Digital Commons Network^™

Rethinking Social Disorganization In Rural America: Persistent Poverty, Institutional Fragility, And Crime, Addison Finch

Theses and Dissertations

Social Disorganization Theory (SDT) links structural disadvantage to crime through mechanisms such as residential instability, weakened social networks, and reduced informal social control in urban neighborhoods. Less is known about whether these mechanisms operate similarly in persistently poor rural communities where disadvantage is enduring rather than destabilizing. This study examines whether variation in poverty intensity predicts county-level crime in nonmetropolitan, persistently poor counties in Kentucky and Tennessee from 2016 to 2023. A balanced county-year panel (N = 344) integrates incident-based crime data with measures of poverty intensity and institutional capacity. Pooled ordinary least squares models with year fixed effects and …

Building A Comprehensive Insider Threat Defense Program, Alan Saquella

Publications

Organizations today face a growing and evolving threat that often originates not from an outside hacker or criminal organization, but from within their own workforce, vendor networks, and trusted partnerships. Insider threats continue to represent one of the most difficult risks to identify, prevent, and mitigate because insiders already possess something external adversaries spend enormous resources trying to obtain: trust, access, and legitimacy.

For decades, many organizations relied heavily on pre-employment criminal history checks and reference verification as their primary safeguard against insider misconduct. While these tools remain important foundational elements of any hiring and risk management program, they are …

Law Enforcement Policies, Training, And Developmental Disability Encounters Involving Autism, Tariya Sanders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Learning To Get Out Of The Wing - The Motivations Of Learners Incarcerated In Québec Provincial Prisons, Frédérick Armstrong

Journal of Prison Education Research

41 men and women incarcerated in the Québec provincial prison system were asked why they enrolled in educational activities. Relying on self-determination theory’s to describe and categorize their motivations, we found that most respondents had extrinsic motivations to participate in educational activities and that only three respondents could be described as intrinsically motivated. Respondents joined programmes to escape boredom, to receive financial compensation or to receive some other benefits; not for the pleasure of learning. These results are different from other research reporting that a majority of incarcerated learners were intrinsically motivated. After addressing this contrast and arguing that it …

A Three-Criteria Framework For U.S. Immigration Reform: Humane Treatment, Resource Reallocation, And Proportional Fallback, Eddie Contreras

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

This project examines how U.S. immigration enforcement could be restructured around three criteria: humane treatment, resource reallocation, and proportional consequences. The evidence, drawn from journalism, peer-reviewed research, government data, and international comparisons, consistently shows that current enforcement is poorly targeted, fiscally costly, and harmful to the community it depends on. At the same time, the picture is not one-sided: a real population of serious offenders exists, some workers benefit economically from restrictive policies, and even the strongest international models have real flaws. Administrative reforms within DHS could begin moving the system in a slightly better direction now. However, durable change …

Perceptions Of Correctional Staff Regarding Coping Strategies Used By Juvenile Female Offenders, Angela Pagano Johnston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

It’S Up To The States: The Role Of State-Based Safety Net Programs In Maternal Health Outcomes, Brooklyn Hall

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the relationship between state-based safety net programs and maternal health outcomes in the United States. Using the case studies of five states, namely Mississippi, Alabama, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and California, this research examines how variations in programs such as Medicaid, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Paid Family Leave (PFL) influence maternal mortality rates and overall maternal health outcomes. The analysis shows that states with more generous and comprehensive safety net programs, like California and Minnesota, tend to report lower maternal mortality rates. In contrast, states with less robust programs, such …

Using Forensic Psycholinguistic Analysis To Detect Dark Tetrad Traits In Police Interviews Of Murder Suspects, Amanda Janette Borman-Ballard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Solid Waste Management In Greater Khartoum City, Sudan, Roba Mahmoud

Student Theses 2015-Present

This study investigates the rising solid waste management (SWM) dilemma in Greater Khartoum City (GKC), a critical environmental and public health issue caused by fast urbanization and inadequate infrastructure, with historical linkages to Sudan's colonial and postcolonial growth. Chapter 1 describes the current problem using quantitative and qualitative data, demonstrating that GKC produces approximately 3,340 tons of waste each day, with 56% organic matter, 8% plastics, and 16% paper. Collection efficiency remains severely poor, at 31.5%. Informal recyclers known as Nakasha or Barkata collect approximately 7% of total waste, supporting roughly 3,900 people, whereas filthy open dumps and unsorted medical …

