Digital Commons Network^™

Using Labeling Theory As A Guide To Examine The Patterns, Characteristics, And Sanctions Given To Cybercrimes, Brian K. Payne, Brittany Hawkins, Chunsheng Xin

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Over the past decade, reports of cybercrime have soared across the globe. Criminologists agree that the increase in cybercrime stems from technological advancements that have changed all facets of societal interactions. While it is agreed that technology has shaped cybercrime, there is less understanding about the dynamics of cybercrime. In particular, some researchers have explored whether these offenses are simply traditional types of crime that are now carried out through different strategies, while others have argued that cybercrimes are, in fact, new types of crime. This ambiguity potentially limits prevention and intervention strategies. In an effort to build our understanding …

The Latino South: Race And Racialization, Brittany M. Brown

Honors Theses

Taking into consideration the South’s historic black-white racial binary, this multi-media research project documents the place-specific experiences of 23 Latinos living in Oxford, Mississippi, using anthropologic methods. A digital archive accompanies the written thesis. Through interdisciplinary methods, this research examines and seeks to understand how the Latino community is conforming to or challenging the staunch view of race and identity in the U.S. South, where race is and has always been at the forefront of culture and society. Through knowing the history of race in the South and understanding the black-white racial binary, the presence of Latinos is creating space …

Variation In The Delivery Of Inpatient Orthopaedic Care To Medicaid Beneficiaries Within A Single Metropolitan Region, Christopher J. Dy, Andrew D. Tipping, Katelin B. Nickel, Winston Jiang, Regis J. O'Keefe, Margaret A. Olsen

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Gundy And The Civil-Criminal Divide, Jenny Roberts

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Spun Prestressed Concrete Pole Options As An Alternative To Wood Utility Distribution Poles, Paula Alvarez Alvarez Pino

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this research project is to analyze the current state-of-the-art, including use and design practices, of utility distribution poles and to evaluate the performance of spun prestressed concrete poles with different reinforcement schemes as a viable alternative to wood utility poles. There are an estimated 185 million utility distribution poles in place in the United States, and over 130 million are made out of wood. Most of the existing distribution poles are now approaching or have surpassed their useful lives since they were designed with a life expectancy of 50 years and were installed in the 1950s and …

The Civil Rights Struggle For Black Economic Opportunity In Birmingham, Logan Montgomery Barrett

All ETDs from UAB

This thesis examines the intersection between Birmingham, Alabama’s civil rights movement and labor history. It considers the city leadership’s exploitation of black labor and the radical resistance these oppressive conditions fostered. A long civil rights struggle in Birmingham emphasizes the movement’s pursuit of economic opportunity in securing a better quality of life for the city’s African American population. Showcasing three distinct eras of Birmingham’s black freedom struggle, this thesis argues that economic justice remained at the core of the prolonged movement. During the first half of the twentieth century, the city’s black working class embraced radical influences in combating workplace …

Person Re-Identification By Deep Structured Prediction: A Generative Approach, Xinpeng Liao

All ETDs from UAB

Visual appearance based person re-identification (re-ID) is the task of assigning the same identifier to all instances of a particular individual captured in images or videos, even after the occurrence of significant gaps over time or space. The state-of-the-art methods can be categorized into two main approaches: Given a set of gallery images with known IDs, the task is to infer either the ID label of a probe image individually (person re-ID via image retrieval) or the collective ID labeling of all probe images simultaneously (person re-ID via a highly-crafted re-ID structure). This dissertation is primarily focused on exploring the …

Influence Of Police Officer Fear And Use-Of-Force Outcomes, Michele D. Stafford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police officer and community relations tensions have heightened with increases in publicized deadly use-of-force incidents on social media platforms. Though some deadly force encounters have been justified because officers stated they feared for their lives, little is known about the impact fear has on police officers' actions. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the impact fear plays when officers implement use-of-force continuum practices during encounters with civilians. Schacter and Singers' two-factor theory of emotion was used as the conceptual framework for this study. The key research question examined the influence of police officer fear as a factor …

Interdisciplinary Projects-Based Community Entrepreneurship Courses, Anthony J. Luppino, Brandon Weiss

Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Catalpa, University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga

Catalpa

No abstract provided.

