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Exploring The Impacts Of Workplace Loneliness On Criminal Justice Senior Leaders, Johanna Papa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological qualitative study aimed to explore the impacts of workplace loneliness on senior leaders of various criminal justice organizations. The theoretical framework used was Descartes' views of the self-concept theory, which explained how individuals defined and described themselves within a social context. Using purposive sampling and semistructured telephone, and email interviews of 16 criminal justice senior leaders from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, this research was conducted to answer the overarching question of this study. Workplace loneliness was a professional hazard. The key findings revealed that at least 87% of the criminal justice senior leaders reported feeling or have …

The Values Influencing Assistant Principals' Decisions To Utilize School Resource Officers, Tracy Yvette Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School administrators use control and maintenance to create a safe learning environment for students in the United States public schools. However, when school resource officers (SROs) within U.S. schools are assigned authority over disciplinary procedures certain students become negatively impacted. Substantial research has been conducted regarding the impact and roles of SROs, but very few studies explored the opinions of assistant principals (APs), the individuals typically responsible for the enforcement of school discipline. In this study, a qualitative interpretative design was used to explore what values and beliefs guide APs in their decisions to involve SROs in school disciplinary procedures. …

Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, Zero-Tolerance Discipline, And The School-To-Prison Pipeline, Lois V. Woods

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Zero-tolerance discipline policies led to the introduction of police on school campuses and has resulted in a disproportionate number of in-school arrests and referrals of Black middle-school students, subjecting them to the school-to-prison pipeline. An abundance of data suggest the negative effects of zero tolerance; however, less is known regarding alternative evidence-based strategies such as the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). Grounded in stage environment fit and labeling theoretical frameworks, the purpose of this study was to examine if JDAI status (pre-JDAI and post-JDAI) could predict arrests and referrals, while controlling for race, gender, and age. Secondary data were collected …

Key Inhibitors To Ex-Offenders Obtaining Permanent Housing, Jennifer Bernard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a problem with the availability of permanent housing for ex-offenders, which increases the number of homeless ex-offenders, increasing the potential for recidivism that leads to inflated federal, state, and local incarceration budgets and higher taxpayer burdens. However, not much is known regarding the barriers ex-offenders face when seeking permanent housing in Anchorage, Alaska. Narrowing this knowledge gap was the purpose of this study, which was guided by Schneider and Ingram's social construction framework theory. The research goal of this study was to examine how the perception of ex-offenders and the external environment affect the ex-offender's ability of obtaining …

Probation And Parole Officers’ Experiences Addressing Criminogenic Needs Of Adult Felony Offenders, Maria L. Stephenson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Probation and parole officers (PPOs) deviate from evidence-based practices implemented to reduce recidivism among adult felony offenders. PPOs fail to adhere to risk-need assessment results during case management, but prior research has not established the reasons for this deviation. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of PPOs implementing the risk needs responsivity (RNR) model by addressing the criminogenic needs of adult felony offenders. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Lipsky’s street-level bureaucracy theory, Becker’s labeling theory, and Andrews and Bonta’s RNR theory. This study involved in-depth, individual, semistructured interviews with 6 participants. The data were …

Treatment Providers’ Perceptions Of Effective Sexual Offender Treatment Modalities, Reta Alphin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The treatment of sex offenders is a controversial public policy issue, yet the research on what treatment providers perceive to be effective treatment modalities is limited. Using von Bertalanffy’s systems theory as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine and evaluate the treatment providers’ perceptions of effective treatment modalities. Data were collected from 101 treatment providers located within 6 states in the Midwest through a researcher developed survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis. A total of 55 treatment modalities were examined, which were condensed into 5 categories. Findings indicated that the psychoeducational modality …

The District Of Columbia And Gun Control Laws: Homicides And Social Impacts, Richard Ghislain Mbakop

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

The District of Columbia has one of the toughest gun laws in the United States, yet the city has one of the highest homicide rates in the nation and much of this gun violence is concentrated in the southeastern part of the city. The framework for the study was comprised of (a) the psychological theory based on many arguments, such as labeling weapons as symbols of male superiority and power, and (b) the social contract theory. Finding the perceptions about the relationship between gun control laws and homicide rates in Washington D.C. was the essential aim of the study. …

