Digital Commons Network^™

Is It Better To Be Tough, Or Is Consistency Key? A Multilevel Analysis Examining The Effects Of School Disciplinary Procedures On Perceptions Of Climate And Safety Among Students And Teachers, Erica Nicole Bower

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Though delinquency and violence have been steadily decreasing in American schools, research suggests that discipline use has not followed that same downward trend. This raises questions to why schools are reliant on certain disciplinary practices if rates of student misbehavior are not increasing. Due to zero tolerance mandates, schools often take a harsh approach to punishment, yet are also inconsistent in the punishment of similar misbehavior among students, which often leaves students feeling frustrated and sometimes, unsafe. How do school disciplinary decisions affect the ways in which school actors, such as students and teachers, perceive their schools’ environments? This broad …

Childhood Trauma And Substance Use: Differences By Race And Sex In Juvenile Justice Prevention Programs In Nebraska, Sophie Holtz

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This study seeks to analyze whether demographic factors such as gender and race have a relationship to the reporting of trauma symptoms in juveniles. This study also examines whether higher substance use has a relationship to higher reports of trauma symptoms. To gather this data, surveys were administered to juveniles involved in juvenile justice prevention programs across the state of Nebraska. Overall, we found that juvenile girls reported significantly higher amounts of trauma symptoms than boys do. There was also a significant difference in how much juvenile girls report using cannabis compared to juvenile boys. Furthermore, there was not a …

Human Trafficking: A Review Of The International, Federal, And State Of Georgia Policies, Hannah Carmichael

Masters Theses

Human trafficking is a worldwide injustice that happens everywhere. Men, women, and children, of all ages, and all ethnicities are enslaved throughout the world. There are two main types of human trafficking, sex trafficking and forced labor. There is new legislations and policies being signed into law to help fight against human trafficking, but what is working? Where are there still gaps? This paper will review the public policies in place to combat human trafficking at the international, federal (United States), and state (Georgia) level as well as provide recommendations to inform future policies as well as education and awareness …

Addressing Social Inequity: A Case Study Of Success, Ed Tarlton, Robert Harper, Brandi Blessett, Brian N. Williams, Jarrad Carter

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Social equity is relatively easy to define but much harder to accomplish. As a result, achieving social equity continues to be difficult in American society and across the globe. We present a case study of a collaborative effort by two nonprofits to conduct a program for public high schools and local law-enforcement agencies across the United States. The program was designed to acknowledge and address the historic harms that impact police-community relations. Our paper delineates the origins of the problem and our approach, presents data that demonstrate the positive impact the program had on bridging gaps, changing perceptions, and lessening …

Assessing The Racial Equity Impact Of Legislation To Establish A Virginia Grocery Investment Program And Fund, Grant E. Rissler, Tracey Dunn, Taryn Anthony, Stephen Miller-Pitts, Barbara Williams-Lewis

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Abstract

In 2018 the Commonwealth of Virginia’s General Assembly considered, but did not pass, legislation to combat food deserts via the creation of the Virginia Grocery Investment Program and Fund. The Fund introduced a $3.75 million per year appropriation intended to leverage public-private partnerships to support construction, rehabilitation, upgrading or expansion of grocery stores or other food retailers in underserved communities.

African Americans disproportionately face low access to healthy food. This research utilizes data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Access Research Atlas and demographic data on race/ethnicity from the U.S. Census Bureau to examine the racial/ethnic make-up of …

Achieving Equity In Education: A Restorative Justice Approach, Dalton Miller-Jones, Marilyn Marks Rubin

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

The critical role of education in making the United States a more equitable nation underscores the importance of eliminating the persistent academic achievement gap between students of color and White students. A school culture that fosters trusting relationships can play a key role in reducing this gap. This importance of trusting relationships at the core of school culture has, however, not always been recognized nor prioritized in policies and actions. Restorative justice, a philosophy based on repairing harm and creating a sense of belonging in a community, brings the discussion of trusting relationships into the public forum. This paper …

