Digital Commons Network^™

Mental Health Services For Detained Youth, Arlene Padilla, Vanessa Salcedo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

On any given day thousands of youth are detained in a juvenile detention facility in the United States as a result of involvement in the juvenile justice and criminal system. Youth’s access to resources such as mental health services are often impacted by this. Therefore, the researchers of this study have analyzed the youth’s utilization and access to behavioral health services within the juvenile halls of Riverside County. Using a quantitative method, the researchers found statistically significant differences between the utilization of services from the 2015-2016 fiscal year to that of 2019-2020. Additionally, the researchers provided implications and recommendations. The …

Ensuring Supportive Treatment For Crossover Youth In Child Welfare, Summer Ann Salinas, Sussana Mendoza

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to identify which supportive services and treatments are aiding minority crossover youth in child welfare. Literature has stated that minority crossover youth are overrepresented in the child welfare system in comparison to their white counterparts. Literature has also stated that crossover youth make subsequent contact with the adult prison systems due to child welfare involvement and other factors. Factors including prolonged group home placements and lack of rapport with mental health providers. Mental health providers lacking cultural competence and trauma-informed practice can negatively impede crossover youth from learning positive, adaptive coping mechanisms that can …

Mental Health, Substance Abuse And Recidivism: Perceptions Of Key Justice System Stakeholders In Southern California, Tabari Zahir

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Despite the 2011 landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court ordering the California authorities to address prison overcrowding, the Golden State still faces significant challenges dealing with the size of its correctional population. Recidivism plays a preponderant role in slowing down the momentum toward overcoming relatively high rates of incarceration across the state. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of key human services stakeholders about the intersection of three major challenges in the California criminal justice system: mental health, substance use, and recidivism. Embracing a continuum of care approach, this study ultimately attempted to explore …

The Loudest Voice In The Room Is Our Silence: Narrative Possibilities Of Silenced Adults, Rebeccah Avila

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Using muted group theory and communication privacy management theory as the theoretical framework, a deeper examination of adults who have experienced a childhood traumatic experience who now exhibit silencing behaviors as adults will be reviewed. Adults who were victims of childhood trauma were interviewed to listen for the themes in their narratives and how they make sense of why they participate in self-silencing behaviors. For this study, I am interested in examining two main ideas revolving around the phenomena of silence: (1) how do childhood traumatic experiences affect adults; and (2) how do adults make sense of how and why …

Human Trafficking And The T Visa Process: Insights From Legal Representatives Working With Victims From Latin Ameria, Elisha A. Novak, Teresa C. Kulig, Cristián Doña-Reveco

Latino/Latin American Studies Reports

Human trafficking occurs when traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to compel individuals to provide labor or services—broadly known as labor or sex trafficking. Traffickers often take advantage of individuals who are perceived as vulnerable, including those lacking immigration status. In response, the United States Congress created a T nonimmigrant status (also referred to as a T visa) in October 2000 to protect immigrant victims and to strengthen law enforcement’s ability to investigate these crimes. The current study sought to examine the trafficking experiences of foreign national victims from Latin America specifically by interviewing legal representatives who assist these individuals …

Law Enforcement Use Of Facial Recognition: Bias, Disparate Impacts To People Of Color, And The Need For Federal Legislation, Christopher Jones

North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology

No abstract provided.

Their Home Is Not Their Castle: Subsidized Housing's Intrusion Into Family Privacy And Decisional Autonomy, Michelle Y. Ewert

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Faculty Views Of Online Competency-Based Education, Self-Efficacy, And Institutional Support: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study, Christopher Russell Prokes

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Competency-based education (CBE) is essentially an online approach to teaching and learning featuring flexible pacing, robust competencies, and an emphasis on student completion. CBE’s differs from traditional education that focuses on seat time, credit hours, and academic objectives. Though CBE has existed on college campuses in many forms, faculty are often inexperienced in teaching CBE. Facing growing demands for CBE (notably from non-traditional students), institutions must find ways to prepare faculty to take part in CBE. This mixed methods study explored faculty views of CBE, their self-efficacy, and beliefs about support mechanisms needed for those teaching and delivering CBE. Findings …

