Digital Commons Network^™

Law Enforcement Active Shooter Preparedness Grading System: A Campus Police Officer’S Perspective, Sean Patrick Gilligan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Treatment Providers’ Perspectives On Reintegration Of African American Registered Sex Offenders With Intellectual Disabilities, Laneka Sherelle Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Prostitution And Opioid-Related Death Rates In A North Carolina City After The Implementation Of The Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Program, Tomeka Scarboro-Hedrick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Direct Democracy In The Twenty-First Century: Massachusetts Open Town Meeting And Citizen Participation, Daniel W. Santos

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Town Meeting is a unique system of democratic governance that can be found only in New England towns, where it has been the primary form of local government for nearly four centuries. Town Meeting is a type of direct democracy where laws, policy, and decisions are made by a plurality of a town’s eligible voters acting as its legislative body. There is limited scholarship addressing Town Meeting, with much of the extant literature focusing on the benefits of the direct democracy aspect of this form of government. Town Meeting has been generally known to be poorly attended by citizens. The …

Perspectives Of Formerly Incarcerated African American Males On Prison Vocational Work Programs On Reducing Recidivism, Mark Steven Frazier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Capital Gap: Mitigating Banking Barriers For Nonprofit Providers In Mental Health And Educational Systems, Jinhee Lee, Josefina Martinez

Pepperdine Policy Review

Nonprofit organizations are vital contributors to public welfare, yet they are systematically excluded from conventional banking systems, creating a liquidity crisis that undermines their capacity to deliver essential services. This paper discusses the structural issues of the banking sector that hinder nonprofits in acquiring credit and explains how this problem can be solved. Specifically, it aims at investigating liquidity constraints faced by schools providing mental health services and education programs. With the help of information asymmetry and relationship lending theories, the paper explains why traditional credit approaches cannot work, considering the distinctive features of the financial model of mission-oriented institutions. …

U.S. Veterans’ Lived Experiences Integrating Into Public Sector Workforce Levels, Shaunellia Rocjene Ferguson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Examining The Impact Of A Self-Employment Vocational Program In Texas On Black Men And Their Recidivism Rates, Alain Marie Matigi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Examining Whether The Relationships Between Specific Psychiatric Diagnoses And Both Adolescent Suicide And Reoffending Are Moderated By Sex, Michael T. Baglivio, Katherine Jackowski, Brooke Neupaver, Grayson Black, Bailee Perry, Kevin T. Wolff

Publications and Research

The current study examines the relationships between specific psychiatric diagnoses and both adolescent suicide and reoffending, the implications of adverse childhood experiences on these outcomes, and assesses whether these relationships are moderated by sex. Using a multilayer multiyear statewide sample of 6,515 adolescents who completed juvenile justice residential placements, logistic regression and moderation models were used to examine these relationships. Findings demonstrate that the rate of suicidal ideation was 2.5 times higher for female youth, while the recidivism rate was 1.7 times higher for males. Psychiatric diagnoses prevalence ranged from 65.9% for conduct disorder to less than 1% for personality …

Justice By Geography: District-Level Variation In Pretrial Release Outcomes Across Oregon, Ethan Loomis

Dissertations and Theses

AbstractOregon’s pretrial system operates under a common statewide legal framework, yet detention and release outcomes do not appear fully consistent across jurisdictions. Earlier research on pretrial decision-making has largely focused on judicial discretion, individual-level legal factors, and the use of risk assessment tools, while giving less attention to the district-level environments in which those decisions are made. This study examines whether variation in institutional capacity, political context, demographic composition, and socioeconomic conditions corresponds with differences in pretrial outcomes across Oregon’s circuit court districts.

The study draws from focal concerns theory, racial threat perspectives, and organizational approaches to court decision-making. Rather …

Lindenwood Digest, May 20, 2026, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

Event & Date: The Lindenwood University Employee Digest was published on May 20, 2026.

Geographic Grounding: The events and programs originate from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri.

