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Prison Siting In Appalachia: Carceral Expansion, Neoliberalism, And Environmental Harm, Macey Logan Hall

Online Theses and Dissertations

Since 1991, 14 state and federal prisons have been built in Appalachia with a recent proposal for a federal prison to be constructed in Letcher County, KY. Contradicting the narrative that Appalachia remains separated from the national economy, the ills of carceral growth are apparent throughout the region. This study examines the proposal to build a federal prison in Letcher County, KY. The purpose of this study is to gain further insight into the impact that the carceral state, including its promise of economic development, has on environmental harm and land exploitation in the region. The proposed federal prison would …

Gang Injunctions Effects: The Experiences Of Residents And Enjoined Gang Members, Natasha R. Burnett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Civil gang injunctions (CGIs) are bans on nuisance behavior that have been enacted against gang members. Numerous studies conducted on the efficacy of CGIs have proven that they have little to no long-term effects on the communities in which they are implemented, nor on the gang members enjoined under them and their gang activities. The purpose of this empirical, phenomenological interpretative analysis study was to (a) determine the sociofamilial effects of CGIs on community residents; (b) determine the effects of CGIs on the behaviors and activities of enjoined gang members; and (c) determine the overall efficacy of CGIs based on …

The Nail That Sticks Up Isn't Always Hammered Down: Women, Employment Discrimination, And Litigiousness In Japan, Kristen Luck

Theses and Dissertations

Much recent scholarship is devoted to projecting Japan’s future and analyzing its prospects as a global power. After two decades of economic stagnation, alarming demographic trends, and the 3/11 triple disaster, some scholars argue that Japan is grappling with an era of precarity, marked with instability and anxiety. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returned to office in 2012, promoting his economic reform policy, “Abenomics” and within the third “arrow" of this approach targeting structural reforms, he promoted “womenomics”, a term coined by Kathy Matsui of Goldman-Sachs. Prime Minister Abe’s objective is to create a society where "women can shine” and women …

The Impact Of The Use Of Wearable Video Systems In Law Enforcement, Dearis Vontae Hoard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Wearable video systems (WVSs) are one of the most popular and fastest growing technologies used by law enforcement today. While published WVS literature predominantly focuses on stakeholder perceptions, community interactions, assaults against officers, and use of force, there has diminutive exploration of the impact of WVSs as it related to aspects of police misconduct, especially in the Cruiser Police Department (pseudonym; CPD). The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore and describe how the use of the use of WVSs by the CPD impact police misconduct, by tracking the changes in complaint type and disposition of a 5-year …

Community Responses To Mass Casualty Events: A Mixed Method Approach, Jeffrey Payne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores how traits of a mass casualty event and community institutionalization affect how a community demonstrates solidarity after a mass casualty event. A systematic examination of mass casualty events along these lines has not been conducted before. Theoretically, individual helping behaviors like altruism help explain individual involvement in demonstrations of solidarity while solidarity and resilience help in explaining group behaviors. A typology is proposed that breaks up mass casualty events into four different types: terrorism, criminal, weather and accidents. These types of events make up the majority of non-war mass casualty events. Experimentally a sample of students is …

Factors Contributing To Victim Employment, Victim Income Status, And Intimate Partner Violence In Jamaica, Marsha Fraser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using 166 IPV police reports in Jamaica, this mixed-methods study (a) explored the utility of routine activities theory and control balance theory for explaining the relationship between victim employment and IPV; (b) explored risk factors for IPV; and (c) examined the relationships between victim employment and victim income status with IPV murder and IPV severity in the Jamaica. Content analysis of the narratives of the police reports supported both theories suggesting an integration of the two theories may be most fitting. Estrangement and infidelity emerged as bold themes. Infidelity was identified as an additional risk factor in the Jamaican context. …

Homelessness Count Methodologies Literature Review, Jennifer Lee-Anderson

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

This literature review on homeless count methods provides a brief history of homelessness in the U.S., an account of count efforts, and an overview of methods used. It illustrates that no method is capable of providing a comprehensive count of the homeless, and all methods have inherent disadvantages that often rely upon flawed assumptions. The practical impact of these counts on policy is substantial. Therefore, this review should encourage discussion as to what data communities need for policy and program development and implementation, and whether homeless counts actually fulfill this need.