The Relationship Between Organizational Culture And Police Officer Wellbeing: An Empirical Examination Of One Agency, Silas Patterson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the relationship between organizational culture and police officer well-being, using an empirical examination of one agency. Culture is important in law enforcement. Previous studies on police culture have typically sought to understand the effect of culture on officer behaviors. This thesis takes a different approach by examining the effects of culture on individual officer well-being. The results of this study indicates that culture is related to well-being, along certain dimensions. Cultural attitudes towards an organization’s administration and the citizens officers interact with are shown to be consistent predictors of well-being. The results of this study provide implications …

“They Were Simply Invisible”: Advocacy Groups’ Inequitable Impact On The Passage Of Fosta/Sesta & The Role Of Social Acceptability, Kathryn Weidner

Political Science

FOSTA/SESTA, a federal law passed in 2017, was intended to thwart sex trafficking on the internet by amending Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. In practice, it has radically changed the ways internet service providers (ISPs) moderate user content, oftentimes impacting the livelihoods of sex workers. Considering FOSTA/SESTA’s broad bipartisan support, this thesis examines the roles of different advocacy groups in FOSTA/SESTA’s creation. By examining witness testimonies before Congress, public statements, and letters for/against FOSTA/SESTA, the author finds that, the more socially accepted an advocacy group’s members are, the more influence that stakeholder group held over the …

Treatment And Perceptions Of Lgbtqia+ Persons, Emily Bolshazy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In school districts across the country, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQIA+) young adults are being bullied at alarming rates. These experiences have longterm implications for quality of life, employment opportunities, and justice system interactions. Yet, very little research is dedicated to understanding their experiences. This project includes qualitative triangulation analysis to compare common themes throughout three data sources. Research questions this project seeks to answer are 1) How do people who are anti-LGBTQIA+ policy perceive LGBTQIA+ young adults? and 2) What are the experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals? The overall goal of this research project is to be able …

From Ex-Offenders To Hopefuls: Exploring Changing Narratives And Personal Stories Of Desistance, Darby Buckley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research for this thesis seeks to understand how recently incarcerated individuals understand recidivism and how they desist from criminal activities and re-offending behaviors. It seeks to understand if desistance is occurring in a re-entry organization and if so, when. Participants from a Las Vegas, Nevada re-entry organization called HOPE for Prisoners (HFP) are the focus of this research. Overall, the purpose of this study is to see how a local re-entry non-profit organization helps assist with services and opportunities for individuals who were formerly incarcerated. Analyzing the research from this project will help provide information regarding how individuals who are …

Examining Predictors Of Student Perceptions Of University Responses To Sexual Misconduct, Megan Giovannini

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The prevalence of college students’ experiences with sexual violence has been well documented (e.g., Cantor et al., 2015; Fisher, Cullen & Turner, 2000; Krebs et al., 2007), along with the negative consequences associated with sexual victimization (e.g., Campbell, Dworkin & Cabral, 2009). Court cases, student disclosures, and media coverage have brought more attention to university responses to sexual misconduct and have attempted to hold universities accountable. The purpose of this study is to examine predictors of student perceptions of university responses to sexual misconduct, therefore adding to the existing literature. It is among one of the first to examine predictors …

Disrupting Gender Normativity Through A Social Learning Framework, Ashley Shank

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Through a social learning theoretical framework, this thesis seeks to understand the mechanisms by which gender normativity is perpetuated, as well as how it may result in the marginalization of transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) youth. Additionally, ways in which TGNC youth navigate oppression and how discrimination against TGNC youth may be reduced through disruption of gender normativity are explored. Using qualitative methods that include the analyzation of community meeting transcripts as well as townhall meetings with TGNC/queer community members, the present study will attempt to answer the following research questions through a social learning theoretical framework: 1. How can …

Marketing Campaign To Increase Community Awareness Of Human Trafficking Victims, Monique Zepeda

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The San Benito District Attorney's Victim Witness Assistance program serves all victims of crime, including victims, witnesses and victim's families, throughout the criminal justice process. The agency level problem is that too few people in the community know about human trafficking in San Benito County. The larger social problem is that rates of crime in rural communities are too high. This project implemented a marketing campaign to increase the community’s awareness about and provide information about available resources to support victims of human trafficking. The expected outcome is to design a quality, accessible anti-human trafficking poster and distribute it to …

The Effect Of Mentoring For Undergraduate Mentors: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Andrew Leavitt