Practicing In Broken Systems: An Advanced Integrated Social Work Portfolio, Andrew Tomt

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio documents my development as an advanced integrated social worker within behavioral health and crisis response systems. Grounded in the ten CSWE competencies, it illustrates my progression from foundational generalist practice to a more complex, systems-oriented approach that integrates ethical decision-making, trauma-informed care, research-informed practice, and policy awareness. Drawing on my practicum experience in Mobile Crisis Assessment and Triage (MCAT) in Spokane, Washington, the portfolio demonstrates my ability to engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate across micro, mezzo, and macro levels. It highlights my commitment to social justice, cultural humility, and least-restrictive care, while also addressing the challenges of working …

How Ai Governance Differs Between Regime Type, Jackson T. Guillou

Honors Theses

This thesis will examine how artificial intelligence (AI) regulation and development differ across political regime types, arguing that governance outcomes are fundamentally shaped by institutional political structures. This thesis will draw on comparative frameworks analyzing democratic and authoritarian systems. This thesis will also include case studies of the European Union, the United States of America, China, and Russia. The study finds that democratic regimes tend to emphasize transparency, accountability, and rights-based regulation of AI. This often results in slow regulation of AI, but it is more ethically legitimate and constrained. In contrast, authoritarian regimes prioritize centralized control, strategic coordination, and …

Manufacturing A Confederate Martyr: John Yates Beall, John Wilkes Booth, And The Politics Of Postwar Memory, Corin M. Fyrdrian

Student Papers (History)

John Yates Beall, a Confederate naval officer and privateer executed by the United States in 1865, has often been remembered through a Lost Cause framework that casts him as a chivalric martyr and “victim of honor.” This thesis challenges that interpretation by situating Beall’s life, wartime actions, trial, execution, and postwar memory within competing ideas of honor, legality, violence, and Confederate nationalism. Through analysis of Beall’s military activities, legal arguments, newspaper coverage, personal writings, and later narratives, this thesis argues that his postwar image was not merely preserved but actively constructed. Lost Cause writers transformed his execution into a moral …

Quantitative Assessment Of Cybersecurity Risk Variability Across Transportation Modes, Paulo Carreon

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Transportation systems are increasingly dependent on digital technologies, networked communications, and cyber-physical integration, making cybersecurity an important issue for operational continuity, resilience, and safety. Although cybersecurity risks in transportation are widely recognized, much of the existing research remains mode-specific and lacks a standardized quantitative framework for comparing risk across transportation systems. This study develops a quantitative, incident-based approach for assessing cybersecurity risk variability across four major transportation modes: Aviation, Maritime, Rail, and Road. The study is based on a manually constructed dataset of 189 publicly reported transportation cybersecurity incidents collected from 2000 to 2025. Each incident was coded into structured …

Paternalism Under The Guise Of Partnership: How Modern Treaties In Canada Fall Short In Building Nation-To-Nation Relationships Between Indigenous Governments And The Crown, Maci Clements

Culture, Society, and Praxis

Indigenous nations in Canada have an inherent right to self-determination of their governments and traditional territory; however, how best to implement and ensure this right remains up for debate within Indigenous scholarship. In contrast to such debates, the Canadian State boasts the modern treaty process as the apex tool of Indigenous self-governance, permitting legitimate nation-to-nation relationship building. In this paper, I use an Indigenous feminist analytical framework to investigate if the negotiation and arrangement of existing modern treaties successfully accomplish the goal of creating a nation-to-nation partnership between Indigenous nations and the Crown. Following a critical reading of the modern …

Merely Bystanders: Understanding And Overcoming The "Appalling Silence Of The Good People”, Catherine A. Sanderson

Heroism Science

This article reviews classic and contemporary research on the psychological processes that contribute to silence and inaction in the face of problematic behavior. In ambiguous situations, people look to others for cues, but mutual hesitation can result in collective inaction. In group contexts, diffusion of responsibility reduces people’s sense of obligation to intervene, decreasing the likelihood that help is offered. Additionally, fears of social and professional costs—such as rejection, ostracism, or reputational harm—discourage speaking up, reflecting a broader human sensitivity to social pain. The article concludes by outlining evidence-based strategies for overcoming bystander inaction, including skills-based training, opportunities for practice, …

How The U.S. Virgin Islands Government Responded To The Covid-19 Crisis: A Leadership Perspective, Erica Dover

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Law-Related Education: An Alternative To School Suspension, Tammy Thurman, Huma Zia

Justice, Law, and Public Safety Studies Department Faculty Conferences

This session explores the intersection of law-related education and youth courts through a demonstration from the presenter's 'Legal Literacy' program, which was implemented in a school district as an alternative to out-of-school suspension.  The program exposes students to practical and relevant legal principles and promotes student accountability and skill-building.

