity, and progressive thinking of cities and towns in Massachusetts by documenting their efforts to keep people …

Brave New World - Reslience, Rhonda S. Binda

Open Educational Resources

The trifecta of globalization, urbanization and digitization have created new opportunities and challenges across our nation, cities, boroughs and urban centers. Cities are in a unique position at the center of commerce and technology becoming hubs for innovation and practical application of emerging technology. In this rapidly changing 24/7 digitized world, city governments worldwide are leveraging innovation and technology to become more effective, efficient, transparent and to be able to better plan for and anticipate the needs of its citizens, businesses and community organizations. This class will provide the framework for how cities and communities can become smarter and more …

The Effects Of Admission To Jail On Crime Rate In Mclean County, Illinois, Derek Conley

Student Research – Stevenson Center

The relationship between crime and incarceration is growing in interest in the United States. The United States incarceration rate is often double or triple the rate of other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. The hardline approach the United States has taken on crime has many citizens and academics questioning its effectiveness on achieving safer communities. Traditional theory suggests incarcerating individuals for deviant behavior reduces the crime rate through the mechanisms of incapacitation, deterrence, rehabilitation, and retribution. However, some scholars believe concentration of incarceration in neighborhoods disrupts the social fabric of the neighborhood and produces the opposite of …

Regulating Micromobility: Examining Transportation Equity And Access, Karen Johnston, Deirdre A. Oakley, Audra Durham, Claire Bass, Stacie Kershner

Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy

This paper evaluates the various ways cities have or are attempting to address e-scooter usage equity concerns, with a focus on Atlanta, Georgia as compared to Austin, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; Los Angeles, California; and Portland, Oregon. The cities were evaluated by the laws in effect at the time of coding, which occurred during the project period of October through December 2019. To explore how existing laws and regulations affect access to e-scooters, this research was guided by the following overarching questions: How equitable is access to e-scooters? How can equitable access to e-scooters be improved? How can a data-driven …

Pandemic Planning, Dwight Merriam

Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

It's Been A Long Time Coming: A Short Manifesto For Urgently Needed Change In Land Use Law & Regulation, Colin Crawford

Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

Resilience In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Capacity To Overcome Disasters And Hardships, 2020 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca Vogt, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Brad Lubben, L.J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer, Steve Schulz, Jason L. Weigle

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

The definition of resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. Synonyms include toughness, perseverance and grit. Last spring’s severe weather events and this year’s ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are likely testing the resilience of rural Nebraskans. Given that, how do rural Nebraskans rate their communities on dimensions that measure their resiliency? How confident are they that the federal government or local emergency management authorities can contain infectious disease outbreaks? How do they rate their ability to help their community handle adversities? How prepared are rural Nebraskans to deal with financial emergencies? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these …

Cultivating And Reporting Of Campus Threats, Louis K. Falk, Douglas Stoves, Audrey W. Falk, Hilda Silva

Communication Faculty Publications

The consumption of media has been established as one of the elements responsible for changing the general population’s perceptions. Specifically, cultivation theory (depending on the amount of media use) points to an enhanced representation of a characterization conveyed through the media. This depiction has the potential to create an inaccurate portrayal (stereotype) leading to an increased level of anxiety. The proliferation of reported incidents (real or perceived) associated with mass shootings in the U.S. over the last 20 years is an example. This paper traces the relatively recent coverage of mass shootings in the U.S. by the media and the …

New Jersey Overdose Prevention Act: Police Officers’ Experiences At A Drug Overdose Scene, Michael Ziarnowski

All Theses And Dissertations

The number of drug overdose deaths in the United States from opioids has led to national attention about the problem commonly described as the “opioid epidemic.” Federal and state policymakers have shifted from a hardline punitive approach to a rehabilitative approach in an attempt to save lives. Good Samaritan Laws (GSLs) and advances in medicine have been implemented differently in different states. For example, the enactment of the New Jersey Overdose Prevention Act (NJOPA) and the use of naloxone by first responders are ways that state officials try to save lives. However, there is limited research on the first responders’ …

Learning From The Past: Distributed Cognition And Crisis Management Capabilities For Tackling Covid-19, Seulki Lee, Jungwon Yeo, Chongmin Na

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has presented an unprecedented public health crisis across the globe. Governments have developed different approaches to tackle the complex and intractable challenge, showing variations in their effectiveness and results. South Korea has achieved exceptional performance thus far: It has flattened the curve of new infections and brought the outbreak under control without imposing forceful measures such as lockdowns and travel ban. This commentary addresses the South Korean government’s response to COVID-19 and highlights distributed cognition and crisis management capabilities as critical factors. The authors discuss how the South Korean government has cultivated distributed …

How Do Intercrisis Learning Outcomes Affect Intracrisis Learning? “Learning In The Making” In The Case Of South Korea’S Covid-19 Response, Chongmin Na, Seulki Lee, Jungwon Yeo

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This study explores the processes of intercrisis and intracrisis learning and the link between them, drawing on South Korea’s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic as an example. The crisis management literature suggests that intracrisis learning is less likely to occur than intercrisis learning due to inherent barriers that hinder learning and adaptation in the heat of crisis. Based on the conceptual framework of problem-oriented governance and crisis learning, we unpack how prominent outcomes of intercrisis learning facilitate intracrisis learning during the acute phase of an emerging crisis. We postulate that learning after 2015 MERS crisis developed the core capabilities for …

