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Reversing The Panopticon: Perspectives Of Previously Incarcerated Adults In Community College, Megan Friesen

Dissertations

The purpose of this critical case study was to better understand the experiences of previously incarcerated adults in a community college. This research was informed by critical criminology (Brown, 2009), especially the societal eye of the panopticon (Foucault, 1975/1977). Furthermore, I expanded on this with Paulo Freire’s (2005) work on oppression and education. This research was also informed by the existing literature on community college students in three areas: those who have been incarcerated, those in on-campus addiction recovery support, and those employed in work-study positions. Through semi-structured interviews, photo-elicitation interviews, and a review of the material data, four previously …

“Any Rebroadcast, Retransmission, Or Account Of This Trial Without The Express Written Consent Of The Judge Is Prohibited”: The First Amendment And Judicial Constraints On Redistributing Courtroom Video, Frank D. Lomonte, Rachel Jones

Buffalo Law Review

No abstract provided.

A National Survey And Critical Analysis Of University Police Statutes, Vanessa Miller

Buffalo Law Review

This Paper provides an empirical study and critical analysis of university police statutes in all fifty jurisdictions, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. The primary focus of the survey is to examine the regulatory framework governing campus police officers at public institutions of higher education. The study employs a crossdisciplinary approach, combining critical legal and qualitative analyses to provide a comprehensive overview of the legal landscape surrounding university police across the United States. The findings of the study include several key elements related to university police, such as police powers, jurisdiction, governing bodies, removal procedures, and use of …

"You Gonna Be Like Mama": A Case Study Of Intergenerational Sex Trafficking, Lindsey M. Grabowska

Honors Thesis

Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a range of experiences inflicted upon children that involves sexual exploitation for financial benefit and results in many psychological harms on exploited youth. Familial sex trafficking is a subset of CSEC where the child is exploited by a family member through either intergenerational prostitution or exchanging sexual access to their child to others for commercial gain. This paper will review the available literature on CSEC and familial trafficking, focusing specifically on two important questions (1) What makes minors vulnerable to CSEC and sex trafficking and (2) What maintains the involvement on people in …

Queering Carceralism, James Gacek

Vanderbilt Social Justice Reporter

This article endeavours to expand the horizons of queer carceral studies, recognizing it is an apt frame of reference for reconsidering empirical research and advocacy which welcomes queerness as a central and fundamental analytic lens to interrogate carceral capitalist logics. As I have argued elsewhere, we find ourselves in quite the carceral age. Despite the fact queer, trans, and gender nonconforming people continue to be disproportionately incarcerated, if not otherwise affected by the carceral system, queer studies has paid scant attention to the prison, while critical prison studies has only somewhat engaged with queerness. Indeed, the historical illegality, costs, and …

An International Prosecutor As U.S. Special Counsel, Cody Corliss

Utah Law Review

The appointment of Jack Smith to investigate then-former President Donald Trump brought to the fore the essential qualities for special counsels who act when a conflict of interest precludes investigation by the Department of Justice. Most attention on Smith centered on his domestic work and its correlation with a special counsel’s responsibilities. That emphasis, however, obscured the most salient line on his resume: international investigator and prosecutor. The conclusion of Smith’s tenure as special counsel following the election of Donald Trump to a second term as president provides an opportunity to consider the skills and qualifications that matter most in …

Fragmentation Of International Cybercrime Law, Mailyn Fidler

Utah Law Review

Cybercrime is global. But legal approaches to combating cybercrime have been fragmented. The first such multilateral legal mechanism, the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, was launched in 2001 and positioned by its primarily Western drafters as a global instrument. But it has struggled to achieve full international uptake. Instead, many states have used regional organizations to create their own legal mechanisms addressing cybercrime and cybersecurity threats. More recently, the UN Convention on Cybercrime has emerged as an alternative to this fragmented landscape. But the emergence and significance of this “convergent” option cannot be understood without the context of the deep fragmentation …

University Campus Members' Perceptions And Willingness To Accept Plea Deals, Magalli Morado Landaverde

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Previous research on plea bargaining has primarily focused on public opinion about this practice and the disparities among individuals who have accepted a plea deal. This body of research usually addressed only legal or extralegal factors associated with the prevalence of plea bargaining. Few studies have explored the impact of both factors on an individual’s attitude toward plea bargaining and willingness to accept a plea deal. The current study sought to address this gap in the literature by exploring situational and dispositional factors and other relevant measures, such as court procedural justice, to examine their influence on a person’s attitude …

