Digital Commons Network^™

Voters Reframe The Abortion Policy Debate: A Theoretical Analysis Of Abortion Attitudes In South Dakota, Pamela Carriveau, Linda Colmenero-Chilberg

Great Plains Sociologist

Since the Supreme Court’s announced its decision in Roe v. Wade (1973), individuals and groups opposed to legalized abortion in the United States have battled to reverse the ruling. Using established political processes, incremental steps such as parental consent requirements and/or twenty-four hour waiting periods have been strategically advanced as they charted the path to their real goal – an all-out abortion ban. Contemporary South Dakota Pro-Life activists abandoned this incremental approach in 2006, in the belief that the time was ripe for a voter-supported broadbased abortion ban that could be used to challenge the Supreme Court decision. They failed, …

A Test Of Social Disorganization On Juvenile Property And Violent Crime Rates By Zip Codes Within Two Nonmetropolitan Counties, Mario T. Hesse, Susan M. Hilal

Great Plains Sociologist

This study tests the effects of social disorganization on juvenile crimes rates by zip code within two nonmetropolitan counties. It does so by examining the relationships between the selected social disorganization indicators of nontraditional family, residential mobility, and socioeconomic status (poverty) and violent and property crime among juveniles through the use of ANOVA testing. Secondary data obtained from the South Dakota Department of Corrections on adjudicated juveniles and their associated crime and residential location, as well as data from the United States Census Bureau is used and analyzed to test three main hypotheses. Findings indicate that areas characterized by poverty …

Sioux Falls' Indian Population: Demographic Profile, Strengths And Challenges, Susan L. Schrader

Great Plains Sociologist

Representatives of the urban Indian community in Sioux Falls, South Dakota conducted a door-to-door survey of urban Indian households in the winter of1997. Data from 526 urban Indian households is presented, paying particular attention to service utilization, helping behaviors within the urban Indian community, and potential challenges to the city as it experiences rapid influxes of Indians to the urban environment. Implication from the study are investigated, and recommendations for future research are made.

Police Professionalism: An Occupational Misnomer?, Jeff Bumgarner

Great Plains Sociologist

In recent years, much has been written about police professionalism by scholars and practitioners alike. Prevailing in these writings are discussions about various factors thought to be associated with professional policing, such as training and formal education, the organizational structure of the police agencies, and community policing initiatives. However, what is often being described as indicators of professional law enforcement are simply good police practices which, however worthwhile they may be, are not synonymous with professionalism. This article seeks to examine the occupation of policing against the backdrop of professionalism as defined in the literature.

Briefly Noted

Great Plains Sociologist

The Globalization of Crime: Understanding Transitional Relationships in Context

Interrogating Social Justice: Politics, Culture and Identity

Criminal Injustice: Racism in the Criminal Justice System

Test of Faith: Hope, Courage and the Prison Experience

The Case for Penal Abolition

Diversity and Justice in Canada

Bad Kids: Race and the Transformation of the Juvenile Court

Gods of the City: Religion and the American Urban Landscape

Conversion, Identity, and Power: The Impact of Christianity on Power Relationships and Social Exchanges

Religion and American Politics: The 2000 Election in Context

Filled With Spirit and Power: Protestant Clergy in Politics

Paranormal Beliefs: A Sociological Introduction …

Book Reviews

Great Plains Sociologist

Reviewer: Cynthia L. Phillips
Gender Justice in the American West: Women Prisoners in Men's Penitentiaries
Ann M. Butler

Reviewer: Mary Warner
New Pioneers in the Heartland: Hmong Life in Wisconsin
JoAnn Koltyk

Reviewer: Elizabeth A. Gill
Transgressing Borders: Critical Perspectives on Gender
Suzan Ilcan and Lynne Phillips, eds.

Reviewer: Melissa A. Jones
The Secret Life of Families: Truth-Telling, Privacy and Reconciliation in a Tell-All Society
Evan Imber-Black

Reviewer: Keith Crew
Murder Most Rare: The Female Serial Killer
Michael D. Kelleher and C.L. Kelleher

Reviewer: Jack Niemonen
New Tribalism: The Resurgence of Race and Ethnicity
Michael W. Hughey, ed.