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Multiple meta-analyses and systematic reviews have been conducted to evaluate methodological rigor in research on the effect that mentoring has on the mentee. However, a dearth of information exists regarding the effect of mentoring on the mentor. As such, I conducted a systematic review of the literature focused on such an effect (if any) within the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), aiming to bolster the literature surrounding this affect. In the case of this work, my focus is on undergraduate or post-secondary students as mentors for near-peers and/or youth. This review functions to identify commonalities of affective …

Vol. 41, No. 2, Spring 2021: Table Of Contents, Northern Illinois University Law Review

Northern Illinois University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Partisanship And The Attorney General Of The United States: Timely Lessons From Edward Levi And Griffin Bell About Repairing A Politicized Department Of Justice, Patrick E. Longan, James P. Fleissner

Mercer Law Review

The proper role of the Attorney General of the United States has been much in the news in recent years. William Barr received scathing criticism for how he handled the Mueller Report regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election; the sentencing of President Trump’s associate, Roger Stone; the charges against President Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn; and numerous other matters.

Mr. Barr’s critics accused him of perverting his office from one that served the rule of law in a nonpartisan fashion into one that catered to President Trump’s personal and political desires. Many of these critiques condemned Barr’s …

Educating Others: A Vocation Promoting Meaning, Purpose And The Universal Apostolic Preferences, Audrey A. Friedman, Myra Rosen-Reynoso, Kierstin M. Giunco, Charles T. Cownie Iii, Cristina J. Hunter Phd

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Teaching as discerned vocation in urban Catholic schools has the potential to provide a far-reaching, integrative space for enacting the Universal Apostolic Preferences. This research explores the reflections of 31 novice teachers, enrolled in the Urban Catholic Teacher Corps (UCTC), a Jesuit university program in the northeast. This program supports the development and formation of novice teachers through graduate education, living in community, full-teaching responsibilities in an urban Catholic school, mentoring, coaching, and professional development. Teachers completed an online interview that elicited responses about what it means to lead a life of meaning and purpose and the factors that contribute …

An Examination Of The Themes Of Invisibility And Hypervisibility In Black Women’S Experiences Within The Prison System, Sarah N. Kuhns

Honors Theses

Using Kimberlee Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality, the author argues that how incarcerated Black women are treated because of how others perceive their identities lead to certain traits of theirs being rendered invisible or hyper-visible. Their humanity and needs are rendered invisible while stereotypes of criminality, insanity and hyper-sexuality are hyper-visible. Because their humanity is not fully seen, while their criminality is seen as hyper-visible, state violence is used against them as a tool of control and domination. Due to the fact that incarceration and the state violence that comes with a prison sentence, prison abolition should be considered as a …

Measuring Perceptions Of Various Forms Of Rehabilitation And Re-Entry Programs On Various Types Of Offenders And Reducing The Likelihood Of Recidivism: A Qualitative Study Of Criminal Justice Professionals In Ohio, Jasmine H. Riechmann

Honors Theses

Research suggests that rehabilitation and reentry programs reduce rates of recidivism for various types of offenders. The study, based on the constructivist paradigm, will use a phenomenological strategy to explain criminal justice professionals’ perceptions of rehabilitation and reentry programs. Participants with experience working with at-risk populations in Ohio were selected for inclusion in the study. Participant experiences and feedback were analyzed to answer the research questions posed in the study. Data collected from each interview and the researcher’s field notes were compared to identify themes.

Examination Of The Effects Of Speech Disorders On Juvenile Delinquency And The Potential Benefits Of Speech Therapy For Offenders, Katie Paparelli

Senior Honors Projects

In the United States, there are currently over 50,000 juveniles housed in youth confinement facilities for delinquent acts ranging from truancy to murder. To decrease that number, it is pertinent to identify possible risk factors of juvenile delinquency, but also to establish impactful preventative strategies as well as reactive solutions. Speech disorders and speech differences have been identified as potential risk factors for juvenile delinquency. Having a speech disorder/difference has an undeniable impact on a child’s life, with potentially negative impacts ranging from poor engagement with school and bullying—both risk factors in themselves for juvenile delinquency. Unsurprisingly, researchers have found …

The Public Health Crisis Of Alcoholism: What Could Be Done Better In Rhode Island?, Carlos Borges