Recidivism Differences And Measures Of Predictability For Federally Convicted Child Pornographers, Ricardo J. Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a gap in research on the effectiveness of mandatory-€minimum sentences on the recidivism rates of federal child pornography offenders, resulting in policy that may be ineffective and costly. Relevant research can further understanding of criminogenic behavior that results in the exploitation of children and aid future policy making decisions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between federal sentencing and federal child pornographer recidivism. Central to this study is the research question of whether there exists a statistically significant difference between the likelihood of recidivism in 2 child pornographer cohorts that receive different …

Impact Of Mandatory Sentencing Policies On Alabama's Prison Populations, Stephanie Elaine Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

State prison systems, particularly in the Southern US, have been overpopulated for decades with unlikely support for building new prisons which has led to overcrowding. Policy makers, however, have adopted mandatory minimum policies that include harsher sanctions for habitual offenders which exacerbated the problem of overcrowding, yet little is understood about how sentencing reform is associated with overpopulation. Using Clear and Schrantz conceptualization of prison population change, the purpose of this quantitative descriptive study was to understand how one prison system in a southern state was impacted over a 10-year period by the implementation of mandatory minimum sentencing requirements. Data …

African American Men's Deaths In The U.S. And Perceptions Of Procedural Justice, Annette Woods Fields

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American men between the ages of 18-35 years are increasingly likely to die during arrests by police under the purview of procedural practices. Using procedural justice and critical race theory as the foundation, the purpose of this correlational study was to evaluate the statistical relationship between procedural justice, consent to police authority, and certain demographic characteristics including socioeconomic status and age in a large Metropolitan area in the southern United States. Survey data utilizing the Procedural Justice Inventory and Willingness to Submit to Police Authority Survey were collected from African American adult males (n = 69) and analyzed using …

Effects Of Psychiatric Hospital Closures On Local Jail Administrators, Correctional Staff, And Inmates, Mark Christian Lasko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A series of psychiatric hospital closures has led to a movement of care for individuals with mental illness from state-run facilities to managed care centers. Many of the individuals who no longer reside in psychiatric hospitals have become ensnared in the criminal justice system. Correctional facilities have an increased burden to care for the needs of the mentally ill, but lack the training and facilities to do so adequately. In this study, the lived experiences of correctional staff who have experienced the process of a hospital closure were examined. Psychiatric rehabilitation and gatekeeper theories served as the theoretical framework for …

Employer Perceptions When Applying Criminal History Information To The Hiring Process, Karen S. Levy Mccanna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In recent years, the state of Illinois has joined the "ban the box" movement which typically prohibits employers from inquiring about a prospective employee's criminal history until it has been determined whether the candidate meets the core qualifications for the position. Little, however, is known whether this legislative change has impacted how private employers use criminal history information and to what extent knowledge of criminal history impacts final hiring decisions. Using Kingdon's policy streams concept as a guide, the purpose of this general qualitative study was to understand whether implementation of "ban the box" principles impacts final hiring decisions. Data …

Law Enforcement Seat Belt Use: Impact Of Policy And Phenomena On Use, Zach Loken

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies show that seat belt use by law enforcement officers is estimated to be at 50%, well below the national average. The purpose of this study was to explore what may be leading to reduced seat belt use by law enforcement patrol officers while also determining if different types of policies effect the level of seat belt usage by this population. The theoretical framework used in this study was Shafritz, Ott and Jang's theory of organizational culture and change. This quantitative study was conducted using a casual, quasi-experimental design; the research questions focused on understanding what phenomena may be occurring …

Recidivism Differences And Measures Of Predictability For Federally Convicted Child Pornographers, Ricardo J. Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a gap in research on the effectiveness of mandatory-minimum sentences on the recidivism rates of federal child pornography offenders, resulting in policy that may be ineffective and costly. Relevant research can further understanding of criminogenic behavior that results in the exploitation of children and aid future policy making decisions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between federal sentencing and federal child pornographer recidivism. Central to this study is the research question of whether there exists a statistically significant difference between the likelihood of recidivism in 2 child pornographer cohorts that receive different …

The Impact Of Parental Incarceration: Adults Reflect On Their Juvenile Years, Carolyn Eugenia Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For many American families, incarceration has become a way of life. Per the National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated, there are more than 2.7 million children who have a parent in prison and some may have one or both in county jail. There are psychological implications in terms of the child's well-being, behavioral, academic, and emotional outcomes, and family-level processes. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the impact that a parent's incarceration has on a child even through adulthood. The research question examined how a parent's incarceration impacts the future of the …

