Digital Commons Network^™

The São Paulo Forum’S Armed Forces Agenda: Examining Venezuela And Brazil, David J. Guenni Bravo

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The São Paulo Forum (SPF) is a resilient ideological alliance that provides extremist public policy recommendations to formal political parties, social movements, and insurgent groups throughout the Western Hemisphere. Based on substantial evidence, this research project asserts that the SPF has successfully influenced the national security and defense policies of states in the Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) region. Analysis of two significant cases in South America shows that, after being elected to high office, SPF affiliates and their political parties/platforms sought transformation of their countries’ national security and defense sectors to conform to SPF positions. Given its extensive influence …

A Culture Of Institutional Racism: Housing Policies During The New Deal, Breyonna J. Bowen

Capstone Showcase

There currently exists a distressed relationship between African Americans and housing due to previously enacted policies. In looking at this issue, I aim to use the theory of institutional racism to explain how past housing policies that enforce and perpetuate discrimination have impacted this current relationship. Through the method of policy analysis, I attempt to pinpoint where past housing policies have failed to provide housing to many African Americans. I find that there are several policies that were enacted during 1930s and 40s, specifically the New Deal Era, that inflicted discriminatory housing policies on African Americans. The findings indicate that …

Examining Ky Hb8 For 2022: What Can We Learn From Other States’ Experiences?, Patrick Welsh

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Currently, Kentucky levies an individual income tax on all income earned by Kentucky residents at a rate of 5%. A bill approved in 2022 by the Kentucky legislature, KY HB8 for 2022 will phase down the individual income tax rate from 5% to 0% and expand the sales tax to 39 additional classes of services. Incremental decreases in the individual income tax rate depend on meeting General Fund receipts thresholds established in the bill after an initial reduction of one percentage point. Kentucky will join the ranks of 9 other states that do not impose an individual income tax including …

Ending Homelessness In Santa Clara County: A Program Evaluation Of Homefirst Services’ Rapid Re-Housing Program Using Client Feedback, Karen Gomez

Master's Projects

This research was designed to evaluate whether HomeFirst Services’ RRH Program has proven to be more effective than traditional approaches in eliminating homelessness for its participants in Santa Clara County, California. Research was based on the Program Satisfaction Survey conducted at the end of the participants’ program enrollment in comparison with data collected for clients in other HomeFirst Services programs. The research question that is being answered from this survey is whether or not the HomeFirst Services RRH Program is fulfilling the clients’ needs. This questionnaire has been able to help HomeFirst Services understand the factors that help satisfy program …

Sunset Provisions In The Local Tax Code: Best Practices, Sara Deuster

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The primary objective of this research project is to identify the main uses of the sunset provision as it relates to the local tax code. This research project utilizes a case study approach to collect and analyze sunset tax legislation from five municipalities. Capital project funding is found to be the primary use of taxes with a sunset provision. Other uses associated with sunset taxation include transportation infrastructure, capital funding, bond financing, and public safety. Through the analysis process for this research project, five best practices were developed to guide municipalities who engage in sunset taxation with respect to their …

Findings And Implications From A Project On White Supremacist Entry And Exit Pathways, Matthew Demichele, Wesley S. Mccann, Kathleen Blee, Peter Simi

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

This Research Note provides an overview of the main findings from a project on white supremacist pathways - or why some individuals join and leave white supremacist groups - with a specific focus on elucidating common themes, theoretical applications, main takeaways, and providing recommendations for academics and policymakers. One key lesson is that identity is central to entry and exit pathways.

Cannibalizing The Constitution: On Terrorism, The Second Amendment, And The Threat To Civil Liberties, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This article explores the links between internet radicalization, access to weapons, and the current threat from terrorists who have been radicalized online. The prevalence of domestic terrorism, domestic hate groups, and online incitement and radicalization have led to considerable focus on the tension between counterterror efforts and the First Amendment. Many scholars recommend rethinking the extent of First Amendment protection, as well as Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment protections, and some judges appear to be listening. Yet the Second Amendment has avoided this consideration, despite the fact that easy access to weapons is a necessary ingredient for the level of …

Pain That Only She Must Bear: On The Invisibility Of Women In Judicial Abortion Rhetoric, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The graphic and bodily facts of a legal question of rights are relevant to the courts, particularly in questions that directly implicate physical bodies and pain, such as right to die cases, or what level of search may be allowable and when. However, in the case of abortion, or more specifically the bodily ramifications of pregnancy and childbirth, this detail is conspicuously absent. This article, relying on a content analysis of over 220 legal opinions on abortion rights, documents this absence of rhetoric. Particularly in the context of other discussions of pain and physical health risks in these very same …

