Digital Commons Network^™

Locked Out: Thanks To State Policies, Minorities Are Being Left Behind By The Cannabis Industry, Nikitha Sattiraju, Evelina Nedlund

Capstones

Locked Out: Thanks to State Policies, Minorities Are Being Left Behind by the Cannabis Industry

Social justice provisions in states with legal cannabis usually include a percentage of business licenses for minorities and expungements for those formerly incarcerated for cannabis possession so they can participate in the industry. But that isn’t enough for minority communities to successfully start cannabis businesses. Expensive start-up and operation costs, competition from corporate cannabis, lack of banking services for the industry, and fear stemming from decades of over-policing for cannabis use continue to be major roadblocks.

Cannabis legislation across the country is failing to address …

Discipline Or Destiny: A School-To-Prison Pipeline Story, Trayonna Hendricks, Kourtney Webb

Capstones

The school-to-prison pipeline is a phenomenon by which students, mainly students of color, are pushed out of schools and into juvenile detention centers and through the criminal justice system. This documentary series explains and displays what "the school-to-prison pipeline looks like through a personal story.

https://readymag.com/u1985351703/1646028/

The Rockaway Project - Townes, Diara Jepris D. Townes

Capstones

The Rockaway Project is a story-driven website that provides information on the government response to Superstorm Sandy recovery on the Rockaway peninsula in Queens, New York. Dozens of climate resiliency projects have been delayed or remain unfinished, despite millions of dollars in funding and six years of promises. The website hosts audio, visual and digital content, gathered through interviews and data collection.

Link to capstone project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAq2BeR4bS0&t=1s

Opinions And Perceptions Of Residents In New York City Public Housing. Map Evaluation Update Number 4., Sheyla A. Delgado, Jeffrey A. Butts, Gina Moreno

Publications and Research

This is the fourth of six updates presenting interim findings from the evaluation of the NYC Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP). As part of an evaluation of the New York City Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP), researchers from John Jay College of Criminal Justice collaborated with survey specialists from NORC at the University of Chicago to collect data from two probability samples of residents in public housing developments in New York City. This first iteration of collecting survey responses will be compared to the next wave of response to get an understanding of the effectiveness of …

Examining Mental Health Stigma Among Police Officers And Intended Behavior Towards People With Mental Illness, Sara Soomro

Student Theses

This research examines where or not stigma about mental illness exists among police officers in the United States and whether it shapes their attitudes about seeking mental health. It has been estimated that police officers have a prevalence rate of 13%, while the general population has a prevalence of 4%. Given the increased exposure to trauma, police officers are still unlikely to seek professional help. Moreover, police officers are first responders to incidents involving individuals with a mental illness and are often tasked with playing the role of a mental health professional. This study further examines how stigma effects intended …

The Criminogenic Effect Of Marijuana Dispensaries In Denver, Colorado: A Microsynthetic Control Quasi-Experiment And Cost-Benefit Analysis, Nathan Connealy, Eric L. Piza, Dave Hatten

Publications and Research

The study analyzed the criminogenic effect of legalizing recreational marijuana dispensaries in Denver. Street segments with recreational dispensaries experienced no changes in violent, disorder and drug crime but did experience an 18% increase in property crime, and street segments adjacent to recreational dispensaries experienced some notable (but non-significant) drug and disorder crime increases. Medical dispensaries demonstrated no significant crime changes. A cost-benefit analysis found the associated crime costs were largely offset by sales revenue. Monetary benefits were much less pronounced, and barely cost effective, when only considering tax revenue.