Burnout Among Wisconsin Career Firefighters: An Examination Of Shift Schedules, Sleep Disturbances, And Organizational Factors, Nickolas R. Pridgeon

Leadership Education Capstones

Occupational burnout among career firefighters represents a growing crisis with serious consequences for individual health, public safety, and fire department sustainability. This study investigates the factors contributing to burnout among career firefighters in Wisconsin, with a focus on three primary areas: shift schedules, sleep disturbances, and organizational culture. Using a concurrent mixed-methods design, the research combines an online quantitative survey with semi-structured qualitative interviews to examine how these factors interact to produce burnout in the fire service context.

The quantitative component employs the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index alongside measures of organizational factors, targeting a sample …

An Exploration Of Aviation Safety Culture In Nigeria, Ernest N. Ogbozor, Jules Yimga, Nicholas Degarmo, Hana Marz, Kathrine Lopez, Michael Chrisman, Cedric Leon, Joao Souza Dias Garcia, Mariateresa Sestito, Harrison Debrah, Albert Obi, Chidinma Chidoka

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Despite sustained regulatory reforms, infrastructural development and capacity-building initiatives, Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest economies and a key regional aviation market, continues to experience significant safety deficiencies. This study examines how national cultural norms shape safety practices and performance in Nigeria’s aviation sector. Using an exploratory mixed-methods approach, it combines a systematic literature review, structured safety culture surveys, and semi-structured expert interviews to analyze interactions among regulatory frameworks, organizational practices, and human factors. Findings show that deeply embedded norms, particularly authority gradients, rule adherence, reporting behavior, and accountability, significantly influence safety outcomes. Although leadership commitment and safety awareness appear relatively …

Fear Of Crime, Intolerance Of Uncertainty, And Trait Worry: A Mediation Model Of Perceived Risk And Victimization Concerns, Nicholai N. Chasseau

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined psychological vulnerability and fear of crime in 538 adults from Trinidad and Tobago. Perceived risk was the strongest predictor of fear, while prospective intolerance of uncertainty predicted fear directly. Mediation was supported among Afro-Trinidadians but not Indo-Trinidadians, suggesting sociocultural differences in cognitive pathways linking vulnerability to fear.

Navigating Reentry: A Life Course Inquiry Into The Structural And Personal Dimensions Among Returning Citizens, Julie Chowdhury

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This qualitative study explores how returning citizens experience incarceration and reentry across the life course, focusing on the interplay of structural conditions, relational contexts, and human agency. Guided by Life Course Theory (LCT), reentry is conceptualized not as a discrete post-release transition but as a developmental process shaped by cumulative disadvantage, institutional stratification, and linked lives. Data were drawn from in-depth semi-structured interviews with formerly incarcerated adults in the northeastern United States and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings show that incarceration and reentry are experienced as relational and multigenerational processes embedded within family systems and constrained opportunity structures, rather …

The Role Of Public Administration And Hrm In Promoting Guardian-Oriented Policing In Michigan, Sara L. Cowling

Master of Public Administration Capstone Papers

This capstone paper examines how public administrators and human resource management (HRM) practices in Michigan local law enforcement agencies can influence the adoption of a guardian-oriented approach to policing. Using a qualitative case study method and document analysis, this study integrates peer-reviewed literature on guardian and warrior policing models with public administration and HRM frameworks. Findings indicate that due to the centralized structure of the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) and standardized academy training, local agencies have limited control over recruit socialization during initial training. Thus, recruitment and hiring practices, specifically recruitment messaging, applicant self-selection, interviewing, organizational fit …

Understanding The Relationship Between Property Neglect And Subjective Well-Being: How Redevelopment Can Strengthen Community Identity In Anderson, South Carolina, Andrew Karriem

All Theses

Neglected and abandoned properties do more than just harm the physical appearance of urban cities. They contribute to the decline in emotional well-being among the residents that live near them.