The Lived Experiences Of Reformed Armed Robbers In Nigeria, Patrick Akem-Vingir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Armed robbery has affected Nigeria for years and is escalating; in 2019 there were 13,278 cases reported and 15,719 persons arrested. The purpose of this phenomenological study, guided by deterrence theory and anomie theory, was to explore the lived experiences of reformed young adult armed robbers who engaged in crimes from ages 18-25 in Lagos, Nigeria and belonged to street gangs. Data were drawn from a purposeful sample of 10 reformed armed robbers and 10 rehabilitated members of street gangs. Semistructured interviews were used for data collection. The lived experiences offered textual descriptions of the factors that precipitate participation in …

Prisoner Reentry And Recidivism: Access To Reentry Programs And Reducing Recidivism For African American, Male Ex-Offenders, Tracee Leigh Harvey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has primarily been centered around the reentry process and programs available to those incarcerated in prison; however, those incarcerated in jails and the reentry programs available has been underrepresented in the field of study. The Jails to Jobs initiative is intended to combat the reentry barriers faced by ex-offenders by offering reentry services while incarcerated as well as transitional services upon release to address the barriers to reentry. However, the problem exists due to the effectiveness of the reentry programs and their ability to provide adequate services that address the needs of African American, male ex-offenders, and, in turn, …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of Virginia’S Senate Bill 1294 On Crisis Intervention Team Cooperation, Dennis Ray Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2009, the Commonwealth of Virginia passed Senate Bill (SB) 1294 that directly involved the Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services in the spread of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program statewide. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore how the passage of SB 1294 affected the level of stakeholder cooperation within Virginia’s statewide CIT program, through 11 interviews with Virginian CIT leaders and by the completion of 115 questionnaires by CIT members in a region of central Virginia. Findings indicated the most common way that SB 1294 affected CIT …

Impact Of Kentucky’S Prescription Drug Monitoring Program On Opioid Overdose Fatality Rates, Robert Neal Douglas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the last 7 years, there has been an alarming increase in the number of opioid overdose fatalities in Jefferson County, Kentucky. The increase has occurred despite Kentucky’s passage of a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) as defined by House Bill 1 (HB1) in 2012. Following the passage of Kentucky’s PDMP, heroin and fentanyl surpassed other prescription drugs as the most identified drugs in overdose deaths in Kentucky. Little is known about how the implementation of a PDMP influences the overall opioid overdose fatality rate. The purpose of this quantitative research, using a quasi-experimental design, was to evaluate the relationship …

Prevention Of Sex Trafficking And Perspectives From Parents In Ogwa Community Edo State Nigeria, Nkechi Iwuoha

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a high rate of trafficked girls and women from the Ogwa community in Edo state, Nigeria. The Edo government has developed a top-down centralized approach to the prevention of sex trafficking that has proved largely ineffective. The wholistic involvement of people in the decision-making regarding the strategies to prevent sex trafficking can directly create an impact through policy formulation and implementation. However, few studies have addressed the perspective of parents of vulnerable youth to positively impact the policy outcome on sex trafficking. Hence, the goal of this qualitative narrative inquiry study was to explore the perceptions of parents …

Previously Incarcerated Individuals’ Perceptions Of Decision-Making Leading To Their Solitary Confinement, Rita Pavone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the issue of communication in prison systems in conjunction with an overextended utilization of isolation confinement methods. Using Sexton’s conceptualization of the penal subjective consciousness model as a guide, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to better understand the experiences of confined offenders related to their experiences regarding the perspectives of prison officials based on a variety of factors including criminal background, social status, and programming needs. Data from semi-structured interviews with 25 participants addressed the process of communication between prison personnel and inmates from the time of incarceration through placement in isolation confinement, and then …

Optimizing Body-Worn Camera Usage For Desired Outcomes And Solutions, Andre Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Body-worn camera (BWC) use in the application of the law enforcement function has become a novelty during the last few years in the United States. BWCs are being implemented in localities without adequate research about community perceptions. Moreover, very few studies have been conducted about the perceptions of community members in a particular area about these devices. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to better understand the perceptions and beliefs of community members from different backgrounds about BWCs. The research questions entailed learning about current perceptions regarding BWCs and how these devices impact trust, safety, and accountability. Social …

Stress And Coping Methods In Law Enforcement Personnel, Brandon M. Sheard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A notable problem exists within law enforcement due to the lack of mental health assistance offered for police officers, as well as little to no literature available pertaining to officers in law enforcement who may have mental health issues. Without proper coping methods, there is a higher possibility of suicide among police officers. Therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to investigate why officers were choosing to not seek mental and behavioral health assistance, as well as determine factors that could both prevent as well as encourage officers to seek mental health assistance if needed. Grounded in the …