Please Tweet Responsibly: The Social And Professional Ethics Of Public Defenders Using Client Information In Social Media Advocacy, Nicole Smith Futrell

Publications and Research

Every day the criminal legal system hauls poor and marginalized individuals through a process wrought with trauma, indignity, and abuse. Public defenders representing the criminally accused view their clients and the system from a unique vantage point: they bear witness to the human costs of a system that falls far short of its purported norms and ideals. For the public defender who works within this reality day in and day out, fighting for each individual client might feel limited in its wider impact. Some public defenders have found that using online and social media platforms, such as Twitter, to provide …

Effects Of Mercury On The Dopamine Transporter Cell Surface Expression In Pc12 Cells, Christina Hui

Student Theses

Environmental factors, such as heavy metal exposures, have been suggested to have an impact not only on neurodegenerative disease, such as Parkinson’s disease, but also on psychostimulants abuse and their toxicity. In this study, two questions were addressed: 1) effects of mercuric chloride on parkinsonian toxicant 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP⁺) induced cytotoxicity and 2) effects of mercuric chloride on cell surface dopamine transporter. Pheochromocytorma cells (PC12) were treated with various concentrations of mercuric chloride (0.02~2.0 ppm) for 4 hours with and without 0.1 mM MPP⁺. Significant potentiation of toxicity was observed when there was co-treatment with 0.5 ppm …

Evaluation Of A Novel Dna Collection Matrix Designed To Improve Recovery Of Touch Dna From Non-Porous Surfaces, Eric Ramirez

Student Theses

The collection of touch DNA from evidence has been a challenge in the field of Forensic Biology for decades. There are numerous collection protocols, substrates, and solutions that have been used to varying levels of success. Currently, no single method or substrate stands out as the single most effective collection protocol. The Gene Link Omni Matrix™ K105 solution is a novel collection method that can be sprayed onto the surface of non-porous evidence. The matrix dries into a film, capturing cells and cell-free DNA which can be scraped off and collected into a tube. During extraction, the matrix dissolves into …

Dna Mixture Statistics Using A Likelihood Ratio Software Tool: Effect Of Variations In Drop-Out Rates And Number Of Contributors, Felicia M. Lucero

Student Theses

Complex DNA mixtures can be very probative evidence, but comparisons to a person of interest can be affected by allelic drop-out and uncertainty regarding the number of individuals having contributed DNA to a sample. Scientific organizations such as the International Society of Forensic Genetics (Gill et al., 2006) recommend that likelihood ratios should be used to provide a statistical weight when a positive association is made between the DNA profile of a person of interest and an evidentiary DNA sample. To this effect the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) developed a software program, Forensic Statistical Tool …

Relationship Between Childhood Relationships And Antisocial And Lifestyle Characteristics Of Psychopathic Traits, Esther Kim

Student Theses

Psychopathy is a heterogeneous personality construct that has long been associated with antisocial behaviors and outcomes (Hare, 2003; Walsh & Kosson, 2006). However, some literature suggests that socially deviant behaviors and outcomes may not necessarily be a fundamental component of psychopathy (Cooke & Michie, 2001; DeMatteo, Heilbrun, & Marczyk, 2001; Lilienfeld & Widows, 2005). Research on externalizing behaviors and psychopathy has broadened from examining the quality of early relationships as a risk factor (Salekin & Lochman, 2008), to also examining early relationships as a potential protective factor against the development of psychopathic characteristics and antisocial outcomes (i.e. Backman, Laajasalo, Jokela, …

Development Of Multiplex Pcr Assay As A Basis For Predicting Pigment Related Features, Stephanie A. Rodriguez

Student Theses

Currently, short tandem repeats are used in forensic DNA typing to identify the DNA profiles recovered from evidence samples and deceased individuals. Recently, SNPs that are related to pigmentation have been researched for their use in the identification of phenotypic traits. The development of a SNP panel that could successful identify the eye and skin color of an individual, would be immensely useful in missing person cases or mass disaster victim identification. Eight SNPs were selected into a SNaPshot assay that could accurately predict eye and skin color, five for eye color and six for skin color. Development of the …

Private Security And Cctv Surveillance: A Systematic Review Of Function And Performance, Brandon C. Welsh, Eric L. Piza, Amanda L. Thomas, David P. Farrington

Publications and Research

Private security personnel play an important but largely overlooked role in the operation of CCTV surveillance to prevent crime in public and private areas. This role can take a number of forms, including active monitoring of cameras. Drawing upon a global database of CCTV evaluations (N=165), this article examines the function and performance of private security personnel as related to the effectiveness of CCTV. Findings indicate that CCTV schemes operated by private security personnel generated larger crime prevention effects than those operated by police or those using a mix of police and security personnel. Policy and research implications are discussed.