Key Honorees/Awards: Web Strategy and Development Manager Jason Waack was recognized for enhancing the digital commencement program; Communications Operations Specialist Crystal Carter was commended for optimizing the Honors Academy recruitment invitation email sent to students with a 3.5 GPA or higher; Public Safety and Security Officer April Johnson was thanked for roadside assistance.

Beyond "Bad Apples": Political Identity, Moral Interpretation, And Institutional Response To Abuse, Laura Werner

Student Theses

This thesis examines how psychological explanatory frameworks and structural institutional response interact to shape how domestic violence and sexual abuse are understood and addressed. Drawing on behavioral design theory and John Dewey's transactional approach to experience, I argue that harm is interpreted through mental models that simultaneously shape both individual perception and institutional action. Using survey data from 736 participants, I demonstrate that endorsement of the "bad apples" explanatory framework, attributing abuse primarily to a small group of deviant individuals, is predicted by psychological essentialism, belief in a just world, social dominance orientation, and political conservatism. These findings suggest that …

Men Who Murder Their Families: Crime Script Analysis Of Surviving Familicide Perpetrators’ Characteristics And Behaviors, Margaret Potthoff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

A Quantitative Study Examining The Impact Of Gender On Covenantal Empowerment And Mental Health Quality Of Life Among 911 Dispatchers, Michael Ryan Udriét

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative correlational study examined factors affecting the mental health quality of life (MHQoL) of 911 dispatchers in Greater Richmond, Virginia. Dispatchers frequently experience psychological strain due to exposure to traumatic calls, demanding workloads, and inconsistent organizational support. Leadership is a crucial factor in shaping well-being, yet the influence of covenantal empowerment (CE)—a model emphasizing mutual support, shared accountability, and relational trust—on dispatcher mental health remains underexplored. This study examined the relationship between CE and MHQoL, explored gender as a moderator, and considered additional demographic and work-related factors including age, years of experience, work shift, length of shift, marital status, …

Non-Denominational Female Ministry Leaders' Disciple-Making Experience Using Digital Platforms: A Phenomenological Study, Vorlea C. Chaney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A global pandemic in the winter of 2020 forced the faith community to close its doors in the interest of public safety. Due to the closings, the faith community resorted to digital platforms to continue to make disciples, according to Matthew 28:19-20 (King James Version, 1991). Jun (2020) asserts the current digital age is poised to be the next industrial revolution used by the church to make disciples. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate female ministry leader’s digital disciple-making experience. According to Leedy and Ormrod (2019), “the term phenomenology refers to a person’s perception of the …

A Qualitative Study Of De-Policing And The 2020 Anti-Police Movement, Corey Lee Piser

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand de-policing among police officers in the U.S. state of Minnesota (MN) relative to the 2020 anti-police movement. The theoretical underpinning of this study is rooted in Rational Choice Theory (RCT) and its focus on rational actors engaging in cost-benefit analysis as a behavioral model. RCT serves to capably explain de-policing behavior as a law enforcement officer (LEO) reaction to fears that engaging in self-initiated policing activity has become detrimental to their careers. The research design to be utilized is the generic qualitative method which will utilize officer questionnaires, interviews, and reflexive …

Digital Recruitment Strategies In Kansas Police Departments, Kacey Leigh Wiltz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study will be to explore how law enforcement leaders implement and evaluate digital recruitment strategies (DRS) to address staffing challenges in Kansas police departments. The central research question guiding this study is: How do law enforcement leaders in Kansas, utilize digital recruitment strategies to attract qualified candidates in the post-George Floyd era? This qualitative study included three focus groups with law enforcement leaders and recruitment personnel representing departments of varying sizes. Additionally, this study utilized semi-structured interviews with law enforcement leaders and recruitment personnel from 30 different Kansas police departments. The research was conducted across …

Understanding Federalism Through Its Impact On Disasters In The 21st Century, Jerome Bryant