Reviewer: Evandro …

Book Reviews

Great Plains Sociologist

Diane Kayongo-Male, reviewer
Rural Health and Aging Research: Theory, Methods, and Practical Applications
Wilbert M. Gesler, Donna J. Rabiner, and Gordon H. DeFriese, editors

Geoffrey Grant, reviewer
Cutting Into the Meatpacking Line: Workers and Change in the Rural Midwest
Deborah Fink

Jerome R. Rosonke, reviewer
Born Hutterite (video tape)
Black Hat Production

Laura Colmenero, reviewer
Capturing Women: The Manipulation of Cultural Imagery in Canada's Prairie West
Sarah Carter

Ellen Baird, reviewer
American Indian Ethnic Renewal: Red Power and the Resurgence of Identity and Culture
Joane Nagel

Mary Warner, reviewer
Durable Inequality
Charles Tilly

Jack Niemonen, reviewer
Culture of Intolerance: Chauvinism, …

Citizens Academy: Police Culture, Community Policing, Or Public Relations?, Scott Magnisson-Martinson

Great Plains Sociologist

This article focuses on a comparison of police citizen academy stated goals and actual experience. The methods used are observational. Personal experience and communication are used to understand the socialization processes into police culture in the academy on classism, sexism, and racism.

Criminal Justice: In Search Of A Human Face, Madhava Bodapati, Harry Hoffman

Great Plains Sociologist

In this paper, we view the unfolding discourse of what is referred to as the Peacemaking and Peacekeeping approach. It is a discourse purporting to examine the fundamental assumptions, practices, and truth claims of both criminology and the criminal justice system. The paper begins by providing an overview of what we take to be a central concern currently confronting the CJS and the remedies proposed by peacemaking. We conclude by posing a series of questions which this approach must confront if it is to retain its integrity as a viable alternative to the contemporary approaches it seeks to critique.

Front Matter

Great Plains Sociologist

Front Matter
Editorial Policy Statement
Contents

A Radical Critique Of Juvenile Boot Camps: A Critical Analysis Of The Juvenile Boot Camp And The Rationale Behind This Form Of Corrections From A Socialist Humanist Perspective, Matt Vidal

Great Plains Sociologist

This paper is a critique of boot camps as a method of juvenile delinquency treatment Humanist theory is applied to suggest that boot camps fail to meet basic treatment philosophy of adaptation to normal communities and reintegration of youth into society as specified by the primary goal of juvenile courts, rehabilitation.

The Effectiveness Of Criminal Mediation: An Alternative To Court Proceedings In A Canadian City, Denis G. Stead

Great Plains Sociologist

This study examines a criminal diversion program. Of principle interest is the diversion program's effect on specific deterrence. This investigation utilizes a case study design. Individuals were selected from court dockets and mediation-diversion files. The cases were divided into three groups: diverted cases, cases that qualified but were processed by the court system, and cases handled by the court system. A follow-up looking for recidivism was performed. Additionally, personal data were gathered and the effects of age, education, occupation and ethnic group were controlled for in an analysis of covariance.

Legal And Extra-Legal Determinants Of Detention Sentences In A Juvenile Court: A Research Note, Randall R. Beger, Harry Hoffman

Great Plains Sociologist

A major limitation of research concerning juvenile detention commitments is the over-riding focus on pre-adjudicatory detention. This period of confinement applies only to youths held in secure custody pending court appearance. The purpose of this investigation was tp broaden the understanding of detention by focusing on post-adjudicatory detention commitment, which is a court sentence, and the factors influencing the decision. Data were derived from the records of a random sample of 394 youths processed by a juvenile court between 1990 and 1991. Preliminary results show that a combination of legal and extra-Iegal factors play a significant role in post-adjudicatory detention …

A Comparison Of Four Professional Groups' Support For A Strengthened Dui Law, George A. Youngs Jr., Thomas D. Mcdonald, Robert A. Wood, Richard W. Rathge

Great Plains Sociologist

This study examined support patterns among criminal justice professionals for an enhanced DUI law. We surveyed North Dakota's police, prosecutors, judges, and addiction counselors to measure their personal support and their perceptions of the support of others for the law. Respondents generally favored the strengthened law, but consistent with role theory, there were significant between group differences. There also were significant differences in personal versus perceived peer support and in perceived peer support versus the perceived support of other groups. Groups tended to agree in the differential levels of support they attributed to other groups. Implications for a coordinated system …

Book Reviews

Great Plains Sociologist

Keith Fernsler
Crime and Justice in Two Societies: Japan and the United States
Ted D. Westerman and James W. Burfeind

Kathleen A. Tiemann
Images of Issues: Typifying Contemporary Social Problems
Joel Best (ed.)

Jon Flanagin
The Age of Information
Stephen Saxby

Geoffrey Grant
Breaking Chains: Social Movements and Collective Action Comparative Urban and Community Research, Vol. 3
Michael Peter Smith (ed.)

