Digital Commons Network^™

An Exploration Of The Criminal Thinking Processes In Criminal Offenders, Mark V. Lemieux

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study sought to learn about Criminal Thinking patterns of thought in former criminal offenders. The discovery of this information is important to several fields in the formulation of treatment programs toward the elimination of criminal behavior. This research is based on the theory formulated by Yochelson and Samenow, and expanded on by Walters, that holds that Criminal Thinking patterns develop along a continuum and can lead to criminal behavior in some. Specifically, this study sought to learn whether criminal offenders were aware of their Criminal Thinking patterns and if that awareness impacted their criminal behavior. This qualitative phenomenological study …

Adolescent Substance Abuse Screening, Wesley W. Lynch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescent substance use is a key public health problem in rural Ohio. Primary care nurses lack substance use screening knowledge and skills. Early screening and detection of possible substance use issues aids in directing patients to appropriate health services. This project involved the implementation of an educational intervention on the CRAFFT screening tool for primary care nurses in rural Ohio. Guided by Kurt Lewin's 3-step model to emphasize prevalence of substance use and need for screening among adolescents, the purpose of this project was to provide training on the CRAFFT screening approach and share guidelines to implement routine substance abuse …

Classifying Unsolved Murders As Serial Crimes, Rajub Bhowmik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Serial murders have a destabilizing and traumatizing effect on society, making it beneficial for law enforcement to classify certain homicides as serial murders, which would help link cases together and solve all of them. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine which evaluative strategies homicide investigators use to classify unsolved homicides as the work of serial murderers or non-serial homicides. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a population of 10 police professionals. Data were analyzed using NVivo 12 software. Thirteen themes emerged: (a) similar and unusual modus operandi, (b) motive and relation, (c) time period, (d) physical evidences, …

Academic Incivility: Can The Dark Triad Personality Traits Predict Academic Entitlement?, Melissa M. Foley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Academic entitlement is a view held by students that can cause dissent and student incivility. Academic entitlement can be driven by various factors, including the personality traits of the Dark Triad (personality traits of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism). Other researchers have examined the relationship between these traits and academic entitlement, but further research on this subject is needed. Adams’ equity theory, which proposes that people experience distress when they identify as either under- or over rewarded individuals, provided the theoretical foundation for this study. Using a quantitative approach, 160 participants were recruited using online methods and asked to complete a …

The Predictive Ability Of Self-Efficacy On Recidivism Among Adult Male Offenders, Marianne Kelly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With crime rates high and increasing numbers of offenders receiving community-based corrections sentences, factors related to risk of recidivism should be a high priority for researchers. The impact of crime on offenders, victims, and communities is costly. Traditional punishment has done little to reduce crime, particularly among repeat offenders. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive ability of self-efficacy on recidivism, based on social cognitive theory. The research design was quantitative and nonexperimental, using regression analyses. The nonrandomized sample consisted of adult males incarcerated on felony charges at a large urban jail in the Midwest of the …

An Exploration Of Recidivism Based On Education And Race, Michael Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, with over 2,200,000 individuals in jails and prisons. From 1970 to 2000, the U.S. prison population increased by 500%. African American men are rearrested 72.7% of the time within 3 years of their release from prison. African Americans have a higher incarceration rate than any other racial group in the United States; nearly 1,000,000 African Americans are in jail or prison. Moreover, 60% of African American men who drop out of school are incarcerated by the age of 30 years old. Researchers have demonstrated that education can reduce …

Effects Of Laws, Policies, And Rehabilitation Programs On African American Male Juvenile Recidivism In Southwest Georgia, Kizzie Donaldson-Richard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The laws, policies, and rehabilitation programs of Georgia’s juvenile justice system need to be revisited, especially given the documented rates of recidivism of African American male juveniles in southwest Georgia. The primary purpose of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate youthful offenders and to ensure that recidivism, defined as 3 or more arrests within 3 years after release, does not occur. Data have suggested that corrective behavior sanctions, rehabilitation programs, and lenient sentencing have escalated African American male juvenile recidivism rates, particularly in Dougherty and Tift Counties, Georgia. The purpose of this qualitative methodological study was to explore the …