Examining The Perceptions Of Restorative Practices In A Non-Profit Organization: A Comparative Analysis Of Staff And Youth Attitudes, Autumn N. Alicea, Anne Hobbs Dr

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This study examines the attitudes toward restorative justice (RJ) among staff and youth at a non-profit residential organization. Using the Restorative Justice Attitude Scale, data was collected from 14 staff members and 14 youth participants (N=28). Results indicated that staff members reported significantly higher mean scores (M = 84.50, SD = 8.38) on the Total Restorative Justice Attitude Scale than youth participants (M = 67.93, SD = 15.81). ANOVA results revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups on attitudes toward restorative justice, F (1, 26) = 12.007, p = .002. Effect size analysis (η² = .316) indicates that approximately …

Human Trafficking Prevention Methods In Nebraska, Allison E. Munderloh

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Human Trafficking has been a concern in Nebraska for a long period of time, but there is a lack of publicly available information regarding the prevention methods being employed and their effectiveness. This study aimed to identify the human trafficking prevention methods in use in Nebraska and their effectiveness based on the opinions of human trafficking professionals in the state. The human trafficking professionals were interviewed, and the information gathered was organized into seven different themes. The themes that arose from the information gathered included educational efforts, victim intervention and resources, addressing demand, labor trafficking, measuring success, resources and funding, …

Soft Substance Usage And Productivity In The Patrol Officer Population, Patrick Brady

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Consumable substances have long been used to enhance performance and ease nerves in first-responder populations. Among these substances, caffeine and nicotine products are some of the most frequently used by law enforcement. For the purposes of this study, these substances will be coded as “soft substances” (SSs). As opposed to hard substances (heroin, methamphetamines, crack-cocaine, etc.) SSs are non-criminalized substances that do not significantly change one’s state of consciousness; these substances are also commonly used during the workday (e.g. nicotine used on smoke breaks, caffeinated drinks consumed during the day). Usage rates of SSs in the law enforcement population surpass …

The Effectiveness Of International Courts In Contributing To Rebuilding And Resolving Conflicts In Societies Post-Genocide, Garrett Connely

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

In the aftermath of mass atrocities, international courts have emerged as key mechanisms for delivering justice and fostering post-conflict reconciliation. Rooted in the precedent set by the Nuremberg Trials after World War II, these institutions aim to prosecute crimes that often go beyond national legal systems. However, their effectiveness remains contested, largely due to their dependence on state cooperation and the complexity of post-conflict environments. This project examines the societal impact of international courts in two significant cases – Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. Through a comparative analysis of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Intersection Between Sex Trafficking And Domestic Violence: A Cross-Cultural Study Of The United States And India, Rachel A. Napier

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Domestic violence survivors are affected by long-term trauma from abuse, which can lead to them being more vulnerable and susceptible to sex trafficking tactics. Sex trafficking survivors are also at risk of becoming involved in an abusive relationship because they may have been previously exposed or due to a normalization of abuse. Both domestic violence and sex trafficking are prevalent issues within the world that continue to be ongoing due to their hidden nature. This study highlights the connections between domestic violence and sex trafficking and how each can be portrayed differently based on the environment and cultural norms within …

Perceptions Of Identity And Blame Attribution In Sexual Harassment Scenarios, Avarie Lambert

Honors Theses

Sexual harassment is a widespread issue influenced by societal attitudes that stem from victim blaiming and rape myth acceptance. These perceptions are often shaped by the identities of the parties involved, however there is limited research on how gender and race influence blame attribution. The purpose of this study is to examine how different identities shape public perceptions of victims in sexual harassment scenarios. Through using a nationwide sample and survey experiment, participants were randomly assigned to receive one of eight different hypothetical scenarios that differed by the race and gender of the victim, and the gender of the perpetrator. …

Public Opinion And Judicial Decision-Making: A Relationship Explored Through Interviews With Local, State And Federal Judges Within Mobile County, Alabama, Bella Gin

Honors Theses

Civilians and legal scholars alike often speculate how judges rule and what contributes to their decision-making. Acknowledging this conundrum and combining it with my own interests in the legal field, I attempt to explore how some judges located within Mobile County perceive public opinion and what factors direct their rulings over their respective case dockets. Through seven, semi-structured interviews, I ask each judge a series of questions regarding their backgrounds, decision-making methodologies, thoughts on public opinion relevancy, and application of their approaches to their judgeships. Analysis of the interviewees’ responses reveals data that suggests the judges have a somewhat ambivalent …