Influence Of Trial By Media On The Criminal Justice System In India, V.V.L.N. Sastry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Media exercises incredible influence on the public; in India media appears to interfere with court proceedings. The purpose of this mixed-methods quasi-experimental study was to explore the effect of media trials on the Indian criminal justice system and to examine the relationship between court verdicts and media trials in India. The narrative policy framework was used to guide the study. Qualitative data were gathered from a variety of sources, including the court cases and the related verdicts reported by the media as media trials from 2005 to 2015. Subsequently, interviews were also conducted to collect qualitative data. Quantitative data were …

Counter-Ideology As A Wider Strategy For Defeating The Boko Haram Terrorist Group, Kwesi Ayima

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a need to address current military strategies to defeat the resilience of the Boko Haram Terrorist (BHT) group. The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide a counter-ideology framework as an alternative strategy to defeat the group. The relational/vengeance and relative deprivation theories provided the theoretical foundation for the study, and the research question addressed the extent to which counter-ideology strategies can be instituted to defeat the BHT group. Data were collected through semi structured interviews from 20 participants who were Muslim clerics, community leaders, and military personnel, and data were analyzed using Nvivo software. The themes …

School Resource Officers And Student Arrest Inclination, Bill B. Young

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem examined in this study was the harming of students arrested in schools and related human and fiscal costs. The purpose was to identify arrest decision-making processes of school resource officers (SROs) and non-SROs and examine how arrest inclinations may lead to the concept of a school-to-prison pipeline. Black's theory of arrest and the factors of amount of evidence, suspect demeanor, wishes of the victim, seriousness of the offense, and the relationship between victim and suspect was the theoretical framework for this study. Six research questions were tested to examine relationships between SROs, non-SROs, and the arrest of students. …

Striving For Credibility In The Face Of Ambiguity: A Grounded Theory Study Of Extreme Hardship Immigration Psychological Evaluations, Susan M. Burke

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Psychological evaluations are frequently used in extreme hardship immigration cases in the United States. These evaluations are complex; they are inherently ambiguous, and they require extensive training and specialized knowledge. General guidance for mental health professionals is available from professional organizations, the federal government, and articles in the legal and mental health literature. However, there is a lack of detailed guidance, best practices, training, and supervision so many evaluators learn on their own. Unfortunately, this has resulted in assessment processes and evaluation reports that vary widely in terms of professionalism and quality which negatively impacts the vulnerable families seeking these …

Impact, Implementation, And Insights Of Peace Education: A Case Study Of The M.A. In Peace Studies And Conflict Transformation Program At The University Of Rwanda, Sarah M. Doerrer

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Higher education is arguably critical for healing and stabilization in postconflict contexts, by developing leaders who value peace and have the skill sets to achieve it in various sectors. A rapidly growing body of literature concludes that peace education in particular has great potential to transform postconflict communities, both in higher education and at other levels of schooling. Yet there exists little rigorous analysis of the decisions faced by educational leaders responsible for implementing such programs, particularly those in postconflict settings where the needs are uniquely challenging.

This qualitative investigation documented the M.A. in Peace Studies and Conflict Transformation program, …

Students’ Awareness, Knowledge, And Perceptions Of Mandatory Reporting Of Sexual Victimization On College Campuses, Dhara Minesh Amin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify students’ awareness, knowledge, and perceptions of the mandatory reporting policy related to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX). Mandatory reporting requirements are being implemented in higher educational institutions; however, existing literature does not examine students’ perceptions or their knowledge of the specific requirements that apply exclusively to them. This exploratory study examines the perceptions of college students at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia. Drawing on survey data (N = 501) from a large, public research university, the study explores two outcome variables: students’ awareness of the …

Is It Who Am I Or Who Do You Think I Am? Identity Development Of Adolescents With Substance Use Disorders, Danielle N. Treiber

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study was to unearth how adolescents with substance use disorders achieve the task of identity formation and the construction of self-concept in the midst of the drug culture and society that exists. It sought to uncover the social constructs designed to ignore and/or remove human complexities and allow an intersectional approach to be brought to a study on this population. Historically, there has been a failure to investigate the underlying social attitudes and behaviors that impact the very delicate and vulnerable process of finding self. Psychosocial and relational adjustment are strongly influenced by the extent to …