A Practical Guide To Intergovernmental Entities In Oregon: Creating And Managing An Intergovernmental Entity Under Ors 190.010(5), Jim Johnson

National Policy Consensus Center Publications

The National Policy Consensus Center houses programs that work with government entities and their stakeholders to resolve public policy disputes or implement collaborative solutions to community problems. At times, government collaboration projects evolve into a more permanent arrangement that leads to formation of an intergovernmental entity. This guide addresses the most common questions the National Policy Consensus Center receives about forming intergovernmental entities. The guide provides general answers based on the center’s years of experience with collaborative groups, but it does not provide legal advice. It is meant as a tool for considering the use of an intergovernmental entity. You …

Challenges And Opportunities For Sharing Threat Information With Radioactive Materials Operators, Raphael Duguay

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Operators are required to implement security measures to address requirements set by the regulatory body or competent authority. These security requirements are generally based on the national threat level and information provided by the relevant law enforcement authority, intelligence agencies and other relevant stakeholders. However, not all States can share this information with radioactive materials holders (e.g., operators), especially if they take a more prescriptive approach to regulation on security. The same situation often exists when a performance-based approach is used because there are multiple barriers that restrict the competent authority from sharing threat information. For example, competent authorities need …

An Analysis Of Selected Climate Action Plans In California, Christopher R. Dedo

City and Regional Planning

This project involves the research and comparison of seven cities’ climate action plans, each from its own region within California. The areas selected roughly represent major California regions, each with unique characteristics that will impact the characteristics of the climate action plan’s framework and contents. This analysis will identify similarities in framework and content among each plan, highlighting organizational differences, some generalized observations, and the consistency of topics covered and not covered within the plans. This project reviews the California Office of Planning & Research’s General Plan Guidelines Chapter 8, the California Office of Emergency Services’ California Adaptation Planning Guide, …

Analyzing The Response To Covid-19 In Pennsylvania State Correctional Institutions, Elizabeth A. Rousseau

Student Publications

To evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the Pennsylvania prison system, I collected data from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the Marshall Project. I supplemented the data with opinion pieces and journal articles discussing the specific issues that this pandemic imposes upon prisons in the United States. In sum, population data collected from the Department of Corrections showed that only a few State Correctional Institutions saw a steady decrease in population over the 25 day study period from from June 18th through July 13th (Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, 2020). Combining testing data …

Immigrants And Crime, Daniel L. Stageman

Publications and Research

The gap between public perception of immigrant criminality and the research consensus on immigrants’ actual rates of criminal participation is persistent and cross-cultural. While the available evidence shows that immigrants worldwide tend to participate in criminal activity at rates slightly lower than the native-born, media and political discourse portraying immigrants as uniquely crime-prone remains a pervasive global phenomenon. This apparent disconnect is rooted in the dynamics of othering, or the tendency to dehumanize and criminalize identifiable out-groups. Given that most migration decisions are motivated by economic factors, othering is commonly used to justify subjecting immigrants to exploitative labor practices, with …

Reported Crime In Map Communities Compared With Other Nyc Areas. Map Evaluation Update Number 5., Jeffrey A. Butts, Sheyla A. Delgado, Richard A. Espinobarros, Gina Moreno

Publications and Research

This is the fifth of six Evaluation Updates reporting interim results from John Jay College’s evaluation of the New York City Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP). The study analyzes public safety outcomes in 17 public housing developments participating in the MAP initiative and finds meaningful and sometimes statistically significant improvements.

Examining The Narratives Of Military Sexual Trauma Survivors, Maria Carolina GonzáLez-Prats

Dissertations and Theses

Background: The return of military sexual trauma (MST) to the national spotlight has been fueled by a combination of continued reports of sexual assaults across the various military branches, increased visibility of sexual abuse scandals in the media, and mounting calls for accountability from veteran advocacy groups and legislators. Although there have been numerous reforms implemented by the military, there still exists a significant gap between the military's official efforts and the reality of the survivors' experiences. Consequently, more research is needed to understand how survivors perceive the military's efforts, how these efforts affect their experiences, and how future …

Workshop #4: Public Messaging: Risk Communication For Disaster Preparedness, Evacuation, And Sheltering: After-Action Report (Aar), Converge Covid-19 Working Group, Joshua G. Behr, Wie Yusuf, Jennifer Marshall, Elizabeth Dunn

Presentations, Lectures, Posters, Reports

Participants in the breakout sessions for the CONVERGE COVID-19 Working Group’s Workshop 4 (Public Messaging) identified key issues that included the need to provide timely and effective communication to the public, increasing awareness around using shelters as a refuge of last resort, addressing the risks associated with COVID-19 exposure at shelters, and using various inclusive forms of public messaging to reach a wide audience.

Workshop participants emphasized the importance of timely and effective communications to support informed decision making. There is ongoing concern over balancing the need to communicate the risks of COVID-19 exposure as it relates to evacuation shelters …

Aging In The City Of Attleboro: A Community Needs Assessment, Caitlin Coyle, Mary Krebs

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Attleboro Council on Aging. The goals of this project were to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Attleboro’s residents age 60 or older. The contents of this report are meant to inform the City of Attleboro, the Attleboro Council on Aging and Senior Center, and organizations that work with and on behalf of older residents of Attleboro for the purposes of planning and coordination of services. The report will …