Digital Commons Network^™

Curb Their Enthusiasm: Controlling The Discretion Of Creative Prosecutors, Scott A. Schumacher

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

No abstract provided.

Behind Closed Doors, Beyond The Cell: Supporting Children Of Incarcerated Parents, Averi R. Amaro

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

This study examines the overlooked population of children affected by parental incarceration and evaluates intervention programs designed to support them. Grounded in Labeling Theory (Becker, 1963), Self-Fulfilling Prophecy (Merton, 1948), and the Restorative Justice framework (Zehr, 2002), this study explores how stigma, expectation, and repair shape the outcomes for the youth affected by parental incarceration. Drawing from qualitative and quantitative research, it analyzes the emotional, social, and educational effects of incarceration on families, identifying protective factors such as attachment, mentoring, and community support that mitigate delinquency risks. Program evaluations of Girl Scouts Beyond Bars, Parenting Inside Out, Project Avary, and …

Volume 109, Number 2 (2025)

Judicature

No abstract provided.

Response: Foreign Affairs Prosecutions And Cybercrime, Mailyn Fidler

Law Faculty Scholarship

A response to Professor Steven Koh's new article on how the U.S. makes global criminal justice policy. Prof. Fidler examines what a decade of cybercrime indictments reveals about America's approach to prosecuting foreign hackers. Three things stand out: * Beyond Attribution - These indictments aren't just about naming and shaming, or about the typical dimensions of criminal alw. They're sophisticated foreign policy tools that coordinate and moderate international sanctions and global norms. * Intertwined with Cooperation - The indictments alternately create space for and slow the tempo of international cooperation on this issue, according to U.S. interests. * Power Projection …

Explainable A.I. For Analysis And Interpretation Of Heterogeneous Crime Data., Sadaf Ahmed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the problem of fragmented data in the context of crime and cybercrime analysis. While both domains generate substantial public data, these sources vary widely in format, structure, and coverage, making it difficult to perform consistent inference or develop reliable predictive models. To address these limitations, this work proposes a layered integration framework grounded in ontology-driven modeling and data fusion. The approach is applied to two distinct but related case studies, each focused on constructing a coherent representation of criminal activity from heterogeneous sources. The first case study explores the integration of drug and human trafficking data from …

Equality In Sentencing Mitigation, John B. Meixner Jr.

Fordham Law Review

As guilty-plea rates have skyrocketed, sentencing has become an increasingly important part of criminal procedure. With judges often wielding significant discretion at sentencing, a key question is how judges interpret mitigation: evidence about the defendant’s background or the case that supports a reduced sentence. Past empirical research—both experimental and in real-world cases—indicates that mitigation plays an important role in determining sentences. But does mitigation help everyone, or does it reinforce inequalities that frequently infect other areas of criminal procedure? Do low-income Black defendants with appointed counsel benefit from sentencing mitigation as much as wealthier White defendants with private attorneys? Do …

(How) Is Plea Bargaining Justified?, Palma Paciocco

Articles & Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

Evidence Based Project: Japanese Immigrant Elderly Couples In The Midwest, Isabel Anderson

Student Projects

This paper examined the unique needs and challenges of Japanese immigrant elderly couples living in the rural Midwest of the United States through the lens of systemic family therapy. The focus family consisted of an elderly husband showing early signs of dementia and a wife who recognized the necessity of transitioning to independent living. Their adult daughter and son-in-law’s involvement intensified intergenerational tension, as traditional cultural norms granted the husband decision-making authority. The study provided a statistical overview of Japanese immigrant families in the U.S., highlighting aging trends, linguistic barriers, and geographic dispersion. Common psychosocial and systemic issues such as …

Elected Prosecutors And Discretionary Dissonance In The Pursuit Of Racial Justice, Leo Gabriel Tucker

University of Baltimore Law Review

No abstract provided.

Toward An Equitable Legal Marijuana Market In Maryland: Assessing Development Strategies, Jasmine L. Tyler

University of Baltimore Law Review

No abstract provided.

Self-Efficacy In Juvenile Probation Officers: An Examination Of Training, Eva K. Ott Hill

Master's Theses

The role of juvenile probation officers (JPO) has significantly changed in the past two decades. Rather than a focus on compliance, juvenile probation officers are tasked with using evidence-based practices focused on rehabilitation. Training is a key tool as it equips juvenile probation officers with the skills they need to implement new evidence-based practices and programs. Juvenile probation officers’ confidence in their ability to complete their changing job tasks should increase when they receive training. The current study examines how training impacts perceived self-efficacy among juvenile probation officers in Connecticut. The study seeks to understand what aspects of training impact …

Pardoning Corporations, Brandon Stras

University of Chicago Law Review

In 1977, a company convicted of conspiring with the mob asked President Jimmy Carter for a pardon. Government officials speculated that the President could grant the request, but ultimately the President decided that the company did not deserve clemency. Nearly fifty years later, President Donald Trump pardoned a company and commuted the sentence of another. People are again wondering whether the pardon power covers companies, but no one can offer evidence either way.