Immigration Related Stress As A Social Determinants Of Health Among Immigrants In Santa Cruz County, Jose Manuel Martinez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Immigration related stress is a major public health issue for undocumented immigrants and mixed status families. That is linked towards the social determinants of health associated with mental health, stress, and disparities. This capstone project was implemented at Santa Cruz County Immigration Project, a program within the Community Action Board in Watsonville, California, that provides legal assistance and support towards the community. The purpose of this project was to evaluate & analyze collected data from clients feedback through bilingual surveys & intake forms that were distributed in person, email, text, and QR code. A total of 50 surveys were collected, …

Streamlining Client Information For Post-Conviction Relief In Monterey County, Selena Lopez Arizmendi

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project addresses barriers to record clearing services that impact recidivism and reentry outcomes in California. Individuals with criminal records often face challenges in securing employment, housing, and stability, increasing the likelihood of continued justice system involvement. The Clean Slate Program at the Monterey County Public Defender’s Office provides post-conviction relief services to help reduce these barriers. Although Proposition 47 funding ended in February 2026, program services have continued. This project identified a need for a standardized, client-friendly informational resource, as key information has historically been communicated verbally, limiting understanding and retention. To address this gap, a concise Clean …

Gun Violence Prevention In The Christian Church: A Deductive Content Analysis Of Faith-Based Firearm Education Resources, Sarah Winn

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzed whether Christian faith-based curricula and toolkits regarding firearm safety and violence prevention align with established best practices in public health, social work, and education research. Previous research has explored the prevalence and impact of gun violence, best practices regarding gun violence and safety interventions, the effectiveness of churches as public health initiative partners, and the relationship between Christianity and views on firearms. In this study, qualitative deductive content analysis indicated that faith-based gun violence prevention toolkits are strongly oriented toward advocacy, community mobilization, and public health framing. At the same time, gaps remain in their integration of …

From Classroom To Courtroom: How Educational Strains Shape Juvenile Delinquency, Hailey Elizabeth Houston

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Juvenile delinquency is a significant social issue with consequences that extend into adulthood and impact future success of youth. Although prior research has explored various factors that affect juvenile delinquency, notable gaps remain – notably a lack of literature on how educational strain effects juvenile delinquency with a focus on rural areas. This study addresses these gaps by examining the effects of educational strain, such as poor academic performance and lack of teacher support, on rural adolescents’ engagement in juvenile delinquency. Data for this study was obtained from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an online …

Understanding And Managing Stress In The Public Sector: A Focus On Municipal Government, Emmanuel N. Asante

Master of Public Administration for Senior Leadership

This Capstone examines workplace stress among municipal government employees, using the City of Worcester, Massachusetts, as a practical case study. Municipal employees play a critical role in delivering essential public services, yet they often work under challenging conditions, including heavy workloads, limited resources, strict rules, and high public expectations. Over time, these pressures can negatively affect employee well-being, job performance, and the quality of services provided to residents.

The purpose of this project is to understand better the causes and effects of workplace stress in local government and to identify practical ways municipalities can address it. The study uses an …

The Investigation Of The Digital Divide: Government Literacy With African American Seniors, Jenettie Pirtle

Theses

My thesis, The Great Divide: An Investigation of Digital Literacy with African American Seniors, explores how race, age, and income shape access to technology and digital learning. Many African American seniors continue to face barriers to digital literacy due to limited resources, lack of exposure, and social inequalities. Using a qualitative approach, I conducted a focus group to hear directly from seniors about their experiences with technology, what challenges they face, how they feel about using it, and what support they need. Guided by Critical Race Theory and the concept of digital inequality, my analysis highlights the gap between access …

Against Their Own Interests? Latinos And The Rightward Shift, Marianna S. Visbal

Honors College Theses

This study examines whether Latino voters in the United States are acting against their self-interests when supporting right-wing Republican candidates, particularly in recent elections characterized by increased Latino support for figures like Donald Trump despite harmful rhetoric. While existing literature and public discourse often assume that Latino voters share a clear set of interests aligned with progressive politics, this research questions that assumption. Motivated by underrepresentation in political research and personal observations within Latino communities, I explore how political self-interest is defined and understood. Using qualitative expert interviews with Latino elected officials, journalists, and political professionals based in New York …