Digital Commons Network^™

June 30, 2023: Resurrections And Bad Omens Of A Nadir Court, Zamir Ben-Dan

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

June 29, 2023 was monumental for racial justice advocates and scholars; the U.S. Supreme Court issued a major decision that eviscerated affirmative action while declaring itself a vanguard of racial equality. The Court’s race-related juridical activities on the following day, June 30th, received far less attention. On June 30, 2023, the Court denied certiorari in five cases directly implicating race. Those denials of certiorari generated five opinions, two concurring in the denial and three dissenting from denial. These five opinions should have created as much buzz as the Court’s affirmative action decision the day prior; examined together, they tell a …

Reading Teacher Perceptions: The Impact Of Educator Preparation Program Literacy Coursework And Clinical Experiences On Teacher Efficacy In Historically Underrepresented Populations, Emily Taubken

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite research that indicates the critical importance and lifelong impact of early reading proficiency for students, national reading proficiency trends demonstrate most students in the United States are not yet reading at grade level, with disparities existing among historically underrepresented subgroups. Additionally, research shows that preservice and in-service teachers have documented limited feelings of self-efficacy in teaching reading specifically, suggesting limitations in preservice training for educators. To better understand how reading teachers perceive the efficacy of their preservice teacher academic and clinical experiences, especially for those who serve historically underrepresented student populations, this study seeks to document the perspectives of …

Knowledge Acquisition On Mass-Shooting Events Via Llms For Ai-Driven Justice, Benign Ihugba

All Theses

Mass-shooting events pose a significant challenge to public safety because they generate large volumes of unstructured textual data, making it difficult to conduct effective investigations and formulate public policy. The proposed knowledge acquisition system utilized Large Language Models (LLMs) with few-shot prompting to extract vital information from news articles, police reports, and social media content at high speed. The system used entity recognition to detect vital information, which included offenders, victims, locations, and criminal instruments that support legal investigations. An experimental study conducted on actual mass-shooting datasets showed GPT-4o performs best for mass-shooting NER. The o1-mini delivered competitive performance while …

Identifying Common Characteristics Among Female Serial Killers And The Role Of Early Childhood Abuse, Jill Marie Raichel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 17% of known serial killers in the United States are women, and often their crimes go undetected for years accruing a higher number of victims than their male counterparts. The purpose of this study was to identify common characteristics of female serial killers (FSKs). A multidisciplinary, holistic and developmental approach was used to guide the identification of common characteristics based on theories by Erik Erikson and Carol Gilligan as well as feminist theory. Case studies of 15 FSKs were randomly selected for participation from a list of over 100 known FSKs documented in the Radford Serial Killer database. Common …

University Of Nebraska At Omaha Commencement: December 2025, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Representing The Incommunicado Client: Regulating The Attorney-Client Relationship In A Civil Rights Emergency, Michael Kagan

Washington and Lee Law Review Online

When the government obstructs a detainee’s ability to communicate with attorneys, normal rules governing the formation of attorney-client relationships break down. While some work-arounds exist to allow lawyers to bring such cases to court, they have significant limitations and can create problems of their own. The legal profession and the courts should adopt new rules modeled on emergency medicine to facilitate the filing of urgent civil rights claims for clients who are not in a position to consent. In emergency medicine, physicians can presume client consent for certain narrow and urgent purposes. Certain lawyers, in extreme cases, should be able …

When Strength Becomes Stress: The Strong Black Woman Schema And Burnout Among Black Women In Community And Social Services, Portia D. Gordon

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study explores the relationship between the Strong Black Woman Schema (SBWS) and burnout among Black women in community and social service roles. It uses Black feminist theory (Collins, 1990), intersectionality frameworks (Crenshaw, 1989), and the racial identity development theory (Cross, 1991). Data from 217 women who work or volunteer in community and social services, collected through the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), Social Issues Advocacy Scale-2 (SAIS-2), Activism Orientation Scale (AOS), and Stereotypic Roles for Black Women Scale (SRBWS), along with demographic details, assessed SBWS endorsement, advocacy involvement, and burnout levels. Responses were analyzed across ethnic groups and levels …

Pathways To Aggression: Understanding Peer Victimization In Adolescence, Makenzie H. Clarken

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Insight into aggression among early adolescents is important to understanding its predictors and consequences. In adolescence, aggression is typically related to underlying issues. Addressing this is important, as unmanageable aggression progressing past early adolescence can result in involvement in the criminal justice system. Studies show that peer victimization is associated with increased levels of aggression. Aggressive adolescents may attract victimization from their peers, or those who are victimized may respond with aggression. The current study followed a sample of 182 fifth and sixth graders over the course of the school year. Constructs such as aggression, peer victimization, and social withdrawal …

