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The Globalization Of Evidence-Based Policing, Natalie Todak, Kyle Mclean, Justin Nix, Cory P. Haberman

Faculty Books and Monographs

Chapter 10: The LEADS Academics Program: Building Sustainable Police-Research Partnerships in the Pursuit of Evidence-Based Policing

Evidence-based policing is based on the straightforward, but powerful, idea that crime prevention and crime control policy should be based on what works best in promoting public safety, as determined by the best available scientific evidence. Bringing together leading academics and practitioners, this book explores a wide range of case studies from around the world that best exemplify the integration of scientific evidence in contemporary policing processes.

Chapters explore the transfer of scientific knowledge to the practice community, the role of officers in conducting …

On Assessing The Scope Of Missing Native Americans In Nebraska: Results From A State-Wide Study And Recommendations For Future Research: On Assessing The Scope Of Missing Native American Persons: Results From A State-Wide Study And Recommendations For Future Research, Tara N. Richards, Emily M. Wright, Alyssa Nystrom, Sheena Gilbert, Caralin Branscum

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Recent legislation in multiple states has called for studies on the scope of missing Native American persons. Here we report on one such study from Nebraska by first describing the practical and methodological issues for researchers to consider when examining data on missing Native persons. Then, using data from four point-in-time-counts in 2020, rates of Native American missing persons as well as case contexts over the study period are reported. Findings show that Native Americans are disproportionately represented among Nebraska's missing persons, that reports often involve minor boys, and that cases are dynamic and most are resolved quickly. Relatedly, most …

The Fast & The Furious…Torturous?: Examining The Impact Of Torture Scenes In Popular Films On Public Perceptions Of Torture Policy, Erin M. Kearns, Casey Delehanty

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Entertainment media regularly depict torture as effective. Indeed, most popular films contain torture—often outside of counterterrorism-specific plotlines. In the counterterrorism-specific context, watching a scene where torture works increases support for the practice. Yet counterterrorism-specific media is a niche genre, and we do not know if this holds for torture scenes more generally. We address this gap with a 4 (movie rating) x 3 (scene type) experiment with U.S. adults. While participants recognized that torture scenes are in fact torture, viewing these scenes did not impact support for the practice. Findings suggest that media’s influence on views about torture is more …

External Funding Bulletin, July - December 2021, Uno Office Of Research And Creative Activity

Sponsored Programs Bulletins

No abstract provided.

Blindspotting And Covid: The Gentrification Of Racism, Ashley Starr-Morris

Journal of Religion & Film

The novel Coronavirus is not only exposing old patterns of racism and systemic inequalities, but deepening them as well. The notion of blindspotting, as described in the film by the same name, is used to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic impacts the “spiritual emergency” or crisis of racism in America. "Blindspotting" is an image or situation that can be interpreted in two ways but is understood by some in only one way, thereby producing a blind spot. In 2020 and 2021, we see segments of American society, from politics to white Christian nationalism, upholding a sacred canopy of exceptionalism by …

The Nciter Newsletter: October 2021, National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, And Education Center

Newsletters

NCITE (National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education) is the Department of Homeland Security's center of excellence for terrorism prevention and counterterrorism research. They are a federally funded academic consortium based in Omaha, Nebraska. Their newsletters covers the current news, activities, and updates of the center and the latest in counterterrorism research. NCITEr newsletter covers specifically center updates.

The Influence Of Youth And Parent Reports Of Parental Knowledge And Monitoring And Reporting Discrepancy On High-Risk Youth Offending, Leana A. Bouffard, Gaylene S. Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Positive parenting practices are known to be related to lower levels of youth offending. Questions remain as to the overlap between youth and parent perceptions of parenting practices, and the relationship of perception discrepancies with youth offending. This study examines the concordance of parenting behaviors reports, the relationship between parent and youth perceptions of parenting measures with youth offending, and whether discordant youth and parent reports are related to heterogeneity in youth offending. Methods: Survey data from 818 high risk U.S. youth averaging 16 years old who participated in the Pathways to Desistance study and his or her parent form …

Measuring Sex Trafficking: A National-Level Victimization Survey Of An At-Risk Sample, Teresa C. Kulig

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The current study administered a self-report survey with behaviorally specific questions to a stratified sample of non-college educated women, aged 18 to 29, in the general population (N = 996). Notably, the women were classified as being trafficked as adults only (3.8%), minors only (9.6%), or as both adults and minors (9.3%) using the federal legal definition. More than 1 in 5 (22.7%) women in the sample met the criteria for sex trafficking victimization at some point in their lives. However, only 39.6% of the respondents who experienced trafficking as an adult reported these events to police—further contributing to the …

Fall 2021 Census Campus Enrollment Indicators, Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Enrollment Reports

No abstract provided.

Fall 2021 Campus Enrollment Indicators Report Dw Summary Table, Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Enrollment Reports

No abstract provided.