Exploring The Impact Of Student Conduct Models On Student Development At Hbcus, Deona Cureton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effectiveness of the student conduct approaches of the mixed method model, a mixture of restorative justice and traditional sanctioning, and traditional sanctioning, known as the “model code,” in student learning at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) has been largely unexamined in existing literature. This quantitative study examined whether the model code process or a mixed method model process is more effective and efficient in producing learning and accountability. The present study utilized the 28-item questionnaire from the Student Accountability and Restorative Research (STARR) Project, a multicampus study conducted in 2011 in the United States. In the current study, …

Police Officers’ Perspectives Regarding The Militarization Of The Jamaica Constabulary Force, Anthony Hugh Mclaughlin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Crime is the main public safety issue and a significant threat to human and economic development in Jamaica. To curtail the worsening crime problem, the prime minister of Jamaica has declared a state of public emergency in certain parishes. Policy makers currently lack understanding of how the militarization of the Jamaica Constabulary Force has affected communities and citizens in Jamaica where states of public emergency have been declared. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to understand police officers’ perspectives on the militarization of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. The theoretical framework was the operational-styles theory, which offered a means …

The Statistical Significance Of Juvenile Delinquency And Learning Disabilities, Collette Erica Scandrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile delinquency and recidivism have been consistent issues that seem to continually produce substantial numbers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine learning disabilities among juveniles and determine their statistical significance to delinquency and recidivism. Durkheim’s theory of anomie and Merton’s anomie/strain theory were used as the theoretical framework to guide the study. Archived cases for 15,900 juveniles, 2,633 of whom were learning disabled, were collected from the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and the South Carolina Department of Education. To provide additional context, age, race, and sex were also analyzed. Chi-square tests were used to analyze …

Disparities In The Sentencing Of African American Men In Wayne County, Michigan, Brian Banks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe ability of judges in the U.S. criminal justice system to administer penalties based on a defendant’s socioeconomic status has resulted in a disproportionate number of African Americans receiving harsher penalties than those of other racial groups and socioeconomic statuses. Currently, there is little evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of harsher sentencing of defendants with lower socioeconomic statuses in preventing crime or lowering recidivism, but more work is needed to clarify what sentencing factors judges use. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the factors that Wayne County, Michigan, judges used during the sentencing process of criminal defendants, along …

Defunding Law Enforcement: Fire Departments' Perspective On Implementing The National Fire Protection Association 3000 Standard When Preparing For An Active Shooter Mass Casualty Incident, Anthony Rios

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This study applied the policy window theory through punctuated equilibrium and resource dependency theories to analyze the perception of nationwide fire service leaders and the impact that defunding law enforcement can have on the fire service in managing an active shooter mass casualty incident (ASMCI). As police reform remains the center of discussion throughout the nation, many community leaders have explored ways to re-appropriate police funding. This comes at a time when the paradigm of law enforcement and Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) interdependency has become the standard response to ASMCIs as defined by the National Fire Protection Association 3000 Standard …

Using Simulation For Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training, Julie Kent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Law enforcement needs simulation practice tailored to de-escalation skills. Law enforcement officers spend most of their training time practicing how to use force appropriately and very little time practicing how to avoid using force. There is little research into the best ways for law enforcement to reduce their use of force and the best ways to provide training to individuals to coach them to avoid using force. There are many training programs promoting de-escalation techniques, but there is little research into the effectiveness of these programs beyond the ability of individuals to perform the skills that are trained. There is …

Lemonade: A Racial Justice Reframing Of The Roberts Court’S Criminal Jurisprudence, Daniel S. Harawa

Scholarship@WashULaw

The saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When it comes to the Supreme Court’s criminal jurisprudence and its relationship to racial (in)equity, progressive scholars often focus on the tartness of the lemons. In particular, they have studied how the Court often ignores race in its criminal decisions, a move that in turn reifies a racially subordinating criminalization system.