History shows that the pardon power covers companies. Before the Founding, the King would often pardon corporations. Both the City of London and the Massachusetts Bay Company …

Graduates List - December 2025, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Commencement Lists

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Technology In Modernizing Prison Management Systems, Essa Anwahi

Theses

This thesis examines the role of technology in modernizing prison management systems and improving operational efficiency, security, and decision-making. It explores how digital technologies and data analytics can address challenges in traditional prison management, such as inefficient processes and limited data utilization. The study highlights the potential of technology-driven solutions to enhance system performance and support more effective management practices within correctional facilities.

The Equity Implications Of Pecuniary Externalities On An Electric Grid, Charles Sims, Gasser G. Ali, J. Scott Holladay, Tim Roberson, Chien Fei Chen, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The adoption of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems can create upward pressure on retail electricity rates as utilities are forced to spread their fixed costs of generation and transmission across a smaller customer base. Since high-income households are more likely to purchase PV systems, low-income households may be disproportionately impacted by these rate increases. Using a novel combination of agent-based computational economic modeling and a choice experiment of rooftop solar adoption, we show how this pecuniary externality between low- and high-income customers increases low-income electricity bills by 10% in an area with some of the highest poverty rates in the United …

An Analysis Of Policies Impacting Ex-Offenders And The Barriers Created In Their Transition Into Society: A Qualitative Metasynthesis, Thomas A. Ayala

Theses & Dissertations

In 2018, more than six million people in the United States were under correctional supervision, including incarceration, probation, or parole, equivalent to 1 in 40 adults (Maruschak & Minton, 2020). While this reflects a decline from previous years, prison populations reversed course in 2022, increasing by 2% nationwide, with 36 states and federal facilities reporting higher inmate counts (Nellis, 2024). Since 1973, policy shifts have fueled the rise of mass incarceration (Nellis, 2021; O’Brien, 2020). According to the Pew Center, the United States remains a global outlier, holding 5% of the world’s population, but incarcerates 25% of the 9 million …

2025 Fall Commencement, Tennessee State University

TSU Commencements 2025-Present – Mr. Dwayne Tucker, President

No abstract provided.

External Funding Bulletin July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025, Office Of Research And Creative Activity, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Sponsored Programs Bulletins

No abstract provided.

Sb 79 - Controlled Substances, Brady Prelutsky, Hannah F. Sanchez

Georgia State University Law Review

This Act amends various sections of Georgia’s criminal code. Three key changes are particularly noteworthy. First, the Act revises threshold amounts of fentanyl and related substances for the offenses of possessing, selling, distributing, manufacturing, and trafficking such substances. Second, the Act increases the penalties for such offenses. Lastly, the Act revises mandatory minimum departure provisions for defendants convicted of trafficking fentanyl and related substances.

Hb 582 - Defenses To Criminal Prosecutions, Emma Marie Kelley, Ashlyn Amanda Puckett

Georgia State University Law Review

The Act permits criminal defendants to introduce evidence that they are survivors of family violence, sexual abuse, or related trauma in support of a justification defense. It amends various Code sections to provide for the admissibility of such evidence, clarify the applicability of justification defenses, and establish evidentiary standards. The Act also creates privilege protections for communications made between victims and their abuser, provides civil immunity for facilitators of those dialogues, and imposes a uniform oath requirement for peace officers statewide.

Help-Seeking Among Early Adolescents Who Use Physical Peer Violence, Kelli Franco, Elizabeth Baumler, Leila Wood, Heidi Adams Rueda, Jeffrey R Temple

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Despite accumulating research on help-seeking among violence victims, little is known about help-seeking among youth who use violence. In a racially and ethnically diverse sample of early adolescents (N=2,676; 50.3% female; Mage=12.67), participants self-reported physical bullying, physical fighting, physical dating violence perpetration, and help-seeking intentions over the past year. T-tests and one-way ANOVAs examined help-seeking by sex and race, respectively. Prevalence and comparisons of help-seeking across youth with and without any violence were examined. Youth who used any physical peer violence (n=965) reported lower help-seeking intentions than their peers, and among violent youth, males reported …

Public Perceptions Of Sexual And Dating Violence: How Attitudes On Sexual Education, Pornography, And Masculinity Relate To Rape Myth Acceptance, Bailey Lane Saldana