Social Equity And Body Worn Camera Policies: How Do State Politics Lead To Policy Adoption And Implementation?, Heath Brown, James Wright

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Police body-worn cameras (BWC) emerged on state policy agendas to improve public accountability and mitigate social equity concerns in the wake of a national debate on police violence. Some, but not all, states adopted BWC, suggesting several state-level factors determined the policy making process. We develop a two-step political model of state criminal justice policy (adoption and implementation) that incorporates three distinct political actors: law enforcement groups; traditional advocates for civil rights/liberties; and new advocates for social equity/justice. We find that in the first step (policy adoption) traditional civil rights groups are not statistically related to a state adopting a …

From Etiology To Action: Exploring The Origins, Obstacles, Opportunities And Outcomes Of Achieving Social Equity, Charles E. Menifield

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

No abstract provided.

Health & Human Mobility, Barbara Gomez-Aguinaga

CPAR Presents: A Data and Research Series for Community Impact

Human mobility, in its different manifestations — international and domestic migration; refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced populations; and human trafficking — is at the center of many political and public debates. In two research presentations by UNO faculty, the demographics of highly mobile populations will be explored as well as the impacts of mobility on communities in Nebraska.

Human Trafficking And The T Visa Process, Teresa C. Kulig

CPAR Presents: A Data and Research Series for Community Impact

Human mobility, in its different manifestations — international and domestic migration; refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced populations; and human trafficking — is at the center of many political and public debates. In two research presentations by UNO faculty, the demographics of highly mobile populations will be explored as well as the impacts of mobility on communities in Nebraska.

The Perception Of Actors Toward Collaboration In Public Services: Evidence From Civil Registration Services Innovation In The Pangkajene And Island Regency, Krisna Puji Rahmayanti

BISNIS & BIROKRASI: Jurnal Ilmu Administrasi dan Organisasi

This paper aims to analyze the perception of involved actors toward collaboration and investigate conditions that motivate actors to collaborate in delivering public services. This study uses pragmatic philosophy that utilizes qualitative data collection. Despite the government as the leading service provider, non-state actors' involved in planning, organizing, and evaluating service delivery. By conducting a focus group discussion, providing an open question survey, and analyzing relevant news, this research emphasizes that public service providers and communities involved in public service delivery perceived collaboration as working with others or cooperating and achieving common goals. The actors’ belief that achieving common goals …

Calls For Accountability: Redefining The Culture Of Policing In Las Vegas, Olivia K. Cheche

Governance: The Political Science Journal at UNLV

In summer 2020, national attention on racial injustice brought into focus the culture of policing as a critical area of policy exploration for the United States. The purpose of this policy report is to examine the culture of policing in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, and specifically within Las Vegas's largest police force, the Las Vegas Metro Police Department (LVMPD). Through this case study analysis, the racial, social and fiscal aspects of the culture of policing are investigated between the years 2016 & 2020. The research here presents data on disparities within policing found at the national and local levels. …

Criminal Justice Update - June 2021, Patrick Mahoney

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 updates this month)
• Updates from the PA Legislature
• Updates from the Courts
• U.S. Supreme Court: Criminal Law & Procedure
• PA Supreme Court: Criminal Law & Procedure
• PA Superior Court: Criminal Law & Procedure

How Can Child Welfare Agencies Leverage Data To Address Important Workforce Questions?, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

QIC-Tips

Child welfare agencies experience workforce turnover (14-20% annually) that can be costly and result in poorer outcomes for children and families. Although turnover is often acknowledged as a significant problem, it is not one that is easily understood or addressed. The following tips and strategies being implemented by jurisdictions working with the QIC-WD may be helpful for child welfare administrators, legislators, and other policymakers seeking to utilize agency data to answer pertinent child welfare workforce questions.