Harlowe G. Hatle
Military Organizations, Complex Machines: Modernization in the U.S. Armed Services
Chris C. Demchak

Terry E. Huffman
Ethnic Identity: The Transformation of White America
Richard D. Alba

Thomas C. Lanham
Sacred Cows and Hot Potatoes: Agrarian Myths …

"Women And Crime" In Criminology Textbooks, Patricia Ann Wasely Lomire

Great Plains Sociologist

The purpose of this research note is to encourage both students and faculty to critically evaluate assumptions regarding the limited coverage of "women and crime" topics in contemporary criminology textbooks. The specific objectives are 1) to briefly review the research findings of Richard A. Wright's 1987 article entitled "Are Sisters in Crime Finally Being Booked? The Coverage of Women and Crime in Journals and Textbooks"; 20 to evaluate the coverage of female related topics in 631 articles form Criminology: An Interdisciplinary Journal -- The Official Publication of the American Society of Criminology, (1970-1989); 3) to critique a variety of explanations …

Research-To-Practice, Prevention Innovations Winter Newsletter, Prevention Innovations Research Center

PIRC Newsletter

No abstract provided.

A Quantitative Content Analysis Of Political Bias Impacting Mass Shooting Coverage: Comparing A Liberal News Outlet With Gun Archive Data For The Time Period 2014-2019, Kathleen Chapman

Student Theses and Dissertations

Mass shootings continue to plague the United States, even during a global pandemic. Superficial changes in an attempt to combat mass shootings have been made while avoiding systemic issues related to mass shootings. A potential systemic method to deal with mass shootings is to change how media covers such events. Articles from the archive of the Huffington Post were selected from the observation period of 2014 through 2019. Variables related to three categorical groups were coded to determine how these events differed across the observation period. The results indicate that multiple variables of interest related to event-based statistics impacted the …

The Association Between Perceptions Of Mental Illness And Law Enforcement’S Training And Treatment Of Individuals With Mental Illness, Melissa L. Bustamante

Student Theses and Dissertations

The current study obtained information on how police officers handle and improve their knowledge with individuals with mental illness and how certain factors, such as community, media, and perceptions of law enforcement, are potentially associated with how law enforcement handles individuals with mental illness. It is important to capture the law enforcement perspective because some research suggests that officers arrest individuals with mental illness at a higher rate than those who do not. Twelve officers from three local departments in the South were interviewed, with two having issues with the budget for CIT training. Some officers increased their understanding of …

Violent Victimization Among Immigrants: Using The National Violent Death Reporting System To Examine Foreign-Born Homicide Victimization In The United States, Kayla R. Freemon, Melissa A. Gutierrez, Jessica Huff, Hyunjung Cheon, David Choate, Taylor Cox, Charles M. Katz

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Limited research attention has focused on homicides involving foreign-born victims. Using data from the National Violent Death Reporting System, we examined 9428 homicides that occurred in 2017 in the United States across 32 states and D.C. Approximately 8% of homicide victims were foreign-born. Homicide victimization rates were substantially lower for foreign-born persons, compared to U.S.-born persons. However, foreign-born persons from Honduras, El Salvador, and Jamaica had a substantially higher risk of homicide victimization. Notably, few homicides involving foreign-born victims were gang- or drug-trade-related. With the growing number of immigrants in the United States, policy and prevention efforts should be guided …

Criminal Justice Update - February 2022, Autumn R. Chassie

Criminal Justice Updates

The Criminal Justice Update is a monthly newsletter created by the Adams County Bar Foundation Fellow providing updates in criminal justice policy coming from Pennsylvania's courts and legislature as well as the US Supreme Court.

Contents:

• Updates from PA Governor's Office: No new updates this month
• Updates from the PA Legislature
• Updates from the Courts
• U.S. Supreme Court: No new updates this month
• PA Supreme Court: Criminal Law & Procedure
• PA Superior Court: Criminal Law & Procedure

Race And Hedge Funds, Yan Lu, Narayan Y. Naik, Melvyn Teo

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We find that minority operated funds deliver higher alphas, Sharpe ratios, and information ratios than do non-minority operated funds. Moreover, minority fund managers attended more selective schools, worked at higher status investment banks, and are more likely to hold post-graduate degrees. Yet, minority managers raise less start-up capital and attract lower investor flows. Racial homophily fuels investors' appetite for non-minority funds. To address endogeneity, we leverage on an event study of minority manager fund transitions and an instrumental variable analysis that exploits racial imprinting during childhood. The results suggest that minorities face significant barriers to entry in the hedge fund …

A Feminist Challenge To Transgenderism. A Review Of Doublethink: A Feminist Challenge To Transgenderism By Janice G. Raymond, Esohe Aghatise