Examining The Criminogenic Effect Of Imprisonment On Drug Offender Recidivism, Tiffany Jean Vedder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies have found criminogenic consequences of imprisonment when testing the deterrence hypothesis, yet few studies were found that examined the magnitude of post release criminal offenses among the drug offender population. The specific deterrence and criminogenic effects of imprisonment were the theoretical frameworks that guided this study of Harris County, Texas, to determine if incarceration predicted serious reoffending among low-level drug offenders. A Journal of Science and Law (Scilaw) archival dataset based on Harris County court records was used to build the sample. Chi-squared test of association and logistic regression statistics were used to analyze a sample of first-time drug …

Drug Control Officers' Perception Of Nigeria's Narcotics Control Policy, Olufemi Ajayi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Nigerian government’s cannabis prohibition policy has failed to achieve the suppression of supply and reduction of demand for drugs. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the policy implementation experiences of Nigeria’s drug control officers regarding Nigeria’s drug control policies. The theoretical foundation was social construction theory. Data were collected from reviews of public documents and in-depth interviews with 15 active or retired drug control officers. Data were sorted, organized, and coded through directed content analysis to identify themes. The themes that emerged included defective nature and content of the policy, poor policy implementation, and unfavorable …

There Are Always Two Sides To Policy: Police Use Of Deadly Force, Jana Cole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the policy-specific, perceptional, and conceptual knowledge that citizens have regarding policing policies and police-citizen deadly force encounters to gain a greater understanding of how media, social media, and community leaders impact this public knowledge. This study provided insight into the public’s policy-specific knowledge and perceptions about policing policies and police-citizen deadly force incidents filling the gap within the existing police use of force literature. Bittner’s theory on policing, constructionism of reality, and the exemplification theory were used in a unique conceptual framework to understand this phenomenon. Interviews were conducted with 19 members of the public. …

Impacting Nonprofit Financial Sustainability And Mission, Jarhal Duncan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofits in the United States have been struggling to maintain financial sustainability and create new pathways to accomplish its mission. The research problem was that there was limited research on leadership strategies for nonprofits to facilitate the balance of achieving the organizational mission and financial sustainability. The purpose of this study was to increase the understanding of how current leaders of niche-based nonprofit organizations use strategies to impact financial sustainability and maintain the mission of the nonprofit organization. Building on this understanding can help address this issue. Theoretical frameworks such as Resource Dependence Theory and General Systems Theory help develop …

Single Mothers’ Perceptions Of Police Encounters And Effectiveness Related To Youth Gun Violence, Janay M. Gasparini

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Single mothers and their children residing in high-crime communities (HCCs) in the United States are disproportionately exposed to crime, and therefore, the criminal justice system. Specific challenges of single motherhood in HCCs compound the link between juvenile offending and single-female-headed households. Little is known, however, about how single mothers in HCCs perceive and use the police as a resource to help prevent juvenile offending, specifically gun violence. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of single mothers with police as they related to the arrest of their children for a gun crime. The research questions focused …

Key Ethical Leadership Characteristics Of State Police Promotional Candidates In The South, David Patrick Hay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public officials, researchers, and practitioners agree police organizations need the proper tools to foster a stronger sense of ethical leadership to more effectively conduct police operations and work with communities. However, few researchers have investigated ethical leadership characteristics for police supervisors, and no research has been conducted to identify desired ethical leadership characteristics for state police supervisors in the southern United States. The purpose of this qualitative Delphi study was to determine the degrees of consensus and support of identified key ethical leadership characteristics for state police promotional candidates in the southern United States, using the theoretical framework of transformational …

Perceived Obstacles For State-Facilitated Legal Recreational Cannabis, Robert A. Lino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. states that facilitate the use of legal recreational cannabis face the threat of federal prosecution because cannabis remains illegal at the federal level. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to assess the perceived obstacles to the state-facilitated regulation and implementation of legal recreational cannabis. Collective action federalism theory provided the framework for the study. The data collection instrument was developed based on themes in the literature and was pilot tested to ensure accuracy. The final study included 22 participants who represented the cannabis industry in the United States. Descriptive coding and thematic analysis indicated that the federal …

Supporting Intervention For Adolescents Of Incarcerated Parents In Rural Areas, Jeanette Kathleen Loudy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was focused on the challenges experienced by children who had a parent incarcerated during their adolescence. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of adult child survivors of parental incarceration in a rural community and to describe the impact that parental incarceration had on children during adolescence and into young adulthood. The research questions were designed to examine the perceived challenges facing adult children of parental incarceration in rural areas and policy intervention programs that would be most effective at supporting children of parental incarceration during adolescence and the transition into adulthood. …