Mapping The Path Forward: A Dual Approach Using Ot Assessment & Mentorship To Support The Well-Being Of Youth In Dcf Custody, Kimberly T. Santos

OTD DEx Reports - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

This literature review investigates the external relationship needs of foster youth, with particular focus on the prevalence of attachment disorders and trauma-related symptoms resulting from adverse childhood experiences. The Doctoral Experiential (DEx) Capstone Project centers on the development of an occupational therapy-based assessment tool designed to evaluate emotional and environmental safety for youth in residential care. In collaboration with Gandara Mental Health Center and direct care staff, the project also includes the implementation of a training program aimed at enhancing staff understanding of trauma-informed care, youth development, and the role of meaningful mentorship. Foster youth often lack stable, supportive external …

Research Recap: A Guide To Orea Publications Of Interest, Tennessee. Comptroller Of The Treasury.

Office of Research and Education Accountability

No abstract provided.

The Interplay Of Housing Instability And Mathematics During Adolescence: A Retrospective Study Of Black Stem Folx, Sharetta M. W. Bufford

All Dissertations

Few studies have delved into the delicate nuances that impact Black students’ mathematics performance, nor have they paid much attention to the resources students leverage to overcome systems that perpetuate negative stereotypes about Black youth. For decades, studies about Black youth have been explored from a deficit perspective, shedding negative light on circumstances typically beyond the control of those being studied. Even more, some studies have placed blame on parents and parental figures in the lives of Black children for unacceptable school behavior and poor academic progress (Cobb II & Russell, 2015). Black youth have been portrayed as problematic, disruptive, …

The Right To Grow Old, Jamal Greene

Faculty Scholarship

This chapter considers the status of a constitutional “right to grow old” under the US Constitution. Understood as a “positive” right – ensuring a certain minimum quality of life to people as they face the challenges of aging – such a right may seem unavailing given the austerity in respect to such rights that many lawyers associate with the US constitutional tradition. This chapter shows this view to be premature, at least. Unlike the kinds of positive rights overtly rejected in prior cases, such as rights to certain forms of social welfare or to racial equality, a right to grow …

The Ever Present Issue Of Sexism In Politics In An Age Of Social Media., Kerryn M. Moran

Senior Honors Projects

“If we have come to think that the nursery and the kitchen are the natural sphere of a woman, we have done so exactly as English children come to think that a cage is the natural sphere of a parrot– because they have never seen one anywhere else”. - George Bernard Shaw

Sexism exists pervasively in the structures that exist in America. This is evident by the lack of America’s female leaders, with a female Vice President not being elected into office until Kamala Harris in 2020. As time moves forward, my fear grows that our nation continues to embrace …

Addiction In The Prison System: Recidivism And Alternatives, Daniel R. Bowers

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The United States criminal justice system has the highest number of incarcerated individuals in the world, with nearly 2 million people currently being behind bars, and around 7.5 million arrests per year according to the most recent available statistics. A key factor in this is addiction, specifically substance use disorders. Between 58% to 68% of adults arrested are addicted to one or more substances, with 68% of drug involved individuals being rearrested within three years of being released. This recidivism rate is incredibly high, and when combined with current prison and jail overcrowding, has created massive problems for the United …

Job Satisfaction Levels In The Correctional Field Based On Gender, Minal Chughtai

Honors College Theses

The overall purpose of this study was to research and understand the different levels of job satisfaction when it comes to female and male correctional officers and determine if female officers have greater levels of job satisfaction than their male counterparts. This study is a systematic review of different research articles that analyze correctional officers’ job satisfaction levels. This information will then be synthesized into one cohesive paper. The results will display the various factors that contribute to job satisfaction levels of correctional officers, such as gender perception, job burnout and stress, and other workplace variables. The overall findings of …

How Criminal Offenders Offend Society’S Equality Expectations, T. Markus Funk

SMU Law Review Forum

The public’s concern over safety and rising crime rates dominated opinion polls and played a significant role in the 2024 presidential election. This article argues that, although much has been written on the offender’s state of mind and the concrete harms offenders impose, what is missing is a more victim-centric understanding of the full scope of crime’s consequences.