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Blurring The "Bright Line": Examining Age-Related Differences In Jail Incarceration Outcomes Using A Resources-Challenges Model Of Emerging Adulthood, Olive F. Lu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Jail incarceration represents an early and prevalent point of contact with the criminal legal system. While there is some evidence of age-related differences in jail incarceration outcomes such as rearrest and reconvictions, existing research typically only make comparisons between adults and adolescents. This bifurcation ignores the unique experiences of a third group: emerging adults aged 18 to 25. Evidence from developmental research combined with shifting social and cultural dynamics suggest that 18-25-year-olds, though adults by law, straddle the line between adolescence and adulthood while facing challenges that set them apart.

The current study incorporates a resources-challenges framework of emerging adulthood …

Fatal And Non-Fatal Police Shootings In The United States, 2015: An Examination Of Open-Source Data, Yuchen Hou

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Purpose and Significance: Police shootings do not always result in death. This fact raises a question of what distinguishes fatal and non-fatal police shootings (FNFPS). However, no existing database is available to address how often and under what circumstances civilians have died from or survived police shootings in the United States. To fill the gaps, this dissertation research uses open sources to create a crowdsourced national database on FNFPS in the United States in 2015. The creation of this database provides researchers insights into the suitability and sustainability of open-source research applied for studying police shootings and offers practitioners …

Labor’S Obstacles And Democracy’S Demise, Angela B. Cornell

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

At a time when democratic institutions have been weakened by populist and authoritarian-leaning regimes around the globe, it is imperative that we revisit the fundamentals of democracy-building institutions, including the importance of strong, independent trade unions. Social science research has confirmed the critical role trade unions have played forging and sustaining democracies. The international human rights framework has long considered labor rights and labor unions as fundamental for social justice, securing peace, and bolstering democracy. Strengthening the meaningful exercise of labor rights is one important way to bolster democratic institutions. Union density in the USA reached its lowest point in …

Defense, Disrespect, And #Deadly: A Qualitative Exploration Of Precursors To Youth Violence Informed Through Hospital-Based Violence Prevention Program Follow Up, Katherine B. Snyder, Ashley Ann Raposo-Hadley, Charity H. Evans, Ashley Farrens, Jenny Burt, Gaylene Armstrong, Julie D. Garman, Lindsey Wylie, Mark Foxall

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Success of youth violence intervention and prevention effects, particularly for gun violence, will be enhanced when efforts are appropriately informed by the antecedents and context of violence. Youth violence is guided by social and cultural norms that are shifting with the rise of technology. Bullying, gang violence, and self-directed violence is increasingly found to occur in the online space influencing peer groups across contexts. Through focus groups with youth at risk for violence and victimization, this study finds three themes emerge as common precursors to violence: defense of self or others, disrespect of self or family occurring in traditional community-based …

Full Issue - Human Trafficking Awareness

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

What are the latest data points about human trafficking and the efforts being made to reduce it in our community? This issue addresses what's happening in the anti-trafficking community.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING DEFINED: The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as amended (TVPA), defines “severe forms of trafficking in persons” as:

• sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age; or

• the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, …

Healing Racial Injustice With Mindfulness Research, Training, & Practice, Danielle "Danae" Laura

Mindfulness Studies Theses

This thesis offers a collection of authors and studies in support of improved research, training, and practice connecting mindfulness with racial justice through intergroup applications. The paper identifies barriers at work (e.g., colorblindness, spiritual bypass, white fragility, and implicit bias) in contemplative science, Western Buddhist communities, and secular mindfulness centers, which block the sizeable contributions possible in studying the intergroup application of mindfulness practice—specifically Lovingkindness Meditation, among others—when used as an intervention with anti-racist aims. Through secondary qualitative research, I reviewed six key works from Black authors on mindfulness and race, as well as six sample studies on the prosocial …

The Effect Of The Seattle Police-Free Chop Zone On Crime: A Microsynthetic Control Evaluation, Eric L. Piza, Nathan T. Connealy

Publications and Research

Research Summary:

Nightly confrontations occurred between protestors and officers outside of the Seattle Police Department’s (SPD’s) East precinct in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder. On June 8, 2020, the SPD abandoned the East precinct in an attempt to calm the situation. Following closure of the precinct, the Capitol Hill Occupation Protest (CHOP) took hold in the surrounding 6-block area. The CHOP occupation lasted until July 1, 2020. Over this time period, CHOP operated as an autonomous zone, with police officers not patrolling and generally not responding to calls for police service within the area. We used the microsynthetic control …