Senior Honors Projects

Alcoholism is a chronic issue that affects over 3 million people per year in the United States. It is characterized by an individual who is physiologically dependent on alcohol to the point where they cannot carry out common social activities such as having friends or holding down a job. Approximately 88,000 people die per year due to alcohol related events. The economic impact due to hospital bills, criminal justice costs, and lost productivity of the abuser is estimated at $400 billion annually. Alcohol abuse can be used as a coping mechanism in adolescents who are struggling with behavioral health issues …

Seeing Color: America's Judicial System, Elizabeth Poulin

Senior Honors Projects

In many eyes, it often seems as though being white in America is easy, or a privilege. Being white in America is considered a safety blanket, with an abundance of opportunities beneath it. Yet, how does a physical difference such as skin color manifest itself as privilege? Noticing color is not wrong, hateful, or oppressive. Even children notice color, and we define them as the ultimate innocence. But in fact, skin color is often a trigger. When the world has preconceived notions about people of color, an oppressive system designed to harm people who have never done anything to deserve …

Trauma Informed Care Training Initiative: Implementation Study In Appalachia, Mattie V. Raza

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study aims to evaluate the implementation of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) trainings in Johnson City, Tennessee, and the surrounding Appalachian area. Previous TIC trainees were sent an email survey asking them if they had followed through with their plan to implement the training at their place of work or in other areas of their lives. The response rate for this study was 2%, possibly due to extraneous variables such as the Coronavirus Pandemic and the lag time between the initial training and survey follow-up. The responses that were analyzed indicated promise for the practical implementation of TIC concepts at the …

Stepping Towards Justice: The Case For The Illinois Constitution Requiring More Protection Than Not Falling Below “Cruel And Unusual” Punishment, Andrea D. Lyon, Hannah J. Brooks

Northern Illinois University Law Review

In these tumultuous times, when our nation is trying to not only navigate a global pandemic, but also actually reckon with its long history of institutional racism, mass incarceration, and devastation of poor communities and communities of color, the cry for criminal justice reform is loud and getting louder, particularly regarding sentencing, and it is time for Illinois to require its courts to commit to doing more in accordance with our constitution. In this article, the authors examine the legislative and constitutional history of Illinois, the effects of a series of recent decisions made in the context of the sentencing …

Race, Sex, Exoneration, & Compensation: How Do They Relate? What Is Done? And What Needs To Be Done?, Sarah Emily Still

Honors Theses

Previous literature has noted multiple causes of wrongful conviction including mistaken eyewitness identification, false confessions, ineffective assistance of counsel, crime lab error, and prosecutorial misconduct. Over time, more wrongful convictions caused by these factors are overturned through the help of organizations such as the Innocence Project. With these increasing exonerations comes the increased needs of exonerated people. The previous literature has exemplified that exonerees have unique needs (Simms, 2016), but these needs are often not met by the compensation that is available (Chunias & Aufgang, 2008; Mandery et. al, 2013). This occurrence is problematic given that exonerees had to lose …

Learning To Disclose: A Journey Of Transracial Adoption Teaching Resource, Joni Schwartz

Open Educational Resources

This textbook guide for the book Learning to Disclose: A Journey of Transracial Adoption by Joni Schwartz & Rebecca Schwartz, November 2020 published by the Peter Lang Group. This teaching aid accompanies the text. This teaching aid was created by Alejandro Toro as part of an LIB 220, Spring 1 research course project. It is submitted with his written permission.

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Their Connection To Autoimmune Disease In Adulthood, Emma J. Molden

Honors Theses

Everyday in the United States, a child experiences a traumatic event. Autoimmune disease is one of the top two leading causes of death in the United States. Can these two horrifying events be connected? Autoimmune diseases currently affect millions of Americans and are considered an epidemic because of their prevalence within the adult population. Even with a high number of cases, this possible connection has been largely ignored and under researched for the history of modern medicine. However, two studies have begun to make the connection between adverse childhood experiences and how that affects the onset of autoimmune diseases in …

The Pacific Sentinel: May/June, Mini Issue, Portland State University. Student Publications Board

The Pacific Sentinel

Editor: Vivian Veidt

Articles in this issue include:

• Letter From the Editor
• Vaccine Hesitancy
• Campus Policing and the Call for Abolition
• Goodbye Afghanistan Palestine
• Where Memes and Cinema Collide