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study is to understand federalism in the United States of America today. This study uses the impact of federalism in the United States on national disasters as a means to understand federalism in the U.S. The theory guiding this study is general systems theory, as presented by Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1968), as it provides a framework for understanding how systems work and the foundation upon which this collective case study can determine how federalism operates in the current-day U.S. The central question for this study is: What has been the impact of federalism on …

Entrepreneurship After Incarceration: The Barriers And Success Factors For Startups Led By Individuals With A Conviction Record, Charlotte E. Garnes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods study examined the barriers and facilitators influencing the success of businesses established by formerly incarcerated individuals through an online survey. It explored the roles of support and resilience in overcoming societal stigma and institutional constraints through survey questions (N = 119) and semi-structured interviews (N = 7). Quantitative analyses included binary logistic regression to evaluate relationships between region, industry, time in business, years since incarceration, and scale scores for support, motivation, and barriers with three outcomes: annual revenue, net profit or loss, and customer ratings. I also conducted a thematic analysis to understand the challenges, supports, and successes …

Anchored In The Shifting Tides: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study Of Paramedic Resilience And Worldviews, David Eric Wolff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of paramedics in Western society, who self-report sustaining positive psychological well-being despite their emotionally and psychologically demanding work, examining the interplay of their narrative identity, spirituality, worldviews, and social connections. The stories paramedics construct about their realities can reveal the underlying meanings and how their role has molded who they are, best viewed through a threefold constructivist theoretical framework: narrative identity theory to understand how paramedics make sense of their experiences, transformational learning theory to identify how paramedics adjust their worldviews to while coping, and posttraumatic growth theory …

Building Cultural Wealth: A Look Into The 40x40 Council’S Rise East Plan, Camille L. Batiste

Master's Theses

This research began as an effort to understand how community-based organizations in neighborhoods that have experienced generational economic disinvestment address the financial and cultural wealth gap in their communities. With the 40x40 Council and its work in East Oakland serving as the case study, it is evident how this organization mobilizes to reverse the impact of cultural erasure and wealth exclusion, helping Black residents not just live, but thrive. With an enriched understanding of how the 40x40 Council frames its approach, implements its vision, and develops its longevity, the Rise East Plan utilizes an alternative wealth-building strategy that centers community, …

Uneven Ranks: Geographic Deepening Of The All-Volunteer Force, Christine Hogestyn

Master in Public Policy Theses

Who is enlisting in Fiscal Year 2025, and what state-level characteristics are associated with military enlistment rates, service selection, and recruit quality? This study documents the geographic landscape of U.S. military accessions during a period of recruiting recovery, filling a gap in the literature by providing a current, empirical description of who enlists and from where in today’s All-Volunteer Force. Drawing on personnel data from the Department of War, the U.S. Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, and a federal dataset of military installations, I analyze 203,987 new accessions across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps from …

Arts-Based Violence Prevention For Youth: A Literature Review, Amber Lynn Isaac

Expressive Therapies Theses

This narrative literature review examines arts-based approaches to violence prevention and trauma-related support among school-aged children and adolescents in school and community settings. Violence is conceptualized as both interpersonal and structural, encompassing physical, emotional, relational, and systemic harms that arise through unequal access to safety, opportunity, and resources. The review then explores how these conditions increase vulnerability to trauma exposure, particularly among youth in marginalized and underserved communities, and considers the psychological impacts of violence on youth development. Centering the resilience of children and adolescents through relational strengths, adaptive coping strategies, and creative capacities, this review then examines the benefits …

Blockade Logic: Settler Consciousness And The Petro-Security Apparatus, Sarah Seroy

Communication ETDs

This study examines contemporary CID legislation and surrounding political rhetoric in Canada and its implications for Indigenous communities. It reveals how settler consciousness is affirmed through such legislation and how discourse rooted in colonial logics serves to strengthen Canada’s petro-security apparatus. Drawing from Teun van Dijk’s (1995) method of Ideological Discourse Analysis and integrating Indigenous epistemologies, it offers a research approach of anticolonial discourse analysis. This analysis reveals CID legislation as a racialized, colonial tool and a form of biopower the settler-state exerts over Indigenous communities. It normalizes settler-state hegemony and justifies the ongoing dispossession of Indigenous communities. This study …