If It Walks Like A Duck: The Creature Of A Municipal Ordinance Violation In South Dakota, Justin J. Goetz

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Groups, Gangs, And Associates: Understanding Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, Andy Bain

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Screw You And The Bike You Rode In On: The City Of Sturgis' Unconstitutional Ordinance Prohibiting Insulting Females, Clay W. Crozier

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Generation Z'S Positive And Negative Attributes And The Impact On Empathy After A Community-Based Learning Experience, Amanda Nicole Moscrip

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Generation Z, also known as the iGeneration, iGenners, GenZ, and Generation Now, consists of those born in the mid-1990s through the late 2010s. Historical events important for this generation have influenced their perception of safety as well as how they interact with others. As compared to previous generations, technological advances (i.e., Smartphones, social media) changed how GenZ communicates, socializes, and receives information. Unique experiences and attributes influenced Generation Z’s empathy because living through these events and seeing their impact changes how they can understand and take the perspective of others. The relation between three factors was examined across University students …

Before Disaster Strikes: An Analysis Of Emergency Management Planning, Reagan Moody

Honors Theses

I have always been inspired by the outpouring number of volunteers that arrive to the scene of a natural disaster, ready to help in any way possible. With or without adequate training, these people arrive with warm hearts and helping hands. I admire their valiant efforts, however, it has prompted me to ask the question: If our citizens can respond so quickly in times of adversity, how are city governments preparing spontaneous volunteers for emergency management planning? The intent of this thesis is to properly evaluate the emergency management plans implemented in the cities of Baton Rouge, LA, Spokane, WA, …

Bias In, Bias Out, Sandra G. Mayson

Scholarly Works

Police, prosecutors, judges, and other criminal justice actors increasingly use algorithmic risk assessment to estimate the likelihood that a person will commit future crime. As many scholars have noted, these algorithms tend to have disparate racial impact. In response, critics advocate three strategies of resistance: (1) the exclusion of input factors that correlate closely with race, (2) adjustments to algorithmic design to equalize predictions across racial lines, and (3) rejection of algorithmic methods altogether.

This Article’s central claim is that these strategies are at best superficial and at worst counterproductive, because the source of racial inequality in risk assessment lies …

Why Is The Protective Order Project Still In Business; Or, If The Family Justice Clinic Has Been At It So Long, Why Hasn’T Anything Changed? Domestic Violence As A Continuing Societal Concern, Christine M. Scartz, Chelsea Reese

Scholarly Works

This Article explores the Georgia Law Family Violence and the continuing societal concern surrounding domestic violence.

Financial Impact Of The Opioid Crisis On Local Government: Quantifying Costs For Litigation And Policymaking, Elizabeth Weeks

Scholarly Works

The opioids epidemic has had a significant impact on individuals and communities, including local governments responsible for serving and protecting those affected individuals. This is the first study of its kind to consider whether those local government costs are quantifiable, a question that has salience both for pending opioid litigation in federal and state courts and for local planning and budgeting decisions. This article first provides a detailed description of the opioid litigation landscape, including the federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) in Ohio, the Native American tribes’ actions, and various procedural and other hurdles that local government plaintiffs face in seeking …

Restoring The Statutory Safety-Valve For Immigrant Crime Victims: Premium Processing For Interim U Visa Benefits, Jason A. Cade, Mary Honeychurch