Treatment Providers’ Beliefs And Knowledge About Evidence-Based Practices, Kelly J. Bawden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Treatment providers working with adults in substance use treatment have been slow to implement evidence based practices (EBPs) into their treatment approaches. For treatment providers there are barriers to implement EBPs such as lack of resources, knowledge, and beliefs about EBPs as well as their beliefs about addiction. The consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR) is investigating tools to decrease provider’s barriers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether online training from addiction technology transfer center (ATTC) affected knowledge or beliefs about EBPs while controlling for beliefs about addiction. The dependent variables of knowledge and beliefs about …

Law Enforcement Stress, Gender, And Work Performance, Angelia L. Harger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police officers experience continuous periods of work-related stressors throughout their

careers, affecting job performance, sleep, and family life. However, there is limited qualitative research in the area of police officer gender and stress, in law enforcement. Therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study, guided by resilience theory, was to examine how gender and stress influence work performance, sleep, and family life in police officers. Six male and 4 female patrol officers were individually interviewed to gather information related to (a) their experiences regarding stress, (b) signs and symptoms of stress, (c) how gender affects stress, and (d) their coping …

Probation And Parole Officers’ Experiences Addressing Criminogenic Needs Of Adult Felony Offenders, Maria L. Stephenson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Probation and parole officers (PPOs) deviate from evidence-based practices implemented to reduce recidivism among adult felony offenders. PPOs fail to adhere to risk-need assessment results during case management, but prior research has not established the reasons for this deviation. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of PPOs implementing the risk needs responsivity (RNR) model by addressing the criminogenic needs of adult felony offenders. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Lipsky’s street-level bureaucracy theory, Becker’s labeling theory, and Andrews and Bonta’s RNR theory. This study involved in-depth, individual, semistructured interviews with 6 participants. The data were …

Treatment Providers’ Perceptions Of Effective Sexual Offender Treatment Modalities, Reta Alphin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The treatment of sex offenders is a controversial public policy issue, yet the research on what treatment providers perceive to be effective treatment modalities is limited. Using von Bertalanffy’s systems theory as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine and evaluate the treatment providers’ perceptions of effective treatment modalities. Data were collected from 101 treatment providers located within 6 states in the Midwest through a researcher developed survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis. A total of 55 treatment modalities were examined, which were condensed into 5 categories. Findings indicated that the psychoeducational modality …

Factors Associated With Steady Employment Among Felons, Rosalind Holley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that a felony conviction record negatively impacts an individual’s employment prospects. Although stable employment has been shown to reduce recidivism, the stigma associated with being labeled a felon is a significant barrier to employment for this population. This phenomenological study, guided by Roy’s adaptation model, labeling theory, and social identity theory, explored the lived experiences of individuals with a felony conviction in seeking and obtaining employment postconviction. Participants were recruited from the Adult Probation offices of the Community Supervision and Corrections Department of Brazoria County near Houston, Texas. Six adult males who were currently on adult community …

Intrinsic Motivations And Perceived Benefits Of U.S. Males For Taking Dimethyltryptamine, Timothy Raymond Kazmarek

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a psychedelic drug which has a rapidly increasing user rate, giving rise to concern amongst law enforcement and public health officials around the world. While previous researchers have primarily focused their examinations of motivations for DMT use internationally with diverse populations, this study was an investigation of DMT use in the United States among its most prevalent user demographic, adult men. The purpose of this study was to bridge the gap between knowledge of motivations for DMT use internationally and lack of knowledge domestically. The theoretical foundation for this study was comprised of the self-efficacy theory and …

Caseworkers' Perspectives On Female Juvenile Delinquent Rehabilitation Based On Age Groups, Cynthia Stephens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The incidence of female juvenile delinquency is increasing and, along with it, the need for effective age-appropriate rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to address the lack of research regarding age-appropriate rehabilitation programs for female juvenile delinquents. This basic qualitative approach was used to uncover the perspectives of experienced caseworkers on the best practices and success of age-differentiated rehabilitation programming for female juvenile delinquents. Data were collected to answer the following guiding research question: What are the perspectives of caseworkers on rehabilitation programming for female juvenile delinquents, taking into account the age differences among the incarcerated youth population? Bronfenbrenner’s …

How Crime-Based Media Affect Perceptions Of Crime, Race, And Fear Of Crime, Sharonda Cage Hatter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effects of crime-based media have long been an area of study among scholars. The problem addressed in this study is the media’s representation of how crimes are perpetrated and processed within the criminal justice system; it is difficult for society to separate and understand factual depictions from fictional portrayals. Researchers have demonstrated that media negatively influences society’s perceptions of police officers’ violent encounters with individuals, particularly African American men, but they have not established wide-ranging contributing factors. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore whether crime-based media influences society’s perceptions of others based on crime, race, …