However, the Court has recently issued a series of decisions addressing racism in the criminal legal system: Buck v. Davis, Peña-Rodriguez v. Colorado, Timbs v. Indiana, Flowers v. Mississippi, and
Ramos v. Louisiana. On their face, the cases teach …

Making The Case For Addressing Second-Generation Gender Bias In Public Administration, Helisse Levine, Maria J. D’Agostino, Meghna Sabharwal

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

The Amorphous Nature Of Hackers: An Exploratory Study, Kento Yasuhara, Daniel Walnycky, Ibrahim Baggili, Ahmed Alhishwan

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

In this work, we aim to better understand outsider perspectives of the hacker community through a series of situation based survey questions. By doing this, we hope to gain insight into the overall reputation of hackers from participants in a wide range of technical and non-technical backgrounds. This is important to digital forensics since convicted hackers will be tried by people, each with their own perception of who hackers are. Do cyber crimes and national security issues negatively affect people’s perceptions of hackers? Does hacktivism and information warfare positively affect people’s perception of hackers? Do individual personality factors affect one’s …

An Evaluation Of The County Of Santa Clara’S Reentry Alcohol And Drug Studies Peer Mentor Program, Sarah Oliveira

Master's Projects

In the United States, incarceration rates have increased dramatically over the last three decades, soaring above any other country. Significant factors contributing to the increase include changes in sentencing laws and policies that target drug-related offenders and prioritize punishment over rehabilitation. Strict sentencing laws have led to mass incarceration, which has caused severe prison overcrowding and led to the infringement of fundamental human rights in prisons (Gottesdiener, 2011).

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, approximately 600,000 individuals are released from federal and state prisons each year (Carson, 2018). In California, an estimated one in three adults has an arrest …

Task Force Rattlesnake: A Cost Analysis Of Fire Crew Base Pay In California, Galen R. Yusufzai-Boggs

Master's Projects

Wildfire management in California is an expensive program totaling over $3 billion in 2020, where the state provides two-thirds of the budget from the general fund (Peters et al., 2020). California has consistently used the state military to assist in wildland fire mitigation efforts; however, for the first time it has created a year-round team to reduce fuels to clean up the state’s forests. Further analysis would determine if Task Force Rattlesnake is an effective use of the state’s budget for wildfire mitigation.

Health Policy, Equity, And The Lead Poisoning Crisis: A Conversation With Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, Mona Hanna-Attisha

Center for Policy Research

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha delivered the 33rd Annual Herbert Lourie Memorial Lecture on Health Policy on Thursday, September 23, 2021. This year's lecture was titled, "Health Policy, Equity, and the Lead Poisoning Crisis: A Conversation with Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha"

Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD, MPH, FAAP, is founder and director of the Michigan State University and Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative, an innovative and model public health program in Flint, Michigan.

A pediatrician, scientist, activist, and author, Dr. Hanna-Attisha has testified three times before the United States Congress and was awarded the Freedom of Expression Courage Award by PEN America. She …

Promote Smart Decarceration And Eliminate Racism Grand Challenges For Social Work: Reimagining Marijuana Policy, Charles H. Lea Iii, Gaby Mohr, Susan A. Mccarter, Sarah B. Coughlin, Aaron Gottlieb, Briana S. Partlow, Keshawn S. Matthews, Branden A. Mcleod

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Marijuana decriminalization and legalization policies are being passed in many state and local jurisdictions throughout the United States (U.S.). In this process, many lawmakers have used the argument that these policies and associated practices will redress racial disparities in the criminal punishment system. Yet, the evidence suggests this is not the case. We, therefore, use Critical Race Theory (CRT) to interrogate how marijuana-related policies and practices perpetuate collateral consequences and racial disparities in mass incarceration and recidivism to uncover the ways in which they challenge efforts to promote smart decarceration and eliminate racism. We argue that in order to effectively …

Benefits And Barriers That African American Men Experience With Financial Assistance, C. Alan Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Policymakers often design public policies and programs to assist populations in improving their social status, economic standing, or overall well-being. The problem addressed in this study is the gap in understanding the perspectives of African American men related to policies and programs that provide them with financial assistance. Ingram et al.’s social construction and policy design theory provided the framework for this qualitative study, which aimed to understand the benefits and barriers African American men experienced with public programs that provided financial assistance and its impact on their financial stability. Eleven African American men, selected using purposive sampling, responded to …