Scholarly Works

This essay focuses on the U visa, a critical government program that has thus far failed to live up to its significant potential. Congress enacted the U visa to aid undocumented victims of serious crime and incentivize them to assist law enforcement without fear of deportation. The reality, however, is that noncitizens eligible for U status still languish in limbo for many years while remaining vulnerable to deportation and workplace exploitation. This is in large part due to the fact that the agency has never devoted sufficient resources to processing these cases. As a result, the potential benefits of the …

Associations Between Perceptions Of U.S. Immigration Enforcement Policies, Physical Health, Psychological Distress, And Health Care Utilization In A Hispanic Border Community, Isabel Katharina Maria Latz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Since the beginning of the current U.S. federal administration, immigration policies have become more restrictive and immigration enforcement has been strengthened. This cross-sectional survey study examines associations between perceptions of and experiences with current immigration enforcement policies and self-rated physical health, psychological distress, and health care utilization among Hispanic adults with different residency statuses in the U.S. Paso del Norte region. This study further investigates moderating effects of collective efficacy and engaged coping strategies on associations between policy perceptions and psychological distress.

The study sample included 211 Hispanic adult residents of the U.S. Paso del Norte Region (i.e., El Paso, …

The Practice Of Good Governance In The Two Cities Of Negros Oriental, Philippines, Meljun R. Banogon

Journal of Public Affairs and Development

This descriptive comparative research aimed to assess and compare how the cities of Bais and Dumaguete in Negros Oriental implemented the projects made possible through the Seal of Good Local Governance Award. The key methods used were in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with the local government officials and the project beneficiaries. The performance status showed the core dimensions of good local governance. It was found that the two cities used the Performance Challenge Fund to design projects for their respective coastal barangays. These became an opportunity for the two cities to improve and protect the lives of the people …

The Present Crisis In American Bail, Kellen R. Funk

Faculty Scholarship

More than fifty years after a predicted coming federal courts crisis in bail, district courts have begun granting major systemic injunctions against money bail systems. This Essay surveys the constitutional theories and circuit splits that are forming through these litigations. The major point of controversy is the level of federal court scrutiny triggered by allegedly unconstitutional bail regimes, an inquiry complicated by ambiguous Supreme Court precedents on (1) post-conviction fines, (2) preventive detention at the federal level, and (3) the adequacy of probable cause hearings. The Essay argues that the application of strict scrutiny makes the best sense of these …

The Trump Administration And The Rule Of Law, Peter L. Strauss

Faculty Scholarship

Written for a French audience in 2017, this article sought to frame the explosive issues about the Trump presidency in relation to the American trend to strong views of the unitary executive, that in the author's view ignore the striking contrast between to propositions in Article II Section 2 of the Constitution, its only words defining presidential power. Made "Commander in chief" of the military, he is next given the power only to require the opinion in writing from the heads of the executive bodies Congress was expected to create how they intended to carry out the duties Congress had …

Mental Illness And Its Relationship To The Unreliable Narrator In A Work Of Creative Fiction, Shereen Siewert

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Thesis examines the style of unreliable narration in which mental illness plays a significant role, through a work of creative fiction. The work has been conceived through an analysis of previously published works with similar themes: Atonement, by Ian McEwan; Emma,by Jane Austin; We Were Liars,by E. Lockhart; the 2010 Martin Scorcese film adaptation of Shutter Island; and A Beautiful Mind, a 2001 Ron Howard film. Drawing on theories of technique from Mario Vagas Llosa and John Gardner, this study sets out to demonstrate how unreliable narration is defined while highlighting the degree of intentionality the mentally ill narrator …

Exploring Paths For Water Services And Human Capabilities In U.S.-Mexico Border Colonias, Chilton Tippin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Thesis examines causes and consequences of water insecurity in colonias on the U.S.-Mexico border and explores potential pathways for improving situations wherein low-income households lack reliable access to water and sewer services. Colonias are low-income, rural and/or semi-rural communities that lack basic services, such as paved streets, water, and sewer. Through in-depth interviews, surveys, and ethnographic observations, the research presented here describes needs, desires, and capabilities of residents in two high-needs Texas colonias. First, findings elucidate the lived experiences of water insecurity in colonias households, leading to an argument that lacking water access constitutes a nexus, wherein water insecurity …