More Guns, Pandemic Stress And A Police Legitimacy Crisis Created Perfect Conditions For Homicide Spike In 2020, Justin Nix

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

What role did the pandemic play in the hike in murders in 2020

Variations In Victim Presence In Restorative Youth Conferencing Programs: The Use Of Surrogate Victims Increases Reparation Completion, Anne Hobbs, Ana Cienfuegos-Silvera, Lindsey E. Wylie

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Victim-offender conferencing programs have expanded the type of victims involved in restorative rituals. However, little research has examined how variations in victim presence might impact these interventions. The aim of this study was to examine whether conferences involving actual victims resulted in higher reparation completion and how surrogate characteristics might impact reparation outcomes. Using regression modeling, we estimated how the variables of interest predicted reparation completion. Conferences with surrogates had a higher probability of completion than those with actual victims. Using surrogates may be a promising strategy to expand restorative justice practices when actual victim participation is not possible.

University Of Nebraska At Omaha Commencement: August 2021, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Drug Overdose Prevention 2021: Lived Experiences Study, Daniel Kreuzberg, Liam Heerten-Rodriguez, Jeanette Harder

Reports

STEPs wishes to acknowledge and thank the following:

•The interview participants who were so generous in sharing their time, experiences, and perspectives,

•The many substance abuse treatment providers, treatment centers, the Grace Abbott School of Social Work, and the many other individuals who shared recruitment messaging, and

•NE DHHS DOP for their continued partnership and dedication to this vital work.

Changes In Jail Admissions Before And After Traumatic Brain Injury, Joseph A. Schwartz, Emily M. Wright, Ryan E. Spohn, Michael Campagna, Benjamin Steiner, Ebonie Epinger

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Objectives

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is differentially concentrated within incarcerated populations. Despite the consistency of this observation, the timing of within-individual changes in criminal justice contact in relation to TBI remains under-investigated. For example, previous studies have primarily considered TBI as a causal influence of later criminal justice contact. However, TBI may also serve as a consequence of criminal justice contact or a criminogenic lifestyle. The current study simultaneously observes both possibilities by examining criminal justice contact before, around the time of, and after the first reported TBI.

Methods

Drawing from a combination of self-report and lifetime official record data …

Technical Assistance Provision For Corrections: Improving The Use Of Actuarial Assessment In Case Management And Reentry, Michael Campagna, Debra O'Connell, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Reports

The current project assisted the Nebraska Department of Correctional Service (NDCS) to develop the use of the Static Risk and Offender Needs Guide-Revised (STRONG-R) in case management and reentry services.

Perceptions Of Youth Of Juvenile Diversion, Lindsey Wylie, Erin Wasserburger, Anne M. Hobbs, Juvenile Justice Institute, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Reports

Evidence-Based Practices Brief #6

The juvenile justice system was established under the belief that children who misbehave should be rehabilitated, but not subject to adult punishment. During the 1980s and 1990s, attitudes toward juveniles became more punitive and practices moved toward formally processing youth into the system;1 however, research demonstrates that youth who are formally processed may have worse outcomes than youth who are not formally processed.2 Juvenile diversion is one approach offered to reduce potential unintended consequences of juvenile court.3 The concept of diversion is based on Labeling Theory, which asserts that processing low-level youth through the system may …

The Measurement Of Organizational Justice Matters: A Research Note, Scott Wolfe, Justin Nix, Justin Pickett

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Objectives: This experiment addressed whether, when administering a survey to police managers, it is best to measure organizational justice using attitudinal questions tapping into perceived importance or behavioral self-reports. Methods: We administered a survey to a national probability sample of police executives using a split-ballot experimental design, where respondents randomly received items measuring either (a) the perceived importance of organizational justice or (b) the self-reported usage of organizational justice. Results: Perceived importance of organizational justice was not significantly associated with the perceived quality of relationships with subordinates. However, actual usage of organizational justice was, increasing the perceived quality of relationships …

Drug Testing Policies And Practices: Predicting Successful Outcomes Among Juveniles Participating In Pretrial Diversion Programs, Chelsea W. Harris, Lindsey E. Wylie

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Drug testing is a frequent condition of juvenile justice programs, although research on the effects of drug testing juveniles – especially early system-involved youth – is scarce. The risk-needsresponsivity (RNR) model suggests drug testing would only be a beneficial intervention if substance use contributes to a youth’s criminal behavior and has a rehabilitative component. We examined drug testing policies and practices in one Midwestern state utilizing interviews with 27 diversion program managers and a statewide sample of 665 youth referred to pretrial diversion. Analysis tested whether drug testing juveniles with and without a substance use need predicted successful completion of …

Examining Police Officers’ Perceptions Of Stress: The Role Of Person−Environment Fit, Rachael Rief, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between officer perceptions of fit in their organization and stress (organizational and operational), overall job satisfaction and turnover contemplation (within the last 6 months).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used cross-sectional survey data from a sample of 832 officers from two Midwest police departments to examine the relationships between fit, stress and work-related attitudes.