Empowerment Or Imprisonment? The Line Between Sex Work And Sex Trafficking: A Comparison Of Law Enforcement And Academic Perspectives, Jocelyn Belcastro

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This research explores the line between consensual sex work and sex trafficking to gain a better understanding of the prevalence and pathways through which sex work may transition into sex trafficking. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with law enforcement professionals that work closely with survivors of sex trafficking to examine the pathways from consent to coercion. An interview with a former sex worker, now college professor, was also conducted to examine the lived experience and academic perspective. Both the law enforcement and academic perspectives were analyzed and compared to one another to form a nuanced understanding of the complex issue of …

Alaska Native Disparities In Alaska Jails And Prisons. An Exploratory Study And Descriptive Analysis, Brad A. Myrstol, Cheryl Jones, Rus'sel Sampson, Bri Moffat

AJiC Reports

This report presents an exploratory study of racial disparities in Alaska’s correctional system, combining a review of national research with an analysis of Alaska Department of Corrections (ADOC) booking data.

Institutional Sustainability In Ai Governance: Comparing Paths In The Eu, Japan, And Taiwan, Kuan-Wei Chen

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

This article explores the concept of institutional sustainability in AI governance by comparing the approaches in the European Union, Japan, and Taiwan. It begins by arguing that the relationship between AI and sustainability extends beyond environmental concerns, encompassing the sustainability of governance institutions themselves. The article posits that institutional sustainability, referring to the capacity of governance frameworks to remain effective over time, is essential in the context of rapidly evolving and future-oriented AI governance. The analysis proceeds by examining the EU’s strategy of normative anchoring through legal codification, Japan’s agile governance model based on collaboration and coordination, and Taiwan’s digital …

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-Haddad

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

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 …

Exploring The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction And Servant Leadership In Community Corrections: A Probation Officer’S Perspective, Shamira B. Gambrell

Education Doctoral

Probation officers work in demanding environments marked by high caseloads, role conflict, and organizational pressures that can negatively affect job satisfaction and workforce stability. Leadership practices at the frontline supervisory level play a critical role in shaping these experiences, yet limited empirical research has examined servant leadership within community corrections. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between probation officers’ perceptions of servant leadership demonstrated by their direct supervisors and their level of job satisfaction.

Data were collected from probation officers affiliated with departments connected to the American Probation and Parole Association using an anonymous …

Enhancing Adherence To Veterans Affairs/Department Of Defense And American Psychiatric Association Clinical Guidelines For Alcohol Use Disorder, Corinna M. Trevino

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Alcohol use disorder continues to be significantly undertreated within outpatient behavioral health settings, particularly concerning pharmacological interventions. Despite the presence of robust national clinical guidelines recommending medications such as naltrexone for individuals with moderate to severe dependence, the rates of prescribing these medications remain modest owing to inconsistent screening procedures, limited referral practices, and provider follow-through barriers. This project was implemented at a substance use treatment center in a large metropolitan area to improve adherence to clinical practice guidelines. The purpose of this project was to increase prescribing of naltrexone and improve referral for patients with moderate to severe alcohol …

Symbolic Justice: The Continued Limits Of International Criminal Justice Without A Permanent Prison System, Meg Penrose

Faculty Scholarship

Many people misremember Nuremberg, Tokyo, and the subsequent World War II tribunals. These seminal international tribunals gave the world convictions but largely failed to fully enforce the sentences imposed. Most people do not recall the mass clemency following the World War II tribunals. This Article seeks to fill a scholarly void by explaining why international criminal justice has never matured beyond Nuremberg and Tokyo. The modern ad hoc tribunals, as well as the permanent International Criminal Court (“ICC”), have failed to deliver lasting justice. Much like Nuremberg and Tokyo, the modern tribunals fixate on arrests and convictions and then seemingly …

The Role Of Law Enforcement In Sexual Assault Kit Submissions: A Statewide Analysis Of Decision-Making Processes & Focal Concerns In Kentucky., Rychelle Elizabeth Wilks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual assault case attrition persists throughout the criminal justice system, partly due to inconsistent Sexual Assault Kit (SAK) submission decisions. This dissertation examines factors influencing police officers' decisions to submit SAKs for forensic testing, applying the focal concerns perspective to understand how legal and extra-legal characteristics shape these decisions. Using statewide Kentucky data from July 2007 to March 2018, this study analyzed 2,194 adult sexual assault cases from 192 law enforcement agencies. Of these cases, 1,520 (69.3%) resulted in SAK submission. Logistic regression analyses examined the full sample, as well as four subsamples. Results provide mixed support for focal concerns …