Federal Offices Of Inspectors General: The Relationship Between Per Capita Staffing Levels And Performance Results, Craig Yuen

Theses and Dissertations

Each year, the federal government spends trillions of dollars on operations and in awarding contracts, grants, loans, and other forms of financial assistance. Federal Offices of Inspectors General (OIGs) are charged with auditing and investigating fraud, waste, abuse, and misconduct affecting the government. There are 73 such OIGs – 40 of which have law enforcement authority and oversight responsibilities for a parent agency – and each is a separate organization with varying staffing levels and performance results. This study examined, on a per capita level, the relationship between staffing levels and performance results (criminal charges filed, financial recoveries, and questioned …

The Drug Economy And Youth Interventions: An Exploratory Research Project On Working With Young People Involved In The Illegal Drugs Trade, Matt Bowden

Reports

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of The Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction Of The Tulalip Tribe, Marie Frances Natrall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Native American women have been historically disadvantaged as victims of domestic violence. These hardships were primarily due to a policy that limited Native American tribes’ criminal jurisdiction over non-Native individuals on Native American reservations. This policy changed with the passage of the Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction (SDVCJ) in 2013. This qualitative case study employed the social construction of target populations conceptual framework to explore the experiences of tribal officials and judicial officers of the Tulalip tribe. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 9 key informants selected through purposeful sampling on the basis of their role within the Tulalip …

Understanding The Impact Of Choice Claims In Health Policy Among Veteran Patients, Stacie Marie Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The patient-as-consumer has emerged as a narrative in the government health care system that cares for beneficiary veteran patients, elevating the phenomenon of choice in health care legislation and administration. The problem of the submerged state of a health policy was the issue examined within the context of access to health care and what patients experience when choice is present. The purpose of this study was to explore the motivations of beneficiary veteran patients to choose a preventive care option, a seasonal flu shot, at a private sector retail pharmacy rather than at their government health care provider, with the …

Effects Of Police-Mental Health Collaborative Services On Calls, Arrests, And Emergency Hospitalizations, Sean Russel-Jacque Zauhar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With the increasing amount of police calls involving persons experiencing a mental health crisis (PICs), agencies are looking for ways to reduce the overuse of emergency services and criminal confinement. Police-mental health collaborative (PMHC) programs were developed to utilize the expertise of both mental health and law enforcement practitioners to provide immediate linkage to psychiatric services in an effort to prevent unnecessary involvement in the criminal justice system. The theoretical framework for this study was built on the sequential intercept model (SIM) along with the theories of social network and social support. The SIM identifies 5 key points where PICs …

Transgender An At-Risk Population During And Following Emergencies And Disasters, Joshua Aaron Fontanez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The experiences and needs of transgendered individuals immediately following a natural or human-caused disaster are largely ignored in practice and absent from previous academic literature. Using Schneider and Ingram's conceptualization of the social construction of target populations as a theoretical framework, the purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences and perspectives of transgendered people who sought shelter in the aftermath of a natural disaster in 2018. Data were collected through interviews with 12 displaced, transgendered individuals to explore their experiences while staying at shelters in 2018. Interview data were transcribed, inductively coded, and then a thematic analysis procedure …

Citizen Perceptions Of Law Enforcement Shootings Involving Imitation Firearms, Kristine Angela Gregory

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative ethnographic study was to explore citizen perceptions of the phenomenon of law enforcement shootings involving an imitation firearm. A secondary purpose was to document knowledge of current imitation firearm policies and thoughts on the effectiveness of said policies. Kingdon's multiple streams approach was used as the theoretical framework. This theory addressed the sources of power that influence policy decisions, the stakeholders involved in agenda setting, and factors that shape policy debates. Data were collected using a combination of secondary data analysis, field observations and semi structured, face-to-face interviews with 23 citizens. Sampling strategies included a …

The Impact Of The Use Of Wearable Video Systems In Law Enforcement, Dearis Vontae Hoard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Wearable video systems (WVSs) are one of the most popular and fastest growing technologies used by law enforcement today. While published WVS literature predominantly focuses on stakeholder perceptions, community interactions, assaults against officers, and use of force, there has diminutive exploration of the impact of WVSs as it related to aspects of police misconduct, especially in the Cruiser Police Department (pseudonym; CPD). The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore and describe how the use of the use of WVSs by the CPD impact police misconduct, by tracking the changes in complaint type and disposition of a 5-year …