Findings

Perceived stress and organizational fit were strong predictors of overall job satisfaction and turnover contemplation; organizational fit accounted for the most variation in stress, satisfaction and turnover contemplation. Organizational stress partially mediated the relationship between organizational …

Summer 2021 Census Enrollment Indicators Campus Report, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Enrollment Reports

Enrollment Comparison: Summer Semester 2021 and 2020.

External Funding Bulletin, January - June 2021, Uno Office Of Research And Creative Activity

Sponsored Programs Bulletins

No abstract provided.

The N-Sat: The Nebraska Screening And Assessment Tool, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Reports

The N-SAT is intended to standardize assessment of youth referred to diversion in Nebraska. It determines risk level of further involvement (1-year) in the justice system (i.e., delinquency/ criminality). It was not purchased “off the shelf”, rather was developed by the Nebraska Crime Commission (NCC). It is free for Nebraska agencies to use, provides domain scores for referral and treatment purposes, and is more accurate than other tools used in Nebraska.

Project 10: Training And Education Research And Implementation Strategies For Homeland Security Intelligence Community, Michelle Black, Lana Obradovic, Elizabeth Bender, Claire Benedix, Josie Nelson, Grant Van Robays, Christiane Youngberg

Reports, Projects, and Research

Intelligence is vital to national security. Since 2001, there has been a significant movement to protecting U.S. borders and citizens from experiencing the devastating effects of terrorism, among other national security threats. Since its inception in 2002, the Department of Homeland Security has founded the creation of a national security framework based on intelligence. However, there remains significant gaps in the standardization of intelligence training and education. This may be due in part due to the differing missions of DHS components under the overarching umbrella of national security. From experience, it is known that homeland security not only encompasses counterterrorism, …

Drug Overdose Prevention Linkages Of Care 2021: Exploring Ways Individuals Are Mandated To Substance Abuse Treatment In Nebraska, Samantha Kaase, Jessica Groeneweg Licsw, Jeanette Harder Phd

Reports

The purpose of this project was to gain a deeper understanding on how individuals become mandated to participate substance abuse treatment, who mandates the treatment, and what type of treatment individuals are mandated to attend in the state of Nebraska. This was done by reviewing professional literature on how individuals access substance abuse treatment and criminal justice systems. This was also done by identifying secondary data sources related to substance abuse treatment and conducting informal interviews on mandated substance abuse treatment in Nebraska.

Health & Human Mobility, Barbara Gomez-Aguinaga

CPAR Presents: A Data and Research Series for Community Impact

Human mobility, in its different manifestations — international and domestic migration; refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced populations; and human trafficking — is at the center of many political and public debates. In two research presentations by UNO faculty, the demographics of highly mobile populations will be explored as well as the impacts of mobility on communities in Nebraska.

Human Trafficking And The T Visa Process, Teresa C. Kulig

CPAR Presents: A Data and Research Series for Community Impact

Human mobility, in its different manifestations — international and domestic migration; refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced populations; and human trafficking — is at the center of many political and public debates. In two research presentations by UNO faculty, the demographics of highly mobile populations will be explored as well as the impacts of mobility on communities in Nebraska.

Understanding Police Decisions To Arrest: The Impact Of Situational, Officer, And Neighborhood Characteristics On Police Discretion, Jessica Huff

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Purpose

Promote the use of multilevel modeling to refine theories of police discretion. Specifically, examine the simultaneous influence of situational factors, responding officers, and neighborhood context on arrests guided by a social-ecological framework.

Methods

Cross-classified models were used to assess the outcomes of 835,381 incidents responded to by 835 Phoenix Police officers in 388 census tracts.

Results

Situational, officer, and neighborhood factors all significantly influence arrests. Incident-level factors account for most of the variation, followed by officers, and neighborhoods. Incidents that resulted in arrest were more likely to involve victims, a greater number of responding officers, female officers, and college-educated …

Federal Policy Has Failed To Protect Indigenous Women, Sheena Gilbert, Emily M. Wright, Tara Richards

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Child Protection Policies And Practices In Mennonite Church Usa Congregations: A Follow-Up Study, Jeanette Harder, Elisabeth Wilder

Social Work Faculty Publications

While congregations have a spiritual mandate to be open and welcoming, they must be aware of the risks involved in ministry and be prepared to protect children from all types of abuse and neglect. In 2010 and again in 2018, Dove’s Nest, a nonprofit organization, conducted an online survey to determine the characteristics, practices, and experiences of Mennonite Church USA congregations with and without written child protection policies. The research questions for this study were: (1) What are the characteristics, practices, and experiences of congregations in regard to child protection, and how have they changed since 2010? (2) What is …