First Generation African American College Student-Athletes And Their Lived Experiences, Ikenna Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

First-generation African American male student-athletes are faced with challenges when attending a four-year institution of higher education. Many of these individuals are leaving their family and hometown for the first time, which can cause them to feel lonely and as if they are an impostor. Using the imposter syndrome lens as the conceptual framework, this case study sought to understand the experiences of first-generation African American male student-athletes at a primarily Caucasian NCAA Division III campus. Three participants responded to recruitment flyer for the face to face interviews. Themes derived from the analysis of individual interviews with 3 participants and …

Dispositional Self-Control And Motherhood: An Investigation Into Recidivism, Corliss Crawford-Bayles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The goal of many female offenders when released from prison is reunification with their children. However, resumption of motherhood is a gendered challenge that may increase the risk of recidivism. The purpose of this research was to investigate whether resuming custody of minor children would increase the risk of recidivism or support and maintain desistence. This research is grounded in feminist theory, identity theory, and self-control theory with a quasi-experimental design. The key research question, whether motherhood increased the risk of recidivism, was investigated using a researcher-generated, 18-question research questionnaire. Additionally, the Dispositional Self-Control (DSC) scale consisted of 17 questions …

Community-Based Workers’ Treatment And Relationship With African American Men With Dual Diagnosis, André V. Haley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Helping professionals have a role as service providers when working with African American men with dual diagnosis and incarceration histories. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to understand how helping professionals provided community-based treatment and established a helper/helpee relationship with this population of African American men. Hirschi’s social control theory provided the framework for the study. Semistructured interviews were used to collect data from 9 helping professionals who worked with this population in the Northeast United States. Yin’s 5-step model for case studies was used for data analysis and thematic coding. Findings indicated that professionals lacked competency …

Prisoner Reentry And Recidivism: Access To Reentry Programs And Reducing Recidivism For African American, Male Ex-Offenders, Tracee Leigh Harvey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has primarily been centered around the reentry process and programs available to those incarcerated in prison; however, those incarcerated in jails and the reentry programs available has been underrepresented in the field of study. The Jails to Jobs initiative is intended to combat the reentry barriers faced by ex-offenders by offering reentry services while incarcerated as well as transitional services upon release to address the barriers to reentry. However, the problem exists due to the effectiveness of the reentry programs and their ability to provide adequate services that address the needs of African American, male ex-offenders, and, in turn, …

Understanding Causes For Jamaican Dropouts From The Career Advancement Program, Eron Garfield Mclean

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Jamaica, a significant number of at-risk older youths do not attend school, nor are they employed. The government created the Career Advancement Program (CAP) to provide skills and career options for them, but many students drop out of the program. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to gain a better understanding of the reasons why students were dropping out of CAP and what could be done to retain them longer. The study was designed to explore why students dropped out of the CAP before completion, to what extent experiences in CAP satisfied student needs, and how experienced …

Experiences, Reflections, And Applications Of Service-Learning Among Rookie Police Officers, Jacqueline Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public safety is put at risk when police officers do not positively engage with community members. Though police officers learn how to deescalate volatile situations in police training, some officers still rely on use of force (UOF) and are not fully incorporating positive engagement to deescalate volatile situations. Service-learning provides one way to learn positive modes of engagement. The problem addressed in this project study was that service learning has not been adopted as a widespread teaching practice in criminal justice professional development in a Southeastern local setting. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences, observations, conceptualizations, …

Offender Participation In Multiple Rehabilitation Programs To Reduce Recidivism, Jonathan Michael Yearwood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rehabilitation programs are critical for reducing recidivism rates and reintegrating offenders into the community. Despite the recognition that offenders face many challenges, few scholars have investigated the relationship between prisoners who receive more than 1 rehabilitation program and recidivism. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational cross-sectional study using archival data from a correctional facility in Barbados was to assess the relationship between age, education, employment, and multiple rehabilitation programs on recidivism. The conceptual framework of this study was grounded in the lifecycle theory, the social learning theory, the social cognitive theory, and the social disintegration theory. The primary research question …