A Systems Approach To Shedding Sunlight On A.I. Black Boxes, Ran Xi

Hofstra Law Review

A substantial body of literature has emerged around concerns that machine learning and artificial intelligence systems are opaque, or "black boxes. " The black box nature ofA.I.-powered services and applications has resulted in alarming risks in social life, including insecurity, mistrust, lack of accountability, and exacerbated bias and discrimination. Despite the call to open the black boxes, corresponding legal and regulatory measures tend to run aground due to their infeasibility, inefficacy, and ambiguity. This Article offers a unique perspective on the A.I black box problem. Using systems theory as a heuristic tool, this Article views A.I. as a law-related system …

The Truth Will Set You Free: The Importance Of A Psychologically Rooted Framework That Encourages The Admission Of Expert Testimony On Eyewitness Memory, Emma C. Kiernan

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.

Embodied Overcrowding And Sensory Tensions: A Carceral Autoethnography Of Philippine Jails, Dwayne Antojado

Ateneo School of Government Publications

In this paper, I undertake a sensorially oriented autoethnography of two Philippine jails, illuminating the visceral textures of carceral life that conventional sociological or criminological discourses often overlook. Drawing inspiration from Jewkes and Young's (2021) examination of Kyoto Prison, I foreground the overlapping realms of sight, sound, smell, and touch, arguing that incarceration is inherently a profoundly embodied phenomenon. By weaving personal reflections, field observations, and broader scholarly insights, I reveal how overcrowded dormitories, suffocating heat, and lingering bodily odours converge to redefine detainees' spatial, temporal, and psychosocial realities in ways rarely captured by quantitative metrics. While mindful of Nelken's …

Spaceflight Safety Regulations: The Case For Implementing Safety Management Systems In The Developing U.S. Commercial Human Spaceflight Industry, Carly Davidson

Theses and Dissertations

Accidents have historically accompanied the development of new transportation systems, often due to technical failures; but human factors – such as organizational culture and management decisions – are increasingly recognized as significant contributors. A strong safety culture, prioritizing safety at all organizational levels, effective management procedures, and open reporting of violations, is believed to improve outcomes by proactively reducing risk in highly technical organizations. These elements form the basis of Safety Management Systems (SMS), which include safety policy, risk management, assurance, and promotion. As commercial spaceflight expands public access to space, US regulators must develop flexible safety regulations that protect …

Sharing Hope Series, Sharon A. Smith

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Stigma surrounding mental illness in communities of color creates significant barriers to seeking mental healthcare, leaving many individuals and families without the support they need. This capstone project was implemented through the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and its Sharing Hope Series, a program designed to provide culturally responsive mental health education and resources. The initiative serves communities of color where stigma, cultural beliefs, myths, and historical mistrust often create barriers for those needing to seek services. The purpose of the project is to reduce stigma and increase awareness through open dialogue, education, and resource sharing. Implemented as a …

Confronting Settler Colonialism Through Indigenous Feminism: The Structural Roots Of Mmiw, Miah Schiavi-Munoz

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S) across the United States and Canada represents a manifestation of ongoing settler colonial violence. This paper examines the MMIW crisis through the frameworks of settler colonial theory and Indigenous feminist scholarship, arguing that contemporary patterns of disappearance, assault, and murder are structural outcomes of colonial law, governance, and heteropatriarchal control. Drawing on historical analysis, legal critique, and participant observation from the 2025 MMIP Training Conference in Monterey, California, this study traces how the settler colonial logic of elimination operates through jurisdictional fragmentation, bureaucratic neglect, data erasure, resource …

Public Defender Discretion, Alma Magaña

Articles

A focus of criminal legal system reform efforts has been the curtailment of police, prosecutorial, and judicial discretion, which has been criticized for its arbitrariness and its contribution to racial, class, and gender disparities. However, one system actor has largely escaped similar scrutiny: public defenders, who, by grant of authority from ethical rules of practice and Supreme Court jurisprudence, have significant decision-making authority in the cases of indigent persons charged with crimes.