Dissertations

Rape myths are false beliefs that explain sexual violence, and uphold current beliefs on sexual violence (Payne, Lonsway, & Fitzgerald, 1999). These myths can be learned and reinforced through a variety of sources, including formal school-based sexual education programs, pornography consumption, and peers. Through two studies, sexual education and rape myth were examined. In the first study, an exploratory content analysis of state sexual education guidelines was completed to better understand what information and guidance is provided by states to those providing sexual education. In the second study, a sample of 420 U.S. adults completed a factorial survey experiment wherein …

The Lived Experiences Of Clinicians Who Treat Black Males Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence, Gifty A. Acheampong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global issue that negatively affects humanity. The harmful effects of IPV often result in lifelong consequences for victims. Researchers have consistently identified women and children as the primary victims of IPV, although men can also be affected. The social stigma around men seeking formal help as victims is that they must endure physical, emotional, financial, sexual, and psychological abuse in intimate relationships. Because psychological abuse is the most common form experienced by male IPV victims, there is a higher prevalence of IPV within the Black community. However, research on help-seeking behaviors among Black men …

No Exceptions: The New Movement To Abolish Slavery And Involuntary Servitude, Adam A. Davidson

University of Chicago Law Review

In the twenty-first century, slavery is still alive in the United States, but thankfully, it is increasingly unwell. States across the country, in places both expected and unexpected, have begun to pass amendments to their state constitutions that seek to finish the job started over 150 years ago by the Thirteenth Amendment. Whereas that amendment included an exception, providing for slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime, these new state amendments contain total prohibitions. But these prohibitions have thus far proven unable to end the blight of prison slavery merely through their text. This Article asks why and …

The Blackstone Ratio, Modified, Murat C. Mungan

Faculty Scholarship

In his discussion of evidentiary policies, Blackstone famously noted that ‘it is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer’ (Blackstone 1769). The conventional wisdom among lawyers, judges as well as academics holds that accepting this statement as a maxim necessitates the adoption of pro-defendant evidentiary rules. It is also commonly believed that costs associated with false convictions being greater than those associated with failures to punish offenders due to the presence of punishment costs provides a utilitarian rationale for Blackstonian principles. After formalizing Blackstone ratios (either as marginal rates of substitution or, alternatively, as the ratio …

The Loss Of The Moral Principal: How The Attitude Of School Discipline Changed From The 1950s Through The 1980s, Brendan Webster

Honors Projects

This comparative historical analysis examines the profound ideological transformation of student discipline in American secondary schools between 1950 and 1989. Utilizing a comparative textual analysis of primary source documents published in The High School Journal. This study investigates how administrative philosophy, professional concern, and disciplinary practice responded to the sociological and geopolitical views in the respective decades.

The research identifies a core continuity in the school's role as an agent of social control, but documents a fundamental divergence in the mechanisms used to achieve it. The 1950s view, shaped by mental hygiene and democratic idealism, framed discipline as a developmental …

Table Of Contents - Vol. 50, Fall 2025

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Ending The Cycle: A New Approach To Decriminalize Mental Illness, Paige E. Kohn

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

Today, America faces a health paradox: the nation’s largest jails are the nation’s largest psychiatric institutions. In a criminal justice system designed for punishment, solutions like mental health units or mental health courts try to address this contradiction. Yet, if mental illness is a health issue, and not a criminal issue, then increased investments in the criminal justice system seem misplaced. Instead, a more promising approach is to stop the mentally ill from entering the criminal justice system at all.

This article presents just that: a new approach to decriminalize mental illness. Viewed under an overarching “health justice” lens, the …

Advocacy At The Front Door, Tenisha S. Hill

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project examines how integrating social work practices into the jail intake process can strengthen support for clients represented by the Public Defender’s Office. The project focuses on understanding the challenges clients face at the earliest point of contact often marked by trauma, instability, and limited access to services and how a social-work-informed approach can improve outcomes. Through direct observation, interviews with staff, and review of intake procedures, the project identifies key gaps in assessment, communication, and referrals. Findings highlight the need for more holistic intake practices that address clients’ social, mental health, and resource needs alongside their legal …

Addressing Mental Needs In The Justice System, Danna B. Perez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Clients in the Mental Health Diversion Program often struggle to understand legal requirements due to the impact of mental health symptoms, which can interfere with their ability to complete the program. This capstone project was implemented at the Monterey County Public Defender’s Office within the Mental Health Diversion team, which serves individuals in the legal system with mental health challenges. The project aimed to strengthen staff communication with clients by providing a training presentation on mental-health-informed communication strategies. A post-presentation survey measured staff experience, confidence, awareness, and intention to apply the techniques. Results showed that most staff already had extensive …