Impact Of Kentucky’S Prescription Drug Monitoring Program On Opioid Overdose Fatality Rates, Robert Neal Douglas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the last 7 years, there has been an alarming increase in the number of opioid overdose fatalities in Jefferson County, Kentucky. The increase has occurred despite Kentucky’s passage of a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) as defined by House Bill 1 (HB1) in 2012. Following the passage of Kentucky’s PDMP, heroin and fentanyl surpassed other prescription drugs as the most identified drugs in overdose deaths in Kentucky. Little is known about how the implementation of a PDMP influences the overall opioid overdose fatality rate. The purpose of this quantitative research, using a quasi-experimental design, was to evaluate the relationship …

Exploring Young Opioid Users’ Motivation To Seek Treatment For Substance Use Disorder, Patricia Gianotti-Avella

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the past 15 years, the nonmedical use of opioids in the United States has reached epidemic proportions, resulting in a 21% increase in overdose fatalities. This surge in opioid use and dependence represents a shift in the demographic from inner-city populations over the age of 40 to young adults between the ages of 20 and 34 who dwell in primarily white suburban neighborhoods. Research has identified physicians’ liberal prescribing practices as one cause of this epidemic and has documented the ineffectiveness of current interventions with young addicts. The purpose of this narrative study was to gain insight into what …

Understanding The Connection Between Armed Conflict And Child Abuse By Men, Andre Isbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Violence in the homes of male survivors of armed conflict is an enduring problem that negatively impacts the physical, emotional, and behavioral development of children in the home. However, gaps in the literature exist about the parenting behaviors of male survivors of armed conflict in a low-income country setting. The purpose of this study was to understand how the lived traumatic experiences from armed conflict affect parenting behaviors and perceptions of child abuse. The research questions examined perceptions of abusive behaviors toward children by male survivors of armed conflict and how traumatic experiences affect their views on child abuse, parenting, …

A Multiple Case Study Of School Administrators On Use Of Disciplinary Measures, Michele L. Jones-Pace

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disproportionately high rates of out-of-school suspension and expulsion of African American children represent an ongoing issue in the U.S. public school system. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory was used as the theoretical framework for this multiple case study. The research question focused on the perceptions, perspectives, and experiences of a purposeful sample of 7 high school principals and what they believed were the reasons for persistently high rates of out-of-school suspension for African American students. The principals represented Title I and non-Title I schools located in urban, rural, and suburban regions of a southern state. Data from individual interviews and archival data …

Cross-Cultural Communication Strategies That Engage Employees And Increase Productivity., Alvin Sidney Moton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLow employee engagement can negatively impact productivity for small fast-food restaurants in the United States. Small fast-food restaurant managers who do not engage employees experience decreased employee productivity. Grounded in Hofstede's cross-cultural dimensions theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies managers of small fast-food restaurants managers use to improve employee engagement. Participants were four small fast-food restaurants manager within the southern region of the United States who used cross-cultural strategies to successfully engage employees. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and internal company documents and were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: (a) …

Effect Of Society’S Political Ideology On The Long-Term Viability Of Drug Courts, Tiffany Kragnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Drug courts are programs for people who experience substance abuse disorders and have been accused of a crime and are perceived as being likely to reoffend. The purpose is to provide a therapeutic approach with reducing the risk of future offense by supporting treatment for the defendant. Drug courts are cost-effective for state and local governments and are often funded through a combination of state appropriations and federal grants. Little is known how political ideology may influence the state and local budget process that support drug courts. Using Shafritz’s power and politics theory as the foundation, the purpose of this …

Sanctuary: Understanding Immigrant Victimization Reporting, Jonathan Joseph Niksarian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the criminal justice system, the victim possesses the power to determine if crime goes unreported. The problem addressed by this study is if sanctuary type policies have an effect on victimization reporting by immigrants. The theoretical framework was based on Appleton-Dyer and Field’s interpretation of social exclusion theory. The key research question was focused on the perception of legal aid providers’ perception of immigrants’ victimization reporting determination. This qualitative phenomenological study included interviews with 4 legal aid providers who worked for an organization designed to serve victimized immigrants seeking relief. The data were coded and analyzed manually. Findings revealed …

Correctional Officers' Perspectives On Cellphone Contraband Introduction By Fellow Officers, Kamaria Taylor-Mccune

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Occupational deviance in the form of cellphone contraband introduction poses a serious threat to the safe and secure operations of correctional facilities across the United States. More importantly, security staff members who participate in this form of unethical and illegal behavior undermine and impair both staff-inmate relationships as well as collegial relationships among officers. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of correctional officers who have experienced contraband introduction by fellow correctional officers and to understand the overall impact within the correctional environment. Based on ethical climate theory, this qualitative phenomenological study sought to describe the contributions …