Hiv Prevention Via Mobile Messaging For Men Who Have Sex With Men (M-Cubed): Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Patrick Sean Sullivan, Ryan J. Zahn, Sarah Wiatrek, Cristian J. Chandler, Sabina Hirshfield, Rob Stephenson, Jose A. Bauermeister, Mary Ann Chiasson, Martin J. Downing, Deborah J. Gelaude, Aaron J. Siegler, Keith Horvath, Erin Rogers, Ana Alas, Evelyn J. Olansky, Heather Saul, Eli S. Rosenberg, Gordon Mansergh

Publications and Research

Background:

Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be the predominately impacted risk group in the United States HIV epidemic and are a priority group for risk reduction in national strategic goals for HIV prevention. Modeling studies have demonstrated that a comprehensive package of status-tailored HIV prevention and care interventions have the potential to substantially reduce new infections among MSM. However, uptake of basic prevention services, including HIV testing, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, condom distribution, condom-compatible lubricant distribution, and preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), is suboptimal. Further, stronger public health strategies are needed to promote engagement in HIV care …

Older Adults Responsible For Total Growth In Drug Arrests, Jeffrey A. Butts

Publications and Research

After years of decline, adults 25 and older were responsible for increasing drug crime arrests after 2015. In contrast, young adults, teenagers, and children experienced drug arrest drops. This databit looks at the drug violation arrest rates from 2000 to 2018 and trends between various age groups.

Youth Still Leading Violent Crime Drop: 1988-2018, Jeffrey A. Butts

Publications and Research

Violent crime arrest rates fell among all age groups but especially for youth under age 18. This databit looks at violent crime arrests and weapon offense arrests from 1988 to 2018 for various age groups.

An Amyloid Core Sequence In The Major Candida Albicans Adhesin Als1p Mediates Cell-Cell Adhesion, Vida Ho, Philippe Herman-Bausier, Christopher Shaw, Karen A. Conrad, Melissa C. Garcia-Sherman, Jeremy Draghi, Yves F. Dufrene, Peter N. Lipke, Jason M. Rauceo

Publications and Research

ABSTRACT The human fungal commensal Candida albicans can become a serious opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised hosts. The C. albicans cell adhesion protein Als1p is a highly expressed member of a large family of paralogous adhesins. Als1p can mediate binding to epithelial and endothelial cells, is upregulated in infections, and is important for biofilm formation. Als1p includes an amyloidforming sequence at amino acids 325 to 331, identical to the sequence in the paralogs Als5p and Als3p. Therefore, we mutated Val326 to test whether this sequence is important for activity. Wild-type Als1p (Als1pWT) and Als1p with the V326N mutation (Als1pV326N) were expressed …

The Ticker, October 7, 2019

The Ticker

The Ticker is the student newspaper of Baruch College. It has been published continuously since 1932, when the Baruch College campus was the School of Business and Civic Administration of the City College of New York.

Impact, Office For The Advancement Of Research, Cuny John Jay College

Reports and Publications from John Jay College

[John Jay College's research magazine]. Welcome to the 2019 issue of Impact! This has been another great year for our scholars, as they set new milestones for scholarly works produced and reached new heights in competitive grants secured. And while a number of things have gotten easier now that we’ve produced the second issue of this magazine, one thing that remains difficult is choosing from all the possible great stories at the College to select the few that we can cover in these pages. In this issue, we explore several important social justice issues; first among these, the legacy of …

Classified Information: The Newsletter Of The Lloyd Sealy Library, Lloyd Sealy Library, Cuny John Jay College Of Criminal Justice

Reports and Publications from John Jay College

Classified Information was a publication that informed the College about Library services, personnel, upcoming events, new technologies, and available resources.