• Understand what data is collected and stored, and where. Oftentimes, there are multiple systems used by agencies during the employee lifecycle that may contain …

Stay Put; Remain Local; Go Elsewhere: Three Strategies Of Women’S Domestic Violence Help Seeking, Janet C. Bowstead

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

In published domestic violence strategies, there is a tendency to focus on service provision and service responses in each administrative location; rather than recognising the extent to which women and children move through places due to domestic abuse. Whilst a woman’s help-seeking may be local—if she has the information and resources, and judges it possible to do so—such help-seeking whilst staying put is only one of many strategies tried by women experiencing domestic violence. Women’s strategies are often under-recognised and under-respected by the very service providers which should be expected to be supporting women’s recovery from abuse. This article uses …

Compilation Of Mentoring Programs In San Diego And Imperial Counties, Nohelia Ramos, Caitlyn Lauchner, Andrew Blum

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

This document compiles information on mentoring programs in San Diego and Imperial Counties. The goal is to provide a clear picture what mentoring programs are being implemented and to give basic information about those programs as of June 2021.

The purpose of the document is three-fold. First, as a deliverable under the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative (PSN), it is designed to provide basic information to the US Attorney’s Office and others involved in the PSN on the range of mentoring programs that exist. Mentoring programs have proven to be an effective program strategy for producing a range of positive youth …

Victim Impact: The Manson Murders And The Rise Of The Victims’ Rights Movement, Merrill W. Steeg

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Shooting Surge Beginning To Slow Across New York City, Jeffrey A. Butts, Richard A. Espinobarros

Publications and Research

Many cities in the United States experienced increased gun violence during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and 2021. Shootings in New York City grew sharply in 2020 and remained elevated in 2021, but the degree of increase may be in decline. This databit looks at the percent change in shootings citywide by quarter and shooting incidents across the NYC boroughs by quarter from 2007 to 2021.

Biblical Principles Of Reform And Regeneration, Kahlib Fischer

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

This paper seeks to provide Biblical perspective on social and cultural reform. At the time of this writing, much upheaval in the form of a pandemic, race riots, political protests have been manifest both within America and abroad. In turn, these disputes have carried over into disputes within various denominations of the Church itself. It can be difficult to ascertain a Biblical perspective on all of these issues. We had previously argued that a Biblical perspective on government requires an emphasis on limited government with a covenantal structure which embodies noncentralization, and federalism; after all, historically, the American system of …

Defunding The Police From A Biblical Perspective, Macy Montgomery

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

The coronavirus pandemic instilled panic and fear within people across the globe at the beginning of 2020. The death of George Floyd in May during the attempted arrest quickly exacerbated people's anxiety, but not in the virus, rather, in law enforcement. The despair and horror individuals felt after George Floyd's death then turned into rage. Protests against police brutality turned into sinister riots, which consisted of looting and burning of buildings. The slogan "defund the police" became popularized by Black Lives Matter, which calls for the reduction in police funds and the delegation of police duties to other organizations. This …

Planting Seeds For Success: An Evaluation Of Agricultural Reentry Programming For Formerly Incarcerated Individuals, David J. Jefferson

Master's Projects and Capstones

Black and brown communities are over-incarcerated and are much more likely than their white counterparts to be involved with the criminal justice system. Hundreds of thousands of incarcerated people are released each year and they face substantial barriers to reentry such as lack of employment opportunities, difficulty securing housing, accessing education, and just simply reintegrating back into society. The criminal justice system within the United States is fueled by systemic racism and overt discrimination towards people of color, and the same can be said for the food system within the United States as well. They share a history of oppressive …

Budgetary Obstacles To Police Reform: The Case Of San Francisco, Hayden Anderson

Master's Projects and Capstones

In response to the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement issued a statement calling on cities to Defund the Police. The event sparked a nationwide reckoning that has reshaped the narratives and strategies for remedying the racial bias and police brutality apparent in the criminal justice system. The shift in police reform efforts embraces notions guiding police budgeting decisions. Today's advocates are transforming their approach to police reform to include budgeting decisions by promoting a municipal practice known as police budget reform. This Capstone explores the feasibility of successful police budget reform under current …

Closing Down The Hall: San Francisco’S Efforts To Redefine Juvenile Justice, Madison Bliss Holland