Understanding The Psychological And Social Determinants Of Drunk Driving Recidivism, Mackenzie L. Miller

Aurora

Drunk driving continued to be a major public safety issue, and repeat offenses showed that punishment alone was not always effective. This study examined the psychological and social factors that contributed to drunk driving recidivism among college students, with a focus on impulsivity, risk perception, and peer influence. The goal was to better understand why some individuals continued to drive under the influence even after facing consequences. Data for this study were collected through a Qualtrics survey completed by 136 college students. The survey included questions about beliefs surrounding recidivism, levels of impulsivity, and experiences with peer pressure. Descriptive statistics …

Red, Blue, And Bordered: Factors Influencing Immigration Attitudes, Estefania Morales Vilchis

Political Science Student Papers and Posters

The paper will explore the various social and individual variables that will impact how people perceive immigration as either beneficial to society or a societal threat. Some of the primary variables that will be examined in detail are one’s political affiliation, age, and geographical location; this will address the profound "why" behind our current beliefs on newcomers. The study will particularly address the "Contact Hypothesis" versus "Group Threat Theory" through the lens of how one's personal experiences with immigrants, or lack of, will shape public opinion. The study will focus on the rising psychological issue of "demographic anxiety", specifically, fears …

Organizational Justice And Staff Well-Being In Probation And Parole, Deena R. Devore

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examines how probation and parole (P&P) officers perceive fairness within their organizations and how these perceptions relate to job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and emotional exhaustion. Organizational justice research has been conducted primarily in business and policing contexts, with limited attention to whether established measurement models accurately capture fairness in community corrections. Because P&P officers operate within hybrid roles characterized by discretion, sustained supervisory relationships, and bureaucratic constraint, fairness perceptions in this setting may not align cleanly with existing dimensional frameworks.

Using survey data collected from P&P officers in a western U.S. state, this study evaluates competing measurement structures …

Protest Policing And Legitimacy: A Comparative Analysis Of Myanmar And The United States, Khaing Sandee Lynn

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Political protests garner immense attention during academic, socio-political, and policy discourse discussions. More specifically, the manner in which government, police, and protestors interact during protest events is heavily observed and debated. Research shows that legitimacy is established when power-holders act in accordance with legal frameworks and various political and institutional norms. With focus on the intersection of legitimacy and protest policing, the current study aims to explore how political, legal, and institutional legitimacy influence police compliance with state and institutional directives, and protestor compliance with police directives in two distinct sociopolitical contexts.

For this purpose, qualitative data was collected through …

Vocational Training, Employment, And Recidivism: Examining Job Satisfaction As A Mediator, Gianni Brianna Lopez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of job satisfaction in mediating the relationship between employment, vocational training, and recidivism. Recidivism remains a major issue in the United States, with a substantial portion of formerly incarcerated individuals returning to criminal behavior and, in many cases, being reincarcerated. The relationship between work and crime has been well established, however not all jobs are equal, and the protective effects of employment can vary across jobs. Employment has been cited as one of the most important factors in reducing recidivism, yet many individuals face barriers to securing stable and quality …

Event Day, Crime Day? A Study Of Event-Driven Crime And Enforcement In Las Vegas, Anna Nakazawa

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Las Vegas is an international tourist destination that welcomes millions of visitors each year. Allegiant Stadium, located in Las Vegas, is an NFL venue south of the Strip that hosts a wide variety of events. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of events on the environmental backcloth within a 10-minute walking distance from the stadium. Calls for service (CFS) and proactive police enforcement were measured and compared across event days and non-event days from 2022 to 2024. The findings from this study demonstrate that event days experience disproportionately more calls and enforcement than non-event days, with …