Ztc / Oer ​Service Learning Project With Community Board 1 Manhattan​, Remi Alapo

Open Educational Resources

This class involves students in observation and critical analysis of political affairs. Topics and themes will include both American and global perspectives and both contemporary and historical cases. The class introduces a range of approaches to the study of politics, such as empirical research, quantitative analysis, theoretical questioning, and the examination of literary or artistic works. Central concepts will include politics, power, government, conflict, and justice. There is a service learning partnership with Community Board 1 Manhattan and participation in the Waterfront, Parks and Cultural Committee.

Final Presentation General Macro Topics Rubric, Alexandria O. Eisenbarth

Open Educational Resources

Final presentation detailed rubric, shareable with students. Presentation includes an engagement aspect and document includes worksheet prompts for engagement.

Students are asked to explore a general theme from the course in a flexible format.

Rubric is adaptable to multiple topics.

The Feedback Effect: Does Exposure To Interviewer Feedback Affect An Observer's Perception Of Veracity And Guilt?, Kayla A. Harrod

Student Theses

Historically, assessing deception has been rooted in the belief that a guilty suspect displays signs of anxiety. Based on a suspect’s physical demeanor and other behavioral cues presented during an interrogative session, law enforcement personnel (LEP) will utilize a set of techniques to elicit information about a crime. One such technique is the administration of feedback, which is the verbal assessment of a suspect’s guilt. The issue that stems from administering feedback lies not only in how it is given but also how it is received and interpreted by others. In a two-part study, the possibility of a “Feedback Effect” …

A Study Of E-Government And E-Governance: An Empirical Examination Of Municipal Websites, Maria J. D'Agostino, Richard Schwester, Tony Carrizale, James Melitsk

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

The Difference That Women Make: Government Performance And Women-Led Agencies, Maria J. D'Agostino

Publications and Research

Empirical research on the difference that gender makes is sparse. This study is the first step toward providing evidence that agencies led by women perform better than those led by men. Using the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) data, this study examines the research question: Are women improving federal government agency performance? Preliminary results indicate that they do. The broader goal of social justice frames the discussion of findings.

- 211 - Volunteer Management Practices During Challenging Economic Times, Maria J. D'Agostino

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Building Community Capacity To Engage Government: Reflections Of Nonprofit Leaders On Post-Katrina New Orleans, Maria J. D'Agostino, Kathryn Kloby

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

A Conceptual Content Analysis Of 75 Years Of Diversity Research In Public Administration, Maria J. D'Agostino

Publications and Research

Abstract Diversity is an important facet of public administration, thus it is important to take stock and examine how the discipline has evolved in response to questions of representative democracy, social equity, and diversity. This article assesses the state-of-the-field by addressing the following question: How has research on diversity in the field of public administration progressed over time? Specifically, we seek to examine how the focus of diversity has transformed over time and the way the field has responded to half a century of legislation and policies aimed at both promoting equality and embracing difference. We utilize a conceptual content …

Employment Duration And Attrition Of Federal And State Inspectors General In The United States, Frank Chen

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A recent report by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) on inspector general (IG) attrition found growing rates of IG vacancies within federal Offices of Inspectors General (OIGs) (Johnson, 2018). This study identified the growing rates of Acting IGs (AIGs) and their role as interim IGs negatively affect their offices, decreasing productivity, and increasing difficulty in meeting quality inspection and oversight standards. This dissertation identified and analyzed rates of IG employment duration and attrition in federal and state offices of inspectors general (OIG) between 2001 and 2017, starting with a comprehensive review on IG literature and their responsibilities. A …

Black Women At Work In Corrections In The Era Of Mass Incarceration: Documenting Demographic Changes In The New York City Department Of Correction, Carolyn Fisher

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Recent work has popularized the idea that mass incarceration arose in the wake of the civil rights movement to maintain the social and economic subordination of African Americans previously enforced under Jim Crow. This discussion has not accounted for the many black Americans working in corrections, particularly in large metropolitan jail systems. This paper documents the increase in black women working as correction officers and administrators in the New York City Department of Correction since the late 1970s and explores the implications of this growth on the strict racial argument about mass incarceration. Using administrative and archival sources, it argues …