Master's Theses

Significant research has demonstrated that juvenile prisons are obsolete for the following reasons: they fail to rehabilitate children and prevent future crime, they perpetuate pervasive abuse and trauma, they disproportionately target and further marginalize children of color, and the cost of youth incarceration has skyrocketed to unimaginable amounts. In light of all of these findings, in 2019, San Francisco became the first city in the nation to pass legislation to close its juvenile hall. In order to understand how this was possible and to understand its implications for other cities looking to engage in similar work, I asked the following …

The Effect Of State Level Covid-19 Stay-At-Home Orders On Death Rates, Stephen A. Langeland, Jose Marte, Kyle Connif

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

This paper attempts to examine a correlation between lockdown length and COVID-19 case rate, death rate and fatality rate. In March of 2020, the publishing of alarmist epidemiological models prompted government officials to enact sweeping emergency measures (Miltimore 2020). Notably, the Imperial College London model published by epidemiologist Neil Ferguson predicted a “best-case scenario” of 1.1 million COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. by August 2020. This model heightened concern that the hospital system would be overwhelmed, a reason cited by President Trump’s Coronavirus Task Force members, Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci, as justification for the “15 Days to Flatten the …

Antitrust In The Age Of Trump, Stephen Langeland

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

Calls for regulation of major tech giants are currently ringing out from both the left and right sides of the political spectrum, largely for different reasons (Soave 2020). The current DOJ antitrust suit against Google was undermined by murmurs of political motivation as former-Attorney General William Barr personally played a key role in pushing the investigation forward into a lawsuit. (Birnbaum 2020). Prior examples of this can be seen in the reportedly political motivation of the DOJ’s unsuccessful attempt to block the 2017 merger of President Trump’s nemesis CNN’s parent company Time Warner and AT&T following President Trump’s campaign trail …

Violent Conflict And National Development In Nigeria, Adeleke Adegbami Dr, Julius Olaniyi Adeoye Dr

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

Conflict is inevitable in any organization, however, the dimension at which violent conflicts are being perpetrated in Nigeria is unprecedented. It is to this extent that this study examines the causes, the perpetrators, and the effects of violent conflict on the people and national development in Nigeria. This is with a view to establishing development challenges in Nigeria and proffer pragmatic solutions. The data for the study were gathered from primary and secondary sources. The study revealed that violent conflict in Nigeria could not be dissociated from bad governance manifesting in inequality, injustice, unemployment, and poverty among others. Furthermore, the …

The Threat Of Social Media To Society And National Security: A Call For Social Media Policy And Legislation, Frank Hernandez

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

In the Constitution, We the People affirm ourselves to domestic tranquility, our common defense and general welfare to secure the blessings of Liberty. As such, statesmen are charged with developing policy to ensure social media is safe, accessible and usable to all. Currently, social media companies and use of their platforms pose a threat to national security and the societal fabric of our nation. No longer just a communication tool to bring communities and people together, social media is now leveraged to disrupt and diminish faith in our democratic republic, its people, systems and institutions. Citizens, public and private organizations, …

Telaah Atas Peran Sistem Keamanan Dalam Pencegahan Serangan Terorisme, Iwa Maulana

Journal of Terrorism Studies

No abstract provided.

2021 Salary Scores: University Of Nevada, Las Vegas And University Of Nevada, Reno, Olivia K. Cheche, Emmanuel A. Berrelleza, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

This fact sheet provides a comparative analysis on salary earnings for graduates of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). Data are gathered from the GradReports website, which offers salary scores ranging from 0 to 100 for UNLV and UNR degree programs.

The Long Road Towards Racial Reconciliation, Lia Cueto Jerez

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

The issue of race in the United States has been long contested among different social and political spheres. Over the course of the 20^th and 21^st century, Americans have been eyewitnesses to the long and evolving fight for racial justice and equality. Most recently, the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 has proven to contest people’s attitudes over the issue. As political polarization grows, mistrust within communities of color deepens, further hindering participation in bipartisan work to overcome these differences.