Fuzzy Inference System Framework To Prioritize The Deployment Of Resources In Low Visibility Traffic Conditions, Luz C. Ortega, Luis Daniel Otero, Carlos Otero

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications

Tasks related to traffic and safety operations under low visibility conditions remain a challenge for transportation agencies nationwide. Transportation managers are required to model weather and road variables to make operational decisions, while simultaneously prioritizing the deployment of available resources. This research presents a fuzzy inference system (FIS) framework to assist transportation managers with prioritizing the deployment of resources to areas of low visibility originated by fog. The framework is composed of three fuzzy systems that characterize fog occurrence, road risk conditions, and deployment of resources. Fuzzy logic is considered a decision-making technique that could be effectively applied when dealing …

Assessing The Predictive Utility Of The Positive Achievement Change Tool At A Texas Juvenile Justice Agency, Elizabeth Perez Hutchins

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the United States, millions of youth are processed in the juvenile justice system each year. Juvenile probation officers, case managers, and clinicians have the daunting task of making critical case-processing decisions for this vulnerable population including program placement, supervision, and treatment. Moreover, juvenile justice professionals must be mindful of numerous factors such as risk to public safety and the juvenile's risk to reoffend when making these decisions. In recent years, juvenile justice agencies have employed the Risk-Need-Responsivity model, the pre-eminent evidence-based model for offender assessment and management, to aide in the decision-making process. Although implementation of risk assessment tools …

A Comparative Study Of College Students’ Cultural Orientation, Aging Attitude, And Anxiety: Japan, China, And Usa., Hiroko Tomioka, Ginny Q. Zhan, Sharon M. Pearcey

Faculty Articles

The current study compared responses from young people on cultural orientation, aging attitudes, and aging anxiety in Japan, China, and the United States. A total of 1,136 college students (357 Japanese, 434 Chinese, and 345 American) filled out a questionnaire that included an IC Scale (Cultural Orientation Scale), Kogan’s Attitudes toward Old People Scale, and a modified Aging Anxiety Scale, in addition to demographic information. Cronbach’s alphas indicated satisfactory reliability on all three scales for the three groups. The results indicate that the Japanese were significantly more collectivistic than both the Chinese and American participants, but the three groups all …

Social Vulnerability Assessment Of Dog Intake Location Data As A Planning Tool For Community Health Program Development: A Case Study In Athens-Clarke County, Ga, 2014-2016, Lisa Milot, Jessie Lee Dyer

Scholarly Works

A retrospective spatial analysis of dog intake data from an open admission animal shelter in Georgia was conducted to explore patterns within dog demographics and outcomes by pickup location or by the home address of the person who transferred ownership rights of the dog to Athens-Clarke County Animal Control during the period 2014–2016. Spatial analysis found the relationship between these intake locations and the final disposition of the dogs to be non-random, suggesting social and environmental influences on distribution. Statistically significant clusters were identified using the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic. This study found statistically significant hot spots (i.e., areas with higher …

Death By Stereotype: Race, Ethnicity, And California’S Failure To Implement Furman’S Narrowing Requirement, Catherine M. Grosso, Jeffrey A. Fagan, Michael Laurence, David C. Baldus, George W. Woodworth, Richard Newell

Faculty Scholarship

This Article examines the possible racial and ethnic implications of California’s expansive death penalty statute in light of the Eighth Amendment’s requirement that each state statute narrow the subclass of offenders on whom a death sentence may be imposed. The narrowing requirement derives from the holding in Furman v. Georgia over forty-five years ago, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that existing death penalty statutes violated the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishments. Citing statistics demonstrating arbitrary and capricious application of capital punishment, a majority of the Justices concluded that a death sentencing scheme is unconstitutional if it …