Why Do Mentors Stay? Exploring Mentor Experiences, Perceptions And Motivations Within Mentorship Programs, Ann Murphy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth mentorship has captured the attention of policymakers as a method of addressing societal issues. A review of the literature highlighted challenges that mentorship programs face regarding mentor sustainability. The purpose of this study was to explore and differentiate the experiences, perceptions, and motivations among paid and volunteer mentors within formal youth mentorship programs. This phenomenological study informs public policymakers how funding should be allocated within the nonprofit sector in order to optimize mentor retention. Structural functionalism and Kingdon’s multiple streams approach composed the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected utilizing 14 semistructured interview questions. An analysis of …

Police-Civilian Interaction Trend Analysis In Detroit And Atlanta (1980–2018), Australia Powell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study compared trends in arrests and fatalities between Black Americans and Caucasians in Atlanta and Detroit. A descriptive analysis was conducted on secondary data compiled by the Department of Justice (1980-2014) and the Mapping Police Violence Organization (2015-2018) to compare Police-Civilian Interaction between races and cities over the past four decades. Trend analysis was conducted on arrests records for Atlanta, Georgia and Detroit, Michigan for years 1980 to 2014, and for persons who were fatally shot by police from 2015 to 2018 in these cities. The number of arrests from 1980 to 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia was 26,532 and …

Understanding Community Members’ Perception Of Opioid Treatment Programs For Women In Westchester County, Erika Jean Pichardo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows a significant rise in opioid abuse that has led to an opioid epidemic. Although research has shown the importance and effectiveness of treatment programs for opioid users, there is a lack of research on understanding community members’ perception and role of such programs and their perception of women who are opioid abusers and enter programs. The purpose of this study was to understand community members’ perception of opioid treatment programs for women in New York State’s Westchester County, using the theoretical framework of Becker’s social labeling theory. The study employed a phenomenological design using interviews. Results of the …

Effects Of Laws, Policies, And Rehabilitation Programs On African American Male Juvenile Recidivism In Southwest Georgia, Kizzie Donaldson-Richard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The laws, policies, and rehabilitation programs of Georgia’s juvenile justice system need to be revisited, especially given the documented rates of recidivism of African American male juveniles in southwest Georgia. The primary purpose of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate youthful offenders and to ensure that recidivism, defined as 3 or more arrests within 3 years after release, does not occur. Data have suggested that corrective behavior sanctions, rehabilitation programs, and lenient sentencing have escalated African American male juvenile recidivism rates, particularly in Dougherty and Tift Counties, Georgia. The purpose of this qualitative methodological study was to explore the …

Utilization And Impact Of Peer-Support Programs On Police Officers’ Mental Health, Beth A. Milliard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police officer suicides rates hit an all-time high in the province of Ontario, Canada, in 2018. Sadly, this statistic is somewhat unsurprising, as research has shown that police officers suffer from higher rates of mental health disorder diagnoses compared the general public. One key reason for the elevated levels of suicide and other mental health issues among police officers is the stigma associated with seeking help. In an attempt to address these serious issues, Ontario’s police services have begun to create internal peer-support programs as a way of supporting their members. The present research explores the experiences of police officers …

Public Perceptions Of Delays In The Release Of Police Body-Worn Camera Footage, Christopher Lee Bush

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Delays in the release of police body-worn camera (BWC) video footage have amplified public concerns about police misconduct. Law enforcement transparency is questioned when video from BWCs is not shared in a timely manner with the community. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore community and victims’ family’s beliefs related to delays in the release of police BWC footage. Rogers’s diffusion innovation theory and Mettler and Sorelle’s policy feedback theory were used for the study’s conceptual framework. The research questions focused on understanding the perceptions of community relationships with law enforcement around transparency, communication, and information sharing. …

Disinterest In Pursuing A Law Enforcement Career Among Minorities, Howard E. Jordan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn the United States, women and racial minorities are underrepresented in the law enforcement profession. Ideally, law enforcement agencies should reflect the racial makeup of the communities they serve; which has been a challenge for departments. The purpose of this study was to investigate what effect media reporting of unarmed Black men killed by police has had on women and racial minorities’ decisions to apply for police jobs. Another issue investigated was whether family attitudes influence women’s and racial minorities’ decision making about becoming police officers. The theoretical frameworks applied for this study were the critical race theory and punctuated …