Officers' Perceptions Of The Ontario Provincial Police Framework For Police Preparedness For Indigenous Critical Incidents, Armand P. La Barge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractResponding to First Nation occupations and protests is one of the most challenging duties that police officers in Canada undertake. Over the last 30 years, these types of incidents have resulted in deaths and injuries to police and protesters, and millions of dollars’ worth of damage and financial loss. After the 1995 shooting death of an unarmed Indigenous protester by police at the Ipperwash occupation, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) introduced an unconventional operational approach for protests known as the OPP Framework policy. That approach was built on the concepts of peacekeeping, patient negotiation, mutual respect, and the minimal use …

African American Male Ex-Offenders’ Experiences Of Housing Support And Other Postincarceration Services, Joyce Denise Mcphee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Many male African American ex-offenders lack resources that would allow them to become successful in reentering society. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of male African American ex-offenders regarding homelessness and the search for housing after release from incarceration. Schneider and Ingram’s theory of social construction of target populations was the framework for the investigation. Data were collected by conducting semistructured interviews with 12 adult African American male ex-offenders from the South Florida region of the United States who were experiencing homelessness. Participants self-selected by responding to a flyer posted at a shelter. Data analysis …

Disparities In The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, Helen Grace Neri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Culturally and linguistically diverse populations in the developmental disability system suffer from socioeconomic and social services disparities. Efforts to address the disparities issue included enacting Welfare and Institutions Code 4519.5 § (e), (f), (g), and (h), also known as the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act or the disparities law. The law mandated monitoring of developmental disability system expenditures and allocated funding to the regional centers and community-based organizations to assist with implementing activities to address the disparity. Schneider and Ingram’s and Jun’s theories of social construction framed the inquiry as to how the law impacted considerations of the social construction …

Reducing Racial Disparity Of Youths Referred To The Juvenile Center, Kimberly Paige

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2018, The Juvenile Center in St. Louis, Missouri acknowledged that they needed to decrease the racial disparity in the numbers and percentages of Black youths who were overrepresented compared to White youths at the front-end intake step of the facility. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insight as to whether there were alternative actions for police officers after they arrested the youths but before they referred them to the front-end intake step of The Juvenile Center. The main method of collecting data was an ethnographic interview in the form of a questionnaire to gather the community …

Correctional Education And Response To Prison Reentry Of African American Men, Robert Reddick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is limited knowledge of how correctional education programs prepare rural African American men for reentry into society after incarceration. The purpose of this study was to learn how young, rural African American men between the ages of 20 to 30 years perceived their experiences of technical correctional education programs and how such programs aided in reducing recidivism during their reentry process from incarceration. This qualitative study was guided by the institutional theory which purported that correctional education should be based on the population served and not on mirroring other institutions. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, data were collected from …

The Evolving Challenges, Issues Of Cybercrime, Law Enforcement Personnel, Preparedness, And Training, Eileen Victoria Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cybercrime is an escalating phenomenon recognized by law enforcement personnel and others as a serious ever-increasing problem. The need is critical to equip police with cybercrime preparedness to combat and eradicate the problem. Cyber-attacks have negatively impacted the growing epidemic needing constructive solutions. The police personnel’s experiences provided essential cybercrime preparedness, acquired in diverse locations, and applied in the workplace with preventive cybercrime recommendations. Moustakas provided the overall design with theoretical underpinnings of the cybercrime phenomenon with a scientific design. The sample size was eight participants who met the inclusion criteria with the underlying principles of Kolb’s experiential learning theory …

Fiscal Capacity And Decision Making Flexibility And The Title Iv-E Waiver, Laura Ann Mayate-Deandreis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public managers must reconcile fiscal constraints within a confined decision-making environment. This study was conducted to examine the extent to which policy tools, such as the Title IV-E waiver demonstration, facilitate cost control and increased decision-making flexibility. The central question guiding the study was whether policy tools enable public managers to effectively meet policy goals within inelastic fiscal and regulatory environments. Choice theories provided a theoretical framework to examine the multidimensional aspects of decision making and policy prioritization. An exploratory case study approach was employed to compare the change in fiscal capacity and flexibility of California counties participating in the …

Perceived Transformational Leadership Styles And Job Satisfaction Among Probation Officers, Joann Ruth Mcgee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the field of probation service work evolves, so does the role of the probation officer. The problem addressed in this study is that probation officers are experiencing more complexities related to job satisfaction, however there exists limited amount of research on probation leadership and probation officers overall job satisfaction. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between the level of job satisfaction of probation officers and supervisors' transformational leadership style. Malsow's hierarchy of need theory and Bass and Avolio's full-range leadership model was utilized as the theoretical framework for the research. The …