Criminal offenders’ selfish, self-directed conduct subjugates the victims’ legally protected interests and conveys that they do not consider their victims’ rights sufficiently important or deserving of conduct-guiding respect. Offenders, in short, differentiate themselves from the social group by adopting the harmful mindset …

Punishing Pregnancy Loss: Miscarriage Criminalization As An Embodied Carceral Practice, Robin O'Hanlon

Publications and Research

The persecution of Brittany Watts, a 34-year-old Black Ohio woman arrested in September 2023 after experiencing a miscarriage, is emblematic of pregnancy loss criminalization as an embodied carceral practice. In the United States, the expansion of “fetal personhood” laws, coupled with a desire to punish imperfect pregnancies, have coalesced to produce policies and practices which actively police and criminalize pregnancy loss. The carceral regime of fetal personhood is further reinforced by medical paternalism and surveillance. I argue that the policies and practices which police pregnancy loss are rooted in a series of carceral logics, which are in turn reinforced by …

The Psychology Of Morbid Fascination: The Role Of Spectatorship In Executions, Rubbernecking, Dark Tourism, And True Crime Consumption, Sydnee L. Hope

Honors Theses

This literature review examines the general idea of morbid fascination through the lens of spectatorship. The questions that this paper will attempt to answer and contribute knowledge towards are, “What is the psychology behind morbid fascination?” and “Why are humans drawn to the macabre?”. This paper will use a myriad of different sources such as books, peer-reviewed articles, personal accounts, documentaries, podcasts, and different studies from the psychological, criminal justice, and philosophical fields of study to very carefully review, report, compile, and add new theories onto the information provided. The sections discussed throughout will fall under four categories: Public Executions, …

The Effects Of Short-Term Rental Regulation On Neighborhoods In Traverse City, Mi, Joseph H. Slonecki

Master of Public Administration Capstone Papers

With the increase in popularity of Short-Term Rentals (STRs) and the increase in housing and rental prices throughout the United States, this study aims to explore the effects STRs have on housing and rental prices in Traverse City, MI. Traverse City is a popular tourist area and has experienced significant price increases over the last decade. STRs have been a topic of regulation by many local units of government and the area lacks unified regulation. The study area is confined to two census block groups of adjacent neighborhoods that occupy different townships. The townships have two different approaches to STR …

A World Without Prison: The Role Of Policy In Prison Abolition, Kristen Davis

Honors Theses

As concerns about mass incarceration persist, prison abolition offers an innovative approach to safety and justice. The prison abolition movement has been active in the United States since the 1970s. Despite increasingly critical attitudes of the prison system, prison abolition is yet to be accepted in mainstream policy making. Instead, policymakers focus on reform, which problematically legitimizes and reinforces locking people away as criminals. One reason why reform takes precedent may be that prison abolition is often understood in negative terms, as a movement that only advocates ending incarceration. However, its essence is better captured in positive terms, such as …

Spanish Language Accessibility Within Mississippi Courts, Meredith Dudte

Honors Theses

As the Hispanic population continues to rise in Mississippi, Spanish language access in the public sector is of increasing importance. This thesis will specifically explore Spanish language access in Mississippi courts, identifying strengths and weaknesses and recommending policy solutions based on the results. To gain a better understanding of court interpretation in Mississippi, I interviewed ten Spanish language court interpreters and two court clerks either working in Mississippi courts or courts in similar southern states. Responses highlighted two themes as strengths: the federal court interpreter test and compensation, four themes as weaknesses: compensation, standards, omissions, and dialects, and four themes …

Enhancing Influence Estimation In Gradient Boosted Decision Trees Through Hierarchical Analysis, Anurag Choubey

Theses

This report presents a novel influence function for gradient-boosted decision trees (GBDTs), a widely-used class of predictive models. Influence estimation aims to quantify how individual training samples affect a model’s predictions, offering valuable insights for model debugging, data quality analysis, and in- terpretability. Existing influence functions for GBDTs—such as LeafInfluence, LeafInfluenceSP, and BoostIn—have shown varying degrees of success, with BoostIn currently recognized as the state-of-the-art in terms of estimation quality and computational efficiency. In this work, we propose BoostInLCA, a new influence function that extends BoostIn by incorporating information from non-leaf nodes via the Lowest Common Ancestor (LCA) path, thereby …

Predicting The Probability Of Crime Related Danger In Los Angeles, Joshua Oghenetega Okpako

Theses

This thesis examines the use of advanced machine learning to predict crime danger in Los Angeles, where 2023 violent crime rates (503 per 100,000) surpass the national average (363.8 per 100,000). Rooted in theories like social disorganization and victim vulnerability, it addresses the lack of combined victim-centric modeling by focusing on three questions: (1) Do blended ensemble models outperform individual models in predicting crime danger? (2) Can unsupervised learning techniques enhance supervised models’ accuracy through label generation or augmentation? (3) How can we interpret accurate machine learning models' decision-making processes? Using historical crime data from Los Angeles (2020–2025) and various …