This Article will, for the first time, explore the historical rationale for giving public defenders the power to make life-altering decisions for their clients. Specifically, it dissects the …

The Power Of Partnership: A Systematic Review Of Interorganizational Collaboration Among Victim Service Organizations, Mackenzie E. Allred

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Victim service organizations inhabit an organizational niche composed of other, adjacent organizations such as hospitals, shelters, police, and prosecutors. Effectively serving victims entails building and maintaining relationships with these adjacent organizations. Limited research has sought to discuss the role of interorganizational collaboration in the context of victim service organizations. I investigate this topic by conducting a systematic literature review on the existing research focused on interorganizational collaboration among victim service organizations. With data gathered from this review, I explore the nature and extent of interorganizational collaboration and its potential impact on victim service organizations. I close with recommendations for future …

Fast & Forensic: Rapid Detection & Quantitation Of 30 + Emerging Novel Psychoactive Substances In Hair Using Lc-Ms/Ms, Seokjin Hwang

Student Theses

The continuous emergence of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) poses a significant challenge for forensic and clinical toxicologists, due to their structural diversity, rapid turnover on the illicit drug market, and limited toxicological information. Hair is a powerful matrix for retrospective drug exposure assessment and monitoring NPS worldwide. Not only does it provide a broad window of detection but also a simple sample exchange amongst laboratories. However, the extraction of multi-class NPS in a single method remains an analytical challenge. Therefore, there is an urgent need for extraction techniques and analytical methods that are both rapid and capable of multi-class quantitation …

Understanding Mental Health Crisis Response Through The Lens Of First Responders, Ella Gibson

Student Theses

Responses to mental health crises are becoming an increasingly contentious topic as cases of extreme police violence or fatality during a crisis are publicized in the media. Although first responders’ experiences with mental health crisis response have been explored in prior literature, there remains a lack of research that gathers data from multiple first responder roles and compares their experiences across groups. There is also a significant gap in research examining the perspectives of co-response teams. This study sought to gather qualitative data on the experiences of police officers, EMTs/paramedics, and co-response team members, and to explore their perceptions of …

Applicability Of Cementochronology To Estimate Season-Of-Death In Humans: Insights From Modern Documented Collections, Olga Ibarra-Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

Dental cementum is characterized by lifelong deposition of alternating opaque annuli in fall/winter and translucent bands in spring/summer. This study aims to test the applicability of cementochronology to estimate season-of-death, by observing the properties of the last layer, with direct implications for forensic anthropology and bioarchaeology. The sample includes canine teeth from 146 adults (84 males, 62 females), age-at-death ranging from 20-97 years (mean=61.7 years, SD=18.6 years), from two contemporary skeletal collections. Of these individuals, 78 (53.4%) died in spring/summer and 68 (46.6%) died in fall/winter. Overall accuracy was low at 64.4% (94/146). Accuracy was higher for spring/summer deaths 100.0% …

Burnout And Compassion Fatigue Within Dispatch, Emily A. Mcfarren

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Continual exposure to trauma coupled with a general lack of

administrative support contributes to greater occupational risk for burnout and

compassion fatigue among first responders, causing many to leave the

profession. As the first line of communication for emergencies, dispatchers,

specifically emergency call takers are no exception. Yet, few studies have

investigated the prevalence and impact of burnout and compassion fatigue on

dispatchers in comparison to other first responders such as police, fire, or

emergency medical services (EMS). This study aimed to extend this line of

inquiry by surveying a stratified random sample of dispatchers working in

California dispatch centers …

Bud On The Ballot: A County-Level Analysis Of Citizen Support For Cannabis Legalization, Amelia G. Jennings

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cannabis research has often emphasized usage rates among certain groups of citizens, focusing mostly on demographic factors. A less studied topic within the cannabis literature pertains to the predictors of voting patterns of legalization referendums. Past research on this topic has examined states with similar characteristics, which calls into question the generalizability of results. The current study attempts to broaden the scope of knowledge in this area by partially replicating a previous study that explored county-level voting patterns, while also exploring the potential influence of the declining agricultural industry in predicting support for cannabis legalization. This was accomplished by analyzing …

From 4-H To Higher Education: College Enrollment Among Indiana 4-H Alumni By Demographics, Favour C. Ojike, Casey Mull

Journal of Youth Development

Evaluating the long-term impact of college readiness programs on diverse youth presents unique challenges, particularly as youth navigate the complex and often transient path of postsecondary education. Instrumentation limitations and resource constraints can further blur the positive contributions of such programs. In an inaugural study, Indiana 4-H leveraged the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) to assess the postsecondary educational journeys of its alumni across diverse demographic groups. Data from the NSC were analyzed using descriptive frequency test, chi-square tests, and correlation analysis. Key findings reveal that Indiana 4-H alumni enroll in postsecondary institutions at significantly higher rates than the state average, …